Hurricane Reading Haibun

My book news flashed across my screen at work, proclaiming Olive Kitteridge a fantastic fall read, set in Maine. As a District Literacy Specialist, I get plenty of book reviews for all ages, and years ago I’d purchased Olive Kitteridge with every intention of reading it. But life got busy, and I passed it on when I’d kept it for several years without touching it.

School was being cancelled for the following day, so I took the opportunity to drive over to the library on my lunch break and see if they had a copy available for checkout. My plan was to incorporate some reading time by candlelight during the storm and predicted power outage that might last a few days. So I whipped out my library card and turned left onto Highway 19 South out of the parking lot, then drove a quarter mile and turned right into the J. Joel Edwards Library parking lot in Zebulon, Georgia. Already, the clouds were dark and menacing overhead to my south, but sunlight streamed through on the north side of town. It was that eerie feeling when you know something’s stirring and the sky is trying to tell you to get ready.

I strolled in and found Olive Kitteridge and Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout and checked both hardbound copies out to savor as the storm approaches. The reviews are mixed on Goodreads, but I can see my friend Mo Daley of Michigan gave it a good rating, so I have hopes and dreams of snuggling into my comfy chair with my stretchy pajamas that could pass as a dress and leggings if anyone stops by, and gathering the dogs and reading by the window until I have to light a candle if the lights go out.

There is always a silver lining somewhere, even in a storm, and mine is reading.