I just finished my latest mystery book early last week, and I am having a difficult time picking out my next read. I have been trying to enjoy a non mystery book that I got several years ago that was supposed to be a lot like my very favorite author’s books, but it was nothing like them at all!

I know it seems odd that someone who has dedicated so much time to reading Cozy Mystery books, not to mention someone who actually has a site called Cozy-Mystery, would have a favorite author who is not known as a mystery author.

I have a lot of Cozy Mystery authors on my “favorite authors” list, but for some reason, which I myself can’t figure out, my very favorite of all authors is E. F. Benson, the author of (as I say on the “B” page of my site) “my absolute favorite sequence of books”. I don’t follow all of E. F. Benson’s books, just his Lucia series. (I have some of his other works, but Lucia reigns supreme for me!)

Getting back to my “Between Books” entry >>> I felt like it was finally the time to read one of my “Similar to E. F. Benson” books. I’m here to say, as far as I can see, this author is not similar in any way to Benson. What a disappointment! I tried to like this author, honest I did. But as with many things that are “talked up” >>> it fell quite short of my expectations.

So, I’m back to my Cozy Mystery books. (Yes indeed, every once in a while a stray from my beloved Cozy Mystery books, and read a non mystery!) I have decided to start reading one of the authors on my “favorite authors” list, Charlotte MacLeod. As I have said before (many times!) I try to space out my favorite authors so that I don’t run out of them. Silly as this may seem, it works for me.  When I know there will be no more books in a particular series, I “save” the books so that I can sprinkle them into my reading queue.  Needless to say, I am way behind with most of my favorite authors.)

Many, many years ago (what seems a lifetime ago) I met my very best girlfriend my first year at college. We have been through a lot together! College, boyfriends, jobs, husbands, births, children, losses, in short: life. A while back she sent me this letter, which I meant to post yesterday, on the one day during the year that we honor women. (I’m sorry, I don’t know the author. I have tried to find him/her, but have only been able to find a lot of sites that have this posted.)

“A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot and humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

“Don’t forget your sisters,” she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. “They’ll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.”

“Remember that ‘sisters’ means ALL the women… Your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. You’ll need other women. Women always do.”

“What a funny piece of advice!” the young woman thought. “Haven’t I just gotten married? Haven’t I just joined the couple-world? I’m now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!”

But she listened to her mother. She kept contact with her sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her mother really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, sisters are the mainstays of her life.

After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I’ve learned:

THIS SAYS IT ALL:

Time passes. Life happens. Distance separates. Children grow up. Jobs come and go. Love waxes and wanes. Men don’t do what they’re supposed to do. Hearts break. Parents die. Colleagues forget favors. Careers end.

BUT………

Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley’s rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley’s’ end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you….Or come in and carry you out.

Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, mothers, grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family – all bless our life!

The world wouldn’t be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called Womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.

Pass this on to all the women who help make your life meaningful. I just did.”

We got home on Thursday afternoon, and it seems like I have been busy since then! We had a great time in California, and think all of those who are lucky enough to live out there are just that: lucky to live out there. It is absolutely beautiful!

I spent Thursday afternoon and all day Friday catching up on household chores like washing clothes. I’m certainly glad we have a washing machine and dryer, but it sure would have been faster to go to a laundromat and do all of the loads at one time.

Today we drove up to see our daughter in Austin, and had an extremely nice day. Our son usually doesn’t go up there with us, but today he did. So, the four of us were able to spend some time together.

I’m going to keep this pretty short today. Just wanted to say I’m back home, and California is terrific. [There’s a reason Frankie and Dee Dee (Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello) had so much fun in the sun!]