April 7, I think, is my father’s birthday. He passed away a few years ago – I got word of this on one of the nicest September days ever. His wife Carol called and told me he had died of a heart attack. Of course, this was unexpected. And of course, I felt a lingering sense of loss.

We were connected at the hip – both of us had a love of literature and reading in general. Some of the best times in my later college and high school years were spent in his bookstore in Hillsboro, NH, called Country Lights. The store was short lived because Hillsboro was a dead mill town. There were a few new shops there, but not enough to draw the much needed traffic to make this a go.

At about the same time my father opened his bookstore, a fellow opened one in nearby Peterborough, a town in which there was a more affluent populace. This bookstore did very well. I do not think that my father’s bookstore failed because of mismanagement but rather because of circumstance.

Would I want to own a like bookstore? Yes and no. I do like to read and talk about reading and to recommend books to people. But I would not like having to deal with the administrative end of things. Also, I would not like having up times and down times. And additionally, there would most likely not be a broad audience for the types of books that I like to read.

Right now my shelves are full and there is no room for any more books. I have decided that my new rule is that I must read two books for every new one that I acquire or take out interlibrary loan. I just have too many good books lying around unread – I must read them.

I have plans to take a box of books with me this summer, for reading as we go up and down the highway. I am planning on reading a few of them out loud, as we travel. Pete also brought some books on tape home from school, so we’ll also listen to them.

I would like to have a day or two or three where I have nothing to do but kick back and read. Usually I read at night these days, before going to bed.

Yesterday, when we were at Life Med – the two on-duty paramedics, a man and a woman, talked about their very exciting jobs. Both were wearing dark blue jump suits with white pinstripes. As they talked, I wondered how they manage to keep their houses clean. I mean, really, they don’t have much time off. I do think they eat well for they were both fit. But how they do what they do and maintain their homes is a mystery to me. I would have asked them about this, but it would have seemed to be too odd a question.

Something else to think about, for sure.

Next: 96. 4/8/19: And There You have It