The Loss of an Icon

I was saddened to learn that Kathleen Woodiwiss passed away recently. For those of you who don’t know her, she WAS romance novels in the late seventies and eighties. The Wolf and the Dove, The Flame and the Flower, just to name a few. I’ve read them all and still have them on my keeper shelf. They were my mother’s romance novels and what my generation cut their teeth on. They’ve been dogged for years, called bodice rippers and worse, but for those of us who grew up reading them they were much more. Her characters were always strong, stood up for themselves (eventually) and were easy to fall in love with.

Kathleen Woodiwiss and authors like her ignored the lack of respect given to the romance genre and wrote for themselves and for us, the fans. The genre has evolved, changed with the times, but you can still pick up one of her books and fall in love all over again. She inspired a new generation of authors and fans and she will be sorely missed. My condolences to the family of Kathleen Woodiwiss.

Happy 4th of July!

When I was eleven, I ended up in the read-a-thon in elementary school. (I know, big shocker that I was a book worm) The gig was a dream come true for me. Five days in the school library to read as many books as possible. Whoever read the most books won. While the other kids were stuck in their classrooms doing Math and English, I was curled up in a big blue butterfly chair with a good book. I went through the entire set of Nancy Drew and most of the Hardy Boys that week, just to name a few. I didn’t win, but it still stands out as one of the greatest weeks of my childhood. (Okay, that wasn’t nearly as pathetic as it sounded)

A few years back I ran across a blue butterfly chair that was exactly like the one in school. My son likes to read (he makes me so proud…sniff, sniff) and I thought he could curl up in that chair and get as much pleasure from it as I had at his age. He had his own ideas. So guess who ended up with the chair.

Sunday when I decided I had earned a book break, I curled up in that chair for old time sake. Several hours later I was finished with a great book, unable to stand erect, and cursing my sentimental side. Those cloth chairs that once cradled a skinny little kid of eleven just don’t work for a grown woman UNDER 40. My back ached, my neck had a crick and my feet were numb.

So, here’s my point. I think memories are there to provide you with a second of happiness, bring back that small smile when you really need it, and make you feel like a kid again. Those moments can’t be recreated and the years have likely sweetened them anyway. I mean lets face it, nothing from your childhood is as good as you remember. (Okay, ice cream, but that’s the exception. Oh, and chocolate, but that’s it.)

Tomorrow’s the 4th of July. My hubby has to work, so we’ve been low key this year. I mean its hard to have fun and make plans when I know he’ll be miserable all day. But my boys are still young, and they have a lifetime of memories to store up. So I’ll come up with something fun for them to do, and we’ll end up having a great time.
Hope you’ll be making a few memories with your own family. Happy 4th everybody!