Writing and Reading (Currently!)

My morning ritual of writing in my journal with a cup of coffee at hand is so essential to my day. It centres me in the best way, after reading some scripture as part of my earlier morning. Here is where my thoughts can expand out the windows and into the morning dawn, circle around, and come back to me. Waking up slowly, my mind can dwell in light places, sometimes with effort, sometimes with ease. 

Sometimes I focus quickly and scribble away, filling pages before I know it. Other times I stare out the window listening to the birds sing and words do not come easily. Each day is different. Each feeling is going to pass. Moments of calm allows me to let that reveal itself, and for me, to sort it out on the page. A blank place to let words linger or fly. 

Then, I turn to my reading for courage, comfort, and cheer.

The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien

Reading through The Lord of the Rings again, I am now on the second book, The Two Towers. This entire grand story over arches so many themes that could be a whole study spanning many months. Suffice it to say, these books make me long for the wildness of the world to seek out goodness and help my friends. Courage fuses into each character at the right moments to do good, and destroy evil. This second book opens with the death of one of the fellowship, and the sadness and decision that lingers with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. They must decide which path to follow, and they choose to pursue the evil orcs who have captured two of their friends, Merry and Pippin.

They follow with little hope, and trace the tramping footsteps of those nasty orcs who care nothing for the land or green things, and yet, along the way there is beauty to be noticed as the season shifts and the world shows the weary travelers some hope. That gentle reminder that the world is not wholly bad. There is goodness to be found and enjoyed, even in a split moment of noticing the scent in the air:

Here the air was softer and warmer, and faintly scented, as if spring was already stirring and the sap was flowing again in herb and leaf. Legolas took a deep breath, like one that drinks a great draught after a long thirst in barren places.

'Ah! The green smell!', he said. 'It is better than much sleep. Let us run!'

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, Dorothy L. Sayers

With the opening chapter I am drawn into Lord Peter Wimsey's world. His wit and brilliance will provide hours of enjoyable mystery and intelligence. An old gentleman's death is never a clear cut case if Lord Peter is around. He happened to be there when the old man was discovered, sitting in an armchair at the Bellona Club. Upon inspection, there are some unanswered questions with the corpse, and yet Lord Peter does not get involved until the solicitor asks him to figure out what is going on with the way and the timing the death occurred, as there is a mysterious will of the sister of the deceased, who also died at the same time as her brother. Who died first? That matters, according to the will, and there's a huge sum of money at stake. 

The more Lord Peter investigates, the more secretive and elusive the situation seems and adventures ensue. If I had just one ounce of Lord Peter's cheerfulness and wit, I would be a very jolly person. These stories are just a joy to read. The greatest of cosy comfort mystery reads, which deals with some heavy things, whilst sprinkling in plenty of fun.