Confession! In common with many of us, these days, I am activity rich and resource poor~ which is simply a fun way to say that I have too much to do, and/or want to do, and not enough time to do it all. Sound familiar ? And this imbalance is beginning to make me feel a teeny, little bit crazeeeee!
So, I was very pleased, this week, to receive a notification from Amazon about a book I pre-ordered last August. The notice said:
“The items listed below will actually be dispatched sooner than we had originally expected based on the new release date:
Stuart, Sophia “How to Stay Sane in a Crazy World: A Modern Book of Hours to Soothe the Soul””
How to Stay Sane in a Crazy World ~Sophia Stuart
Aaahh, a message that is music to my ears. How soothing ;). I adore a Book of Hours.
I have made three of them, myself…….
-
- A Book of Hours
-
- A Book of Moments
-
- A Book of Days at rest on a book of Cottage Gardening in New Zealand by Christine Dann and Tony Wyber
-
- Hours and Moments
and, thanks to a helpful tip from dadirridreaming , and production help from Blurb , a fourth book is on its way to me right now
Silkannthreades~ A Book of Days and Hours
But these are just little books, like chapbooks , not real books, with a real International Standard Book Number ISBN, like the one Sophia/teamgloria has…sigh!
Some of you may have noticed that I have mentioned Sophia and teamgloria more than once on my blog, as in here and here , and that’s because I think she is glorious, and because I share her love of blue-blue sky and Rumer Godden and labyrinths and, most of all, John O’Donohue;
Which is why I have reserved a special place for Sophia’s book when it arrives next month. It will sit, book cover to book cover, with John O’ Donohue, on the small tower of quiet, gentle reading, which I keep close at hand, on my (blue 🙂 ) bedside chair. How lovely; how very lovely that will be.
Books by my Side
And now, here’s something for a giggle… can anyone see, in this photo, how, in my subconscious arrangement of these books for their photo shoot, I made a statement about the imbalance of my life, at the moment? And, for more smiles, check out the video clip in my sidebar, featuring the book promo for How to Stay Sane in a Crazy World.
© silkannthreades
silkannthreades 
I love the sound of your books! I am on the mailing list for Blurb and have often wondered what it would be like to create my own book. Fabulous that you have done it!
I am sure you could do something wonderful, book-wise. When, or if, you have time, have a go.
Pingback: Inspiring transformations | silkannthreades
Great post !! That book makes sense to me 🙂
So glad 🙂
🙂
Book of hours — love it!
A book of hours is wonderful, especially with a little nibble of chocolate, now and then, as we turn the pages 😉
life is very good.
🙂
I too have pre-ordered Sophia’s book although I haven’t received a notification from Amazon that it will arrive sooner that anticipated. Nor have I cleared a space for it and I will need to do so as my bookcase is very tightly packed. I have Poem for the Day Two, though sadly not Vol 1, I have just taken it down from the shelf to see, when I have finished typing here, what the poem is for this Sunday in January is. 😉
I have plenty of space for books but not enough bookshelves! So they end up on chairs etc. I loved Poem for the Day, One. Being Poe’s birthday, Sunday’s poem was Annabel Lee…probably not one of my favourites 😀
Pingback: sundown on sunset boulevard, lights up on the #JackRyan marquee at the cinerama dome | teamgloria
Creating these books sounds like such a fun project – and what a thoughtful gift for your mother!
It is fun 🙂 and they are a treat for me too!
Pingback: Life is full of surprises | silkannthreades
I read your post with great anticipation! What a wonderful way to celebrate moments. I tried to find you book on Blurb, but couldn’t find it on the site. Is it available to anyone? What is most exciting to me is how you bring the past into the present. You give meaning to traditions, celebrations – all those moments that make up our life.
We are on Day 18 of a 2014. I can only imagine what will come next.
Dear Clanmother, I love your enthusiasm and support for my posts. My book isn’t publicly available on Blurb because I want to see what it looks like before I decide if I want to let it loose on the world. I may want to make some changes 😉
Can hardly wait….for the “loose on the world” day!
By the way, I have had a Blurb account for over two years. Haven’t done anything!!! I think that its time to do something. You are my inspiration, dear friend!!! 🙂
Oh Rebecca! It is TIME! There may be other sites that do similar work. The other site which fascinates me is MOO which http://uk.moo.com/products/ which Beautycalypse http://beautycalypse.com/ recommended to me. I have just sent you an email btw.
Thank you for the links!!! Your book of hours is extraordinary. Lovely photographs, each page a testament to creating moments…. 🙂
Super! Glad it showed up well. I made myself laugh though. If you flick back to my post on Making the Moments count, you will see that the little book of nursery rhymes has rainbow colour pages. It occurs to me that the many, many hours I spent looking at this book have stayed with me all my life because all my little chap books have those same rainbow colour pages. I find those colours soothing, and it was only in writing that Moments post that I understood why. It’s extraordinary really how powerful is our early connection with books. Child cuddled to Mother; mother reads to child; security and happiness associated with the moment; in later life that same sensation returns in association with rainbow colour pages!
I agree – childhood memories are powerful. They come back to me at the most unlikely times. Just recently, I remember by favourite poem that my mother read to me:
“The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note……
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon”
And, with the moon so full right now, I hope you are dancing in honour of that memory!
I am…!!!
😀 😀 😀
You are so creative! I’m waving my (imaginary) hat to you from FL! Such a great idea to make “blurb” books! I checked it out and will probably make some photo/poetry books as presents. I’m sure my dad would love to have such a book about our life here – faraway. How long is their turnaround time?
Oh, that’s wonderful. He will love them. I think it’s about 2 weeks for me but that’s because of the postage time to New Zealand. The books themselves are printed very quickly.
It’s so neat that you had the books printed, in part so your mother could enjoy them. My mom reads my blog online but hints at how she would like it all printed off so she could page through it. I should really make an effort for her . . .
My mother does read my blog online, when she can, but she does prefer something she can hold and refer to easily.
Exactly my mother’s position. She has also learned to text message me on her phone but really, really wants me to call for a chat.
My mother learned to Skype but not text! And, oh dear, I think I have added to your things “I meant to do” list.
😉
I do like your pile of books on your chair to look into when ever you like. In my busy schedule at the moment I love to look in your book of moments every day, it gives me calmness and peace, you don’t know how priceless this is for me!
I am sure your newly ordered book will be a gem too! It sounds it!
The Book of Moments is my favourite. I am glad you are finding it so peaceful and helpful. You can think of me, keeping you company, when you look through it. And did you notice little Oups in the pile by my bed 😉 ?
Of course, straight away, I was rather happy to see it there! Sending you some beams of sunshine over! ( that is from the heart… as we do not have sunshine)
Awww..nice….sunshine beams from the heart are the best and always just the right temperature.
oh!
oh!
oh!
we are very blessed to know you dear one.
(we cried for the entire night that mr. o’d died…..he read to us – via audiobooks – when we were so sick and in a Lot of pain and it felt like losing a really good friend…)
THANK YOU!
*wavingfromLosAngeles*
(did you know we actually *do* wave whenever we type that? Truth.)
who-we-are-in-RL got very moist-about-the-eyes and instantly popped your post on her Book Promotional Website: http://howtostaysaneinacrazyworld.com/press-and-praise/
Awww…..I just popped over. You have some lovely press and praise 🙂
So glad that you do *wave*. In mysterious ways, of which he would approve, I am sure, Mr O’D waves to us still….would you agree?
What a great idea! Your little books look very nice from my laptop 🙂 And I didn’t know about those tools so thanks for sharing. Have you started the book? What do you think?
Sophia’s book will arrive at the end of February. My own little book from Blurb should be with me sometime next week. You will have fun with Blurb!
I think you should be writing the book about how to stay sane in an insane world~
LOL…seriously, Cindy, my life has its MOMENTS. Wait till you see my next post.
Just looking at your casual, restful pictures calmed me down. Yes, we all need a little quiet time!!!
That we do! That we do!
I adore this soulful post. To hold and then leaf through a book is to nourish our spirit. It’s lovely that you’ve given your mother bits and pieces of yourself to peruse over and over.
Thank you Sally. And she got the nice bits of me, too!
You have some good choices there, but staying sane? You’ll never survive – I firmly believe we lock up the sane people for safe keeping – you have to be half nuts to live out here.LOL
With your recent internet experiences and my fun and games with pension bureaucracy and insurance companies, plus what you will see in my next post, I may have to agree with you!
The more you think about it, the more it appears to be the whole truth.
And now that you have read my next post you will think so even more 😉
“Activities rich and resource poor” sounds like you are having fun. That means you do not need any guide to stay sane 🙂 Your books will be filled with interesting things.
The “Well Being in Heart and Soul” book was placed upside down?
YC you have sharp eyes!!! I didn’t realise it was like that until I uploaded the photo and it made me laugh so much. A little guidance with sanity always helps 🙂 but, yes, I am trying my best to take the muddling and imbalances with good grace.
You are so good at these things – and I know about the trouble of time…I have heard about that book you are waiting for, so I’m looking forward to hearing more about it from you! I too have so many plans of what I want to do…I write them down and look at the list occationally…hoping to be able to DO all these things, or at least some of them. I’m really not good at finding time…or making it last, making it work…
I enjoy others doing it at least.
Have a great weekend!
Dear Leya ( I like calling you Leya 🙂 , I rarely have time to write the list! And, if I do, it often ends up like the shopping list…I take it with me and forget to do half of what is on it!
I am in a little funk of not having much I want to do and having plenty of time to do it. 😦 And not being funny.
You mean that transmogrification doesn’t keep you busy? 😉
What a lovely idea to make chap-books of hours. I am sure your photos will enhance each page. I tried to make a book of my travels last year – all I will say about it is that it was a learning experience!
I like Rumer Godden very much – especially her little children’s books like ‘The Dolls’ House’ and ‘Miss Happiness and Miss Flower’, but also a few of her adult books. My favourite of these is ‘In this House of Brede.’
I have had some headaches making my little books but I have used Snapfish with some success. Blurb is something new for me and I am very curious to see how the final product will look. The software with Blurb was excellent and speedy. I love Rumer Godden and In this House of Brede is one of my favourites. Haven’t read it for years, though. I think it was reading her China Court, decades ago, that began my interest in Books of Hours.
we adore Blurb.
part of the reason we got a book deal (we think) is because we Mocked up an entire copy of the original concept for the book on Blurb and took it to our agent, and then to lunch with Prospective Publishers.
plus Blurb was the brainchild of yet another awesome woman: http://www.blurb.com/team
Awesome! That gives me confidence that my little chapbook will be beautiful.
we know it will 🙂
🙂
How lovely! Your books sound wonderful and I too am on pins and needles to get my hands on the fabulous Sophia’s creation!
Thank you, Heather. I have fun with my little creations 🙂 Have you been given a dispatch date for Sophia’s book? Mine is coming from Amazon UK.
piling the books like that does seem craaazy!!!, but I believe you still comply with the book you are ordering…..Stay sane, Gallivanta! 😀
Oh yes, I think I will make it! I like to make a good story out of everything ;). Although I am feeling a bit crazy busy/hectic, I will manage.
😀
Agree – reading a physical book is in many ways an emotional experience. Even the simple act of turning the page is part of the pleasure! 🙂
It certainly is. I love thumbing the pages, touching the paper and seeing the page/photos close-up, flipping backwards and forwards at my leisure.
What a delightful stack of books, just waiting for you! I’m intrigued by your own Books of Hours. Do you have an entry for each day of the year? Is it made up of quotes, or your own musings?
The first 3 Books I made are simple photo books, using my own photos and a few words here and there. They are picture books, really, and were, first of ,all intended as a way to share my life with my parents who live in Australia. The 4th Book ,which is on the way, is an attempt to put my blog postings in book form; again so my mother will have more opportunity to look through photos of places she remembers and loves. I am not sure how the book will work out; fingers crossed. It was a tricky editing job, that one. In the first Book of Hours I had one page for every hour of the day . The books are light to hold, easy to read and my mother derives tremendous pleasure from them.
They sound wonderful.
🙂