Picture this: it’s a Saturday afternoon and the snow swirls gently outside your window. You settle into a comfortable chair with a big, fluffy blanket on your lap and a hot cup of tea in your hand. On a small table next to you is a book. A cat purrs gently near you as it sleeps away the afternoon. A fire in the fireplace crackles and pops. After taking a sip of your tea and picking up your book, you take a deep, relaxing breath and sink into the cozy moment, letting your worries and cares fall away as you settle in to read at home on a winter afternoon.
If, like me, this scene makes you wish for a snowy afternoon and a good book, I hope you’ll give yourself permission to curl up in a chair with some reading material this holiday season and get lost in a story or two. You might not be able to re-create the scene above (and maybe you don’t want your own reading moment to look exactly like that), but I encourage you to take the time to create the perfect moment for you. If you’re looking for ideas of books you might enjoy, I invite you to check out the options below from our Townships Expressions collection or visit our online shop to find a book that’s right for you.
The Stories that Grandfather Told, Maude Gage Pellerin
Maude Gage Pellerin died in 1958, leaving behind a finished, but unpublished manuscript called “The Stories that Grandfather Told.” This book was finally published in the spring of 2021 – nearly 63 years after the author’s death and more than 70 years after the book was written. “The Stories that Grandfather Told” is a collection of stories in the oral tradition of Stanstead County. These stories were intended to help young people understand the challenges and hardships of the first settlers of this part of the Eastern Townships. If you have an interest in history, we think you’ll enjoy this book.
The Bell You Hardly Hear, Marjorie Bruhmuller
If your interest lies more in poetry, you might like to pick up Marjorie Bruhmuller’s “The Bell You Hardly Hear,” an unconventional and candid collection of poetry that conveys exceptional observations. The poems in Bruhmuller’s collection highlight the humour, simple beauty, and curiosities that this world has to offer us – things that often go unnoticed in the noise of our busy, daily lives.
A Wind of Memories, Aukje Huitema
A Wind of Memories is a story about exciting things that happened in the author’s childhood and how the memories of those events guided her in her learning and questioning of life growing up on her family farm: “Two little girls are listening to the wind in their cozy bedroom. Their mother pauses between the pages of her story. Listening and remembering and smiling. The heart strings are remembering her own childhood.”
If you’d rather spend your afternoon listening to music, or watching a DVD than reading, you might also find something in our Expressions shop to help you relax and unwind this winter. We have a wide variety of local music available, as well as DVDs that feature music shows, photos, and documentaries. To view our Townships Expressions catalogue, visit https://shop.townshippers.org. You can place your order online or contact Cathy Turner (ct@townshippers.org)… but hurry! If you want to get something before the holidays, you only have three days left to order!
Happy Holidays from the Townshippers’ Team
Our team will be off for some rest and relaxation during the holiday season, beginning on Friday, December 17. We’ll be back at work on Monday, January 3 with lots of new ideas and projects to share. In the meantime, we wish you a relaxing holiday season full of cozy moments of peace and relaxation. We look forward to catching up with you again in 2022!
This monthly column keeps you in touch with Townshippers’ Association’s activities and news. Other ways to keep in touch:
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In person
3355 College St., Sherbrooke
3-584 Knowlton Rd., Lac-Brome
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819-566-5717
450-242-4421
