A is for Austen

Breathe. That was the title of my last post on February 28th. Who knew the events that would unfold in the next month. The term “social distancing” has become a household term, and “stay home” a mandate issued by WHO and Public Health. The dissonance of writing about a trip with what is happening in our world left me pondering what else I could write about now. When I read about an April blog challenge, I was intrigued. It’s an alphabet challenge – starting with A for the first day, B for the second day and so on. You take the letter and write about a topic that begins with that letter. This simple prompt fits with these days when I feel distracted and focus is at a minimum.

A – Austen, as in Jane Austen.

As the days of March wore on, I found myself distracted and unable to focus well on reading. An author I follow, Sarah Bessey, said that she has “comfort reads”, and one of hers was “Persuasion” by Jane Austen. So, I checked out the audio through hoopla, my online library app and began my listen and my escape into the rolling hills of the old, English countryside while knitting a baby blanket for our much anticipated 4th grandie. Listening to Jane Austen’s work while knitting proved to be the perfect combination for my somewhat scattered mind. The repetitive nature of looping the French-made yarn through the knit stitches with my needle was meditative and prayerful. Seeing the work grow, while listening the interior workings of the protagonist Anne Elliot was its own match made in heaven. What may be tedium for one may be soothing for another.

We are indeed all in this together while we stay apart. Let’s stay kind.

P.S. I’ve searched for a formal sign-up of this blog challenge and have been unable to find anything satisfactory. If you know of it, feel free to pass it along to me. Thanks!