Into the Book Nook at Golden Hour…

Golden hour is one of my very favorite times of the day.

It explodes through the garden, illuminating winged creatures and petals, creating the utmost magic.

And then, there is the moment when it sneaks its beams of light through the conservatory windows.

The feeling is like a dose of sunshine for the soul.

Everything glows and books you didn’t even notice before come to life.

That moment of golden hour has the power to elevate the mood in such a magnificent way.

The dappled sunlight shifts around for about an hour, changing as it bounces from here to there.

I jump into the book nook, into one of my most favorite cozy spots.

A tattered settee that is both sturdy and utterly comfortable awaits.

Holding you perfectly as you flip through pages.

The early Anna apples are pretty much ready for eating off of the tree.

Some are falling off the trees at both houses, and I’ve already used some for baking an apple crisp and in a tuna ambrosia salad.

So, I take my apple and a cheeky something to sip very little of, and (my favorite part) choose the books of the day.

Books du jour?

Why most certainly, oui!

It feels like summer is creeping ever so near, although in truth, the weather here has been quite cool and lovely.

I made a cheeky absinthe to pass off to the Irish lad, as my inability to consume spirits had me only taking the tiniest sip. (I was told by a professional that I lack the enzyme to convert it into something my body can tolerate, but a tiny sip is okay).

The green fairy is quite photogenic as well as being fun to make, so how could we not?

But I digress, back to the book nook…

Beams of light bounce off of this and that, shooting by, and then changing ever so quickly.

The light becomes a flash of white and the shadows become even moodier.

Truth be told, I probably will never be the sort of person who can choose one simple item.

I will always end up with stacks of things.

Simple jaunts will always turn into epic adventures and great feats of muscle endurance when you accompany me, well, anywhere.

Sort of like my trip to the plant nursery yesterday, tee hee.

Hence the stacks below…

I choose my daily stack, as the Gnomes tsk tsk at me, but secretly giggle and don’t mind one bit.

I marvel at how the light brings the old books to life.

Dark spines and gold embellishments spring to life with the golden sun.

There really is no light that can compare.

It sets the mood and the tone.

Just like night and day, dusk and dawn.

Things that are normally hidden in shadows on shelves are brought to life.

Light bounces off of walls…

As greens becomes more easily distinguishable between blue and black.

Gulliver gets his 15 seconds once a day.

As I sink deep into my cozy nook, happy as can be.

Just as the light reaches its peak through these windows…

Drifting up higher and higher…

Finally approaching its last moment, when Jane Austen looks upon us from deep within the bookcase.

Then we know that the moment is near, when the sun dips below the west mountains, only to return once again with its brilliance in 24 hours.

Ah lovely golden hour.

What a wonderful occurrence on the daily, wouldn’t you agree?

It always amazes me at how it takes over the book nook every afternoon.

If only for a moment in time.

Speaking of book nooks.

I wanted to share a short tale about how I became so enchanted by such literary spaces.

Many years ago, when I was a young lass, there was this hidden book shop in the old part of town.

It was in an area where there were mystical shops, curious hole in the wall restaurants and wonderfully curated vintage and antique costume shops.

It was considered an area that was a bit hippy like with a new age vibe, swirled into the last of the real wonderfully old buildings.

It was a moment in time, before anything had been revamped or overhauled.

The book shop I speak of looked very much like those book nook kits you can buy and put together, like a diorama you would push between two books on a shelf.

It was tall and narrow and sandwiched between two other businesses.

One was an African imports shop, with carved masks and statues and people gathering outside to smoke, chat, and play instruments.

The other was actually a wonderful Guatemalan restaurant (I think) that was painted in a patina blue, with blue wood peeling paint that I adored.

Nevertheless, it was between a shop and a restaurant.

When you walked in, the ceilings were very tall and you were surrounded on both sides by towering dark wood bookcases stuffed with books in a narrow space that continued all the way through, with little areas that branched off like a labyrinth.

But the thing was, there was a sparkle of magic to this place, like stepping into somewhere far away.

I don’t know if it was the moody lighting mixed with the sky-high old books, or what exactly it was.

But if you managed to sneak in just far enough, there was a children’s section.

This section had paper airplanes, string lights, and a big bean bag or cozy chair snuggled into one tiny corner, with towering books all around.

I was immediately entranced by this space.

It transported me to another place in time.

You could cuddle up in there and get lost from the outside world, protected by fairy tales and stories, like a fortress surrounding you.

Time stopped in that absolutely magical place, as my heart truly skipped a beat.

I used to love to hide in there.

Then one day, it was gone.

I am not sure where it went, or what happened.

It was like a dream, this magical place you could go and hide in.

Then one day, nothing was there, as though it had all been in your imagination.

That place has stayed with me over 30 years later.

The closest I can get to it is by creating my own book nook.

A place where time stands still, where the books are your protectors and your mind can run free.

Imagination is the most valuable asset in this space, and you can enter into any era in time, as any one you wish.

Dreaming has no end inside those hidden little nooks of pure magic.

So, I suppose that is how my fascination with the book nook began.

It’s up there with a blanket fortress and a cardboard box castle.

Along with a garden playhouse and a treehouse if you are lucky.

It’s something about the sacred little spaces we created as kids, where pretending was second nature and existed as another form of our reality.

Therefore, a book nook will always be special to me.

No matter how big or how small, I truly recommend you sneak one into your life if you haven’t already.

Even a cozy chair and a shelf on the wall with string lights will add just the spoonful of magic you didn’t know you needed🩷

And with that, I must be off to do my garden chores and see what my two little rascal pups are barking at.

I’d love to hear if you have a story about a wonderful bookstore or library memories.

How I love boooooks!

I hope you are well in your neck of our virtual woods, and I will see you very soon.

Lots of love,

Vanessa