23 June 2008

OK, so I am not a hook-nosed old lady...

straddling a vaguely phallic bird.  And I'm not much for writing in meter & rhyme.  

Frankly, I was stumped by what to title this blog.  How do I sum up what I am attempting to do here in a few choice words?  What am I attempting to do here besides have an online presence to sell Barefoot Books (see link below)?   Then, as I was going through my shipment from Barefoot Books (they are great, check them out), I came across this passage in the introduction to Clare Beaton's MOTHER GOOSE REMEMBERS:
As the carrier of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, who presides over the learning of language, music, and the literary arts, the goose has been associated with the power of speech for centuries beyond telling.  (Tessa Strickland, publisher of Barefoot Books)

Loved the idea, so we have a blog title.  Another reason the goose image drew me was a fondness I have for water birds.  Back in my college days a friend asked me, "What is your favorite animal?" to which I replied, "the blue heron."  "And what do you like about it?" was her next question.  This was harder.  They are solitary, you don't see them every day and they frequent lakes and streams and seem so serene and wise standing meditatively in the still water.  "Well, you just described yourself," she said.  It's a fun little game which generally works--try it.  

So, putting aside the obvious differences, the goose fits the bill (he he), and captures the essence of my purpose here, which is to share my love of books and discuss what I'm reading, and to find moments of calm reflection within my busy mama life.

(Go Barefoot!)

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