In the Shade of a Tree

Reading under a tree is a perfectly simple way to spend a summer afternoon... to slow down and enjoy the "dog days" before they're over. It may not seem like an overly exciting pastime, but then sometimes the quiet, simple moments are best.

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time."

~John Lubbock

Meriggiare: verb, Italian. To escape the heat of the midday sun by resting in the shade.

" 'Here's a landscape!' thought Laurie...

It was a rather pretty little picture, for the sisters sat together in the shady nook, with sun and shadow flickering over them, the aromatic wind lifting their hair and cooling their hot cheeks, and all the little wood people going on with their affairs as if these were no strangers but old friends."

~Louisa May Alcott

Alcott's writing is so beautiful, isn't it? That passage describes all the best sensations of reading under a tree. A breeze gently stirring the wispy hairs around your face. A leaf falls from above, landing beside you on the grass. You watch the subtle light show of sun dappling the ground, brightening and dimming as clouds pass overhead.

An unexpected reading companion

So grab a book and a blanket, and get outside. (No mask required, by the way!)

Happy reading!

Thank you for stopping by,

Eva