Good Morning Martha

I learned a great deal this morning from reading the November issue of Martha Stewart Living.  First, for those who know me well, this is the last magazine that you would expect to find me sitting in bed on a Sunday morning “reading”.  But then, for those of you have been to the Hudson, farm, it would be the last rag you would expect Georgette to subscribe.  Horse management, dog breeding – yes.  Centerpiece decorations – no.  I have inherited, via forward the mail, many mail items that are foreign to me – but you can now ask me about home remedies for worming horses…. Oh I wish these were my cocktail time days.  Also if you know me, I rarely read.  Like how I do most things…. I glance, assess, then either speed read,  pass over or put aside for ingestion.  When I do read -  poetry, life lesson books, Buddhist articles and the writing of good writers – I read very slowly and word for word in my head – often going back to a sentence over and over.  I can’t read without a pencil so I now make “sticky notes” for my e-books.

So what did I learn.  First, in a practical way, she had a series of pages on how to wrap your Oriental plants for winter…  since I am the curator of a row of bamboo and a Japanese Maple, it was very timely and I will proceed to get the burlap and sticks necessary to tuck them in for a winters nap.  I skipped the 50 ways to fold napkins (which I already know from my charm school days) and how to cook game.  But I was interested in apple hash and mashed steamed veggies.  Second, I was reminded not to JUDGE before you really know and take good time to KNOW before you judge.  I picked up several good home and food ideas.  OK, I don’t know if I will renew the subscription, but I will “read” it when it arrives.  I will put more passion in to my discernment and not just embrace what I see, but take a little time to assess what I am embracing.