Create a Quiet Place to Read

Create a special place in your home that is just for reading. I have done this recently and it has brought so much peace to my home. It is a special room that I can go to when I want solitude. Here I read and knit on the winter days that we have in western Pennsylvania. Here, I will share this secluded place with you today.

At the top of my list of favorite things would be books.

I savor the books by authors who challenge or uplift my mind and leave a residue of wonder behind long after I have read the final page. I close that book with regret that it has come to the end. I treasure the books that have fully developed characters. The characters become living people who transcend the ordinary and mundane and leave an impression on the reader. Books take me to places I have never been before. They take me to places I will never be going in person. They take me into their world where I meet individuals who each have something to share with me personally. I see them, listen to them, and I have communication with them, if the book is well written by a sensitive and honest author.

I have created a library in my home. It is a room on the second floor devoted to books and reading. In this room there are books on shelves from the floor to the ceiling. The books are surrounded by art works on the walls, tables, and pedestals. The art in the room reflect the things I like to be surrounded with - things made by friends, my husband, my children, and me.

There are paintings by friends and also paintings that I have created over the years. You can see photographs from friends, lithographs, stained glass pieces made by my husband, a woven tapestry by one of my daughters, a tapestry that I made many years ago. On a primitive table there are sculptures from Africa and one dynamic piece made by an artist friend. there is a tall black column of stone, a favorite sculpture made by an art school friend. Here you can find pottery that I recently made, handmade baskets woven out of cloth and honeysuckle vines, by West Virginia artisans. there is a striking Victorian style clock that once hung in my husband’s grandmother’s home. I seldom wind it up, but I enjoy it as a work of art.

This library is a place of solitude and peace. There is a futon and two chairs in the library. They form a circle in the center of this space. An overnight guest may stay there and be surrounded by art and literature and have a time apart to read, rest or relax. A space that holds books and art is a sacred space.

This is the room where I read my audio books. Since I can no longer see to read the physical books on the shelves, I use a special audio book machine that is provided to the blind and handicapped people through the US Library of Congress. The books I had selected arrive in my mail box and after I have read them, I put them back in the mailbox and they are sent on to another person to enjoy. This service is free to those of us who would be unable to enjoy books and reading without it. I am so appreciative of this service.

As I read the book, I am knitting on special projects. Right now, it is a Prayer Shawl. I do not yet know who the shawl will be for, but when the time is right, I will know.

My library room is the perfect place to spend the hours of a winter day. It is warm and comforting and time stands still here in the library. I bring my cup of tea with me, sit down in my high back chair that supports my back so well. I reach into my woven knitting basket, slowly pull out my soft and colorful yarn, pick up my smooth bamboo needles, and begin listening to my book.

Your library will reflect your own tastes and interests. Think about where you might create such a space for your own enjoyment. You do not have to be blind or handicapped to have such a wonderful place to read!

Santa Writes Letters to Blind Children

National Federation of the Blind
Partners with Santa to Promote Braille Literacy

Baltimore, Maryland (November 15, 2010): Once again, Santa has enlisted the help of the elves at the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Jernigan Institute to get Braille letters out to hundreds of blind boys and girls this Christmas season.


This notice arrived in my e-mailbox this morning.

Have you ever wondered how blind children communicate with Santa at Christmas time? Here is the answer.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “Santa approached the National Federation of the Blind a couple of years ago and asked us to be his helpers. I’m quite fond of the fellow and was delighted that we could assist him in his work. Braille literacy is the key to success and opportunity for the blind, but unfortunately too few blind children are learning it today. This program will not only spread holiday cheer but will also serve an important educational purpose, as blind children will be able to practice reading Braille as they enjoy their letter from merry Saint Nicholas.”



Between November 15 and December 20, parents can go online at www.nfb.org and fill out a Santa Braille Letter request form. The form can also be printed and faxed to (410) 685-2340. Beginning December 1, the Braille letters from Santa will start going out to boys and girls around the country. The Braille letter will also be accompanied by a print copy (for mom and dad to read), and parents can choose the contracted or uncontracted form of Braille for the letter. Requests for letters must include the writer’s name, the child’s name, birthday, gender, mailing address, and a telephone number or e-mail address in case Santa’s helpers at the National Federation of the Blind have questions.


The deadline for letter requests is December 20, to ensure that a return letter in Braille is received before Christmas. For more information about this and other programs of the National Federation of the Blind, please visit our Web site at www.nfb.org.