December 2022

Dear Friends,

I have included you in this letter because you are among the 849 readers who regularly open these emails - some of you since 2007! So, thank you for that. I am deeply grateful for your support over the years and the simple fact that you are out there, listening and hearing what I've had to say, and often responding in the nicest ways.

For the past three plus years I have been "semi-retired." I've kept our online store open, held the occasional book event or pop-up, worked with some of my favorite school librarians, continued sending books to the grand-kids of our monthly Grandparents' Club, and curated home libraries in need of a refresh. It allowed me to stay in touch with the book world and the voracious readers I so enjoy. And it was a small fraction of the work and responsibility (and cost!) of running a bricks and mortar operation, especially in these challenging times. And, for close to four years, it worked.

But then , I did something quite rash; I got a third dog for our household. Holy Cavalier! I think I always wanted 3 kids, so there was that, plus something about the need to nurture - though maybe not the 2am waking part. Between that, and the handling of some long neglected renovations on our almost hundred year old house, I began to realize I needed to let go of something and that something was the past ... or at least certain aspects of it.

The beautiful memories will remain.