All Over the Map

I could have ordered my new calendar online, like I do with so many things, but I felt like I needed a dose of Barnes and Noble.  I loved walking into the store, into one of the most therapeutic smells in the world, then drifting from shelf to shelf, looking at the candles, cozy “reading socks," chocolates, teas, puzzles. And of course, books.  I felt a warmth and kinship with the people there. The older man burrowed into the chair in the corner reading a huge book about ships. The two teenage girls at the table in the coffee area, sipping their drinks and talking. The little boy sitting on the floor of the kids’ section with a Mo Willems book on his lap, and his mom sitting next to him reading her own book. Parallel reading.  I’d come in specifically to buy a 2026 calendar and there were so many to choose from. Funny ones and arty ones and dozens celebrating the beauty of nature. It’s nice to know I’m not the only person who still needs and uses a wall calendar. ...