Muse Monday, Girl's in White Dresses Book Club May Book Review
and a poem for my paid subscribers
We’re nearing the end of May, one of my favorite months, and what a month it has been! It’s been a fairly sociable month for me, and for once I’m not feeling drained after these social interactions. Maybe it’s the time of year, or where I am in my life, or maybe it’s the people themselves.
I’d thought of sharing my book club review in a separate newsletter, but as the month is almost over it made more sense to share it here too. Before I get to the review, here is a rather different from usual Muse Monday.
Muse Monday
This month, my Muse Monday feature didn’t work out due to a life situation that prevented my friend from sharing her responses. I thought about just skipping this month and resuming with a Muse Monday feature in June, but then I had two incredible encounters with wildlife, and I had the idea of sharing one of them with you for Muse Monday.
If you weren’t already aware of this, I moved out of my home in the countryside in January. It was heartbreaking to leave the place I have learned to love, but it was time to go. In fact, it was a huge tower card moment (a card from the major arcana in tarot that usually depicts a tower crumbling as people fall from it), and it wasn’t even a matter of choice anymore — I had to leave.
Where I am now, temporarily, is closer to town, but surrounded by woodland. It’s not as rural as my home of eleven years, but it is wild enough to attract lots of different animals.
With the arrival of spring, I began to notice lots of different birds including a pair of cardinals. The male cardinal began to follow me around, singing all the while. I’d notice him as I was out walking, working in the garden, or looking out the kitchen window. He’s not at all shy around me. He ventures close and sings to me. In turn, I talk to him.
The other day, we had a frost warning here and decided to cover all the plants in an attempt to save them. We managed to cover most of them, but it was difficult to decide what to do about the Japanese Maple. She’d already been frost-bitten from an earlier frost, and we thought another one would be the end of her.
I was at the kitchen sink pondering what to do about the maple, when I noticed my cardinal friend. He caught my attention and began exploring the Japanese Maple, hopping from branch to branch and chattering to me. Perhaps he was curious as to why all the other plants were covered in tarps and bags and this maple was left bare. Whatever it was that prompted his curiosity, he certainly got my attention. In the end we rigged up something to cover the Japanese Maple, and I told my cardinal friend thank you for encouraging us to save this beautiful shrub.
All of my encounters with cardinal lately inspired me to look into the spirit animal meaning of cardinals. It sounds like he is just the messenger I need for this time in my life.
Cardinal reminds me to protect my boundaries, to sing courageously, to love, to be joyful, and always remain hopeful. I also learned that cardinals mate for life and are often a sign of love and good relationships.
Cardinal is my current muse as I go about rekindling some of my connections with members of my community while also protecting myself and my son from our more toxic connections. And yes, cardinal has inspired me to create an embroidery work depicting his joyful loving nature. This is my next thread art/spell work. I’ll share it when it’s done.
Girls in White Dresses Book Club May Read
This month, we read India Holton’s latest book The Secret Service of Tea and Treason in Girls in White Dresses Book Club. It’s a romance with fantasy elements and a heavy dose of humor. It is also the third book in a series. I enjoyed the first two, as did all the other members of our book club, so this third book was an obvious choice for May.
The Secret Service of Tea and Treason is delightful. Featuring two neurodivergent main characters who happen to be rival spies forced to work together as a pretend married couple on an assignment to blend in with the pirates and uncover their scheme, this book is full of fun and witty banter. As with the other two books in this series, The Secret Service of Tea and Treason is full of literary references.
I loved it that the two main characters are avid readers who bond over a shared love of books. Alice and Daniel are perhaps my favorite of the couples in this series, though it’s hard to say for sure as all three couples are amazing. One of the best things about this book is the friendships between all three couples.
It’s not great literature. It doesn’t require a lot of deep thought to get through this book. What it is: Amusing, witty, fun, enjoyable. If you are looking for a great escape that’s fun and full of adventure, look no further.
5 Stars!
Until next time (unless you are a paid subscriber, and then keep reading),
Caitlin
And now a poem for my paid subscribers
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