For some reason, this didn’t post on Jan. 22 when it was scheduled. Ah, technology.

My second week back in the swing of Poetry Friday sailed past without a post, thanks to snow, grandbabies, and a book obsession.

The snow days should have ensured a post, alas, my Thursday night was spent with two of my favorite fellows: Mark and Bo. We played, “Let’s extract great quantities of mucus from your nose with this bulb syringe,” and “That broccoli is NOT going to be swallowed.” Yes, we had a marvelous time.

My book obsession still has more than an hour remaining in it — it’s an audio book. I have realized that my impatience as a reader is never greater than when listening to a book because I cannot skip to the end. (I swear I can hear an audible gasp from some of you as you read this post. SKIP to the END? Sacrilege!) Yes, I will confess: when pressed for time and unable to bear the suspense, I will read the ending to reassure myself all is well. Then I can get a decent night’s sleep and read the rest of the book at my leisure. This is impossible (well, infinitely trickier is more accurate) with an audio book. The book is an historical novel titled Amy Snow, which, I’ve just found, was discovered in a writing contest! How exciting! It’s part mystery, part treasure hunt, part romance, and part self-discovery. I have found myself wincing at the young heroine’s naivete, laughing out loud at the audacious 80-year-old eccentric, and cheering for the earnest yet poor young suitor. This book is one of the reasons I finished yet another quilt project this weekend — I listen while I sew! (Note: I’ve finished the book since this was written. It ended in a satisfactory manner.)

Perhaps this week I’ll manage to stockpile some poem posts for the next time I’m caught out on Thursday evening!

In related news, the reason we were babysitting was so that Bo’s parents could go to a sonogram appointment without him. And they found out he’s going to have a baby sister in June! WAHOO! (And yes, we’ve already picked out the fabric and pattern for her quilt.)