The Other Hobby

For as long as I can remember, I have been a voracious reader. When I am absorbed in a book, my body might be in the room, but the rest of me is gone. For some time now, I have been in a season of life where finding the time to read has been difficult. However, both of my girls are turning into book lovers as well, so that season is happily coming to an end. We love reading together; out loud to each other, or just in harmony. There is nothing more pleasant than a book house: books in piles on the tables, in boxes, and overflowing the shelves. The sound of pages turning and the smell of books old and new make reading a rich sensory experience. Don't talk to me about Kindle.
Another one of my first postals was the For Bibliophiles Only ring. Since I will never be able to pick just one favorite book, I created two stamps. Watership Down was my "grown up" submission, although the story is a wonderful tale for young people as well. Think of it sort of as Homer's Odyssey, but with rabbits. If you have never read Richard Adams' Watership Down, then you need to go to the library today. Seriously.
The stamp is a reproduction of the cover art from the first American edition of the book, and is quite large at over 4 x 4 1/2 inches. It has done a ridiculous lot of traveling and even been divided into two stamps with the compass rose going on it's own separate journey for awhile. In spite of all of that, both pieces are safe at home and still in perfect stamping condition. Who knows where it's next adventure will take it?