A dusty bike path takes us to the doors of a large building filled with many books and wide widows framing a beautiful view of a very blue lake. Each of us wander down separate isles, picking out our own preferred reading material. C. is next to me, reading: "
Camping and Wilderness Survival," researching his newest chipmunk trap. P. has "
The Joy of Signing" open upon his lap, and keeps demonstrating words and phrases in American sign-language, to us, as we try to keep our heads in our own books. D. has a newspaper open in his lap, M. is looking up Tahoe History and Hiking trails, while S. is merrily flipping the pages of a cardboard alphabet book. B. is no where to be found. I think he's taking a nap on one of the big comfy arm chairs, someplace. When we got here, I picked up one of the first books I saw displayed on a shelf, entitled: "
Women Who Write".
Among them was one Madeleine De Scudery, who lived in the 16th century and is known for creating "Carte de Tendre", a
map of tender love. [quote] "
It is an allegorical map of he broad terrain of love, representing a new code of behaviors in love which transcends sensual passion, by a sympathy between souls. The map guides the inexperienced lover among the dangerous path, hemmed in on the left by the sea of enmity and on the right by the lake of indifference, towards the three possible kinds of love: love as respect, love as high esteem and as affection. The last of these three, may be reached directly via the River of Affection, which runs through the middle of the map. Beyond the city of Tender Love, the river flows into the perilous sea, on the far side of which lie the as-yet-unknown provinces of love."
"Sympathy between souls"... thank you, Madeleine.
All that to say: A Library is a nice break after being outside
in the wind and under pine trees for several days.
