Books and Ballet

I'm wondering if 2019 should be the year of the books, for me. I want a return to books ... not that I ever left them exactly. But Facebook (yeah, that other not-very-bookish-"book") is not only eating away at my time, it's corroding my peace of mind. I did remove nearly all of the politics in my news feed. But what's so disturbing now is the steady diet of tragic, violent news stories from everywhere. Young mother shot and killed in a parking lot somewhere. Young man killed by horrible one-pill overdose one night somewhere. And on and on. Am I obliged to know all the sorrows of the world and feel for all of it?

That sounds callous, but I don't think any of us was designed to carry all that sorrow at once. On Wednesday, I had to clear my mind of all I was reading on Facebook and snap the computer closed.

I'd like to turn to books. I'm reading about five right now, dipping in and out of them. A Trollope novel I'm not very engaged with. Still Touring Through Europe a bit with Mrs. Shackleton. Knock on a Star has been sitting on my reading table a long time too. Oh, and The Strangers Gaze also. Add to those, two more. I started this little gem yesterday:

It's a children's book written in the 1800s. See Caldecott, the illustrator? Yes, that's the Caldecott, for whom the award it named.
I also found this book today:

My mother loves this book and recommends or lends it to many young mothers she knows. I figured it was time I read it too. I bought each of these books for $1 at the thrift store. 

And ballet, did I say? Hmm. A friend (who is 47) mentioned lately that she's taking up ballet as a beginner, and I thought, "What a brave and wise decision!" Another friend (who's older than I) then mentioned that she watches Ann Smith each morning. Smith is an elderly ballet dancer and instructor who has videos on Amazon Prime. (She also has some on Youtube, but not as nice.) 
Her videos on Prime are so lovely -- Chopin and Beethoven as background music, and she teaches in a large, old room with tall windows. It's so calming. I like it much, much more than yoga, which always hurt my knees and feet. This is all standing, and she explains it well. Gentle, elegant movements. Solid work on the torso and core. Emphasis on breathing. I think I may be able to stick with this.

So I'm going to snap this laptop closed now, and open Bringing Up Bebe, and see what I think. Have a lovely evening, all!