Dan's Papers - October 13, 2006 - Shells And Shelves

Shelved in your study, buried in a box, or atop a friend's coffee table may rest that recently-finished book - the one you selected for a special season of summer reading. Wherever it may be, it is likely indoors, which you may see a lot more of sooner rather than later. Those orange and brown shades of October, as pretty in their own way as they may be, loom on the horizon with the cooler autumn temperatures that accompany them. As they push you inside, make sure you take a book with you. With a little imagination, you can bring a sense of summer's environment with you, allowing you to better focus your brainpower on the book before you.

Among the fans of summer reading on the beach, there remain common reasons why such a place is ideal after reading, such as the sun warming your face, the sand between your toes, the sound of the tide rushing up the sand and back, and so forth. Although nothing may compare to the real thing, you can recreate your favorite aspect of the beach in your home. Begin by breaking out that beach chair; it may now sit on a tile or hardwood floor, but your feet don't have to experience the same fate. For one that enjoys the twitching of toes or rubbing of heels in the sand, you can fill a tray or pan with authentic beach sand and place it before your seat (of course you have to pick-up that sand during one of your final trips to the beach before it's too cold to bear). Purchase, if necessary, place, and plug-in a footbath nearby. By the end of Chapter One, as your mind meanders through the story, your feet will be reminiscing about the sea lapping at your toes. You can subtly help your mind relax in this imaginary beach world with an album of white noise or marine sound effects. Sipping your summer juice or cocktail, you will be able to hear those familiar, comforting noises as you read from one plot point to the next.

Some summer literature fans may not consider a stretch of sand their preferred reading place. Instead they may enjoy zoning out in the garden, or lying on a blanket in a meadow or beneath a tree. Unfortunately, there are not many ways to bring warm, fresh grass inside without making a mess. Still, laying a blanket on top of your average foam mat, particularly the slightly ridged kind, can come close to the uneven softness of park grass. Those plants in your sunroom, entrance corridor, and everywhere else can be relocated to your temporary spot. They may not be large trees to lie beneath, but appropriate arrangements can let you reclusively recline among the vegetation. Some of the best plants arrangements to read beneath have mini fountains whirling beside them. The gargle of the water can convince your mind that you are reading near the tiny creek near your home.

Providing the warmth and light to best enhance these outdoor atmospheres that you have brought indoors requires effort and imagination. Sunlamps and space heaters are your best bet in creating the benefits of sunshine in your home. The skin is the body's largest organ, so why not bathe it with the therapeutic and healing light it needs and deserves to receive? For some, it even alleviates that seasonal depression that hovers when the sun sinks earlier and earlier in the day. When controlled, and not constantly on you for the entire amount of time indoors, ultra-violet light can help your body produce Vitamin D. From Calcium absorption to immune system boosts, a little extra Vitamin D can aid in providing that good aura you feel when flying through your summer reading.

You can take your book any place with you, but cannot always bring that place with you and your book. Still, losing yourself in your surroundings as your eyes follow the words is part of the experience. Taking the time to think through what aspects of the summer atmosphere you most appreciate can lead you to the right setup in your own home. Add your imagination to the mix, and you will be reading at the beach, under a tree, or on the grass, at least in your mind.