Handbag and Book: guest author Janina Gray - Do You Cling to Your Handbag for Dear Life?

 

Although I adapt well to change normally, when it comes to my handbags (I call them pocketbooks, coming from Long Island) I view them with the same devotion as a lifelong bestie. So, I cling to them for dear life until they are old and frayed and ready to give up the ghost.

My current pocketbook was a gift from my son, Anthony, about five-six years ago.  It’s a black leather bag that’s big and roomy enough to slip my MacBook Air in, along with my wallet, notebook, half a dozen pencils and pens, make-up bag, glasses, hand lotion, face wipes, change purse, charging cord, earbuds, and, well, you get the idea. It’s heavy. People are brave enough to attempt to lift it often groan loudly before collapsing to the floor.

This black “The Sak” bag has two shoulder straps, a cute little outer pocket on one side where I can slip in my phone or sunglasses (or pen and pad) for quick retrieval, and a zippered pocket on the other side to keep more pens and pencils, pads, and anything else I need to access quickly. The inside is lined in an orange, brown, and lime green print resembling some sort of weave or maybe grasses, I’m not sure. It’s not a print I would have considered, but I’ve grown to love it, probably because it was from Anthony, my eldest who turns 30 in 2022.

Prior to this purse, I had a black weave hand-me-down from my mom who passed away in 2012. Prior to that, I carried around a brown leather pocketbook with leather fringe on it, which looked like it came straight out of Woodstock. It had been a hand me down from my older sis, Janie, who passed away in 2007.

So, my purses are more than just an accessory, they are a connection to people I love dearly. And I don’t care if I’m not touting the latest fashion, or if my pocketbook is ancient, or well-worn. When I’ve got that bag slung over my shoulder and cradled under my arm, I’ve got everything I need and more. I’ve got love.

Speaking of love . . . The doorknob I chose to hang it from in the photo has a pair of very old keys that came with the house I’ve lived in since 2002. It’s a 114-year old farmhouse, that in addition to the keys, came with resident ghosts. We normally keep that door closed as that is one of the rooms they prefer to live in (aka, it’s very haunted). But we love the spirits as much as I love the house and my purse. So, yeah. It’s all about love.

Not everything is black and white when it comes to love.

Step into the mystical and magical forests of Upstate New York, where Earth and Sky camp photographer Brooke Meadows has taken refuge from the demons of her past as she uses her ability to communicate with the dead to heal loved ones left behind.

Unable to cope with the loss of his wife and daughters three years prior, Josh Quinn, CEO of the number one dating site Quirkyflirt.com, is ordered by his board president to take a break from his Big Apple Headquarters. He finds himself at Earth and Sky Retreats, where confronting his grief has led him to experience a life-altering transformation and re-evaluation of reality.

Will Josh leave behind his fast-paced, high society life in the concrete mountains of New York City, for the magical, bewitching world Brooke reveals to him in the foothills of the Adirondacks?

Will Brooke acknowledge and accept her own journey of transformation and healing as she and Josh explore the winding paths and summits that lead them to find love in the forest?

More about Janina Grey: Janina Grey has been writing since she could hold a crayon, and 

there has been no stopping her since. Journaling, short stories, poetry, newsletters, news, feature, columns, Op/Eds, and press releases have kept her busy her whole life. But it was the sweet romances she read in her downtime that stayed forever in her heart and gave her the inspiration to write her own. Growing up on Long Island and living periodically in Tennessee as a youth has given her the opportunity to meet many different types of people and experience many different lifestyles. After moving from Long Island to settle in upstate New York with her family, she found the support needed to pursue her writing endeavors. When Janina is not writing, she may be marching for women’s rights, kayaking, camping, drumming, or dancing around the fire. With her two children grown, she and her husband, David, share their 110-year-old Mohawk Valley farm house homestead with a few resident spirits and a very squawky murder of crows.

Answer these questions:

Red, White or Blue?  White? Eh. I’m not really a fan of red, but I do like blue, so I’d mix them together make purple, because I love purple. 

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? I love all seasons, and the changes they bring to life. But if I had to pick an order of favorites (at this moment) it would be: Autumn, Winter, Summer, and then Spring.

Cake or Pie? Yummm. I love Pie, as in Pizza. Chicken Wing Pizza Pie to be exact, from Vinny’s Pizza in Herkimer, NY. But, pleeeeze, hold the blue cheese.

Coffee, Tea, or Champagne? I start each day with French-pressed black coffee with cinnamon. I switch to Lady Grey tea when I’m writing. And if I’m going to indulge in champagne, it’s definitely going to be with Mimosas.

Country music or Michael Buble? I used to love country music. But my all-time faves are Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, and (lately) lots of Coldplay.

Pencil or Pen? There’s nothing like a good old fashioned wooden pencil (the kind you have to sharpen) and gel pens—purple or black, if you haven’t guessed by now!

Find Love in the Forest at: Soulmate

Find Janina at: Website