Romance Author - Alinka Zyrmont

I just received a lovely postcard from famous Irish author, Maeve Binchy, who penned stories such as: Scarlet Feather, Light a Penny Candle, The Lilac Bus, Firefly Summer, Circle of Friends, Tara Road, Nights of Rain and Stars, to name a few. I bought Echoes at Shannon Airport while wasting my time waiting for a plane back to Boston. Once I get immersed in the problems of the characters in a novel, I transcend into fantasyland, or in this case, Ireland, and forget all about the reality of the airport noise and hustle-bustle of travelers. I urge you to pick up one of her books for easy reading and a bit of home-made Irish yarns and stew. You will certainly find them delightful.

I have never known an Irish man, or in this case, a woman, who could keep silent; except perhaps my husband. But then I do the talking for both of us. The Irish are prolific story tellers and fantastic tenors. They are warm, cheerful, hospitable and opinionated, loquacious people who love a strong cup of tea, like Granny Lindsay used to make. I miss terribly those simple days of Granny's shortbread and thick Scottish brrrrrrogue when she would send me to the sweetie shop to get the Dundee Courier newspaper and some "Gingerrrr Snaps, and make it snappy, and brrrrring me back the rrrrright change; but ye can keep a penny tae yersel!" So in these complicated days of terrorists and hurricanes and global warming and political mud-slinging and liberal loudmouths like Bill Maher, (who could use some Irish Spring soap to wash out his filthy mouth) I keep a nostalgic spot and the smell of heather and clover in my memories of simpler days. It is most comforting in troubled times to revert back to thoughts of floral red chintz.

Maeve's postcard of a country cottage with its red walls and red chintz sofas and curtains with the heirloom china hanging on the wall cabinet over a tidy little desk, makes me want to curl up on the settee with one of those books under the coffee table and lose myself in a time gone by. There is a lot to say about the simple pleasures of life. We are all so busy acquiring the latest technology, talking cryptically in shorthand over cell phones, and fighting amongst ourselves to enjoy a nice friendly evening singing around the piano. Even though I have been to Ireland several times, I have never been to Dalkey Co., where Maeve resides. I hope to fly over soon and meet some charming raconteurs for a friendly chat around a fireplace. I am a bit of a snob when it comes to talking trite as I do not spend any time speaking to neighbors. I prefer to sit down with creative minds and discuss the problems of the publishing industry, or what we are going to do about global warming. Aliens from outer space is another favorite of mine, and on a windy Halloween night, I would prefer a Brandy with a group of writers finishing each other's sentences. I suppose I am just a traditionalist at heart! And as the Texans would say, "proud of it!"

Alinka Zyrmont