Page 20 of Authentically, Izzy
My nickname isn’t as delightful as yours. Blighty has so much more character than Izzy. I had to google photos of a mastiff since my canine history involves a blue heeler named Sparky, Darcy the border collie, and a schnauzer named Abraham Lincoln—we called him Al for short. He was my cousin Luke's dog. Now I have Samwise and he’s a golden retriever. Dogs really are the most wonderful creatures, aren’t they? I’m contemplating getting a friend for Samwise so that he’ll have a companion while I’m at work. It only seems appropriate to name the friend Frodo, but I’m not sure what sort of dog will fit the name. I’m certain to spend too much time thinking about it. Names have power... or at least influence. As Anne of Green Gables said, “I don’t believe a rose would be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage.” I’m not sure what a skunk cabbage is, but it sounds awful, which adds more proof to my point.
Oh, there I go, speaking nonsense to a stranger. Again, I want to apologize for my verbal tirade. I would have never indulged my inner Lizzie Bennet if I’d known you weren’t Josephine . . . or a complete fraud of some other sort. At this point I feel certain you aren’t Josephine. Once we determine you are not a sheepdog, perhaps we can disprove the latter.
The very fact you messaged me back has me intrigued. Would you happen to have an extremely emotional sister (or girlfriend) who prepared you for such a rhetorical explosion, because your response has been much too laissez-faire for a novice.
I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in a small town near the North Carolina and Virginia line. Small towns are aplenty, but the closest city is about an hour away, which is fine with me because I prefer the serenity and quaintness of a slower pace of life.
What are your mountains like?
Izzy
PS: I raise your Lewis Carroll with Jack London’s, “But especially he loved to run in the dim twilight of the summer midnights, listening to the subdued and sleepy murmurs of the forest, reading signs and sounds as a man may read a book, and seeking for the mysterious something that called... for him to come.”
Chapter4
Text from Josephine to Izzy, Penelope, and Luke:Get the blue AND pink ready! We’re having both!!
Izzy:I am so excited to welcome a nieceandnephew into the family! With over ten years of children’s books experience, can you imagine how well-read they’ll be by the time I finish with them?
Izzy:Just curious... have you ever read Keats?
From: Penelope Edgewood
To: Izzy Edgewood
Date: March10
Subject: Sweaters
I had no idea how many university boys wear hand-knit sweaters until Blighty mentioned them in his note. I see them everywhere. Mostly from the English majors, but they do add a sense of prestige—except for the ones that have the furry look to them. My nose starts itching just thinking about them.
I wonder why I’d never noticed them before.
I adore sweaters on Ben, the guy who is playing Professor Higgins. He wears them well. But he’s only interested in dating leading ladies, not flower girls. I feel certain he’s meant for Hollywood.
Penelope
PS: Have you seen a photo of him yet? That would certainly help us with uncovering his age. Though Maria von Trapp and the Captain worked through their age difference well, age gaps seem to work better in a historical setting when war is involved.
From: Izzy Edgewood
To: Penelope Edgewood
Date: March10
Subject: Re: Sweaters
Dear Cousin,
The only photo I’ve seen is his profile photo on Heart-to-Heart, but it won’t give you any real information. He’s wearing a furry winter hat that covers his hair, dark sunglasses, and a coat that looks as though he’s getting ready to go on an Alaskan adventure. His smile is nice, though. Happy. And he has light eyebrows, which makes me think his hair may be fair (or gray, but I refuse to let my imagination venture too far in the sweet, bookish elderly gentleman direction).
The photo he was referring to was of his puppy, Argos, who is quite adorable and looks like he needs to be wrestled into a cuddle about a hundred times a day.
I’m afraid to like his owner too much since I’m still not certain he’s real. But he has an excellent sense of humor and I’m tempted to respond to his notes too quickly.
Izzy
PS: I am attending a seminar tonight at the community college for people interested in a business degree. I’m going to attempt to wear a welcoming smile, along with my fastest running shoes.
