Bliss

One of my greatest small pleasures during the time I lived in South America was the arrival of Victoria magazine. She came in a box of literature from our organization's office in the USA, and I usually received two or three at a time, several months late. It didn't matter. I did all I could to ration myself, to save them for special occasions, to take time to savour their beauty. Nancy Lindemeyer was the editor with the vision for a world where "being nice mattered," and where a woman could delight in creating beauty in myriad forms.

The magazine featured women engaged in all sorts of enterprises and opened a new world for me. I usually read my magazine in the afternoon, after the morning work was done, some dinner preparation finished, and the house was quiet except for the rain drumming on the roof or the frogs croaking madly in the jungle. I curled up on the couch, a cup of tea or glass of ice water in hand and filled my eyes and mind with Victoria's beauty.

I was so sad when the magazine changed - it lost much of its charm. And then it finally ceased publication. The past two years have seen it revived, but somehow, it's not the same. Maybe I've changed, but I don't find the same delight in reading the modern version. I prefer bringing out my old copies each month. September was always one of my favourites. The two featured above are on my night table right now.

And, did you know that the original editor has a blog? Yes! Reading her charming words again fills me with delight. Here's Nancy Lindemeyer's blog link - a bit of bliss for us all to enjoy.