In the first ten years of our marriage I read a shelf full of books about food. Diet for a Small Planet. Sugar Blues. Laurel's Kitchen. Moosewood Cookbook. Then I found a kind of rhythm, and spent time preparing meals to the exclusion of learning about them. Our family routines have taken a few sharp turns, like when John went off gluten in the late eighties, and I read Diet for a New America. It was written by John Robbins, the heir apparent for the Baskin Robbins fortune. Twenty years later John read Eat to Live, and his preference for vegetables had an uptick. Even now when I make a salad it divides down the middle. Half for him, half for the rest of us. 

 

But the truth is I have not read a book about nutrition since before the twins were born. I was on auto pilot. Until this week. I ordered one by John Robbins's son Ocean. It has pushed me out of some of my lazier patterns. Or at least I hope it has. Time will tell. One is that I will try again to plant a garden. I did not have what could be called a roaring triumph last time. Plus I am going to tweak a few habits in a healthier direction. One of the things that helped me with both of the Robbins's writing is that they are fans of just-a-little-bit-better. Also I admit to having a soft spot for Ocean because he has twins with autism. Sprinkled in his book are stories about them.  

 

What I am cognizant of is that reading books blesses me. I can take what works, and try to implement it without having to explain to anyone whether I am succeeding or failing. This week a friend borrowed a few of the titles in the Caring for Marriage library. He owes nothing to me in terms of a book report, or six month follow up on its impact. 

 

Reading books about relationships has had a sizable influence on my life. There are a smattering of them reviewed on the www.caringformarriage.org website. 

 

It's probably time for me to read another one. There is room to do a little bit better.