Bookmarking It

I've been away from my blog for over a week -- really away from the Internet in general, as I have been quite violently ill for the past week with some kind of nasty bug. I had to call in sick to work for more than one day, which I hate doing, and for two days I could scarcely open my eyes or bear to have music/tv/audiobooks on as my ears hurt so much. Those were two pretty crummy days, let me say. At least my husband could read to me, which he did; we've begun the first book in the new Vish Puri mystery series by Tarquin Hall , The Case of the Missing Servant. Just what I needed! Anyhow, as I am now somewhat on the mend, I had to pop in just to participate in this week's Weekly Geeks project -- all about bookmarks. They ask:


Do you use bookmarks or just grab whatever is handy to mark your page? Do you collect lots of different bookmarks or do you have a favorite one that you use exclusively? If you're not someone who uses bookmarks on a regular basis, have you ever used anything odd to mark your place?


I love bookmarks, and my husband has even more than I do (but then he's been collecting longer!) We like them as art objects, as historical documents, and as clever bookish items. I have a few favourites I like to use; for example, I have some with herb & spice images that I use with my cookbooks. I have some with pressed flowers that I enjoy using when I am reading Victorian literature. Most of the time though, I am not nearly so well organized or well prepared and end up using slips of paper which are near at hand, despite the plethora of real bookmarks in the house. Some of these end up being grocery receipts, old to-do lists, notes to myself which are incomprehensible when I read them after they've been stuck in a book for ages, and so on. I have discovered one odd source for very effective bookmarks, though; the perfume counter at the nearest department store. Have you noticed that the little paper thingies that you're supposed to spray perfume on, I assume, are the perfect bookmark shape and size? I use them all the time now -- they are always changing and I find new kinds like the one with a crown at the top on a strip of paper (although I can't remember the name of the perfume...oops) or an apple shaped "Nina" one. My all time favourite is the lovely yellow one for the perfume Poème that Juliette Binoche used to hawk. It started me on this kick as it seemed very apropos for the purpose. Anyhow, no pictures or futher ruminations to share tonight - must take more drugs and get to sleep!! Hopefully my brain will be recovered enough to start some reviewing again next week.