In the Company of Cheerful Ladies: Wise Words

I really enjoy the little bits of wisdom in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of books, and find myself subtly nodding in agreement.

"You are right, Mma, " said Mma Makutsi." We have never had so much happen all at the same time. It is better for things to happen separately. I have always said that." She paused to think for a moment before continuing. "At the Botswana Secretarial College they taught us to do one thing at a time. That is what they said we should do. One thing at a time."
~In the Company of Cheerful Ladies, Alexander McCall Smith

This may well be the age of multitasking: we text message, participate in computer chats, listen to music, work, do homework and chores, send and receive email, talk on the phone, and more--all at the same time! It's almost a luxury today to do one thing at a time. Do we feel inadequate unless we're doing several things simultaneously? Is there a shortage of time? Of course, sometimes we have no choice. In the case of The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi will not turn down business, and for all of us events in life occur randomly and inconveniently at times. As for me, I have three children, so my own life often feels like a three-ring circus. There's always a lot going on at once.

I'm finished reading In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith. The seventh book in the series is Blue Shoes and Happiness. I've been waiting to read this one. The title alone makes me smile.

In the Company of Cheerful Ladies: The Tea Cup is Half-Full

"It is a fine morning again," he said, as he walked up to her.
She turned to him and smiled. "I am always happiest in the early morning," she said. "Standing here in the garden watching the plants wake up. It is very good."
Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni agreed. He found it difficult to get out of bed as early as she did, but he knew that the first few hours of light was the best part of the day, a time of freshness and optimism.
~In the Company of Cheerful Ladies, Alexander McCall Smith

This passage from In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith captures the sense of optimism experienced by Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni in the early morning, before the intense heat and worries of the day set in. In the mornings, the tea cup is half-full; each new day holds promise and possibility, as well as peace and excitement for what's ahead. As the hours of the morning pass, we move into different states of mind. If the lesson of the morning would last for the day, then we'd effortlessly stay optimistic and positive throughout the day!

In The Company of Cheerful Ladies: A Mysterious Pumpkin, and Red Tea

The New York Times Book Review called this book, "A literary confection of . . .gossamer deliciousness. . . ." I've just started reading another very enjoyable tale set in Botswana, In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith. Super sleuth Mma Ramotswe has a mystery in her own life right now--who left the delectable pumpkin on her porch? (That shouldn't spoil too much of the story for you should you decide to read it!) As with all the books in this series, the beginning chapter summarizes events from the previous books, so readers don't need to read each one to know what's going on, although I've made the choice to read each book of the series, in order.

Last night I had to pick up a few groceries and found a container of rooibos, the ever-present tea in the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, to enjoy at home. I was tempted to buy a red tea with the enticing name of "Botswana Blossom", but decided to get the plain red tea instead, as I'm a bit of a purist. Red tea is an indigenous herb of South Africa called rooibos (ROY-boss). It's supposed to be very healthy, loaded with polyphenols and flavonoids which help protect against the onset of aging and disease. Red tea apparently has all the benefits of green tea, without the caffeine.

I'm thrilled to report that I've been getting more international traffic to Suko's Notebook--from at least 16 countries--including numerous guests from Gaborone, Botswana, the setting for The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency books! Of course, I also greatly appreciate my visitors from the United States. As always, I welcome your comments, and pertinent questions may be emailed to me--I usually respond within 24 hours. One remarkable thing about the internet is that it brings people from all over the world closer together. As we conduct searches and research from our homes, offices, libraries, and schools--or anywhere else with an internet connection--we connect with people world-wide and learn about other cultures--and seem a bit closer to peace on earth.

On this seventh anniversary of the horrific events of Sept. 11th, please take at least a few moments to remember the victims, as well as the many heroes of that day.

More About The Full Cupboard of Life

As you can see, I've found an ideal basket for The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series of books. Having finished reading The Full Cupboard of Life today, I 'll soon start In The Company of Cheerful Ladies (perched on top of the other books).

In a previous post, The Power of Books, I spoke about Mma Potokwane's desire to write a book about running an orphan farm. Here are a few more words about the subject:

"You must write that book, Mma,"urged Mma Ramotswe. "I would read it, even if I was not planning to run an orphan farm."
"Thank you,' said Mma Potokwane. "Maybe I shall do that one day. But at the moment I am so busy looking after all these orphans and making tea and baking fruit cake and all those things. There seems very little time for writing books."
"That is a pity," said Mma Makutsi.
~The Full Cupboard of Life, Alexander McCall Smith

These ladies echo the sentiments of Virginia Woolf.

Mma Potokwane has become a more central character by the fifth book in the series, The Full Cupboard of Life. Like Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, we know that when Mma Potokwane serves him special cakes, as she frequently does, he should be on his guard because she'll inevitably ask a big "favor" of him. It's difficult--if not impossible--for this very kind man to turn this very strong woman down, and her requests are often quite large.

I'm looking forward to reading the sixth book in this series by Alexander McCall Smith, and expect to soon find myself in the company of cheerful ladies.