I LOVE this book.  It was one of my favorites as a little kid and in fact this is the original copy, as you can see by the label, which reads “Barnes & Noble $3.36”.  When was the last time you saw a price like that?  I’ve read this book to my daughter since she was born and I still read it to my 3 older kids.

I’m going to read it to you now.

There are times when a bear has to be alone with himself, to think his own thoughts and sing his own songs.  He must pause and enjoy: listening to the quiet, smelling the rain, or talking to a river.  He likes to watch the wind in the high trees, sail his kite–alone and free–or do nothing at all!  He lies in the thick grass with the sun hot on his fur and remembers: misty dim mornings and cool winter breezes, warm little rooms where the fire pleases.  He has a secret place where no one can find him and worlds to explore in his own backyard.  He loves window-shopping on late afternoons and the lamplighter lighting the night.  As the evening deepens to darkness, there is his own friendly house to come home to with his books and his toys and his own soft bed.  He feels the dark and sleeps–and dreams.

I’d like to be a lot like this bear, except less furry and more girly.  I’ve put all of these things on my bucket list.  Life really should be just that simple.