I didn’t change my general feeling about birthdays from 2004 when, on the occasion of my birthday, I’ve included a rather non-enthusiastic (if not cynic) quote of Andy Rooney. Really, what in the world is there to be happy about being a year older? Well, nothing, except for a deep sensation, which goes all the way to your bones, when you receive the greetings and a very special present from someone dear to you - like I did four days ago.

For my 76th birthday, my daughter sent me two books. She knows I love books, that I enjoy just holding a book and flopping the pages. I don’t like audio and video lectures because, after certain sentences I hear, I have to pause and think to be able to continue - that’s exactly how I read. Sometimes it’s necessary to go a few pages back to clear something, even for a novel. Or open another book for that purpose. And I trust a book more than a text on the web because, with a book, the author’s, editor’s and publisher’s reputation is at stake.

My daughter also knows that, when I have a chance, I enjoy a book as a piece of art: bounding, paper, print, illustrations, ... The two books I’ve received for my 76th birthday are:

BUTTERFLIES OF BRITAIN AND EUROPE by Lionel G. Higgins

and

WILD FLOWERS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN by Ingrid and Peter Schonfelder

both published by The Easton Press in 1983 and 1984, respectfully. They are Collector’s Lifetime Edition, bound in genuine leather. They are superbly illustrated and the text is well organized.