Read

I started reading when I was a young girl, my Mother driving me to our local library where I would spend hours perusing the books, followed by hours of reading at home and I have never stopped.   I did the same with my children and they have in turn, done the same with theirs.  I read stories and poems and essays and limericks and greeting cards and books upon books of quotes.  I have read things by rich and famous writers and I have read things by up and coming authors who only have their words on an e-book.  When my children and grandchildren were young, I would read to them out-loud, it's fun, adding drama and different voices to each character.  I love to sit comfortably on the back screen porch in the summer-time reading away a Sunday afternoon and not feel a bit guilty.  If provided I always read the Scripture readings during church on Sundays.  I try to read the fine print but sometimes that fine print is just too fine.  Read signs, if you have been in any decorating shops lately the new trend is signs, usually printed in fashionable black & white.  And especially read everything you have ever written yourself and save it.  Pull it out a few years later and read it again.  Sometimes I amaze myself.  Don't read something just because it is on the NY Times Best-Seller list, read something that someone you respect and admire recommends.

We have this wonderful independent bookstore in our town and twice a year, Spring & Fall Carol & Kathy, who work at Anderson's (the bookstore) present to a huge crowd of mostly women and mostly bookclub members a list of recommended great books to read for pleasure as well as for great bookclub discussions.  Criteria is they must be in paper-back or soft-cover, wonderfully written and bookclub worthy.   Today was the Spring presentation and not only did we get a great line-up from Carol & Kathy, but David, a rep from Random House was also on board to delight us with even more goodies.  All of them, the ladies and David have a way of presenting each book that makes me want to read them all.  I thought I would list some of these books today, because I have a strong feeling that some of you who might read this blog are book-readers too.

• White Tiger - Aravind Adiga
• The Buddha in the Attic - Julie Otsaka
• The Art of Fielding - Chad Harbach
• The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes
• The Art of Hearing Heartbeats - Jan-Philippe Sendker
• Faith - Jennifer Haigh
• The Language of Flowers - Vanessa Diffenbaugh
• The Weird Sisters - Eleanor Brown
• Turn of Mind - Alice LaPlante
• Silver Sparrow - Tayari Jones
• The Story of Beautiful Girl - Rachel Simon
• The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb - Melanie Benjamin
• Doc - Mary Doria Russell
• Juliet - Anne Fortier
• The Bird Sisters - Rebecca Rasmussen
• Clara and Mr. Tiffany - Susan Vreeland
• The Night Strangers - Chris Bohjalian
• Vaclav and Lena - Haley Tanner
• Blood, Bones & Butter - Gabrielle Hamilton
• In the Garden of Beasts - Erik Larson
• Until Tuesday - Bret Witter and Luis Carlos Montalvan

Great line-up, huge diversity of subject matter.  All but the last two are fiction.  I did not include any synopsis because if any appear interesting hop on over to Anderson's and read their brief descriptions and praises.

After receiving a Kindle as a gift most of my book reading has been on the e-reader.  But I was missing the feel, the look, the handling of a book so yesterday I purchased "The Language of Flowers" not knowing it was going to be on the list today.  And then today, while at Anderson's I won "The Bird Sisters" and purchased "The Night Strangers".  That should re-fill my need for a "real" book for awhile.

"I find television very educating.  Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room
and read a book."  ~  Groucho Marx


Until next time.....

Let Go

Today's challenge at Kim's Texture Tuesday is to use one of her new watercolor textures, this one entitled Let Go.  Not only do I love the texture, it's softness and slight hues of color, but it's title is one we could all learn lessons from.  Let go of worries, let go of sadness, let go of guilt, let go of all the negatives and welcome into your life all the positives.

Linking up to Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday....

Until next time.....

A Sunday in the Yard....

Getting older has it's benefits (sometimes I have to dig deep to figure those out) and sometimes its downfalls.  Yesterday the sun was shinning altho cool, but a fine day to do a little work in the yard.  I usually don't start the yard clean-up until late April or early May, but this year, the garden is way up as are the weeds.  Particularly the weeds that have drifted from my next door neighbor's yard.  The yard looks better today, but the remnants of all that pulling and tugging has left it's mark primarily on my back and legs.  That is the downfall I referred to earlier.

And because those muscles were a little sore today, it was a great day to join my girlfriends for a trip to the movies.  We try to do this at least once a month.  One of us decides on a movie, we meet and afterward drive right across the parking-lot to The Corner Bakery for food and chatter.  Most of these women are in my Wednesday morning Bible Study, but some are not, so it is always fun to gather.  Today we saw Chimpanzee from the Walt Disney Studios.  Nobody does nature and animal stories like Disney.  Narrated by Tim Allen, it is the story of a family of chimps, primarily focusing on one young one named Oscar and his adventures.  Highly recommend it to all.  A couple of scary parts for the very young, but nothing gruesome or gory.  The photography was spectacular and I thought Tim Allen did a wonderful narration.

But right now, it is time for Dancing With The Stars....are you ready, do you have a favorite?  I think the line-up this year, altho some are not well known stars, are all spectacular dancers.  Getting tougher and tougher each week for one to be eliminated.  And tonight is MO-Town, how fun will that be with Gladys Knight dancing to the singing Temptations.

Before I leave these are just a few of the pics I captured yesterday while working in the yard, well not all work, a little bit of play.

Bugs were out in full force...

The ants were enjoying the sweetness of the peonies...

The Bridal Wreath bushes are in full bloom....

These sweet blue wildflowers are growing in my neighbor's yard...

Eventho I try to rid my lawn of dandelions, I must admit they make a great subject to photograph. They remind me of bright little stars...

Have a great week ahead.

"To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds and watch their renewal of life - this is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing a man can do." 
                                                                                                                ~ Charles Dudley Warner

Until next time......