Well the only thing I accomplished from my list of three things to accomplish this week was to do something nice for myself... BUT I think that was a pretty important one. On Monday morning I went and had a pedicure and the girl always winds up talking me into letting her do my nails too (I think because she's always horrified by their condition and takes personal responsibility for my horrible nails- both hands and feet). While I was relaxing away I vaguely remember her saying something about my nails being "shiny" and I must have nodded while watching a morning talk show on the nail salon's TV because before I knew it I had a pretty intense layer of glitter polish on top of the chosen color :-). So here is my tip of the week - pay attention when someone is doing something that affects your appearance! I'm pretty easy going about my nails though and knew I would mess them up promptly and have to remove it all anyway so I said what the heck - a sparkly week it shall be!
Other than that I read a few books for a workshop I'm going to on Saturday about books for teens but I think I will wait and blog about them as a group after the workshop. I always enjoy the books for this workshop but I'm also always happy to go back to reading things that aren't "assigned". Though I must say I read my first John Green book for a workshop and that certainly was worth it and created a groupie/ bit of a crazy stalker fan out of me :-)
Not sure I'll make any goals for the weekend-- it's going to be a pretty busy one. My other half has a birthday coming up and a high school reunion this weekend on top of a visit to my dads and work happy hour tonight... so aside from all the scheduled events I think my goal will just be to sit back, relax, and breathe.
Have a great weekend!
daffodils
Friday, October 21, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Fake Blogger
I'm definitely feeling like I'm not a really blogger... this page hasn't been updated in months...AND when I look at my "101 things to do list" it's pretty much at the same level of completion as it was all those weeks ago. I wish I had some great excuse but I really don't. Life just gets in the way - and when that happens it is generally the day to day mundane life getting in the way that doesn't exactly spark creativity.
So here we are again...at least I'm a consistently bad blogger - I feel like this is the gazillionth "I'm terrible at this" post since I started this thing :-) Maybe I need to make an appointment with myself a few times a week to do this.
Anyway - Like I said - not much accomplished on the list front. In fact I just went back and read through the list and some of the things left on it are sounding dreadfully boring to me at the moment. I think I already picked all the low hanging fruit, and tackled some of the more fun stuff... and now I'm left with things that generally sound like work. Hmmm, not sure that was really my intention when starting this project.
There are a few things though that I am interesting in accomplishing in the short term: 1. Read Gone With the Wind (it's downloaded onto my nook - I have a vacation coming up in November - I have NO excuse!) 2. Take a dulcimer lesson. As soon as kickball season is over and I have another weeknight free I think I'm gonna give this a real go. In fact I think I will put it on my goals for the week to make the phone call to set it up!
I have actually been doing some running in the past few months... I'm still not running solid lengths of time but even with walking breaks I can see that I'm getting faster and as long as I see progress I'm happy with baby steps!
I've also been doing a fair amount of reading - though nothing on my list. I've been reading bunches of Teen Romances for a workshop I'm facilitating at this weekend and I'm also in the middle of The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I have a feeling that when I do finally finish this book it will inspire some blog posts. The books is exactly what it sounds like - a woman takes a year of her life devoting each month to a theme/goal for becoming happier and writes about it. Not all of it is earth-shattering, but even the stuff that should seem like common sense is good to be reminded of and think about once in a while.
I think that about catches everyone up. So here are my goals for the week:
1. Call about dulcimer lessons.
2. Blog again on Wednesday and Friday mornings
3. Do something nice for myself. This is sort of cheating -- I already know that as soon as the place opens at 10am I'm going to sneak in a pedicure before work today :)
So here we are again...at least I'm a consistently bad blogger - I feel like this is the gazillionth "I'm terrible at this" post since I started this thing :-) Maybe I need to make an appointment with myself a few times a week to do this.
Anyway - Like I said - not much accomplished on the list front. In fact I just went back and read through the list and some of the things left on it are sounding dreadfully boring to me at the moment. I think I already picked all the low hanging fruit, and tackled some of the more fun stuff... and now I'm left with things that generally sound like work. Hmmm, not sure that was really my intention when starting this project.
There are a few things though that I am interesting in accomplishing in the short term: 1. Read Gone With the Wind (it's downloaded onto my nook - I have a vacation coming up in November - I have NO excuse!) 2. Take a dulcimer lesson. As soon as kickball season is over and I have another weeknight free I think I'm gonna give this a real go. In fact I think I will put it on my goals for the week to make the phone call to set it up!
I have actually been doing some running in the past few months... I'm still not running solid lengths of time but even with walking breaks I can see that I'm getting faster and as long as I see progress I'm happy with baby steps!
I've also been doing a fair amount of reading - though nothing on my list. I've been reading bunches of Teen Romances for a workshop I'm facilitating at this weekend and I'm also in the middle of The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I have a feeling that when I do finally finish this book it will inspire some blog posts. The books is exactly what it sounds like - a woman takes a year of her life devoting each month to a theme/goal for becoming happier and writes about it. Not all of it is earth-shattering, but even the stuff that should seem like common sense is good to be reminded of and think about once in a while.
I think that about catches everyone up. So here are my goals for the week:
1. Call about dulcimer lessons.
2. Blog again on Wednesday and Friday mornings
3. Do something nice for myself. This is sort of cheating -- I already know that as soon as the place opens at 10am I'm going to sneak in a pedicure before work today :)
Monday, August 1, 2011
August!
I was born in August. It's a good month but where oh where did the summer go?
So where am I with my 101 list of things to do... well I accomplished a few more things... none of them exciting :/
17. crochet something for self to wear - I made some hand/arm warmers on our recent road trip...they're not perfect but it kept me busy for a while in the car... and they will keep my wrists warm this winter in the library (but still allow me to type!)
61. repaint molding in corner of basement - I sanded down the damage and put a fresh coat on... it took about 15 minutes from start to finish but apparently I had to think about it for 6 years first :-)
71. use and develop underwater cameras-- I finished off the film with my nephew at the beach in June... but it took my husband to actually take them in to be developed... can't wait to see the pictures from the snorkeling in Key West we several vacations (and years!) ago.
Short Term Goals -
I got away from running for a few weeks and I'm feeling it now but I ran this morning and I supposed getting back at it is what really matters. Losing endurance is really frustrating but I will get back at it.
Goals for the week:
Run 2 more times
Go to the gym at least once
Conquer my to-do list (short term things - phone calls etc)
Read a book
So where am I with my 101 list of things to do... well I accomplished a few more things... none of them exciting :/
17. crochet something for self to wear - I made some hand/arm warmers on our recent road trip...they're not perfect but it kept me busy for a while in the car... and they will keep my wrists warm this winter in the library (but still allow me to type!)
61. repaint molding in corner of basement - I sanded down the damage and put a fresh coat on... it took about 15 minutes from start to finish but apparently I had to think about it for 6 years first :-)
71. use and develop underwater cameras-- I finished off the film with my nephew at the beach in June... but it took my husband to actually take them in to be developed... can't wait to see the pictures from the snorkeling in Key West we several vacations (and years!) ago.
Short Term Goals -
I got away from running for a few weeks and I'm feeling it now but I ran this morning and I supposed getting back at it is what really matters. Losing endurance is really frustrating but I will get back at it.
Goals for the week:
Run 2 more times
Go to the gym at least once
Conquer my to-do list (short term things - phone calls etc)
Read a book
Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
I'm going to pay overdue fines for this book. It was due the end of last week and so it had gone unread and unthought of for 3 weeks... but the day I was going to return it I noticed a conversation about the book happening on facebook. Friends were talking about how it wasn't what they expected and that there was a plot twist they wouldn't have guessed but that it was well worth the read. This exchange drew me in just enough to decide to give the library the 75 cents or so and read it over the weekend.
I loved the teen series Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I enjoyed all the characters (though I have always been most fond of Lena) and the reads were fun trips through memories of friendships that I still treasure today. Following this girls into their 30th year sounded like great fun...nothing in the book jacket description would lead you to believe otherwise but that couldn't be further from the truth. Don't get me wrong.... I loved this book but if you are looking for a beach read that won't make you think, feel uncomfortable, and explore hard emotions with these characters than perhaps it should be set aside for a rainy day instead of a day with your feet nestled in the sand.... but pick it up and read it one day...it's worth it.
SPOILERS AHEAD - Don't read further if you haven't read the book and intend to do so ..............
Once I read on facebook that there were some plot twists I had a feeling that something happened to one of the Septembers... I thought perhaps we would find out in the beginning of the book that one of them was sick and the book would explore their relationship together as the illness progressed... I was fully expecting Tibby to announce an illness when the four arrived in Greece and the turn of events did surprise me. After a while however I did figure out that there was more going on and that she must have been ill before the incident. It didn't actually bother me to know this before the characters... it wasn't like figuring out a mystery before then end of a suspense novel ... This book was more about the characters and how they worked through their grief and their relationships than it was about plot details to me.
I have a hard time reading about death and grief...it makes me think of people I love that I've lost and this book was no different. I wasn't actually sure I had it in me to keep reading after the first few chapters... I think some of this stems from great writing and evoking of emotions just as must as it does from being a weeping prone individual!
I marked some pages as I went and I want to share a few passages that particularly struck me. This is just as much for myself as for sharing so that I can come back to these few lines in the future... long after I've returned the library book.
pg xii Growing up is hard on friendship.
pg 66 She forgot everything instantly, as though she had no memory apparatus at all. But in a sick-feeling way, she also knew her eyes and ears were taking these things in and keeping them. These images and words would be there waiting for her, settling into some deeper layer that would someday resurface...and make her feel crazy and scared.
pg 228
Her vision of the world under the water represented a beautiful stillness, a version of heaven. It was the lost city of Lena, her alternate universe, the life she yearned for but didn't get to have.
Lena's grief experience most closely matched my own and so I think her sections stood out the most to me throughout the book, but following each persons individual experience and growth as a result of it was very touching and rewarding in a sort of way. I really wanted these characters to find their way, both in life and back to each other.
This certainly wasn't a happy light read, but readers will take comfort in the ending, and will feel better for having read it.
I'm going to pay overdue fines for this book. It was due the end of last week and so it had gone unread and unthought of for 3 weeks... but the day I was going to return it I noticed a conversation about the book happening on facebook. Friends were talking about how it wasn't what they expected and that there was a plot twist they wouldn't have guessed but that it was well worth the read. This exchange drew me in just enough to decide to give the library the 75 cents or so and read it over the weekend.
I loved the teen series Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I enjoyed all the characters (though I have always been most fond of Lena) and the reads were fun trips through memories of friendships that I still treasure today. Following this girls into their 30th year sounded like great fun...nothing in the book jacket description would lead you to believe otherwise but that couldn't be further from the truth. Don't get me wrong.... I loved this book but if you are looking for a beach read that won't make you think, feel uncomfortable, and explore hard emotions with these characters than perhaps it should be set aside for a rainy day instead of a day with your feet nestled in the sand.... but pick it up and read it one day...it's worth it.
SPOILERS AHEAD - Don't read further if you haven't read the book and intend to do so ..............
Once I read on facebook that there were some plot twists I had a feeling that something happened to one of the Septembers... I thought perhaps we would find out in the beginning of the book that one of them was sick and the book would explore their relationship together as the illness progressed... I was fully expecting Tibby to announce an illness when the four arrived in Greece and the turn of events did surprise me. After a while however I did figure out that there was more going on and that she must have been ill before the incident. It didn't actually bother me to know this before the characters... it wasn't like figuring out a mystery before then end of a suspense novel ... This book was more about the characters and how they worked through their grief and their relationships than it was about plot details to me.
I have a hard time reading about death and grief...it makes me think of people I love that I've lost and this book was no different. I wasn't actually sure I had it in me to keep reading after the first few chapters... I think some of this stems from great writing and evoking of emotions just as must as it does from being a weeping prone individual!
I marked some pages as I went and I want to share a few passages that particularly struck me. This is just as much for myself as for sharing so that I can come back to these few lines in the future... long after I've returned the library book.
pg xii Growing up is hard on friendship.
pg 66 She forgot everything instantly, as though she had no memory apparatus at all. But in a sick-feeling way, she also knew her eyes and ears were taking these things in and keeping them. These images and words would be there waiting for her, settling into some deeper layer that would someday resurface...and make her feel crazy and scared.
pg 228
Her vision of the world under the water represented a beautiful stillness, a version of heaven. It was the lost city of Lena, her alternate universe, the life she yearned for but didn't get to have.
Lena's grief experience most closely matched my own and so I think her sections stood out the most to me throughout the book, but following each persons individual experience and growth as a result of it was very touching and rewarding in a sort of way. I really wanted these characters to find their way, both in life and back to each other.
This certainly wasn't a happy light read, but readers will take comfort in the ending, and will feel better for having read it.
Friday, July 15, 2011
GUYKU: A Year of Haiku for Boys
GUYKU: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka with art by Peter H Reynolds
This book is clever.
I giggled and smiled a lot,
Illustrations rock!
This book is clever.
I giggled and smiled a lot,
Illustrations rock!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Beach Running Has Spoiled Me
Well I didn't get two more blog posts written in June... it's certainly not that I don't spend enough time on the computer... I've just been uninspired I suppose. I did however accomplish the other two short term goals... I am currently reading a new book (I'll review it here when I'm done) and I accomplished my goal of running a mile outside.
I did my first mile outside on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. An early morning run with the beach and waves to my left and the wall of hotels and t-shirt shops to my right. I actually ran a mile plus a block... just to be sure I actually completed the task.... didn't want to find out later that I didn't run far enough to check this off my list :-) After the first mile I walked a few blocks and ran a few quarter mile intervals. Whenever I try to run again after taking a walking break I never manage to make it very far in those second or third bursts.
A few days after breaking through the barrier of running a mile outside I decided to try something new and did some running on the sand (the nice wet packed sand at the edge of the water) and said what the heck and gave it a go barefoot. It was fantastic! Don't get me wrong... running on the sand and barefoot is harder than running on solid ground with supportive shoes... but it was also so much fun! I think if I lived where I could run like this everyday I would. There was just something freeing about running with the sand between my toes, splashing my toes in the water when it came close enough, and dodging shells to the rhythm of my favorite running tunes. Now whenever I go to lace up my shoes I have a pang of sadness that I'm heading out into the neighborhood or worse, into my basement to the treadmill instead of out along the surf. I wonder if there are any beach 5ks.......
I did my first mile outside on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. An early morning run with the beach and waves to my left and the wall of hotels and t-shirt shops to my right. I actually ran a mile plus a block... just to be sure I actually completed the task.... didn't want to find out later that I didn't run far enough to check this off my list :-) After the first mile I walked a few blocks and ran a few quarter mile intervals. Whenever I try to run again after taking a walking break I never manage to make it very far in those second or third bursts.
A few days after breaking through the barrier of running a mile outside I decided to try something new and did some running on the sand (the nice wet packed sand at the edge of the water) and said what the heck and gave it a go barefoot. It was fantastic! Don't get me wrong... running on the sand and barefoot is harder than running on solid ground with supportive shoes... but it was also so much fun! I think if I lived where I could run like this everyday I would. There was just something freeing about running with the sand between my toes, splashing my toes in the water when it came close enough, and dodging shells to the rhythm of my favorite running tunes. Now whenever I go to lace up my shoes I have a pang of sadness that I'm heading out into the neighborhood or worse, into my basement to the treadmill instead of out along the surf. I wonder if there are any beach 5ks.......
Monday, June 13, 2011
Long Time, No Blogging
Sigh... it's been a while since I managed to get a blog post written. As usual I have no legitimate excuses except I just didn't have anything to say/ didn't feel like it :-)
I haven't checked too many items off the 101 things to do list... a few boring things were completed-- wearing contacts and eating breakfast at home but nothing earth shattering or so life changing that they warranted a blog post. Probably the most noteworthy news about the list is that once again I've decided to edit it (I know that's probably not how these lists are supposed to work but I don't care -- it's my lists and I will do with it what I wish!). Some of the items on the original list were just so BORING or for some reason or another just aren't important to me anymore so I crossed out five more items (in red - the color I use for "I've changed my mind") and added five slots to the bottom of the list. I'm going to ponder what to add in those slots so if you've got any exciting ideas send them my way.
As far as short term goals I have actually been doing pretty good: I read another book (still a long way from my goal of 50 for the year though!), I've been running (aka jogging/walking) several times a week and going to the gym pretty regularly and in general trying to take care of myself. I had a goal for the year of running a mile and I've accomplished this on the treadmill twice but I've yet to make it happen outside so I'm holding off calling this a success (hopefully not for too much longer) but it was still a pretty exciting benchmark for me.
I'll be heading to the beach this weekend with my pops so I'm looking forward to some quality family time and also giving the boardwalk a try for running. Its straight and flat so I'm hoping it's a good run (plus the view will be better than my treadmill or neighborhood) even though I have no idea what running on boards will be like. I'll probably also eat lots of delicious foods like chocolate covered strawberries from Candy Kitchen and Boardwalk Fries... that's what the running is for I guess --to counteract all those calories :-)
My goals for the coming week/weeks:
At least 2 more blog posts in June
Read another book
Run a mile outside
I haven't checked too many items off the 101 things to do list... a few boring things were completed-- wearing contacts and eating breakfast at home but nothing earth shattering or so life changing that they warranted a blog post. Probably the most noteworthy news about the list is that once again I've decided to edit it (I know that's probably not how these lists are supposed to work but I don't care -- it's my lists and I will do with it what I wish!). Some of the items on the original list were just so BORING or for some reason or another just aren't important to me anymore so I crossed out five more items (in red - the color I use for "I've changed my mind") and added five slots to the bottom of the list. I'm going to ponder what to add in those slots so if you've got any exciting ideas send them my way.
As far as short term goals I have actually been doing pretty good: I read another book (still a long way from my goal of 50 for the year though!), I've been running (aka jogging/walking) several times a week and going to the gym pretty regularly and in general trying to take care of myself. I had a goal for the year of running a mile and I've accomplished this on the treadmill twice but I've yet to make it happen outside so I'm holding off calling this a success (hopefully not for too much longer) but it was still a pretty exciting benchmark for me.
I'll be heading to the beach this weekend with my pops so I'm looking forward to some quality family time and also giving the boardwalk a try for running. Its straight and flat so I'm hoping it's a good run (plus the view will be better than my treadmill or neighborhood) even though I have no idea what running on boards will be like. I'll probably also eat lots of delicious foods like chocolate covered strawberries from Candy Kitchen and Boardwalk Fries... that's what the running is for I guess --to counteract all those calories :-)
My goals for the coming week/weeks:
At least 2 more blog posts in June
Read another book
Run a mile outside
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