:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I've been reading three books over the last couple of weeks.
"No Fault of Our Stars" by John Green See his book
"The Litigators" by John Grisham Take a look see
AND
"Wild New World" by Martha Beck See her book.
It's quite the hodgepodge of reading selections, I'll give you that. My intellect sometimes dwells in the classics, and other times, like these, it rambles through the weeds. But, I'm okay with that. I like the diversity of my choices. I honestly never know what will drag me into its clutches and keep me there, so I throw out a wide net. I finished "No Fault of Our Stars," which is listed as a young adult selection. It may not be for you burly types, but I rather liked it. A lot.
As for "The Litigators," I haven't read one of Grisham's lawyerly novels in forever and a day. I'm plodding my way through it, but I find myself setting it aside in favor of "Wild New World" by Martha Beck. Some of you may find Beck's book in line with the WOO WOO, but I kind of like a little WOO WOO now and then. Maybe that's a southern thing, we southerners (those with an open and imaginative mind) are partial to a bit of magic now and then. If nothing else, Beck's accounts of her time in Africa caused me to consider going there myself. Can you imagine me on safari? I never did, before reading about Beck's encounter with a Rhinoceros. I'm not sure why my brain perked up at the thought of being petrified, but I'm thinking that taking leave of one's wits is probably akin to a good spiritual cleansing, and who doesn't need a little spiritual cleansing now and then.
Beck's book follows a theme of my life's mantra ... BE ONE WITH THE UNIVERSE. Go ahead, judge me. I can take it. I'm all about being One With The Universe, and anyone who is closer to knowing how to be One With The Universe, than I am, is welcome in my world. I'm not sure I will ever master all of the exercises in Beck's book, but if I convince a metal spoon to bend upon request anytime soon, you will be among the first to know.
So far, I have only tried one exercise from Beck's book. In attempt to be One With The Universe, I tried to mentally summon one of God's creatures to me while I was waiting for my lunch date. There I was, standing in the parking lot behind my office waiting for my friend, immersing myself in the warmth of the sun and a gentle breeze, trying to quiet the busy activity in my brain, while simultaneously silently bidding one of God's creatures to come to me. The problem was, that I wasn't sure what type of creature I wanted to come to me. I'm not that into cats, and I rarely see any dogs near the office, and I thought anything other than a normal encounter with a squirrel might freak me out. So, I decided to leave the request a bit open ended. I figured if I was trying to be One with the Universe, that the Universe probably knew better than I, what type of creature would serve this exercise best. Besides, I haven't seen a bear around these parts EVER. So, I'm all into it, when my friend pulls up to get me. I drop back into busy mental mode, and we drive to a nearby fast food restaurant. We order, pay, and go sit at the table. We are chatting, and about to begin eating, when my friend reaches over and says, "You have something in your hair." My friend removes whatever it is, and says "Oh look, it's a ladybug." That's right, the Universe knows me well. I'm okay with attracting a ladybug and taking it to lunch with me. I'm now wondering if I went on Safari, and tried this exercise, what the Universe would send me. Would it send a creature that would HAVE me FOR lunch, instead of a creature that would JOIN me FOR lunch? I'm still keen on being ONE WITH THE UNIVERSE, but that thought does give me pause.
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2012
Sunday, December 4, 2011
1:20, 2:20, 3:20, 4:20 ... Sleepless in the deep south
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I've been awake since 1:20 a.m.. It's now 4:20 something, going on 5 a.m., and there is no herd of sheep in sight for me to count. So, I tossed, I turned. I watched some TV. I loaded the dishwasher. I contemplated the universe. I went about the house putting things back into their proper place. I contemplated getting a second job, just for the pure fun of being able to save even more money. Then I wondered if I could live without TV (it's lackluster at best). I also thought about giving up my Verizon account in favor of a Tracfone. I don't talk on the phone much, and I think I could save in the neighborhood of $500.00 a year, just by making that switch. I'm going to put that on my research list for tomorrow. So far, that's about all I've done in the span of 4 hours.
If the gym was open, I would go, but it doesn't open until around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. I could read, and maybe I will. I've been reading a book by Laura Hillenbrand who is the author of "Seabiscuit." The Hillenbrand book that I'm reading is entitled "Unbroken -- A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption." I understand it's based on a true story of it's lead character, Louis Zamperini. I'm not a fan of war, or reading about war, but this book was recommended and loaned to me by an 80 something year old former marine with whom I work, and given a second recommendation by my doctor. I've been plugging away at it mostly while walking on the treadmill at the gym. If you can call war and all that can happen during a war an adventure, it's definitely filled with adventure, but I wouldn't call one life threatening situation after another an adventure. I would call that scary as hell, and sometimes I have to hide my eyes so as not to feel the fear I know I would have felt if I had been in the combat boots of Louie Zamperini and his comrades. Don't get me wrong, I really like this book, and in honor of Louie Zamperini and all those who came before him, and went after him, I would definitely recommend it to you. Let Louie take you to places where you will hopefully never have to go.
P.S. If you got the idea from my last post that my XXB and I "get it on" occasionally, think again.
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
I've been awake since 1:20 a.m.. It's now 4:20 something, going on 5 a.m., and there is no herd of sheep in sight for me to count. So, I tossed, I turned. I watched some TV. I loaded the dishwasher. I contemplated the universe. I went about the house putting things back into their proper place. I contemplated getting a second job, just for the pure fun of being able to save even more money. Then I wondered if I could live without TV (it's lackluster at best). I also thought about giving up my Verizon account in favor of a Tracfone. I don't talk on the phone much, and I think I could save in the neighborhood of $500.00 a year, just by making that switch. I'm going to put that on my research list for tomorrow. So far, that's about all I've done in the span of 4 hours.
If the gym was open, I would go, but it doesn't open until around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. I could read, and maybe I will. I've been reading a book by Laura Hillenbrand who is the author of "Seabiscuit." The Hillenbrand book that I'm reading is entitled "Unbroken -- A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption." I understand it's based on a true story of it's lead character, Louis Zamperini. I'm not a fan of war, or reading about war, but this book was recommended and loaned to me by an 80 something year old former marine with whom I work, and given a second recommendation by my doctor. I've been plugging away at it mostly while walking on the treadmill at the gym. If you can call war and all that can happen during a war an adventure, it's definitely filled with adventure, but I wouldn't call one life threatening situation after another an adventure. I would call that scary as hell, and sometimes I have to hide my eyes so as not to feel the fear I know I would have felt if I had been in the combat boots of Louie Zamperini and his comrades. Don't get me wrong, I really like this book, and in honor of Louie Zamperini and all those who came before him, and went after him, I would definitely recommend it to you. Let Louie take you to places where you will hopefully never have to go.
P.S. If you got the idea from my last post that my XXB and I "get it on" occasionally, think again.
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Wandering in the wilderness ...
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I've been experiencing a very laid back Saturday, first running a couple of errands, and then reading this book which should increase the happy factor sooner or later:
http://www.suzywelch101010.com/
What I liked MOST about Suzy Welch's 10 10 10 approach to decision making, was her emphasis for people to first hone in on their individual values. I had to think for a minute what I value in my life, but it didn't take me long to come up with what are likely standard answers: a personal relationship with God, strong ties to family and friends, complete freedom to be me, living beneath my means, continuous learning and personal growth. One of my friends told me not to forget to value FUN. I agreed that FUN is indeed very valuable in our lives. I also value my surrounding environment. It is important to me to live somewhere that I find visually appealing, and an area's natural habitat is a big part of that. I'm sure I have other values, but they aren't as quick to come to mind. I'm going to work on making a list of those, so that I will have an accurate road map for making future decisions.
My current dilemma -- I feel as if I'm wandering in the wilderness, waiting on someone to find me and tell me which way to go. I feel stagnant on many levels, including work, and I need to figure out which direction I want to take, but I have no clear vision, and I don't think 10 10 10 is going to work, if my options aren't clear. Oh, 10 10 10 doesn't stand for fertilizer, it stands for 10 minutes, 10 months, 10 years.
You know what is really interesting about this book title and the fact that it reminded me of a bag of fertilizer. It's a woo woo ... de ja vu from Tuesday, when a client was in the office and said that her friend's last birthday was on 10/10/10, and her daughter said 10-10-10 reminded her of fertilizer. I had the same "fertilizer" thought about Suzy Welch's book title (and her 10 10 10 decision making tactic) when I picked up her book at the library on Friday, and then remembered the other 10-10-10 conversation from earlier in the week. I'm always looking for signs from the Universe (otherwise referred to as universal rhymes on an WNYC Radiolab podcast that I listened to on my latest roadtrip.) I don't know about you, but I like the idea of the Universe tapping on my window, and I'm a very practical minded person. Go figure.
Turn signal >
In the same vein of decision making, I have started another book by Jonah Lehrer titled "How We Decide."
http://www.jonahlehrer.com/books
Jonah Lehrer's book takes a more scientific look into how we make decisions. So far, I've learned that humans need emotions in order to make rational decisions. Never again be jealous of Spock.
You don't have to be a scientist to appreciate Lehrer's book. It is a very friendly read.
I didn't choose these book based on their connectivity or even their topics. That was a happy library accident. I was simply looking past fiction which sometimes feels redundant to me. To beat the predictability of fiction, I like to explore my non fiction options.
P.S. Reader update -- I'm now on page 140 out of the 259 pages in Jonah Lehrer's book, and I can guarantee that if you are even slightly intrigued by human behavior, that this book will give you a lot of bang for your buck or in my case -- trip to the library.)
P.S.S.:
This is for those of you who happen to think reading about human behavior is for sissies and subsequently nothing but a bunch of self help crap. I would suggest that you put your assumptions aside and read Jonah Lehrer's book. It is science based with lots of manly examples. Human behavior affects every nuance of our lives. Sports, gambling, flying, etc .... not just shoe shopping ... and Jonah Lehrer's book is not only educational, it is interesting.
As for categorizing human behavior as self help, well, that says to me, that you probably didn't enjoy biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, literature or ethics during school (or college), and that you probably don't like movies or fiction as much as you thought, because human behavior is all around you. Without it, we wouldn't be doing very much, if anything at all.
As for self help material, if it happens to be categorized as self help, and you don't feel you need to help yourself navigate the complexities of this world, then you can advance immediately past GO and collect $200.00. I personally enjoy an extensive genre of reading material, and am naturally curious about nearly every mystery surrounding us ... from the human brain to dark matter in the Universe.
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting
I've been experiencing a very laid back Saturday, first running a couple of errands, and then reading this book which should increase the happy factor sooner or later:
http://www.suzywelch101010.com/
What I liked MOST about Suzy Welch's 10 10 10 approach to decision making, was her emphasis for people to first hone in on their individual values. I had to think for a minute what I value in my life, but it didn't take me long to come up with what are likely standard answers: a personal relationship with God, strong ties to family and friends, complete freedom to be me, living beneath my means, continuous learning and personal growth. One of my friends told me not to forget to value FUN. I agreed that FUN is indeed very valuable in our lives. I also value my surrounding environment. It is important to me to live somewhere that I find visually appealing, and an area's natural habitat is a big part of that. I'm sure I have other values, but they aren't as quick to come to mind. I'm going to work on making a list of those, so that I will have an accurate road map for making future decisions.
My current dilemma -- I feel as if I'm wandering in the wilderness, waiting on someone to find me and tell me which way to go. I feel stagnant on many levels, including work, and I need to figure out which direction I want to take, but I have no clear vision, and I don't think 10 10 10 is going to work, if my options aren't clear. Oh, 10 10 10 doesn't stand for fertilizer, it stands for 10 minutes, 10 months, 10 years.
You know what is really interesting about this book title and the fact that it reminded me of a bag of fertilizer. It's a woo woo ... de ja vu from Tuesday, when a client was in the office and said that her friend's last birthday was on 10/10/10, and her daughter said 10-10-10 reminded her of fertilizer. I had the same "fertilizer" thought about Suzy Welch's book title (and her 10 10 10 decision making tactic) when I picked up her book at the library on Friday, and then remembered the other 10-10-10 conversation from earlier in the week. I'm always looking for signs from the Universe (otherwise referred to as universal rhymes on an WNYC Radiolab podcast that I listened to on my latest roadtrip.) I don't know about you, but I like the idea of the Universe tapping on my window, and I'm a very practical minded person. Go figure.
Turn signal >
In the same vein of decision making, I have started another book by Jonah Lehrer titled "How We Decide."
http://www.jonahlehrer.com/books
Jonah Lehrer's book takes a more scientific look into how we make decisions. So far, I've learned that humans need emotions in order to make rational decisions. Never again be jealous of Spock.
You don't have to be a scientist to appreciate Lehrer's book. It is a very friendly read.
I didn't choose these book based on their connectivity or even their topics. That was a happy library accident. I was simply looking past fiction which sometimes feels redundant to me. To beat the predictability of fiction, I like to explore my non fiction options.
P.S. Reader update -- I'm now on page 140 out of the 259 pages in Jonah Lehrer's book, and I can guarantee that if you are even slightly intrigued by human behavior, that this book will give you a lot of bang for your buck or in my case -- trip to the library.)
P.S.S.:
This is for those of you who happen to think reading about human behavior is for sissies and subsequently nothing but a bunch of self help crap. I would suggest that you put your assumptions aside and read Jonah Lehrer's book. It is science based with lots of manly examples. Human behavior affects every nuance of our lives. Sports, gambling, flying, etc .... not just shoe shopping ... and Jonah Lehrer's book is not only educational, it is interesting.
As for categorizing human behavior as self help, well, that says to me, that you probably didn't enjoy biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, literature or ethics during school (or college), and that you probably don't like movies or fiction as much as you thought, because human behavior is all around you. Without it, we wouldn't be doing very much, if anything at all.
As for self help material, if it happens to be categorized as self help, and you don't feel you need to help yourself navigate the complexities of this world, then you can advance immediately past GO and collect $200.00. I personally enjoy an extensive genre of reading material, and am naturally curious about nearly every mystery surrounding us ... from the human brain to dark matter in the Universe.
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting
Monday, August 16, 2010
Road trip! Sike! Okay fine ... Psych!
Over the weekend, I checked out and read Breakfast with Buddha by Robert Merullo. It's a light and milding amusing road trip read. If you are like me and don't have enough time to take your own road trip, but wish you did, you can always go read about someone else's trip ... true account or not. I finished the book over the sporadic course of two days, and when I put it down, I thought to myself ..."Decent read, but I didn't get as much out of it as I did reading The Alchemist." So, I chalked it up to pure entertainment and went on about my business, because being entertained has just as much value for me as does a life lesson. However, being a bit more analytical than every third person walking by, I quickly found myself retracing my initial impressions and thoughts about Breakfast with Buddha.
The theme which resonated with me the most throughout this book, was the nudge for disciplined balance. If there were other themes in the book (and there may have been), they weren't talking to me. I was however, repeatedly struck by the notion of disciplined balance while I was reading it, and it came back to me after I had finished reading the book. So, I am again tuning my personal dial into the Universe, which I think is trying to tell me to back away from the potato chip aisle.
I took this gentle nudge of reprimand from the Universe and mulled over it while gnoshing on some Lays Masterpiece BBQ Chips. Hey, it was a small bag. One of those 3 for $1.00 bags which hang out by the grocery store check out line teasing you as you wait your turn. Gimme a break, an ounce or so of chips are harmless for pete's sake. {What?} The Universe wants me to tell you how many of those small bags I bought last week. Although, I wouldn't normally ignore the Universe, I'm busy right now.
If I was being coy in any way in the above paragraph, I will now blatantly confess to an unhealthy fetish for BBQ chips. BBQ chips think they own me. I think they may be closing in on being right. In an effort to save myself, I considered calling BBQ chips out to meet me on a dusty road, but then remembered that all I have is a Colt one shot pistol and that BBQ chips carry M-16s. What's a girl to do?
Fast! That's what the Universe and Breakfast with Buddha suggested. They suggested that we attempt to conquer that earthly vice which holds power over us by fasting. Too much food, too much sex, too much of anything is apparently hindering our spiritual being. I actually agreed with the Universe and Breakfast with Buddha. I think I should practice fasting. I guess the Universe thought I needed an extra prompt to practice fasting, because Joyce Meyer reminded me of it when I was watching her on TV this morning. If you don't know who she is, then you probably don't need your attitude adjusted like I do. Taking heed (I'm not a total hard head), I fasted from the time I went to sleep last night until 11:51 a.m. today. Then I broke down and had 3 M &Ms. Man, that fasting thing isn't for sissies. Wish me better luck tomorrow!
Sorry for any typos, misspellings, etc. I can't always help myself.
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
The theme which resonated with me the most throughout this book, was the nudge for disciplined balance. If there were other themes in the book (and there may have been), they weren't talking to me. I was however, repeatedly struck by the notion of disciplined balance while I was reading it, and it came back to me after I had finished reading the book. So, I am again tuning my personal dial into the Universe, which I think is trying to tell me to back away from the potato chip aisle.
I took this gentle nudge of reprimand from the Universe and mulled over it while gnoshing on some Lays Masterpiece BBQ Chips. Hey, it was a small bag. One of those 3 for $1.00 bags which hang out by the grocery store check out line teasing you as you wait your turn. Gimme a break, an ounce or so of chips are harmless for pete's sake. {What?} The Universe wants me to tell you how many of those small bags I bought last week. Although, I wouldn't normally ignore the Universe, I'm busy right now.
If I was being coy in any way in the above paragraph, I will now blatantly confess to an unhealthy fetish for BBQ chips. BBQ chips think they own me. I think they may be closing in on being right. In an effort to save myself, I considered calling BBQ chips out to meet me on a dusty road, but then remembered that all I have is a Colt one shot pistol and that BBQ chips carry M-16s. What's a girl to do?
Fast! That's what the Universe and Breakfast with Buddha suggested. They suggested that we attempt to conquer that earthly vice which holds power over us by fasting. Too much food, too much sex, too much of anything is apparently hindering our spiritual being. I actually agreed with the Universe and Breakfast with Buddha. I think I should practice fasting. I guess the Universe thought I needed an extra prompt to practice fasting, because Joyce Meyer reminded me of it when I was watching her on TV this morning. If you don't know who she is, then you probably don't need your attitude adjusted like I do. Taking heed (I'm not a total hard head), I fasted from the time I went to sleep last night until 11:51 a.m. today. Then I broke down and had 3 M &Ms. Man, that fasting thing isn't for sissies. Wish me better luck tomorrow!
Sorry for any typos, misspellings, etc. I can't always help myself.
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Stephen King is my new diet guru ...
Duma Key ... a 600 and 7 page novel by Stephen King has me wrapped around its thick binder. I don't remember when I started this book, maybe Tuesday. Who knows for sure? All I know is that since I started reading it, I have come to resent having to bathe, sleep, work and apparently eat. After work yesterday, I picked up Duma Key where I left off and read from 5:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. with a few eye breaks between the hours. Okay fine, I confess to watching the second espisode of The Real World (what an outrageous misnomer) on MTV, because it happened to be on, and I happened to watch the first one -- yeah, I mean THE FIRST ONE, and the first one, and most of the ones in between, because I apparently have nothing better to do with my time and good sense. I was also teased into the latest season because it was filmed in New Orleans, a city which I hold as a sweet in the cookie jar of life. Lawd ... how do I get off on these side thoughts ... back ... get back ... back on track chick.
Anyways, I realized this morning when I felt a little extra room in today's trouser selection, that I have neglected to eat dinner at least two nights in a row ... maybe even three nights. Who knew losing a pound or two could be so unintentional and enjoyable?
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
Anyways, I realized this morning when I felt a little extra room in today's trouser selection, that I have neglected to eat dinner at least two nights in a row ... maybe even three nights. Who knew losing a pound or two could be so unintentional and enjoyable?
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Hello from Miss Read-A-Lot
I'm reading two books at one time ... well maybe three if I ever break open The Happiness Project for the second go around (I will, but just having it near at hand is good enough for the moment). It will soon be added to the reference section of my personal library collection.
The books I am currently reading are pursuits in the same direction. One is entitled "Embracing Uncertainty -- Breakthrough Methods of Achieving Peace of Mind When Facing The Unknown" by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. The other is entitled "Switch -- How to Change Things When Change is Hard" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. They are the authors of "Made to Stick" which I have not read, but maybe you have. I love the human behavior research that Switch is so far based upon.
I am almost finished with Embracing Uncertainty and I have to say that even though I am relatively snug as a bug in my own "get on board with embracing the suck and learn its lesson" style, I made a lot of pencil marks throughout this book. Hmmmm ... uh oh .. I forgot it was a library book. But hey, its just pencil. Easy to erase. Oh well, I digress. Back to how I roll with life's stones. I may not do that as easily as I suggest, but I think I may be in the top of the class. I have rarely been under the delusion that I have much control over life. So, even though I may raise hell for a while, or wail with the banshees when faced with one of life's demons, or an evil twin, I usually bounce back fairly quickly, getting on with letting go and letting God. A host of demons have been loosened upon my once happy work world, and I've gnashed my teeth long enough. I am exploring alternatives to angst ... thus the recent topic of reading. Who knows, this may be another one of life's crossroads (of which I have experienced only a few), and I should be excited to greet change at the signpost.
One thing that jumped off page 145 in the chapter titled "Finding Your Meaning and Purpose" was the following phrase ......... "Stand where you are, make a circle, see what needs to be done and do it."
Whew, can I tell you how enlightening and helpful that string of words was? It may seem like an innocuous phrase to you, but it took a huge burden off my own purpose conundrum. Finding purpose in life has been a big thing for me, because, I have been looking for that seemingly elusive purpose since my last life crossroads.
Do you have a purpose? Do you need to have a purpose? Do you want a purpose? Maybe I'm just looking for a better snuggle bunny than my books.
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
The books I am currently reading are pursuits in the same direction. One is entitled "Embracing Uncertainty -- Breakthrough Methods of Achieving Peace of Mind When Facing The Unknown" by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. The other is entitled "Switch -- How to Change Things When Change is Hard" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. They are the authors of "Made to Stick" which I have not read, but maybe you have. I love the human behavior research that Switch is so far based upon.
I am almost finished with Embracing Uncertainty and I have to say that even though I am relatively snug as a bug in my own "get on board with embracing the suck and learn its lesson" style, I made a lot of pencil marks throughout this book. Hmmmm ... uh oh .. I forgot it was a library book. But hey, its just pencil. Easy to erase. Oh well, I digress. Back to how I roll with life's stones. I may not do that as easily as I suggest, but I think I may be in the top of the class. I have rarely been under the delusion that I have much control over life. So, even though I may raise hell for a while, or wail with the banshees when faced with one of life's demons, or an evil twin, I usually bounce back fairly quickly, getting on with letting go and letting God. A host of demons have been loosened upon my once happy work world, and I've gnashed my teeth long enough. I am exploring alternatives to angst ... thus the recent topic of reading. Who knows, this may be another one of life's crossroads (of which I have experienced only a few), and I should be excited to greet change at the signpost.
One thing that jumped off page 145 in the chapter titled "Finding Your Meaning and Purpose" was the following phrase ......... "Stand where you are, make a circle, see what needs to be done and do it."
Whew, can I tell you how enlightening and helpful that string of words was? It may seem like an innocuous phrase to you, but it took a huge burden off my own purpose conundrum. Finding purpose in life has been a big thing for me, because, I have been looking for that seemingly elusive purpose since my last life crossroads.
Do you have a purpose? Do you need to have a purpose? Do you want a purpose? Maybe I'm just looking for a better snuggle bunny than my books.
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Don't worry, we got you covered.
I finished reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin and three light read books by a southern author. I am now reading "Fearless" by Max Lucado. I haven't read further than the introduction, but I already love the cover! Book covers are a newly discovered passion of mine. I love how they seem to be holding hands with the title. To think, they never caught my attention or smacked me in my imagination until recently! If you are feeling even slightly creative, think of a visual that would correlate to the title "Fearless."
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The reader in me ...
I was going to imitate the Dick and Jane (learn to read) books and say something like .... "See Lickety Splitter Read" ... like those simple learn to read books would say ... "See Jane Run." It's too bad I didn't take any pictures to go with that visual, cuz that would have entertained me.
If you haven't guessed by now, there is a reader living in me. Said reader will read all sorts of things, but has been long starved of material that would lure me into reading a book in one fell swoop of a day. But, the last two books were tasty tempters and I read them each in one day. The last book entitled "Leaving Church" is a memoir, and it was "required" reading as my pass to the beach this weekend with my friends. They are both reading this book, so it appears discussion will ensue. One of my friends is pursuing a path in ministry ... so I can see why this book appealed to her. I am not pursuing a path in ministry, but would love to further my education in religion as a knowledge. And, I love memoirs, so this book was right up my alley! I love reading about other people and their journey through this thing called life. It was a very good read, and I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. before finishing it, which caused me to oversleep and miss Sunday School. I even missed church on television. Oh well, there is always the internet for my weekly inspiration.
P.S. I am super excited that you Saints won the Super Bowl. I love you, City of New Orleans. You will always have a special place in my heart of memories. I look forward to visiting you and my old friend this year!
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
If you haven't guessed by now, there is a reader living in me. Said reader will read all sorts of things, but has been long starved of material that would lure me into reading a book in one fell swoop of a day. But, the last two books were tasty tempters and I read them each in one day. The last book entitled "Leaving Church" is a memoir, and it was "required" reading as my pass to the beach this weekend with my friends. They are both reading this book, so it appears discussion will ensue. One of my friends is pursuing a path in ministry ... so I can see why this book appealed to her. I am not pursuing a path in ministry, but would love to further my education in religion as a knowledge. And, I love memoirs, so this book was right up my alley! I love reading about other people and their journey through this thing called life. It was a very good read, and I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. before finishing it, which caused me to oversleep and miss Sunday School. I even missed church on television. Oh well, there is always the internet for my weekly inspiration.
P.S. I am super excited that you Saints won the Super Bowl. I love you, City of New Orleans. You will always have a special place in my heart of memories. I look forward to visiting you and my old friend this year!
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Yes Man!
I am currently reading Danny Wallace's account of his real life experience in committing to say YES for a period of six months. I enjoyed the movie which was loosely based on this book, and I'm enjoying the book on its own merits. Danny Wallace is British. Having recently experienced London's Tube system, having wearily trod through many of its lanes, having taken photos of site after site, having taken delightful strolls through many a park and neighborhood, and having nearly been mowed down in London traffic (my own American fault), I am now able to picture Danny Wallace going from place to place in his book. That's pretty cool.
I thought I would share a couple of my favorite London PUB photos with you. These pub photos were taken during the week, midday (lunch hour). If I were a beer drinker, I would LOVE this lunch hour custom! I have to admit that the pub lunch crowd was somewhat of a novelty to me. But, I have lived in the bible belt of the U. S. all my life, so I have a poor excuse for standing there with my mouth open in surprise and snapping away like the paparazzi. (Smile!)
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
I thought I would share a couple of my favorite London PUB photos with you. These pub photos were taken during the week, midday (lunch hour). If I were a beer drinker, I would LOVE this lunch hour custom! I have to admit that the pub lunch crowd was somewhat of a novelty to me. But, I have lived in the bible belt of the U. S. all my life, so I have a poor excuse for standing there with my mouth open in surprise and snapping away like the paparazzi. (Smile!)
House Rules: Any and all passersby, stalkers and the like, can post comments under "lurker comments." They will be screened for hexes, spells, foils, curses, foul smells and cooties before posting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
