Most of you know I have an addiction. I read constantly. I am on Goodreads.com (a great site to keep track of of the books you want to read) I read over 200 books a year. I read romance, spirituality, fiction, cozy mystery, thriller, historical fiction, contemporary, chick lit, the classics, biographies, mystery, religion, non fiction, suspense, history....pretty much anything but fantasy, dystopia and science fiction. I find authors I like and read their books, in order, because with a series, reading OCD is a good thing.
I don't have a house full of books.....well, I do, but I don't. All of these books I read? They come from the library. I have a list of authors and their books, in order. I read 6-8 authors at a time. I use the online search and request through the Manchester library. They are part of a network of libraries, so if Manchester doesn't have the book, I can request from another library. When it arrives, I receive an e-mail notification and I have 5 business days to pick up the books. All you have to do is walk into the library, grab your books, all nicely labelled and check out. Super fast..unless you decide to check the new releases......some books are only available to borrow via Kindle. That works, too...just a few clicks and you have a book for 2 weeks.
There are also websites that have free Kindle downloads. How cool is that? I really like reading an actual book...the smell of the paper, the turning of the pages, the mixed emotions as you feel your right hand getting lighter and your left hand getting heavier......you are getting to the end of the book, which makes you a little sad because it's been a great read, but also excited because you are getting to the end of the book and you are pretty sure the author is competent and no matter the genre, will tie all the loose ends and you aren't quite sure how it's going to end. My Kindle is great for a vacation. It's a lot lighter than a big plastic tub filled with 30 or so books. Why so many? Well, if you are on vacation and sitting on the dock working on your tan, you can easily read 3-4 books a day. I can think of nothing worse than not having something to read at all times. Really, like ALL times. I never, ever, ever go anywhere without a book or my Kindle. Even if I am off to pick up a waiting child from wherever, I have something to read. I can't imagine having to sit for even 60 seconds with nothing to read.
At the moment, I have 9,397 books on my to-read list. I know I will probably never read every book I want to in my lifetime and that makes me sad. There are so many great authors and great adventures to go on without leaving the couch. There is so much to learn and explore. I love reading.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
You've Come a Long Way, Baby
Actually, I haven't gone anywhere. I just haven't been here in over a year. I got busy, my computer died, I just wasn't feeling the blog thing. I'm trying again, so cut me some slack, this could be awesome...or not.
So, Mother's Day. Saw lots of posts on Facebook about how wonderful it was, what their kids did, where they went for brunch, etc. Then, all the posts about how fulfilled they were with their children and how being a homemaker was the best thing ever. I sat here thinking...you are either on drugs or you are lying. What kind of crazy person finds any sort of thrill, let alone fulfillment in vacuuming, doing laundry, running errands, doing the dishes....or worst of all...grocery shopping and...wait for it....cooking. (I swear to God if it weren't for my children, I would be super model skinny. I loathe cooking so I just wouldn't eat. But, I am smart enough to realize my children need nourishment, so I cook for them, but I hate every minute of it)
I posted on Facebook inquiring into these women who were making these crazy posts. Was it a lie? Were they just trying to come across as perfect Super Moms? Were they actually being fulfilled by housework? Were they, gasp, actually okay with having people in their houses ALL DAY LONG? People asking them questions and wanting something from them?
Turns out, it wasn't a lie. Some women really do get satisfaction from cooking and providing meals for their families. Some women really do get satisfaction with maintaining a spotless house. (I know, I know, I'm taking their word for it. I don't know the meaning of spotless house) Some women really do get not just satisfaction, but pleasure, from being around people ALL DAY LONG. One even said she would lose her mind if she didn't have human interaction every single day.
Don't get me wrong, I love my children. I would die for them. I just don't want them around me all day long. I love my husband. He works out of state all week long. He is home on the weekends. He, too, is a solitary guy. We are compatible in our solitude. My perfect vacation would be a chair, a cat or two and a never ending stack of books and food that just magically appeared when I was hungry. There would be zero human interaction on this perfect week of bliss.
Some of my domestically inclined friends think I'm the crazy one. They can't understand how I don't take great pride and feel satisfaction from housework. (I'll be honest, I'd have to actually do it to determine if I get anything out of it). I do the bare minimum so my poor husband isn't bogged down with it when he gets home. My children have chores and they don't like them. My daughter said, why do I have to empty the dishwasher? I hate it. I said, no kidding. I hate it too, but since I'm older, I'm passing the chore onto you. She was a little shocked and said, I thought all moms liked housework. I said, you thought wrong, I hate it. Both kids looked at me for a minute, then did what they needed to. My son said, Mom, I think it's great you told us you hated housework. We can all hate housework. I think I like doing my chores better now, knowing that we are all on the same page and hate it.
I have come up with a theory, though. The domestic gene is not in every female on the planet. I know I"m an oddball because I do not like chocolate. Most women not only like it but crave it. I am not one of those women. Most women like the domestic arts. I am not one of those women. The two traits have to be linked. You either have them or you don't.
I gotta run. The cat knocked over a bag of flour. I'm going to open the slider, get a box fan and blow the flour outside while I take a shower. As long as it's not on the floor when I get out, that counts as cleaning up the mess, right?
So, Mother's Day. Saw lots of posts on Facebook about how wonderful it was, what their kids did, where they went for brunch, etc. Then, all the posts about how fulfilled they were with their children and how being a homemaker was the best thing ever. I sat here thinking...you are either on drugs or you are lying. What kind of crazy person finds any sort of thrill, let alone fulfillment in vacuuming, doing laundry, running errands, doing the dishes....or worst of all...grocery shopping and...wait for it....cooking. (I swear to God if it weren't for my children, I would be super model skinny. I loathe cooking so I just wouldn't eat. But, I am smart enough to realize my children need nourishment, so I cook for them, but I hate every minute of it)
I posted on Facebook inquiring into these women who were making these crazy posts. Was it a lie? Were they just trying to come across as perfect Super Moms? Were they actually being fulfilled by housework? Were they, gasp, actually okay with having people in their houses ALL DAY LONG? People asking them questions and wanting something from them?
Turns out, it wasn't a lie. Some women really do get satisfaction from cooking and providing meals for their families. Some women really do get satisfaction with maintaining a spotless house. (I know, I know, I'm taking their word for it. I don't know the meaning of spotless house) Some women really do get not just satisfaction, but pleasure, from being around people ALL DAY LONG. One even said she would lose her mind if she didn't have human interaction every single day.
Don't get me wrong, I love my children. I would die for them. I just don't want them around me all day long. I love my husband. He works out of state all week long. He is home on the weekends. He, too, is a solitary guy. We are compatible in our solitude. My perfect vacation would be a chair, a cat or two and a never ending stack of books and food that just magically appeared when I was hungry. There would be zero human interaction on this perfect week of bliss.
Some of my domestically inclined friends think I'm the crazy one. They can't understand how I don't take great pride and feel satisfaction from housework. (I'll be honest, I'd have to actually do it to determine if I get anything out of it). I do the bare minimum so my poor husband isn't bogged down with it when he gets home. My children have chores and they don't like them. My daughter said, why do I have to empty the dishwasher? I hate it. I said, no kidding. I hate it too, but since I'm older, I'm passing the chore onto you. She was a little shocked and said, I thought all moms liked housework. I said, you thought wrong, I hate it. Both kids looked at me for a minute, then did what they needed to. My son said, Mom, I think it's great you told us you hated housework. We can all hate housework. I think I like doing my chores better now, knowing that we are all on the same page and hate it.
I have come up with a theory, though. The domestic gene is not in every female on the planet. I know I"m an oddball because I do not like chocolate. Most women not only like it but crave it. I am not one of those women. Most women like the domestic arts. I am not one of those women. The two traits have to be linked. You either have them or you don't.
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