I Wish I Had More Time To...Read

Let's face it.  I miss reading.

Ever since I was a small child, reading has been one of my favorite things to do.  Like breathing, I can't do without it.  But for the past few years, I haven't had as much time to read as I've had in the past.

Oh, I still read.  And my Kindle is loaded with books, just waiting for me to find some spare time.  I finally took the time to create categories for all my ebooks.  There are 16 of them.  Romance has the most, and Classics comes in at a close second.  That's just my Kindle and doesn't count the multiple bookcases I have or the boxes of book that are stored at my ex's farm. I even have a large box of books I've been carting around in the back of the trunk of my car for well over a year.  My plan was to take them to the Art Museum for the book fair at the annual river festival.  They still haven't made it there.

I'm a sucker for used book sales, no matter where.  I use the library, especially during the summer, when I take the grandkids each week.  I can spend hour upon hour in a bookstore, and would spend a fortune, if I had one.

But reading time is limited, what with my own writing, website design, family and friends.  I've tried to build in some reading time by leaving early to pick up my grandkids at school each weekday.  It gains me about twenty minutes, but that's really only enough to whet my appetite.  Sometimes, if I haven't had to stay up late working, I'll read in bed.  But too often, that leads to that drowsy feeling, and after reading the same paragraph more than three times, I know it's time to put book away.

Not only do I love to read, but I've tried to instill that same love of books in my children and grandchildren.  Not everyone is a reader, but I believe everyone can become one, if the right books are found to read.  And if reading is problem, there are always books on tape, so anyone can enjoy the world of words.

Maybe someday, when life slows down and there's time for the best things in life, I'll have the chance to read more.  Until then, I'll simply have to find a way to carve out another hour or two...or three or four...a day to enjoy my favorite pastime.  One can dream, right?

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.  ~ Charles W. Eliot

Where Do I Sit? or Is This Some Kind of Sign?

 Last night, while I was on the phone talking to fellow author and friend Kristi Gold,  I leaned back in my office chair.  To my surprise, it and I kept going, until chair and I were in a reclining position.  It isn't a recliner.  Normally.  It might have tipped on back completely, if it hadn't been for a large plastic bin that awaits a trip to the attic...or storage shed, whichever comes first.

Maybe it was my fault.  Earlier yesterday evening, I'd sprayed WD-40 on the squeak that was driving me crazy at the base of the chair.  While it wasn't my throne--and far from looking like the elaborate chair on the left--a few months ago I'd given some thought to replacing it.  Still, the chair and I had become comfortable with each other and it wasn't in such bad shape that I desperately needed a new chair.  That has changed.

But a new chair isn't a part of my budget.  My bad for not getting one when it might have been, but who knew?  I'd passed on the old office chair to my youngest, and it wouldn't have been right to repossess it.  As if she would've let me.  There's also an oak captain's chair that I purchased at an auction, long, long ago.  I tried it this morning, first thing, but my desk sits high, and I had to reach up for the keyboard.  Not good when there's some CTS involved.

And then I remembered that I'd recently given some thought to using an upholstered bar chair with arms that I used years ago with a drafting table.  So after taking the broken chair out to the shed to await trash pickup day, I brought in the tall chair from the kitchen where it wasn't really being used, except to hold the dishtowel and an extra roll of paper towels.  It's a tad bit narrow and will probably require using my keyboard on top of the desk, instead of on the pullout keyboard drawer, but adjustments are sometimes necessary.  It's comfy, too, which is a requirement when sitting at a desk all day.  And while it doesn't lean or tilt, that may be a good thing.

Even if I don't have a throne and haven't figured out yet if any of this is some kind of sign--such as the need to lose weight--the question of where to sit has been answered.  At least for now.  Maybe a change in chair will bring a change in luck.  I do like that idea!

Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine. ~ Robert C. Gallagher

Put On a Happy Face ☺

There's no doubt that the winter holidays are the most stressful time of year for everyone.  Even if you're at the best and think Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's are the best thing that every happened to man--and woman--kind, something unexpected can come along and change that.

Sometimes life comes along and takes the joy out of, not only holidays, but far too many other things, too.  Whether it's seasonal depression, doldrums, the blues, sadness or any other feeling or emotion that's keeping you from not only enjoying the holidays but day-to-day life, there's help.

The key to feeling better lies within each of us.  We can't expect others to make us feel better.  It's something we have to work at ourselves.  So if this holiday season is starting to get you down--or if life in general just isn't what you'd hoped and dreamed it would be--it's past time to do something.

We're lucky to live in the age of technology, where help is at our fingertips.  Here's a list of websites that may help lighten your load or at least get you on the road to a little sunshine in your life.

• Ten Ways to Beat the Holiday Blues -- from Beliefnet.com  • Common sense help on how to deal with the holiday blues.  Beliefnet encompasses all religions, faiths, and beliefs, so it doesn't matter whether you're celebrating the season of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Saturnalia, Yalda, Diwali, Winter Solstice, Festiva, "other" or none at all, it's a site that welcomes all.
• Ten Ways to Beat the Holiday Blues -- from Oprah.com • If you're an Oprah fan or follower, here's a slideshow rendition of how to get you through the holidays.
• 5 Ways to Beat the Holiday Blues -- Self.com • So who needs 10 ways when 5 might work?  Let Self Magazine online show you how to feel better when those holiday blues hit.
• Beating the Holiday Blues -- PsychCentral.com • Who better to turn to during these frantic times than those who help people deal with depression year 'round? 
•  How to Beat the Holiday Blues: The Gift of Giving -- iTriage.com • Sometimes the best way to deal with feeling low is to give of oneself.  iTriage can show you the way to feel better about yourself and your life during the toughest season of all.

So now you're wondering why today's picture is a happy face with musical notes.  That's easy!  I've been working on being more positive and putting negativity behind me.  What I've found works especially well for me is music.  After all...

Music has charms to soothe the savage breast 

To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.

William Congreve, The Mourning Bride, Act 1 Scene 1

English dramatist (1670 - 1729)

Here's a short list of what I'm humming, singing, or listening to these days:

• Ding Dong Merrily on High (16th Century French)  Who can feel bad when humming this one?
• Sleigh Ride (composed by Leroy Anderson)  At the top of the list of my favorites and also my Christmas season ringtone. ;) We played this each year in band at my high school Christmas program.
• My Favorite Things (Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II) Brings a smile to the lips as well as to the heart.

Blessings to all for a happy and wonder-filled holiday season!

I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music.

George Eliot (1819 - 1880)

Just...Relax

While the weather isn't favorable for sitting outside in shorts and a tank top, with bare feet propped up on a porch railing, that doesn't mean we can't relax.

Yesterday at Diary of a Mad Romance Writer, I blogged about writing through the holidays.  Not only are there thousands of writers participating in National Novel Writers Month (NaNoWriMo) and trying to conquer the 50,000 word goal, but there are many writers who are on deadlines and don't have the luxury of putting either their writing or the holidays aside.

Those who aren't writers need to also remember to take a few moments to find a small sea of calm, whether it's holiday time or just day to day.  We live in such a fast-paced world that we forget that we deserve a little downtime or even pampering, now and then.  So this is a reminder to readers and myself to take a little time, as much as we need and can find, to relax.

There are as many ways to relax as there are people relaxing.

• Some spend time watching television
• Some listen to music
• Some, as in the photo above, sit and enjoy the quiet and beauty of nature
• Some take a walk
• Some read a book
• Some work on a hobby
• Some take a drive in the country
• Some go fishing
• Some do yoga
• Some meditate
• Some spend time with children
• Some swim
• Some play golf or other sports
• Some play with pets
• Some even sleep

Even if you don't have time for any of the above or your own favorite relaxing, you can always stop, close your eyes, take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds, then slowly let it out.  Don't stop with just once.  Do it several times, until the tension is gone from your body and your mind has stopped swirling with thoughts.

Oh, and by the way, if your weather is as great as it is in the photo above, congratulations!  I'm a bit envious.  We're still dealing with a cold spell that blew in--and I do mean blew in--late Saturday afternoon.  That beautiful sky I blogged about Saturday morning?  It didn't last all day.  C'est la vie. ;)

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.
Erma Bombeck  

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

It's pretty obvious by the picture on the left that one of my favorite things is Autumn aka Fall.  What's not to like about the freshest and most invigorating season of each year?

While driving to pay my car insurance this morning, I decided to start making myself more aware of the things around me.  Much better than focusing on the driving habits of others. ;)  The weatherman said to expect a beautiful day in the 70s, and at 61 degrees right now, it's hard to imagine better.  The only small drawback is the wind.  There's a stiff breeze (23 mpg) coming out of the northeast.  Still, there's a positive to even that.  The breeze is stirring the leaves that have fallen, sending them skittering and swirling across yards and streets.

There are no clouds in the sky, just a bright, azure blue that is breathtaking.  The air has a whisper of crispness, making it completely comfortable outside.  As I drove, I noticed two men making small repairs on a church building, while at another location, others were raking the multi-colored leaves into piles.

But the one thing that really made me smile was the two small children, a boy and a girl about the ages of 3 and 4, who were playing in the leaves in their yard.  The boy was standing and throwing leaves over his head, while the girl sat in pile of leaves and swirled them around her.  I couldn't hear them laughing, but it was clear from the joy on their faces that they were having the time of their lives at that moment.

I'm beginning to realize how important it is to look for these moments of enjoyment, whether mine or someone else's, and make memories that will always bring a smile.

This evening I'll go to a Porch Party given my a dear fellow author, who is eager to share her new enclosed porch with friends.  If, as the weatherman says, our high tomorrow is barely 40 degrees, I wouldn't be surprised if the party moves from the porch to the inside fireplace.  Wherever it is that we all eventually gather, it will be another memory to hold close.  I can't wait!

Friendship is love with understanding.