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Thursday, February 25, 2016

2016 Reading Challenge

Book Three - Finished the book "1000+ Little things Happy, Successful People Do Differently" by Marc and Angel Chernoff.  There were lots of passages that I highlighted, but toward the end I was just reading the bullet points because there was definitely some repetition.  I am glad to say that I actually do a lot of the things Marc and Angel suggest.  

For my next book, I've chosen to read a book of poems.  I don't normally read poetry.  Most of the time I feel I don't understand what the poet is trying to say.  Lately I've seen some quotes by Mary Oliver from a few different sources I follow and they have really struck a chord.  So I decided to give one of her books a try.  I've chosen "New and Selected Poems, Volume One."


I've just started but one of the first poems I read has already struck me.  The title of the poem is "When Death Comes" and the lines that hit me were:  

"When death comes...

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering: 
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?  

When it's over, I want to say:  all my life 
I was a bride married to amazement.

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world."

What an interesting way to think about death, something that is not usually an exciting prospect, and what a challenge to live life mindfully, and purposefully, not just as a visiter here.
I have a feeling this book is not going to take me long to read and I'm looking forward to exploring poetry for a change.  

What about you?  How is your reading challenge going?


Monday, February 22, 2016

Fleeting February - 2016

February 22 -- Where has the month gone?  I guess guess I've been having too much fun to stop and play here this month.  Actually, I have had a little increase in some aspects of my work and my hubby has been out of town so I have taken the opportunity to do a little house cleaning.  Not just the usual dusting and vacuuming, although that is getting done too, I'm talking about big, all-out let's get rid of some stuff kind of cleaning.


I'm not totally done yet but this is a good start.  Now that the kids are all grown, I really don't think we need to keep ALL those extra blankets and towels.  Some books and other stuff too.  Feels so good to see some empty space on the shelves.  I did find a treasure though, that's found a new home in my craft room:



That leads me to Valentine's Day, which I spent by myself but I did get some flowers by accident and I used them to take my February selfie.  A mistake by the florist (or actually a generous gesture) because these flowers were supposed to go to my daughter.  She got a bouquet as well so win/win!  Bill and I can go out for a special dinner when he gets home.  Besides, he shows me he loves me all year through, not just on one day in February!




And, I have been busy in my craft room too, organizing and making an inventory binder so I stop buying extras and things I don't need!  (Sorry, niece Donna - she's been getting the benefits of my doubles).

Washi tape

Wooden stamps
I have different sections for my punches, pens, inks, paints and sprays, stencils, etc. and a section for ideas.  I even have a section called "Where is it?" so that I can keep track of most of it! Man I have a lot of stuff!






I also started a new project, something that I've had around the house for maybe 15 years or more.  I'm surprised it hasn't disintegrated!


It's an Eeyore latch hook rug and I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with it when I'm done but I wanted to make it instead of get rid of it.  

And that brings us up to tonight, the full moon.  It's called the "Snow Moon" or sometimes the "Hunger Moon" but I'm not hungry and we're not having snow so it's just a full moon for me.  There does seem to be a little haze around it (or at least when I took the picture it did).


So, between all of that and binge watching Downton Abbey, which is not a program Bill would enjoy and one that I missed watching when it first started, I guess that's why there haven't been posts here.  I've done a couple of quick picture posts on Instagram.  We have an extra day in February this year and I plan to make the most of it.

How about you?  What have you been up to this month?  I'd love to hear about it!

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

2016 Reading Challenge

February 2 -- Book 2

Not exactly speed reading through the year so far but it's only February.  I finished the Murder in Georgetown book the other day.  It was not quite as good as some of the other books I have read by Ms. Truman.

My second book of the year is:


I have subscribed to Marc and Angel Hack Life emails for a while now.  They have some really good motivational ideas and have put them in a book form.  I am using this to fill my "book with a blue cover" category in the 2016 challenge.

I've read the first couple of chapters in the section on Happiness and I have to say that I already do most of the things they suggest, like smiling and waking up with a positive attitude.  It's good to know that I am on the right track for a Happy, Successful life! 

This is the kind of book that you can skip around and read the sections you are most interested in, but I think I'm going to start from the beginning and read it all the way through.  I have my handy highlighter with me while I read in case I find something that might be life changing.  

How about you?  How far along are you on the reading challenge?  Read anything I should be putting on my list?  Leave me a comment and let me know!