Used Book Sale

Books!!

I used to be an avid book collector.  You know, the actual hold-in-your-hand book, with pages and print and all bound together ... 😀 !!  One of our favorite things to do over the years of our marriage was to go to books stores or used book dealers and leave with arm loads of books.  There is nothing like the smell of a new book or an old book.  I always felt that old books that were 75 years or older were like little old men - a bit wrinkled, maybe yellowed, old man smell, stuff written in it showing it was valued by somebody at some time.  And they had to be handled with care - just like a little old man.

Ahhh ... old books.  I miss those adventures.

When the Kindle and the Audiobook craze was born, I couldn't imagine giving up the 'hold-in-your-hand' book.  Years went by and I watched peers shifting over to digital technology for their reading pleasure.  I shook my head in disbelief and knew in my heart I would never get caught up in that trend.

Ha! Famous last words.

Today I have a Kindle Paper White full of books (many free, some borrowed) and a iPhone with many Audible titles - AND a tiny library of actual books (most reference books) enough to fill maybe  2 boxes.  I could do a whole post on why I enjoy my digital technology even though we were sort of forced into it.  My husband downsized his large library about 6 years ago when reading became too difficult, and I did the same with my books moving into our condo (a move required for my husband's safety.)  It is amazing how his blindness has changed our lives.  I do miss going to book stores - especially used book stores.  Sometimes I stop at Barnes and Noble to look around, but it isn't as much fun without my husband.  I usually leave empty handed.

About two weeks ago, our senior center had a used book sale.  I stood in the doorway peering in wondering should I bother.  Then I was cheerfully invited in to look around by one of the volunteers.  It would have been rude not to enter.  All the paper backs were 3 for a $1.  Wow, a bargain.  So I started to poke around.  No little old man books on the tables but lots recent popular stuff.  I found these three books that just seemed to want a new home.

I haven't read them yet, but I thought I would share the titles and brief descriptions to see if anything catches your fancy like it did mine.

Recipes from the Dump by Abigail Stone - really, how could anyone resist a book with that title.  Here is the book cover synopsis.

Dignity Divinity (recipe)

1 father, deserted

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups flour

2 heaping tablespoons children

1 father, disappeared

1 indulgent or disinterested town

1 woman with a weight problem, shabbily dressed

1 or more public embarrassments

• Put all the ingredients in a bowl, mix well, and savor this hilarious, heartfelt chronicle of life with Gabby Fulbriten.  A single mom raising three kids next to the Leadbelly, Vermont town dump.  Gabby is tirelessly searching - for a man who knows there's more to a relationship than candlelight and clean laundry, for the thin person the Diet Center promises lives inside her, and for the missing ingredient that will bring order to her cluttered existence.  A mock cookbook of our culture, Recipes from the Dump will warm your stomach, fill your soul, and, like an afternoon spent trading laughs and recipes with an old friend, leave you hungering for more. 

The Lobster Chronicles by Linda Greenlaw - a true story of drama in small-town life and a celebration of family and community.  I am a sucker for true stories of people who live very different lives from my own and this one takes place off the coast of Maine - a win-win for me.  The synopsis.

• After seventeen years at sea, Linda Greenlaw decided it was time to take a break from being a swordboat captain.  She felt she needed to return home, to a tiny island seven miles off the Maine coast with a population of seventy year-round residents, thirty of whom are her relatives.   She would pursue a simpler life; move back in with her parents; become a professional lobsterman; and find a man and settle down.  But almost none of this works out as planned, and soon she is forced to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about life, luck and lobsters.

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier - a book made movie and described as an 'American Odyssey.  The synopsis.

• Sorely wounded and fatally disillusioned in the fighting at Petersburg, Inman, a Confederate soldier, decides to walk back to his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains and to Ada, the woman he loved there years before.  His trek across the disintegrating South brings him into intimate and sometimes lethal converse with slaves and marauders, bounty hunters and witches, both helpful and malign.  At the same time, Ada is trying to revive her father's derelict farm and learn to survive in a world where old certainties have been swept away. 

There is little doubt that these books will not go the distance to make it to 'little old man status.'  And paperbacks seldom last anyway.  But they appear to be interesting and fun stories.  When I am done, I will just pass them on to others.

Happy summer reading, all.

Get Reading - A 2016 Challenge

I have been a member of Good Reads for many years, but never an active participant.  I would visit the web site, look around, occasionally get some ideas about books, once in awhile I would update my reading list.   Really ... not much of a 'member' ... more of a window shopper!

This year I decided to get more engaged - more engaged with everything - and I decided to join the 2016 Book Reading Challenge.  To join this challenge you pick a goal of how many books you will read in 2016.  The books are logged on the Good Reads web site and you can track your progress.  I added a tracking device to my blog on the right.  I picked 26 books - or a little over 2 books a month - which I felt was reasonable goal.

I sincerely had no clue how many books was a reasonable number for me.  I frequently read or listen to books.  Listen more than read.  A few years ago I got a Kindle Paper White - and my actual reading dramatically increased, but still listening outranks reading.  I can listen to books while doing many other things.  But I never tracked how many books were completed.

This year will be different.  And shockingly - today, January 9 - I have already finished 3 books.  I have two others in the works.  I suspect my guess-timate of how many books was reasonable is way way off.

But I won't be changing my first estimate.  I will stick with 26 books for 2016 and see just how far off I am.  If I had to guess what my final total will be ... (you know, just between you and me - and not Good Reads), I will probably complete about 100 books this year.

It will be fun to look back and see what the total actually turns out to be.

Are you on Good Reads?

  Are you doing a reading challenge this year?

  If so, what is your goal for 2016?

The Joy of Less by Francine Jay

In an earlier post I recommended a web site called Miss Minimalist.   As the title suggest, her focus is the minimalist life style.

She has written several books on this topic.   The Joy of Less, A minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life, by Francine Jay is the book I just finished.

My overall impression - this is a good reference book on minimalism.  She writes very well.  She has a practical organized approach.  She doesn't swing to extremes in her advice.  Of course, if you are new to this idea, you might find some advice daunting - like emptying your closet of everything as a first step to minimizing your clothes.   But that advice is consistent with all other authors and it is an effective first step.  For folks new to the topic of simplicity and minimalism, this is a great book.  For everyone else, it is an informative and organized approach worth your time.

I wouldn't say there were any magic bullets in this presentationfor achieving your own level of minimalism.  Clean out your stuff, manage what comes in and "walk the talk" every day.  Just like dieting - no magic bullets - eat less, move more.

It is just too bad it isn't that easy.  That is where the book helps greatly to organize your efforts and increase success.

There are 4 basic sections:

• Philosophy
• Streamline (Trash, Treasure, Transfer)
• Room by Room
• Life Style.   

I feel the most important section is Philosophy.  Once you understand and adopt why minimalism makes life better, efforts to reach it are not so hard.  Rather than expounding the details - I have listed the chapter headings - as they describe the high level points better than anything I could write.

Philosophy

See your stuff for what it is

You are not what you own

Less stuff = Less stress

Less stuff = More freedom

Become detached from your stuff

Be a good gatekeeper

Embrace space

Enjoy without owning

The joy of enough

Live Simply, so that others may simply live - Mahatma Gandhi

While I totally recommend this book - it is just a guide.  It all comes down to "the doing."  After the Philosophy section - the rest of the book is about "the doing."  Good advice in a logical package.

The act of doing (rather than reading about doing) is where people get tripped up.  It is not the owning or the reading or the talking about the book that gets you to the goal.  It is the doing!  And doing takes time.  If you can't devote the time, nothing you read will make a difference.  And there really are no short cuts to devoting the time.  No magic bullet.  If you devote the time and change your life style, you can do or be anything you want.

A short personal story that illustrates this point.

When I was a young stay-at-home mother, I had a friend and neighbor who was a stay-at-home mother too. We were about the same age.  We each had two children about the same ages.  Our townhouses were exactly the same.  We visited each other's houses, regularly share lunch together, let the kids play, etc.   Her house was always immaculate, organized, comfortable and (most importantly) simple.  My house was pretty much the opposite.  One day I was sitting at her kitchen table while she prepared lunch, and I really watched what she did.  She continued to visit with me as she worked.  She was engaged with the kids.  But she was also not idle.  She put things away, she wiped counters, she kept puttering and she did this all automatically while we visited.  I never noticed how much she got done while she visited.  I doubt she was aware either. It was her default movement around in her own house.  When I left - everything in her house was picked up and clean.  When she visited me, I usually spent about an hour or more after she left doing what she did naturally as part of her routine.

A minimalism life style looks a little like that.  Just part of your life style.  It is part of your everyday decision making.  It is not a separate action (except for the initial purge.)

Hope you will take the time to check out Francine Jay's book.

Get educated.  It is a very good resource and an excellent step 1 if you are considering this journey.

"Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is far more conducive to a minimalist lifestyle. 

 If we recognize the abundance in our lives, 
and appreciate what we have, 

we will not want for more.  

We simply need to focus on what we have,

 rather than what we don't have."  

Francine Jay

Post script:
I did read another best seller called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo.   While I feel Ms. Kondo's book was ok, it did seem to slip into what I consider excessive attention to minor details.  For example: the organization of a sock drawer.  I can get on board with keeping the quantity of socks to a reasonable limit - and I agree that all socks should be in one place (i.e. a sock drawer.)  But she goes to some lengths to recommend the proper folding and arrangement of socks in the sock drawer.  That level of detail was too much for me.  I suspect cultural influences are at play here.  My own bias also shows in my reaction I guess. My mother-in-law lived her life in excessive levels of detail.  If you opened her kitchen drawer you would find her spoons, knives and forks all lined up carefully placed on their sides - spooning.  If she was still alive, she would be very comfortable with Ms. Kondo's methods.

It has been awhile since I read this book.  But it didn't make the same impression on me that The Joy of Less did.   However, no one resource has all the answers.  And no one style of minimalism fits everyone.   Ms. Kondo's description of the management of a sock drawer must have resonated with a lot of people - it is a best seller.  Different strokes ...

Read it and decide for yourself.

365 Slow Cooker Suppers by Stephanie O'Dea

Let me say right off ...

I am totally STOKED about presenting this cook book to my readers. 

365 Slow Cooker Suppers by Stephanie O'Dea

I am such a fan of her previous two cookbooks and this time, I was lucky enough (and totally honored) to receive a review copy of her newest cookbook prior the release date of September 24.

Long time readers of my blog know that I reviewed a previous book of hers on my blog back in 2010 -  and she most graciously commented on that blog post.  You can imagine just how shocked I was to hear directly from an author - especially an author who I admired.  What a kind thing to do!!  I never forgot that.

Anyway, when she offered bloggers an opportunity to receive a review copy of her newest book, 365 Slow Cooker Suppers, I jumped at the opportunity! Thank you so much Stephanie.

First let's get the less interesting stats out of the way on 365 Slow Cooker Suppers:

• Stephanie O'Dea is a blogger. Crockpot365.blogspot.com.  I have a weakness for bloggers.
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt  -  www.hmhbooks.com
• 3rd Crock Pot Cook Book by Stephanie O'Dea (Make It Fast, Cook It Slow and More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow).  I have both books and they are great.
• 336 pages
• $24.99 retail
• Book organization:  Soups and Stews, Beans, Poultry, Beef and Lamb, Pork, Sandwiches, Meatless and Fish and Seafood.

What I love:

• Beautiful photography! Her first two books had no photos.  I didn't think that it was a minus, because when I cook, my results seldom looks like the picture.  Food photography is an art.  It takes a special kind of person to make beef stew smile.  There were many smiling foods in this book.  
• This book focuses on suppers only.  Perfect!!  Most cook books spread themselves a bit thin by having samples of all the possible food options (breakfast, side dishes, desserts, and main dishes).  When it comes to the Crock Pot, I am a main dish kind of girl.  Throw it all in the crock pot, turn it on and 8 hours later dinner is done.  I have never made breakfast or dessert in a crock pot.  Those sections of other crock pot cookbooks are wasted on me.
• Don't you hate recipes that have 25+ ingredients and just as many steps of preparation. Or how about the 3 ingredient recipes ... I get so turned off by the swings of extremes in recipe creation.    Stephanie has an average of 10-15 ingredients in a recipe (a few that have more.)  In my mind this means this is not an over simplified slow cooker cook book - that uses 3 or 4 ingredients (one being canned soup) and then calls the results "great."  Nor is it a recipe that take 30 minutes to collect all the ingredients before you can do anything.  I have a few books in both categories and they are heading into my recycling because I never make anything in them.   Steph's balance of ingredients and preparation steps are perfect and realistic for the every day cook. 
• In her first 2 books she used "The Verdict" to report family reactions and other observations on each recipe.  She has continued this practice in book 3.  I totally love these snippets.  I feel like the author is talking directly to me ... giving me the inside scoop on this particular dish.  Obviously she wouldn't have included recipes that were duds, so you don't have that kind of feedback in "The Verdict."  But if you are interested in how well a specific recipe was received by kids and other members of the family, or how light or filling a meal was, or will it freeze well, or kudos to others (with websites referenced), "The Verdict" provides this feedback.  To be totally honest, sometimes I read The Verdict before I check out the ingredients.

Things that could be better?  Well, I prefer to characterize my slim list of improvements as "wishes for the next book."  Really, there is little that could make the recipes better.  But the publisher might consider these options:

• Spiral binding - cook books that lie flat while you are using them are user friendly. I am considering have all three of her books punched for spiral binding at a local office supply store.  
• Nutritional information for each recipe - health and weight conscious folks would really appreciate this added information.  

Next week I will be preparing two recipes from this book and I will report back on the outcome with pictures and comments.

And just for the record, it took me all of about 2 minutes to find those two recipes.  In quickly checking out the options for meals, I think I could have closed my eyes and just picked two at random ... they all sounded great!

A book from my nightstand

My nightstand is was filled with books I wasn't reading (blogging was not the only thing I wasn't doing.)  If I wasn't blogging or reading blogs, maybe I should be reading some of my many books!

So many books!

  Gosh, there must be something in this stack

 that can capture my attention.

What a waste!!

I pitched a bunch of them ... titles that were worthy of buying many moons ago seemed boring and irrelevant now.

And then I picked out Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World, by Suzanne Woods Fisher.

I can't remember when I got this book ... but it was a theme that caught my attention sometime in the past, and I wanted to sit down and read it right now ... so I did.

Amish Peace is filled with short chapters about the central themes of Amish life.  Each chapter includes Amish proverbs and facts about the Amish community told through the words of real Plain People.  Each theme shows how less can result in more ... more peace!

Simplicity of life style, respect for time, focus on family and community ... are a few of the themes concisely covered in this small book.  Although "going Amish" is outside the realm of reality (in fact it is nearly impossible), their wisdom is definite something to be emulated.

In my own life, I have used a few tried and true methods to simplify and add more peace to my own life.

• Back down external commitments to create more down time.
• De-clutter my environment to make my world seem less "busy" and stressful.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg for the Amish culture.  There is so much more to learn from these people who have managed to successfully live in a way that is simply contrary to "the American way of thinking."

As quoted by "Uncle Amos," an Amish man who wrote occasionally for the Small Farmer's Journal:

"If you admire our faith, strengthen yours.  If you admire our sense of commitment, deepen yours.  If you admire our community spirit, build your own.  If you admire the simple life, cut back.  If you admire deep character and enduring values, live them yourself."

Well said, Uncle Amos!

Blessed are they who have nothing to say, and can't be persuaded to say it.

He who has no money is poor; he who has nothing but money is poorer.

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

A task takes as long as it takes.

Enjoy today.  It won't come back.

The Virtual Appalachian Trail Hike - Becoming Odyssa

I have just finished reading a wonderful book by Jennifer Pharr Davis - Becoming Odyssa: Adventures on the Appalachian Trail.  There was nothing virtual about this story.

It all starts with a simple premise.  When Jennifer graduated from college she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life.  She decided to hike the Appalachian Trail by herself and take time to think about her future.  This is the story of her solo hike on the AT and I found it fascinating.  And believe me when I say ...  her journey wasn't simple.

I have read a few books about the experiences of those who hiked the trail - Becoming Odyssa is one of my favorites.

I found a YouTube video where Jennifer talks about her experiences on the trail that first trip (she has since walked the trail again and set the fastest time for a woman thru hiker on the AT).  You can find that link here.  It runs about 30 minutes, but you don't need to watch all 30 minutes to get a flavor of who she is and what her book Becoming Odyssa is about.

Even if you aren't into hiking or walking, I know you will enjoy this book.

Books in my ears

I love reading books, but now I prefer to listen to them instead. Since joining Audible, the "reading" of books has jumped a lot. I love that I can listen and do other things.

Briefly I want share some of my recent titles/authors with you. I won't share the story but I will provide links to Amazon where there are wonderful summaries and other reviewers. This listing is just my impressions and may point you to other authors you haven't read.

Also, I read a lot of different things. This list trends toward "escape" literature - no deep thinking stuff. Scare me, make me laugh, make me anticipate, make me care - you don't have to educate me. Right now - that is where I am in my life. Next year? Who knows.

Stephen King

Sadly, I am no longer a fan. Carrie, It, Needful Things, Pet Cemetery - just to name a few of his past titles that I thoroughly enjoyed. But now, his new titles ... not so much.

I bought the audio version of The Dome and listened to it completely. If I had borrowed this book from the library I would have stopped about 80 pages in and returned it. I just didn't care enough about the story or the characters. I guess I was just bored! Great idea though - a town that is covered by a clear dome - and what happens. But what happened didn't move me enough.

A recent release of Mr. King's was 11-22-63. This is a time travel book and was hugely hyped by Audible and Amazon. I know that other King fans were also excited by its release. I listened to about 8 hours - and stopped. I think I got bored. I know I didn't care about the characters. That is the death nell for me. After 8 hours of listening, I feel I gave this book a fair shot. I also know that I am in the minority in panning this book. You might enjoy it. I didn't.

I think that my Stephen King days are over. His writing doesn't seem to capture my imagination any more, it is dark in its focus without the icing of the "scare" factor, just depressing rather than interesting. So bye-bye Stephen King. You and I must part company for now. If you ever write something in the style of your earlier novels - I'll come back - eagerly.

(Note: if there is a King novel in the similar vein of his earlier works, please let me know. I miss the old-King.)

Diana Gabaldon - Outlander Series

I have blogged about the author and the series in a previous post (January 4, 2012). So I won't spend much time on it here - except to say I am a huge fan. I love big books, big stories, big characters - I care greatly about this pair - Jamie and Claire - and I will be sorry when this series finally end (hopefully not in my life time. LOL) I am up to the forth book - The Fiery Cross. This is a yummy series. Jamie and Claire are now my "friends." If you like adventure, love story, steamy love scenes, historical bits that slip easily into the history of the time ... this book is for you. I look forward to the next books.

How to Knit a Love Story - Rachael Herron

A Cypress Hollow Yarn

This book, as well as 2 others, was given to me as a Christmas gift by my daughter and this is an actual book rather than an audio book. (Yes, I still do love to read an actual book, to hold it in my hands and feel its weight, to turn the pages, to use a real book mark or to dog ear the page to keep my place ... yes, I love real books, too.) How to Knit a Love Story is the first in the series of 3 books - stories that have only the town of Cypress Hollow as the common denominator. This series is definitely light fun reading, fast, and themed for those who are interested in fiber arts. And when I say themed ... I don't mean that causally - fiber arts is a major part of the story, at least in this first book. It is a love story that reads fast, I care about the characters and how they turn out, and I always look forward to returning to the story.

These are the stories that are filling my days. There are others sitting queued up in my night stand or in my Audible Library. As they rise to the surface, I will share them with you.

Outlander

Late in 2011 I launched on "reading" the series Outlander by Diana Gabladon. I have the word "reading" in quotes because I am primarily an audio book listener.

For those not familiar with this series, Outlander is the story of nurse called Claire at the close of World War II, who accidentally time travels back to the 1700's and falls in love with a Scottish Highlander called Jamie Fraser. And thus begins an engrossing story that is both a love story, an adventure, and a historical study of life during that time - with a little bit of fantasy and sexy love scenes thrown in for good measure. (and, oh my, the love scenes are so juicy! My daughter, if she is reading this post is probably rolling her eyes right now ... but her mom is just as human as she is ... so there!!)

The series is currently at 6 very large books with the first book titled Outlander. A 7th book is promised for 2013 - and it is also promised to not be the last book! (Yeah!! - Thank you Ms. Gabaldon). If you love massive family sagas, epic love stories, swash buckling adventure, and peeks into the way people lived during the 1700s, then this is a story for you.

With the largeness of this story, I was very encouraged by the author's ability to introduce new characters at a pace that is easy to follow. So often the author feels compelled to throw all the characters into the first few chapters, leaving me with a dizzy feeling of wondering who is who well into the body of the work. To compensate for that, I often write down a list of characters and relationships so that I can keep track as the story evolves. Ms. Gabaldon paces these introductions so well that I never seem to loose track of the characters.

The unabridged recordings are massive, as you would expect from the physical size of the books. I am listening to Book 4 right now - The Drums of Autumn. It is approximately 44 hours long. All the books fall in that range of listening time - so based on the 6 books currently released, there is about 260 glorious hours of listening. The series is worth every minute - filled with wonderful detail, well constructed characters, and exciting adventure. You will be glad the story doesn't seem to end!

The narrator for the audio version is voice artist, Davina Porter. She is excellent - handles the variety of voices and accents with ease. As with most audio books, the narrator is very important to the success of the recording. And successful she is, because she is almost invisible to the listener who is focused on the story telling rather than the narrator.

So this is a Thumbs Up from me for this wonderful series.

Note: for more information about this series - including all book titles and summaries, follow the link at the beginning of this post.

Book Review - Little Red in the City

My trip to the Mannings earlier in the month resulted in a few purchases.

Shocking fact, I know!! :-)

Little Red in the City by Ysolda Teague caught my eye right away. I picked it up many times always setting it down, but returning again to look further. One of those times I picked it up, I carried it around the store with me while I shopped for other stuff. I think I sent it down again, but when I got in line with my yarn purchase ... miraculously that book was back in my arms and showed up on my sales slip. Go figure!

Ysolda is a young Scottish designer of knitting patterns. The chatter among the knitting community about this book's upcoming publication seemed to pop up everywhere among those interested in knitting. I have tried to avoid buying knitting books. I have a large knitting library and I didn't need another book ... until I saw this one.

The focus in this book is fitting and sizing. This critical information can make or break a finished knitted object. After hours of planning, and knitting, even thousands of perfect stitches will fall short if the fit is wrong when you put it on. Been there, done that!

But that is only one reason I bought this book.

I totally loved the lack of stick thin models wearing the sweaters. Really - some people can wear a potato sack and look good. But normal people have to pick carefully. The world is filled with more normal sized people than stick people.

Ysolda and her friend Amanda did all the modeling. Ysolda represents the normal shape and weight of your average woman. Amanda represents the larger women. Both wear all the sweater styles. Using real world bodies helps you see how each design looks on different body types.

Another wonderful feature of the book is the presentation. Throughout you feel like you are viewing some one's personal project notebook. Pictures that appear to be mounted with corner tabs, text type that mimics hand written notes, hand drawn schematics that put other simplistic line drawings to shame, beautifully drawn technique demonstrations ... these elements invite the reader to look further into this sometimes boring topic of fit and size.

The main thrust of the book is sizing and adjustments. Who doesn't want to ensure that their finished object fits their one-of-a-kind body!?! There are 15-17 sizes for each pattern, ranging from a 28 to 60 inch bust. There is guidance within each pattern for fit adjustments. There are large detailed charts for sizing of each design.

Many books on similar topics fill book store shelves today, but I believe no one has captured the charm of this book.

It is in my stack of books to be read from cover-to-cover - not many knitting books sit there!!

The book retails for $32.00.

No Impact Man - A book review

No Impact Man

The adventures of a guilty liberal who attempts to save the planet and the discoveries he makes about himself and our way of life in the process

by Colin Beavan, published 2009.

Ironically, that book title must be the longest title in the world about the topic of minimalism! But don't be put off by the title. It is a great read.

The summary offered on the back of the book reads as follows:

What does it really take to live eco-effectively? For one year, Colin Beavan swore off plastic and toxins, turned off his electricity, went organic, became a bicycle nut, and tried to save the plant from environmental catastrophe while dragging his young daughter and his Prada-wearing wife along for the ride. Together they attempted to make zero impact on the environment while living right in the heart of Manhattan, and this is the sensational, funny and consciousness-raising story of how they did it. With No Impact Man, Beavan found that no-impact living is worthwhile--and richer, fuller, and more satisfying in the bargain.

I will admit, I am a sucker for stories about people who attempt unusual things. Added to that fact, as I get older the statement "More is Less", rings true to me. I am still working on decluttering my life. I am interested in making my life simpler. Just the act of having less in my space, reduces my stress. But I struggle with that concept as well. The "I want" bug still runs rampant in my hobby life.

This chronical is filled with the details of a life style that I would never consider attempting. For example, I like to be comfortably cool in the summer. Turning off the electric power and my air conditioning just doesn't appeal to me. While I could give up my car and use public transportation (especially in a city environment), I wouldn't care to limit myself to just walking or bicycling to get places. I could give up cable TV but I still want to keep my TV to see rented movies. And I am hooked on the Internet. I am more of a middle-of-the-road "more is less" individual. It is fascinating, however, to follow the author's efforts to have no impact on the environment. He tackles each change and challenge with humor and research. And he doesn't propose that this extreme way of life should be permanent. He committed himself and his family for only one year. But the journal of his efforts does raise awareness of the wasteful impact our culture has on our earth. I suspect that if there were more middle-of-the-road individuals on this planet, we could seriously retard the world's general ecological decline.

I strongly recommend this book - not just to increase ecological awareness, but to see what it is like to step outside the box and live differently for a year. I am sure it will have you looking at your world differently.

B - is for Books that make your hands smile.

"Always read something

that will make you look good

if you die in the middle of it."

P. J. Rourke

I can't say that I have always loved books. In fact, while I was in school books held no special appeal ... as evidenced by my remarkably un-distinguished GPA. I read to pass a test, to understand street signs, to determine the price of things and to check the TV Guide for my favorite show. Owning books was also a pretty low priority.

Somewhere along the way of growing, maturing, surviving ... I discovered

BOOKS!!

But books and I have a quirky history!

I think my experience with books covers the whole gamet of emotions. At first I couldn't care less about books, and then ... the space ship hovered over me and I loved them (go figure). But my love seemed to be limited to owning, not reading. I wanted to "own" the knowledge inside the book. My brain wasn't really engaged, just my hands, and owning the information was the goal ... next best thing to having it installed my brain.

The logic on this is a bit faulty, I know, but it worked for a long time.

Forty-two years ago, I married a man who also valued books. He, however, actually read all his books - where I only read some of mine - remember, owning was better than reading. Together we built a huge library. We haunted new and used book stores. We bought book shelves to house those books. We inventoried our books. And when we changed residences, we paid dearly for having so many (heavy) boxes of books to move. We made books a major part of our lives.

And then 5 years ago, the serendipity that is life began to take my husband's vision. Although he still retains some sight, the voracious reader and owner of books, sold off his entire library and replaced them with audio versions. And I adapted with him. Audio books were "better", so I thought. You could listen to books while cleaning, while cooking, while knitting, while walking.

Now I have changed again ... I want to hold the book in my hand. I want to feel the paper, admire the cover art, turn the pages and hold my place with a book mark. Holding audio books - tapes or disks, or even using the newest technology - the Kindle - just doesn't do it.

My book ownership is modest - pretty much what I can hold in my small night stand. I am pretty selective now in what I buy. If it is fiction, I am happy to read it and pass it on to new hands. The book doesn't live with me forever.

But more importantly, I want to actually read all my books. Shocking, I know!! :-)

And finally ... I am happy to use my wonderful public library! How's that for a moment of quirky personal growth!

My love-affair with books is back!

Diet is a four letter word.

No, I am not dieting!

I hate the word "diet" (a 4 letter word as it turns out). That poor little word "diet" is so strongly related to the goal of weight loss that I can hardly separate its real meaning from the implied understanding everyone has when it is said out loud. And I have already expounded in my Soap Box about dieting so I will spare you that rant now.

But I find myself needing to change my mix of foods for valid medical reasons and I am hoping that blogging about this journey will help me stay focused on this goal.

Recently I heard the diagnosis "prediabetic" used in relation to me! ME! Those who follow my blog will remember that I declared myself as "fine"! And my doctor confirmed that I am fine as well. And my blood work declared that I am just fine - except for one tiny little number - that stupid blood sugar number. That little number called "glucose" just had to pop its little head up over the normal range by a few points!! It couldn't be "just fine" like all the rest of the numbers on the page! No. It had to call attention to itself. So my doctor called and left the message to "change my diet" - that stupid four letter word again! Hey, Mr. Doctor, how about saying ... "change the mix of foods" ... or something!!

OK - "change my diet"! I had to figure out exactly what that meant! I understand "low fat" and "low calorie" - but now do I have to figure out what "low sugar" means as well?

(Insert light bulb going on inside of head ... here)

Buy a book!!! Yes, find a book that will explain exactly what kind of food someone can eat or not when they are prediabetic!!! I just love books. And I just love Amazon. And wouldn't you know Amazon had a book on prediabetes. Stop Prediabestes Now by Jack Challem and Ron Hunninghake, M.D. Actually they had quite a few titles because prediabetes is considered almost an epidemic condition these days.

Hey, wait a minute!! Maybe that is how I got this ... I caught it from someone!!! ... Ok, back to reality. I didn't catch it. I think I may have created it. But wouldn't it be nice if I could just blame this on someone else. Oh, well. Back to boring rational thought.

So I am getting educated. So far it sounds like avoiding bad carbs or too many carbs, eating more vegetables, fiber and lean proteins, exercising more and small weight loss is the key. Boy ... doesn't that just sound like every weight loss program you ever heard of in your whole life? Aren't there any new ideas out there!!! :-)

So we shall see. My body has ambushed my efforts before when I tried to eliminate a particular food item from my "mix of foods". I am hoping this book gives me some insight on how to play that mind game. In reality, I have a valid medical reason to make these changes - rather than just wanting to wear "skinny clothes" - not a reason that "carries any weight" with me!!

:-)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett ...

What a wonderful, wonderful book!! The Help raised so many emotions and memories for me.

Kathryn Stockett's bestseller shares the experiences living in a small Mississippi town and the wide racial divides between black women who served as maids to white women during the turbulent 60s. Centered on two black maids, Aibileen and Minnie, and one white young woman named Skeeter, this novel tells how these 3 women who join forces to write a book about "the help", the good and the bad experiences of the black maids in service to white families. The novel reveals several powerful elements: the disgraceful state of race relations in the deep south, the seeds of attitudinal change, and the power of the written word. Told from the perspective of these 3 women, it gives us a painful glance into our not so distant history, and the illogical and degrading practices of segregation. One major theme demonstrates the crazy logic of the time. White southern women were more than willing to turn the care and raising of their children over to black maids, but these same maids were not allowed to use the "white" toilette facilities in the home. From the vantage point of 50 years in the future, you find yourself forcefully pulled into the story and cheering for each little step forward towards basic human understanding. This understanding is eloquently stated by Skeeter as she reflects on her friendship with the maid, Aibileen, near the end of the novel, "We are just two people. Not much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought."

During the 60s I was old enough to remember the massive cultural changes that were evolving in our country. But my own experience were not very diverse. In Maryland, I lived in a white neighborhoods, my friends were white and my classrooms were filled with primarily white students. I have no recollection of parental bias with regards to race. They probably had opinions being raised by families with the typical prejudices of the time, and it was never discussed. It wasn't that the topic was avoided, it just never came up. My opinions about race were formed primarily from my experiences as an adult. And it began most strikingly with the death of my father in 1970.

My father supervised a bottling plant production floor, and some of his workers were African American day-laborers who he recruited off the streets. One man, Percy, was a permanent employee, and they struck up a friendship during the 60s. I never thought it was strange, but in hindsight, it probably was an unusual friendship. A few years after Dad died, mom mentioned to me that she had recently received a visit from Percy. In fact, she said Percy had visited her a other times since Dad's death. She had never mentioned it before and I had no reason to ask. But he apparently was checking in on mom to see "how Joe's widow was doing." Mom was grateful for the kind gesture and concern. All of Dad's other "friends" disappeared after he died. But with Percy I recognized another fact. Percy was Dad's friend in life - separate and apart from the family. Out of respect for Dad and their friendship, Percy felt the need to confirm that mom was getting back on her feet independently as a widow ... and after a few years, the visits stopped. Dad never knew about Percy's kind actions, but I knew and I never forgot.

I thought alot about Percy and my parents when I read this book. I received two gifts from them: my parents provided me with a "clean slate" - no inherited racial prejudices, and Percy demonstrated how true friendship can cross racial boundaries.

I'll leave this posting by sharing a story from the book. Besides being a maid for a white family, Ailibeen took care of Mae Mobley Leefolt, the family's two year old child. Ailibeen told Mae Mobley secret stories. Mae Mobley's favorite TV show was My Favorite Martian. One secret story went like this:

(From The Help)

********

"One day, a wise Martian come down to Earth to teach us people a thing or two," I say.

"Martian? How big?" ask Mae Mobley.

"Oh, he about six-two."

"What's his name?"

"Martian Luther King. He was a real nice Martian, Mister King. Looked just like us, nose, mouth, hair up his head, but sometime people looked at him funny and sometime, well, I guess sometime people was just downright mean."

I could get in a lot of trouble telling her these little stories, especially with Mister Leefolt. But Mae Mobley know these our "secret stories."

"Why Aibee? Why was they so mean to him?" she ask.

"Cause he was green."

(To my readers who are local - I own this book. Let me know if you would like to borrow it.)

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

If you aren't familiar with Bill Bryson's work, you should really check out one of his books. My all-time favorite of his, A Walk in the Woods, was reviewed in a previous post. Currently I am reading The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid and it is every bit as good as A Walk in the Woods.

Published in 2006, this work describes the author's growing up in Des Moines, Iowa - middle America - during the 1950s. This story, however, is more than just a chronicle of his early life. Bill Bryson shares his memories of a time when America was changing, growing, inventive, ... a time when all things seemed new and possible. As an added bonus, he invites you into his imaginative childhood world, where he donned the persona of the Thunderbolt Kid (later to be called Captain Thunderbolt), often influenced by the super heroes of the time. He shares his remembrances of everything from the heyday of baseball, the unregulated life of a child in the 50s, cigarettes, sex, jobs and living in a new nuclear world ... to fictional characters as Superman, Roy Rogers, Sky King, Davy Crockett and Zorro. He seems to reflect on everything.

And, as expected, Bill Bryson has a way of seeing the world that at times is thought provoking and often funny. This book is no different. Each chapter begins with a quote from a local newspaper - quotes that often reflect the innocence and the culture then. And the quotes are followed by a picture taken in the 50's. One of my favorite pictures shows an ad with a mature man who is obviously a doctor smoking a cigarette. The bold words state: "More Doctors Smoke Camels Than Any Other Cigarette!" It made me smile. I wonder how many of those doctors died from lung cancer. Another picture shows school children kneeling down behind their desks with arms over their heads during an air-raid drill - part of the post World War II reaction to a possible nuclear attack. I remember those drills very clearly. Looking back to my own childhood if we were ever attacked by a nuclear blast, our desks and our arms wouldn't have saved us.

Reading this book is alittle like looking through an old family album of America, but the images are described in words. For those who lived through this time, the images are formed by your own memories of the times - the names and places may be different but the life experiences are pretty universal. And the enjoyment of this book is not limited to just the baby boomer generation - you just need to have been a child.

So while this book includes his trade mark humorous observations on his youth (making the book worthwhile all by itself), it also includes a touching and nostalgic look back at America - a time that is long since gone, but is a part of who we are today.

This is a great read! One of his best works. Be sure to check it out. If any of my family or friends are interested in borrowing my copy, I am glad to share.

Hidden Power by Kati Marton

When my sister lent me this book and said it was good, I will admit to being a bit skeptical. I mean, it is a book about First Ladies. I couldn't help but wonder if this was a "chic" book - something that would only appeal to women. I was sure that there would be no surprises. After all, the First Ladies were all from the 20th century, with one inclusion of the Bush's from this century. I lived through many of the periods they talked about.

I was pretty much wrong on all counts.

This book focused on the marriages more than the First Ladies. It was sort of glimpse inside the lives of twelve couples who happened to live inside a "fish bowl" called the Presidency. The book details the behind-the-scenes dynamics of these couples starting with their early life together, their climb up the political ladder, and how they managed as a couple within the confines of the Presidency.

Achieving the job of President requires a certain talent, ego, and luck. Historically it seems that it also takes a special pair of people to manage the supreme effort it takes to get that job and to survive in it. It was abundantly clear that no matter how dysfunctional the marriage was, the strengths of the first spouses balanced the weakness and tempered the responses of the person holding office ... sort of like two sides of the same coin. It was an interesting study in human nature.

It is worth a read if you are interested in a behind-the-scenes look at marriages under unusual circumstances.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

When you hear the words - Appalachian Trail - most people on the east coast of America know what you are talking about. Bill Bryson, another of my favorite authors, wrote about this trail in his book A Walk in the Woods, Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail. If I had to pick only one book as my favorite, it would be this one. This is the story of Bill Bryson, novice walker, and his very out-of-shape friend Stephen Katz as they prepare for and hike the Appalachian Trail (AT).

For those not familiar with this hike, the AT is 2,100 mile long trail that stretches from Georgia to Maine in the USA. As Bill Bryson notes, it is the "granddaddy" of long hikes. The trail meanders through numerous states, following forests and mountains. The trail is the home of bears, bobcats, snakes, wolves, wild bore, coyotes ... the kinds of things you would expect to see in a wildness area. The temperature ranges from below freezing to the sweltering heat of summer depending on when and where you begin your hike. Periodically the trail has open wooden shelters that hikers can use, but typically the shelter provided is the one you carry on your back - a tent. In fact, in true hiking style, you must carry everything you need on your back and plan carefully where you will depart from the trail to replenish your supplies and get a shower! All this and more was discovered, learned and shared by the author in this book.

This book is more than just a hiking book. Interwoven in the story of the hike is the concerns for our fragile ecosystems and a plea for conservation of America's last great wilderness area. Respecting nature is the thread that runs through this book in a very moving way. In addition he shares some of the stories about the risks of hiking this remote trail, from reported bear attacks to brutal murders. It is a fascinating look at what it takes to walk the trail from start to finish.

One of the appealing aspects of this book is Bill Bryson's very humorous style of writing. He is very comfortable poking fun at his and Steven's naive beliefs and ignorance. In fact, chapter one was laugh-out-loud funny. Not being a hiker previously, Bill Bryson goes on a shopping trip to a local outfitters, the Dartmouth Co-op, to purchase equipment. That chapter launches to rest of the book into a very enjoyable read.

To close I would like to leave you with a quote from the book in where he talks about the woods. This quote is from Chapter 4. It is very early on in his experience with walking the trail so his observations are probably pretty typical of an average person who lives in our built up country. Some one like you or me.

"Woods are not like other spaces. To begin with, they are cubic.

Their trees surround you, loom over you, press in from all sides.

Woods choke of views and leave you muddled and without bearings.

They make you feel small and confused and vulnerable,

like a small child lost in a crowd of strange legs.

Stand in a desert or prairie and you know you are in a big space.

Stand in a woods, and you only sense it. They are a vast, featureless nowhere.

And they are alive."

Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods.

Note: The book is categorized as Travel and was originally published in 1998. Since that time the author has written several other books. I haven't read all his works, but those I had read have all been worth the time. He is a gifted story teller.

A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins

As enthused as I am about walking, I can honestly say that walking across America isn't on my list of things to do. It isn't going to ever be on my list. But I totally loved reading about Peter Jenkins experiences doing just that.

Peter Jenkins is pretty high on my list of favorite authors. His book A Walk Across America was my introduction to him and his writing style, and I was hooked.

His story begins as a young man living during the Vietnam era. He came from a very normal New England family of comfortable means and he had completed his education, but was disillusioned with the American society he found himself in. Thinking he might consider just leaving this country, he was encouraged to explore America before giving up on the country. And explore he did, on foot, close up and personal. He sets out with his dog Cooper (pictured on the cover), walking from New England down to New Orleans, Louisiana. Being young is definite advantage to setting out on this kind of journey.

His walk takes him through the large range of peoples and cultures that make up America. Until I read this book, I can honestly say I didn't give much consideration to the huge range of peoples that make up our country. It was a real reminder to me of what makes our country so great.

He camped along road sides, walked through raging snow storms, stayed in seedy motels, ate foods typical of the area, interacted with the local characters of the small communities he passed through, and temporarily settled in various communities for brief periods working various day-laborer jobs when he ran out of money. It was a fascinating and difficult adventure to read about.

The second book, The Walk West: A Walk Across America 2, chronicles his walk from New Orleans to the Pacific Coast - walking with his wife. His description of walking across the desert and the Rocky Mountains was riviting.

Peter Jenkins is the author of several other books - I have read them all:

Looking for Alaska

Along the Edge of America

Across China

And his opinion of America from his experiences?... there is no where else as wonderful as this country. I have to agree with him - especially after reading his books.

# 9 Read - I think I remember how.

I used to read a bunch! It was my main thing to do.

We had a library in our house. And I read everything. I loved all kinds of books: adventure, science fiction, autobiography, historical fiction, romance, escapist stories, you name it. Not very focused I know, but I didn't discriminate. And I was married to a man who valued reading almost above everything else. He had a huge growing personal library and didn't really use the public library because owning the book was almost as important as reading it. And as our disposable income grew, we built a large collection of books between us.

Then in the 90's I stopped reading for fun - like a cold dead stop! I was too busy with working to read. I read some, but it was all work related stuff and when I was free of work - like at 2:00 am, I was sleeping. I think back on that time as a "sick" time.

Reading was just one of the many things I stopped. I worked all the time. I no longer had time to read, to walk, to stay connected with people (unless they were work people) and I didn't have hobbies either. When I finally came to my senses, I started to add things back into my life - starting with my husband and kids (I said it was a sick time, didn't I?). And then I took up knitting. Knitting was my main vehicle back to a normal life. As my husband said at the time, paying for knitting classes was cheaper than paying for therapy. Did I mention that I am thankful that my husband stuck around during the 7 years of my "sick time"? I am grateful - in the extreme.

But not everything returned. Reading for fun did not return. I have listened to a number of audio books - I guess that counts some. And the "reading train", that was fueled greatly by my husband's love of books, slowed a lot when he sold off his personal library. His eyes were failing him (how cruel is that), and to prepare for the possible inability to read, he sold his books. He has replaced them over time with a huge audio library. He listens to books all the time, but the physical act of sitting, reading, turning the pages of a book ... that is rare for him now. Never, never fail to appreciate the smaller things of life. Sometimes they are bigger than you think.

I miss reading, and I want it back.

So I have added this as a goal - I can't say I am reading a lot right now, but it is happening more and more. And there are some favorites that I would like to share. In looking at other blogs, lots of people make lists of the books they have read. I think I will expand on this idea a bit. I'll make a list over time. But some books are special enough to devote a full posting to talk about them.

Reading will be a struggle for awhile. This reading thing has to fit inside my current life that is already filled with other hobbies, mom duties, dog time, doctor appointments, taxi service for my family, exercise, not to mention occasionally (and I mean very occasionally) cleaning a toilet or running the vacuum. But it is a 20 year goal.