Around here CALM is the name of the game. Scout has been really sick, a malady I’m certain is brought on by anxiety. He went back to the vet yesterday for more tests and I continue to force him to take pills twice a day. Have you ever tried to give a cat pills by yourself? It’s a life skill I seem to have mastered with my boy, at least. Sadly, when we are done, he turns to me (his tormenter) for comfort.
Otherwise, I’ve been trying hard to keep his little world calm and somewhat predictable. By extension, my world has been calmer as well. In fact, I’m home again today. I’ve been home a lot lately with time to do some cleaning and organizing, reading, and kitty cuddling.
I’ll also be listening to authors talk about their books this weekend through something called Roswell Reads Rewind. Basically Roswell, Georgia has a city wide reading project that involves bringing in major fiction authors to speak about their books and to sometimes speak about their writing process. Once a year they post all those videos of past events online for a single weekend. It’s wonderful to go at your own pace and have a front row seat to all these smart people who have given the world books truly worth reading.
Last night I listened to Lisa See talk about her “overnight success” after spending twenty years writing books. Today I’ll revisit some favorites that I watched last year including Ron Rash, Ann Patchett, and Rick Bragg.
Around here, books and reading matter. Not only does reading entertain, it broadens horizons, educates and increases empathy in a world where these things I value seem to have gone out of vogue.
That’s part of the reason it irritates me to say there’s a good chance I’m going to DNF a book today. It sounded great but it has taken the author a full third of nearly 600 pages to get to the actual story of the book and I find that I’m just not that interested.
Do I care what happens next or if the main character is ok? Not especially.
Around here, we call that a bad sign. I’ll give it fifty more pages before deciding that this may just not be the book for me.
Around here, we understand that all things are not for all people and we move on.
I do wish I could be out doing something fun today. There’s probably a car show or a museum exhibit I would like to see. October is my favorite month for activities and time in nature. I know I’m missing out by not being on the hiking trails but there’s an event happening at Lake Hope today so that wouldn’t be peaceful and the Hocking Hills parks will be as busy as Times Square by noon.
Around here, we recognize that lots of people have FOMO or the Fear Of Missing Out but we believe in JOMO.
That’s the Joy of Missing Out.
At this moment, I’m in comfy pjs, still lounging with my little cat who adores me even when I make him take medicine and leave him at the vet to be poked and prodded. It’s a beautiful fall day and I have a quick errand to run so maybe I’ll stop for a few pictures on the way. Otherwise, around here is where I will stay and be glad for the calm of a quiet day mostly at home.
Whether you’re staying in or headed out on adventure, I hope where you are is as happy as this.
A couple of years ago, I discovered a publication called Bella Grace. It’s a thick, perfect bound magazine on quality paper. There are no ads. The photos are soft and the ideas are sharp.
It’s timeless and well done.
Basically, it’s the opposite of everything else that’s popular these days.
They aren’t selling products and ways to fix yourself. They are shining a light on calm and beauty in this world. They give you stories and writing prompts to make you think. Reader submissions are creative, thought provoking and sometimes so familiar it’s exciting to know there are others out there who think like you. It’s also sometimes mindset changing to read thoughts from people who are different. This is how we learn.
Bella Grace is about making the everyday special and making hard days easier. It’s about making the good stuff magical.
In short, it’s a soothing balm for my nervous system that I didn’t even know I needed.
I’ve only seen it in two stores in Ohio – Barnes and Noble and Joseph Beth Booksellers on Cincinnati so it feels like a special occasion when get to pick one up. It ain’t cheap but it’s not a throw away piece either. I keep my past issues lined up together on a bookshelf and always have one or two lying around the house. They are great rereads because you always spot something new.
They also publish a companion piece called “Bella Grace Field Guide To Everyday Magic.” The new one is more than 130 pages of quotes, worksheets, lists and writing prompts to recall memories, make you think, spark creativity and to help you view your world differently.
One prompt asks in what ways you are like your five year old self. Another is what books you think everyone should read. Others deal with everyday beauty in common things, adventuring in the world and the loveliness of being a homebody.
Perspective is a huge theme because the things some find workaday can be viewed by someone else as having great value.
There’s a two page spread with 31 blocks – a calendar with no dates, if you will. Each block is an inch square. The prompt is to write something about every day. It can’t be too long and can be just snippets like “dark and rainy, read Frankenstein, laughed with a friend.”
This time I’m using mine to write something good that happened every day. Most days are easy. Some are really hard. That’s how life goes.
This week there were good things to report even on the hard days. In fact, it felt like the hard days outnumbered the good. But, as I sit here looking back over the week, it’s hard to focus on the bad when there was so much good. Just this week, I had porch suppers on pretty nights, saw the governor speak at the ribbon cutting of an amazing new community college facility here in my hometown, saw a rainbow, and my dad rescued a kitten from a tree because he’s a really good guy.
That’s not too shabby.
I think half the problem with this world is that people focus too much on the bad and on what scares them. That’s certainly understandable given the social injustices, cruelty, anti- intellectualism, mental health struggles, poverty, closed mindedness, inflation, and narcissism of the general population that exists every day of the week.
Don’t get me wrong. I think about those things too and I worry we are on exactly the wrong path toward the future. Worst of all, I can’t change it. I can only change myself and try to be a role model for decency.
Bella Grace feels like the escape that everyone needs and most people don’t want right now. it’s certainly the escape I need. Less stimulation, prejudice, anger, and all around cruelty and more calm, kindness, and thoughtfulness both inward and toward the perspectives of others are a good start toward a better world.
Be the change you wish to see.
And if you get a chance, pick up an issue of Bella Grace and see what you think! As for me and the 31 days of good things, I’m almost done with my available space. It has been good for my mental health so I think I’ll find another way to keep doing it!
I am not an especially fast reader but I am a devoted one. There have actually been times in my life that I struggled to read – distracted by other things, too tired, and exhausted after my time as an English major at Ohio University – but I never forgot my drive to read.
It has been a bit of a journey for me but has always been important in my life.
When I was quite small, before I could even read, my mother budgeted for a Little Golden Book every time we went to the grocery store. We would start at the Little Golden Book rack so I could pick out a new one. I would sit in the cart, looking at the pictures while she shopped and she would read it to me when we got home. This was quite smart, a distraction that kept me from requesting things not in the budget and instilling in me excitement over new books.
Scholastic book fairs and the monthly flyer we could order from at school were the only good things about school by my estimation. I was shy and typically panicked when called on in class. To this day, most of my classmates probably remember me as an imbecile but I was an imbecile with a decent home library.
An only child living in the country, books were my friends in the absence of other kids. They kept me company, inspired my imagination, and made me curious about writing.
Actually, they made me curious about everything.
As an English major, I read constantly. It was nothing to consume a novel, a Shakespearean tragedy, and fifteen or twenty short stories in a single week. Unfortunately, required reading and all the necessary writing left no time for fun reading. My brain felt bruised long after graduation.
This is actually how I discovered Harry Potter one Winter break. This was back when OU was still on quarters and break lasted from Thanksgiving until January. I devoured those books because they provided the ultimate escape from reality,
After graduation, I gradually began reading for fun again but found myself in ruts that lasted years where I did little more than sit still and hold the book. It was like a worry stone or maybe just a good old fashioned security blanket.
Many years have passed. I still experience periods when I can’t calm my mind enough to read but have been doing well for the last several years. Covid was great for me because I had plenty of time to read and the only adventures available were through the pages of books.
I use the library some and am a huge supporter of libraries. In Ohio, libraries are free to use and anyone can have a library card. Books and audiobooks for all tastes, periodicals, local history materials, events and even items are available to borrow for FREE.
What a gift! I’m glad to see my tax dollars paying for something society needs.
But I mostly prefer to own my books. I like to be the first person to crack open a book and learn its secrets. They’re like little friends waiting to share something special.
I like their cover art and the way they smell. I like the feel of paper in my hands and the weight of it in my bag. I almost always have a book in my bag or beside me on the couch, at the kitchen table or on the front seat of the car.
And that’s how I’m able to read so much. It’s not that I speed read. It’s that I’m an opportunist who prioritizes reading. Doctors’ offices are great places to read while you wait. In the car before an appointment, while eating lunch at my desk, on the porch after work, as I drift off to sleep in bed – these are great reading opportunities.
Entire days will pass without ever seeing the TV turned on in my house. Sometimes I turn on M.A.S.H. reruns in the evenings because I know it all by heart and it’s great noise in the house. It’s also easy background noise for reading
I used to be really fussy about selecting my next book. I’m a mood reader, after all. But it could take me days to choose my next read. These days, I tend to pick up something I’ve been looking forward to and jump right in. If it doesn’t resonate in the first few pages, it typically goes back to the stack of favor of something else.
I’ll come back to it another day.
I also like to switch up my genres. Since I read historical fiction, literary fiction, thrillers, mysteries, Appalachian fiction, nonfiction, self help and even fantasy, I can change genres to make sure every book is different than the last and feels fresh. It’s a form of palette cleansing.
Thanks to these habits, I guarantee that reading is part of my every day.
My goal this year is to read 100 books. Will I make it? Who knows and who cares? Meeting the goal isn’t the point at all. Neither is speeding through books so I can.
The point is to keep myself immersed in new worlds and with characters who teach me things and tell me stories. The goal simply keeps me reading and that’s all that matters.
I hit the clearance jackpot at Half Price Books last weekend, bringing home a large bag of books I am eager to read for just $3 each. Honestly, I’ve run out of shelf space again but I don’t care. I like to be surrounded by books – someone put imagination and clarity into their ideas so they could be bound up in pretty covers for others to enjoy.
Why wouldn’t I want them around?
I tend to think of my bookshelves like a wine cellar. You bring home a bottle of wine for the perfect occasion. I do the same with my books.
I will read them when the time is right.
There are some I revisit occasionally. Others I may never revisit in their entirety but will flip through them and read excerpts. They’re all here if I need them. Good friends, they are.
I’m at 59 books for the year and it’s only June so I’m a little ahead of schedule. I’m adventuring a lot less this year to pay for my bathroom remodel so there’s more reading time.
I’ve enjoyed most everything I’ve read this year and that’s the whole point. I’ve DNF’d a few – that’s reader talk for “Did Not Finish.” Every book isn’t for everyone so I pass on the ones I know I won’t want to revisit later.
People act like reading and physical books are dead but I beg to differ. There are lots of bookish events, literary festivals, Facebook groups, and bookstores packed with folks happy to browse and talk books.
I saw a literal fight break out in a readers group on Facebook the other day over audio books. The question was whether audio books count as reading. When I say fight, I mean that if we were in the same room, there would have been a switch blade and some hair pulling involved.
Yikes.
Do audiobooks count? Once again, does it really matter? When I consume a book via audiobook, I always clarify that I listened to it. I do think there’s a difference between reading words on a page and listening to someone tell you a story. When my mother read to me and I listened, I wasn’t reading.
But the consumption of books and ideas is the most amazing thing in the world, if you ask me. And if you prefer to listen or need to listen instead of hold the book, I think that’s terrific. Do that.
No need for a fistfight in the girls’ room.
And I hope that if you are a reader you are also a person who shares book recommendations with friends and, especially with non-readers who need a reason to get excited enough about a story to read or listen for themselves.
It’s never too late to get excited about reading!
So I’ll keep pushing through my endlessly growing stacks. At the rate I’m going, I have enough unread books to keep me entertained for the better part of three years.
But don’t worry. I still brake for bookstores and will continue offering a safe space for all those homeless, friendless books on the shelves.
Are you a reader? Tell me about your preferences when it comes to books and reading! This is a judgment free zone (unless you dog ear) and all are welcome. There will be no fistfights over audiobooks on my watch!
Last night I stood in the middle of the living room, holding a precarious stack of books and despairing over what to read next.
I was paralyzed with indecision.
Have you ever struggled in this way when faced with too many choices?
I consistently struggle in three main areas:
Books
Getting rid of things that I might need someday
Choosing a travel destination
When it comes to books, there literally are too many interesting books being released every year on top of all the things written in the past to ever feel like there’s enough time.
Issues with letting go of things seem to be genetic and related to my Appalachian roots where holding on to stuff has been an economic decision. My ancestors knew the value of a dollar, of a thing, and of having a stash of stuff for when you need it. Packrattery is a survival mechanism.
And travel decisions are hard because, like books, there are finite resources (time + money) and an infinite amount of places to go. How do we begin to choose?
These areas have felt like an uphill battle for some time now.
When it comes to travel, I typically take longer trips with adventure pals and shorter trips with my fella. Life circumstances for my adventure pals have made it harder for them to go on those longer journeys. And honestly, I’ve just been lazy about getting some shorter trips on the calendar. I used to have adventure ideas in my back pocket every week. I need to get back to those roots but am often torn by the multitude of places to visit and other life things to do.
But I digress.
Back to that stack of books last night,
I am not an especially fast reader but I am a devoted one. I watch little tv and carry a book nearly everywhere including to the dentist’s office yesterday. Most nights I fall asleep with a book in my hands and wake up to the thunk of it falling on me.
How my face isn’t black and blue is beyond me.
When I finish a book, I pick up another, switching genres to keep things interesting and prevent any ruts from forming.
I like the feel of a physical book in my hands and the smell of a book is one of my very favorite things. If you ever see me smelling a book, keep moving. There’s nothing to see here.
I did finally choose something and I have high hopes for it. All the same, I had reservations when walking away from that stack I had pulled. By itself, that stack represents about a month of reading. We are already about a third of the way through the year. When will I get to them and all the others?
Clearly, there needs to be more reading hours in my day along with more time to travel. And perhaps some time for therapy because I do sound like something of a basket case.
This I know.
We are the culmination of our habits. If we want to do more of something we need to prioritize it and build our habits around that thing.
What do you wish to do more of? Does indecision ever interfere? Please tell me not the only one!
I spent the last two days at the Ohio School Boards Association’s annual conference. As a board member for my local Educational Service Center, I was there to learn and to congratulate two fellow board members who have served for 25 years and another who has served for 20 years.
The opening event defined the entire trip for me. Many people were recognized for their service to Ohio’s schools and it was inspiring to think of how many people have given so many years of their lives and so much of themselves to supporting Ohio’s public schools. But first we opened with a tribute to veterans, the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and a performance of the National Anthem.
Let me just say that all of this hit a little differently for me than it normally would. In a world where public education is under attack, where veterans get neither the respect nor the care they deserve, and where people with disabilities are mocked, it was amazing to see all this unfold.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by two of the cutest little brothers you’ve ever seen and the National Anthem was performed by a young man with a disability who flawlessly sang one of the most difficult to perform songs in the world. To hear the anthems played for every branch of the American military and to see veterans and military family members stand was chilling.
What a beautiful start!
We also heard from the actress Mary Steenbergen who was as delightful, smart and down-to-earth as you would hope. While she’s a famous actress, known for her work in Hollywood and for her marriage to actor Ted Danson, she didn’t fit the Hollywood stereotype at all.
She spoke passionately about her family of teachers beginning with an aunt who, at the age of 16, taught in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Arkansas. She spoke of her mother and sister, both of whom are teachers. She spoke passionately about her love of reading, books and lifelong learning.
She talked about visiting far off places and becoming different people through reading and what it meant to her to have this form of escape. She was a shy kid as well and I could absolutely relate to her stories of immersion in books when the world gets too hard.
She credits her public education and all the people who looked out for her along the way for helping her throughout her lifetime. It was inspiring to hear her talk about the teachers, colleagues and family who made a difference in her life.
Public schools are vital to our society. I’m a proud product of a public school and a proud advocate for the future of public schools. An educated nation is a more prosperous, happier and more enlightened nation. I hope you also are a friend to public schools wherever you live.
