Exceedingly Mundane

One book at a time? Or more than one? If more, are they different types/genres? Or similar?

(We’re talking recreational reading, here—books for work or school don’t really count since they’re not optional.)

Ok, today’s question over at Booking Through Thursday is an easy peasy one for me. I am very OCD about my books. I start one, I finish one. I absolutely, positively, cannot start a new book until I’ve finished the one I’m reading. I don’t have the kind of personality or attention span to be reading two books simultaneously, even of different genres. I’ve tried to read a fiction book, and also have a non-fiction type book going at the same time, and even that doesn’t work for me. I have to start what I finish. Even if I don’t like the book, I will almost always keep reading, struggling through, despising every minute (I have a problem with abandoning goals too, obviously), until I finish. Then, and only then, do I allow myself to start a new one.

I wish I could read more than one at a time. It’s an admirable quality, if you ask me. I wish I wasn’t so regimented, but alas, it’s just who I am 😀

I’m afraid I’m a bit of a wet blanket again with this week’s questions (much like I was with all of the Harry Potter mania!) Here we go…

(And, sure, I suppose that e-mails DO count . . . but I’d say no to something like a message board on which the author happens to participate.)

Let’s see… my answers would be No, No, and No. As much as I read, and as many favorite authors as I have, I have never written one a fan letter, emailed them or posted on a message board in which they post. And as much as I love the Internet, I don’t always think to look up their website. Some of the authors websites that I have visited include Debbie Macomber (and I signed up for her newsletter, both online and email, and got a nice little bookmark from her, as well as notes as to when her new books come out), and also Karen Kingsbury, Liz Curtis Higgs and Alexander McCall Smith. I use the authors websites some to see what other books they have written, and with series books, to get the order of the books in the series.

Pretty boring answer, huh?! 🙂 I’ve actually never written a fan letter of any kind to any kind of celebrity, author, political figure or anyone else. I am not very big on those kinds of things.

CoachJ tagged me with this great 5 question meme, oh about a week or so ago! I’m so sorry I’m behind and that it has taken me this long to get “round tuit” 🙂 Here we go!

1. Are you a morning person or a night owl? How about both and neither? Seriously, I have some of both, but not enough of either one to classify me as one versus the other. Now that I’m not working full-time at a stressful job, I do sit up later than I used to. But, I’m definitely not a “burning the midnight oil” kind of person. My husband is, but I am not. I like and want to get my sleep. But, even after a good night’s sleep, I don’t bound up out of bed in the morning, all happy and awake. It takes me a while to wake up. And I’m a tad grumpy until I really wake up, especially if I haven’t gotten enough sleep. I love to sleep, I really do. 🙂 So, can I be half and half? Half a night owl and half of a morning person?!!!!

2. You have a free, uninterrupted afternoon. What do you do? Oh, an easy one! Read. Curl up with a book and read. Please let this free afternoon occur in the winter, so I can curl up under an afghan or quilt, and light a fire in the fireplace. I have a big comfy chair by my fireplace that I love to read in. Of course, we get about 5 days a year here where I might need to have a fire. Otherwise, it’s just not cold enough 🙂 Oh, and while I’m at it, I’ll make a big mug of hot cocoa and add marshmallows on top!

3. If you could return to a certain stage in your life, what would it be and why? Well, this one is much harder. I’d return and do something that is not physically possible. I’d go back in time and fix all that is wrong with my reproductive system. I’d wind back the clock and let Tim and I get pregnant and have a houseful of kids. Other than that, I don’t think I’d go back and change a thing. It’s taken a long time and at times has been a hard road, but I’ve learned to be happy and content with my life. I’ve learned the hard way that this is a wonderful life, a happy thing, I’m where I’m supposed to be and so grateful to be blessed with all that I have. I often wish for the things I don’t have and that always makes me sad (and I’m ashamed to admit, occasionally bitter). I realize that this is God’s plan for my life, even though I also know that I may never know the answer why. I don’t really wish to go back and change things, but neither do I wish to go back and relive things either. I certainly wouldn’t go back to high school or college and do that over again! I really don’t know how to answer this one, I am afraid I’ve really butchered this question, CoachJ! 🙂

4. What do you think of a woman being President of the USA? I don’t have a problem with a woman being President. I think Condeleeza Rice would probably make a good one. I think any woman that is strong enough to be in politics and “hang with the big boys” is a strong enough woman to make the decisions that need to be made and do the things that need to be done. My issue is not with whether our President is male or female. My issues are always with what the President believes, how he or she acts on those beliefs, and that they stand behind what they say and do. I don’t really ever comment on politics, because it’s a sticky subject. I know what I believe – I believe in our country, and its freedoms, I believe in what our forefathers said “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”, I believe that our country needs to go back to the values it was founded on – faith and family, loyalty and respect, tolerance and freedom. I hold our President in the highest regard and if the right person runs for that office, male or female, that is who I would vote for. (Oh, and in case you can’t figure it out, I do not believe that to be Hillary Clinton. Or Barak Obama either). Nuff said.

5. What’s your favorite dessert? (Feel free to include a recipe!) I do believe that CoachJ is toying with me, asking me this kind of question. I cannot pick out a favorite dessert. I can easily tell you one I do NOT like – anything with coconut. After that, you’d be hard pressed to find a dessert I didn’t like. Favorites, well, that depends on the day, how hungry I am and what’s available. I never met chocolate anything I didn’t like. Chocolate cake, chocolate pie, chocolate chip cookies. I love cherry anything – cobbler, pie, cherry cheesecake. Put me in an Italian restaurant and you’re sure to see me order Tiramisu. Put me in Chili’s and I guarantee a Molten Lava Cake finds its way to our table. Put me in a cafeteria type restaurant where there’s cherry cobbler and just try to stand in front of me in line. But, a favorite? You’ve got to be kidding me!

Oh, and for a recipe – some of my favorites are on our main site – click here!

I’m afraid that the buck stops here with me and this great idea for a meme. I think the original intention was that I was to answer these, and in turn, come up with 5 new questions of my own and tag a different set of bloggers. I must admit that my creative juices are in the negative zone lately. Thinking up original questions is not something I’m equipped to do right now. But, if someone would like to play along with these questions from CoachJ, I don’t think she would mind! I’d love to see your answers 🙂

Thanks again, CoachJ for tagging me!

Today’s Topic: Just Wild About Harry

Okay, love him or loathe him, you’d have to live under a rock not to know that J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, comes out on Saturday… Are you going to read it?
If so, right away? Or just, you know, eventually, when you get around to it? Are you attending any of the midnight parties?
If you’re not going to read it, why not?
And, for the record… what do you think? Will Harry survive the series? What are you most looking forward to?

OK, I love doing this meme because I consider myself a pretty above-average reader. But, {gasp} I have never read a Harry Potter book. And {even worse}, I’m not sure I want to. I’m sure they are wonderful books; they wouldn’t be the phenomenon they are if they weren’t. It’s not like me to not jump on a bandwagon like this, but I’ve just never been interested in them. I’ve never seen any of the movies, either. Now, I don’t rule out reading them in the future, but they are not high on my list. I know, I know, don’t throw things at me 🙂

P.S. For those of you who do read these and are looking forward to this last book – enjoy it! If you’re going to a party, have fun! Come out of your hole this weekend at some point and eat some food, though, ok?! 😀

randomness…feed your mind and your blog
Week of July 8: Vacationing

1. What is your favorite vacation spot? Of the places we’ve been, I loved Washington DC, and I love going to the mountains (Gatlinburg)
2. Would you rather drive or fly? We actually really like to drive. We get to spend the time together, talking, listening to music, talking about our trip, etc
3. Have you ever been on a cruise? Would you want to go on one? I went on a cruise when I was a senior in high school. I’d like to go on another Caribbean cruise (this time, with Tim of course!), but what I REALLY want to do is take an Alaskan cruise. One day… one day!
4. What has been your best/worst vacation? They’ve all been pretty good. I loved going to Disneyworld and to Washington DC probably the most. Tons of things to do there 🙂
5. How long do you think is long enough for a vacation? For us, 3 or 4 days in one spot is usually enough to see what we want to see and do and not be bored. It depends on the place though, if we’ve been there before, how many tourist or other attractions are there, etc.
6. Do you spend alot of money while on vacation? Do you buy alot of souvenirs? What’s the coolest one you’ve gotten? I don’t tend to spend much money, because I’m usually worried about what we’re spending on food, lodging, traveling expenses, etc. 🙂 What I do like to get is either a refrigerator magnet or a Christmas ornament or preferably both from where ever we vacation. Helps me remember each vacation in a fun way
7. If money were no object, where would you go on vacation? England, Scotland and Wales. France. Italy. Austria. Alaska. Australia. And it goes without saying that we plan to visit all 50 states together. Tim has already got a big head start on me with all of his traveling while he was in the military, but we’re going to visit them all together, eventually 😀

I’ve been tagged recently by several bloggers for different memes, tags and such. I’m sorry to be so late posting these, but I have been in a bit of a blogging slump lately, as well as a non-tagging mood. I’ll try to get out of that here 🙂

The first was by mamichelle and KathyM, who both tagged me with this one:

If you had the opportunity to do a 1-year internship in a company or field completely unrelated to your current career or specialty, what would be your top 5 choices?

Well, I must admit, I think I have the dream job right now – no stressful job to slave away at all day, every day any more. Thanks to my hardworking husband, he provides for us and I’m allowed to stay home, relax, stay healthy, take care of us and the house, do the things I love and need to do, and spend my “spare” time with him. It’s not for the career-minded, driven, Type-A, people, but I love it. I call it early retirement 🙂 Thus, this “coming up with a job choice” is a difficult concept for me!

If I had to go back to work, I would like to think I’d try the following:

1. Paralegal (I like research)
2. Librarian (duh, I love books!)
3. Scenic photographer (I love to take photos of neat buildings, churches, cemeteries, flowers, trees, etc)
4. Food Taste Tester (duh!)
5. Book Editor/Reviewer (not that I can write good reviews, but I’d love to be able to have a legitimate excuse to read new books!)

I was also tagged by Amy, over at Laughing Through the Tears, for an eight random things about me tag. I’m going to wimp out on this one and refer you to a post I made a while back, about 9 weird things about me. Believe me, I could probably come up with a lot more of these. I’m really rather an odd person – just ask anyone who knows me (Gail and my husband would be MORE THAN HAPPY to tell you about all of the odd things I do, eat, watch, think and feel!) 😀

I won’t tag anyone specifically for either of these, but if you’d like to play along, please do so! Just leave me a comment to let me know, so I can come visit and check out your answers.

I used to do the “Monday Madness” meme a while ago and have just been focusing on posting my menu on Mondays lately, playing along to “Menu Plan Monday”. Today, I thought I’d be wild and crazy and do BOTH!

Monday, July 02, 2007

Good Monday to you all! This week’s questions are all about laundry; something we all have to do (or have done). Have a great week and thank you so much for playing! =)

1. Do you do your own laundry or do you send it out? Oh good gravy yes, I do all of our laundry!

2. Do you laundry at your home or a laundromat? At home, always have. I’ve been very blessed to have always had my own washer and dryer in my apartment or house. I’ve never actually even been to a laundromat 🙂 (I used the washers in the dorm in college and never had to go out of my dorm)

3. Are there certain articles of clothing that you need to have dry-cleaned on a regular basis? Not really, just Tim’s suits and a few of my dresses (most of which we don’t wear too often). I try not to buy a lot of clothes that have to be dry-cleaned

4. How often do you do laundry? Is there a certain day of the week that you consider “laundry day?” I do laundry almost every day, at least 1 or 2 loads. I do towels on Tuesdays, sheets on Wednesdays and usually on Mondays and either Thursdays or Fridays, I do dark clothes and whites. I probably only take 1 or maybe 2 days off during the week when I don’t wash something. I find it is easier that way for me, not to let it pile up. Thankfully, there’s only 2 of us plus the dog. If we were the Brady Bunch, I imagine I’d be doing 5 loads a day 🙂

5. Do you iron your clothes as you pull them out of the dryer or do you wait until just before you wear the clothing to iron? I pull the clothes out of the dryer and hang them up. Some of them while they are still damp, and the rest when they are dry. I iron before we wear them, if they need ironing.

6. Do you hang your clothes outside to dry or do you dry them in a dryer? I will hang a few things out to dry, some of the dogs stuff, and some of our clothes or Tim’s hunting clothes or bath mats, things like that. I don’t have a clothesline, so I use my deck railing 🙂

7. Do you own things that need to be hand-washed or do you try to avoid buying things that you can’t wash in the washing machine? I generally try to avoid it, but I do have a few things of mine that need to be hand-washed. Delicate little sweaters or blouses and I think one skirt. Missed that label in the store 🙁

Click on the banner above if you’d like to go over to the Monday Madness site and play along. And be sure to let me know so I can come check out your laundry situation at your house 😀

Today’s question is suggested by Carrie.

What’s the most desperate thing you’ve read because it was the only available reading material?
If it was longer than a cereal box or an advertisement, did it turn out to be worth your while?

Gosh, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten desperate for something to read. I have a pretty good library branch not a mile from my house, so during their open hours, that is an option. The biggest factor is that I now keep a fairly decent TBR pile here at my house. I don’t like ending a book at 10:30 PM and not having another one lined up to read, you know?! Also, I subscribe to several magazines, and I have a pretty significant stack of those here at the ready, for me to read. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever run out of anything to read or not had something available.

Now, I have been known to read a cereal box or two in my time, though 🙂 Daily paper too, and most anything else I can get my hands on. But, these days, I try to always have a book with me, or something to read. Especially if I know I’m going to be somewhere that I might need to wait. I try to always be prepared 🙂

Happy Reading!

Miss Southern Girl has tagged me with a Page 12 meme… and being a book-loving kind of gal, this one is a no-brainer!

You need to:

1. Pick up a book that is near to you
2. Go to page twelve in the book
3. Read the first two sentences and post it on your blog
4. Also post the book title and the name of the author
5. Tag 3 other people

OK, being that I have a bachelors in mathematics, I can do this one. Let’s see, page 12. Ok, here is page 12 of the current book I’m reading … “Murder on a Bad Hair Day” by Anne George:

Bonnie Blue shook her head. “No way you and Mary Alice could be sisters.”
“We were born at home, Bonnie Blue”.
“I look like Mama, blonde and little, and Sister looks like Daddy, big and brunette.”

OK, ok, maybe I can’t count. That was three sentences, but it helps put it into context. Patricia Anne and Mary Alice are the Southern Sisters, as in Southern Sisters mystery series. They live in Birmingham, AL and in this series of cozy mysteries, they find themselves in some odd and funny predicaments. Oddly enough, all involving murders!

Let’s see, I won’t tag anyone specifically, but feel free to play along. I’m such a rule breaker

School days, Golden Rule days…. June 21, 2007

Since school is out for the summer (in most places, at least), here’s a school-themed question for the week:

Do you have any old school books? Did you keep yours from college? Old textbooks from garage sales? Old workbooks from classes gone by?
How about your old notes, exams, papers? Do you save them? Or have they long since gone to the great Locker-in-the-sky?

Well, you know, I would honestly have to go up in the attic and look. I think we finally got around to throwing most of them away. At least mine; we might have some of Tim’s. I have absolutely no desire to hang on to my mathematics and extremely out-dated computer text books. I’m pretty sure that Tim has at least a couple still hanging around that he wants to keep as a reference. I would throw them away if I could, but alas, he might actually want to use them one day (*snort*). 🙄

As far as old notes and exams and papers go, I would say that it is all gone too. I might have a stray exam or report around here, but not much. I know I have one large Rubbermaid tote that has some things from my childhood, and I believe the last time I looked through it, I had some reports I did in elementary school and junior high. High level stuff, to be sure 😀

This week’s topic: Dessert First

1. Do you cheat and peek ahead at the end of your books? Or do you resolutely read in sequence, as the author intended?
2. And, if you don’t peek, do you ever feel tempted?

Believe it or not, I have the first question on my list of “topics to ask as a ‘question of the day’ “. Yes, I keep a running list of ideas of things to ask, and am always on the lookout for more. I’ll have to remember to mark this one off of my list!

Ok, time for my answers. I don’t cheat and peek. I don’t like to read the ending. I read it in order, and even if I’m struggling, I still plod on along and don’t read the ending. I’ll tell you what I do, do, though – I do flip to the very back when I first look at getting a book and I first start reading it. I always want to know how many pages it is! I have this mental roadblock about books that are too long. My limit is usually in the 350-400 page range. I start struggling around then, and if the book is any longer than that, I really probably won’t even attempt it. I guess my attention span is just too short 🙂 Anyway, I read in order and rarely feel tempted to cheat and peek. I don’t like to know how it’s going to turn out until I turn that last page.

Great question! Leave me a comment and let me know if you cheat and peek at the ending, or play along at your blog. This is a great meme if you like books and reading 🙂

I saw this a while ago at Deena’s blog – A Peek at my Bookshelf. Thanks for sharing, Deena, here’s my answers!

What’s Your Preference??

1) Novel or novella? Novel, definitely. I like to watch characters grow, and see what happens to them and how they turn out 🙂

2) Hardback or paperback? Both. I like the new larger size paperback best, but I will read hardbacks and paperbacks.

3) Male authors or female authors? I read some of both, but I think I do read more women authors lately than men.

4) Fiction or non-fiction? Oh, easy one! Fiction all the way. I have a hard time reading non-fiction

5) Bestseller or obscure title? Bestseller. I like to read what others are reading and stuff that is “good”. Usually the bestsellers are pretty good

6) Local bookstore or chain franchise? I know it won’t be a popular answer, but I do patronize chains like Borders and Barnes and Noble. We have a copy of local bookstores I keep telling myself I want to go to, but I haven’t yet.

7) Read the book first or see the movie first? Book is always better, I think, but I have done it in reverse order. I usually try to go back and read the book afterwards, but that is harder, since I already know how it’s going to turn out.

Debi tagged me earlier this week with this fun little book meme that is going around. We were off on vacation, then I’ve been trying (ever so slowly) to catch up on things. I’m afraid blog-reading came after unpacking, laundry, etc. But, better late than never will have to apply here! Thanks for tagging me Debi, and without further ado… I give you my answers to the fun book meme!

The next 5 books on your to be read shelf:

1. Thorn in my Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs
2. Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy (at the library, they called and I need to stop by and pick it up)
3. Murder on a Bad Hair Day by Anne George
4. What a Girl Wants by Kristin Billerbeck
5. Not sure, either the next Anne George book, Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner or Blessings by Anna Quindlen, will depend on my mood

I’m also going to append this with the exact thing that Debi posted on hers. Great minds think alike 😀 “I do, of course, reserve the right to change my mind. The whole woman’s prerogative thing, you know.” What I plan to read and what I actually end up reading, in order, often depend entirely on my mood.

The last 4 books you’ve read:

1. Murder on a Girl’s Night Out by Anne George
2. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
3. Loving Ways by Gail Gaymer Martin
4. The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith

The last 3 books you’ve borrowed (library or friend):

All from the library, I don’t borrow that many from friends or family:

1. The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith
2. Miss Julia Strikes Back by Ann B. Ross
3. Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson

The last 2 non-fiction books you’ve read:

1. 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper
2. Can’t think of another one, I don’t read much non-fiction at all. I have several on my TBR shelf but never seem to get to them 🙂

The 1 book you wish everyone would read:

1. Hmm, sort of a tough question. I’d like for everyone to read the Bible, but I must admit, I’ve not read the entire thing. I mostly wish everyone would just read. Read for yourself, read to your kids, buy your spouse a book. Read for enlightenment, read for pleasure, read for knowledge, read for fun. Just Read!

I won’t tag anyone else, but if you’d like to play along, please do so! Leave me a comment and let me know if you decide to play, so I can be sure to come by and read your answers 😀

This week’s topic: Paper or Plastic

Do you read e-Books?
If so, how? On your computer, or a PDA?
Or are you a paper purist? Why?

OK, this is a great question. Believe it or not, as much as I love techie gadgets, as much as I love my laptop, and as much as I love my PDA, I’m a purist when it comes to books. I don’t like them in any format except the written word. I don’t like them electronic, I don’t like them in the form of audiobooks. I like a plain ole book I can hold in my hands and turn the pages on. I like a book that I can go back and re-read the last paragraph or page when I’ve put it down for a day or two and can’t quite remember what I last read. I like a book to hold in my hands and drop on my chest when I fall asleep reading before bed 🙂 I like to hear my own voice in my head as I read along and not someone else’s. I’ve tried a sample of an e-book on my PDA and I didn’t like it. I checked out an audio book from the library and didn’t make it through more than one chapter. Give me a good old paper book any day and I’m a happy reader. 🙂

I had an idea for a BTT question when I was taking a peek at one of my bookcases yesterday and spotted my old copy of the Aeneid in Latin sitting there. Maybe this question has already been done—but if not… Do you have any foreign language books and if so can you (still) read them?

Well, this week’s question is really not very applicable for me. I have never even owned a book in another language! I’m sure I had some French textbooks of some sort when I was in high school and took French, but I certainly don’t have them now 🙄 I never took any other language, either. Actually, I think I might turn that into a “Question of the Day” 😀