Wednesday Book Blog: North River

North River

Pete Hamill

One of my all time favorite books I have ever read is Forever by Pete Hamill, and yes I kept that book on my bookshelf. Knowing that I enjoyed the book, and Pete Hamill being a favorite author of my fathers, he recently gave me the book North River. Of course I raced through the book I was reading to get to North River. It was nothing like Forever except in the fact that it takes place in New York City and yes there is one quick reference to Cormac, the title character from Forever. It is a sweet love story, it is a fast read but a slow paced book, there is not much action or really much that takes place in the book and while it could be considered a sad, heavy book to read, one reason being it takes place during the depression, I did not find myself sad at all by the book. I enjoyed it very much and even passed it along - as a borrower only, this will live on my bookshelf - to my Aunt who also enjoyed it.

me and my books

I try to write about the books I read on this blog, sometimes I am more consistent than others in writing about what I have read, but I am always consistent in my reading. I read every day. I love to read and I love to keep my books. I don't keep every single book I have read but I like to keep the ones that were special to me or my favorite reads. I don't typically re-read a book so I am not keeping it to read again, just keeping it because books are like friends to me.

But since I have moved, I am limited for space - not that I was not before, but this is a different type of limited - so the other day I had to go through my books and decide which to keep and which to not. It was not an easy thing for me, but I had to do it and I did. I kept my special friends that I like to see on my bookcase and I chose to pass along my friends that I know others would enjoy. The process started with lots of piles. A pile for what I am going to keep, (inevitably, the biggest pile) a pile for www.paperbackswap.com, a pile to bring my my mom's salon and random piles for friends who I thought might enjoy a particular book.

Once my piles were arranged, I put my keep books in my bookshelf in the order I have envisioned in my head for years. It was hard to give away some of my friends, but I know they will find good homes and when I look at my bookshelf, proudly displayed in the entrance hallway or our place, I have a warm, friendly comforting feeling from my friends on the shelves.

Me Time with Me

Lately I have found that I have been wanting more me time and taking it, but I find that I want my me time alone. I have a desire, and one that I give in to, to huddle up in a corner (yes a comfy one) with a nice cup of tea and a good book, or I want to sit on my couch and watch DVR and knit, knit knit away. I have always found pleasure in doing these thing, and have made ample time for them in my life, but I have always been more of a social person so for me these days to want to stay in and do solitary things has surprised me. And lately I have given in to it. I think it is important to do what feels right for yourself and I always feel so good after taking that time.

However, I know for me, and I believe for all of us, this cannot be the only type of me time in our lives. I believe that we all also need social me time with good friends and new friends, doing an activity that you enjoy and look forward to. I am looking forward to my dinner planned with the girls next week (the first time I am entertaining them at my new place!!!) , and the MTFM event for October (ooh a make-up make over and free beauty treatment!) and all of the other fun social events on my calendar but I do find just as much excitement over the nights I have nothing planned or the all day Sunday when I can be lazy with my books and my bamboo needles.

Blogging

Jeez who would have thought this would have been so hard to do. I mean I am a talker you would think I would be able to write stream of conscience much easier. But it seems not so much!



I want to write about more and I plan it, I even jot down notes about things and experiences I would like to write about but it does not happen as easily as I would think. It does seem that in the minutes in the morning between sleep and wake I have great ideas and come up with great, flowing and inspiring prose to write but I just don't get out of bed and do it. Like most I think oh that is good, I will remember it when I get up, it's only in a few more minutes. Then I hit snooze a few more times, and then I am running with just enough time to get ready and no time to write that awesomely beautiful blog I had in my head. Grrrr.



Yes this was one of them and yes in the wee hours of the morning sleep fog it sounded so much better. Hmm maybe if I force myself at the same time everyday to write something I will get more into the habit and the flow. I guess we will see, keep checking back to see my progress :)

Andrea: Best Conversation With A Stranger

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure and the honor of having one of the best conversations I have ever had with a stranger. (Yes I know a few weeks ago and I am finally writing about it now......)

The conversation started over greeting cards and the different types with local and beach scenes. I am not sure how it happened but soon we were talking about the state of the World today and how we both felt that if people tried to look at the glass half full more often and appreciate what we do have and who we have in our lives, it could make a difference in the World. We both seem to have the same outlook on fun, and finding the good and enjoying the day and the moment that you are in and compared notes on how we both do that.

This lovely women had a wonderful and infectious smile, a warm and open personality and a vibrancy about her that made you want to spend more time talking with her.

I then found out that her and her husband had lost their home to a fire in March during those crazy storms. They lost every single thing that they had but were both lucky enough to not have been harmed. She said to me, "you can replace your things but not people". And instead of being down and beaten by the loss of their home, memories and things to the fire, she was so excited for their new home and the new location and all that these things offered to them. It was so uplifting and refreshing and really a great way to get perspective!

At the end of our conversation she thanked me, shook my hand and said she looked forward to seeing me again (we frequent the same store so it is possible and probable). I told her it was my pleasure and I looked forward to it as well.

As I mentioned this was a few weeks ago and I still can't get that lovely women or the wonderful 15 minutes I spent chatting with her out of my mind. It was such a great reminder of how to be positive and enjoy life and enjoy the strangers you meet throughout the day.

Being Me and a We 8/19/11

This me recently moved in with my he so the we are now living together in engagement bliss. The other night however I found myself unexpectedly home with the new place to myself. It was great! I caught up on a little DVR that the does not watch, I did a little research for some projects I am working on. I read a book for a little while and thoroughly enjoyed the night by myself in our new place.

I had not had a night to myself yet in our new place and really had not been feeling the pressure to have one, but it was so refreshing and in hindsight so needed. I also have to admit, I was happy to know I still had that me in me, to reassure me that I am still able to find and enjoy that part of me that I once had more often. It is good to know I can still enjoy me and that I have not gotten so consumed in the we that I don't have the me anymore. Those few hours to myself were great and when he got home I enjoyed the we even more!

watching the clock

We have all had it happen, we have something that we have to do, somewhere we have to be, yet don't want to be there so we watch the clock, willing it to move faster so we can do something else, be somewhere else.

Quite a few years ago I found myself in this situation on a daily basis, at the start of the morning, I could not wait for the end of the day. Then one day, I realized I was willing away precious time each day, willing away my daily life. I did not like this conclusion at all so I decided to make a change so that I could enjoy every moment and not be in a place that I would be wishing away precious moments.

Yes we all have things we don't want to be doing, and we all have times of wishing the clock to move faster, but those times are not on a regular basis for me anymore. And when I find myself in those times, I pull myself back into the moment at hand and find something good about that moment and that time to focus on, so I am not willing away time, but embracing and enjoying the moment.

So today or tomorrow when you find yourself in one of these moments, find something in that instance that is good and something to enjoy. Even just the sun shining on your face through the window, or a good song on the radio. And if you find yourself in that way more than you don't, you have the power to change that and make every moment in your life count.