Wishing you and your loved ones the happiest of holidays.
See you in 2014!
I did it! I completed both the reading challenges I joined
in 2013.
I got off to a strong start with my Mount
TBR Jan. 1, 2013 . I continued to buy books throughout the year
(possibly ending up with more than I started with—I’m afraid to count) and read
quite a few of those during 2013, too. I will continue to read from my shelves
in 2014, but I’ve resigned myself to the fact that the only way I’ll be able to
make any real headway in reducing the stacks will be if I put myself on a
book-buying fast for a few months. I may do this, though I know I’ll find it
quite painful!
While I came it at “just” 24 (my goal) for the Mount
TBR
I’m down to two books left to finish for my year-end
reading, Personal Pleasures and Wherever You Go, There You Are. I don’t
think I’ll finish them by the end of the year, but you never know. I plan to
take the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day to relax and do some extra
reading
Other than the two books mentioned above, what will I be reading? I’m so glad you
asked!
I went a little crazy with the library holds, which, of
course, all came in at the same time. (I don’t expect to finish all these
within my three-week borrowing period—I’m sure several of them will have to be
renewed.)
Here is the book bounty:
Unpacking My Bookshelves—Writers and Their Books, Leah Price. I can hardly think of a
more appealing book to a nosy book fiend like me. This book will probably
inspire a post all on its own.
The Heroine’s Bookshelf, Erin Blakemore. I’ve only just flipped through this book, but
already I wish I had written it.
Thin Is the New Happy,
Valerie Frankel. I’m already halfway
through this memoir of Frankel’s efforts to “exorcise her bad body-image
demons, to uncover the truths behind what put them there, and to learn how to
truly love herself.”
Ten Dollar Dinners,
Melissa D’Arabian. I am always looking for creative and inexpensive ways to feed the
family.
The Myths of Happiness,
Sonja Lyubomirsky. Subtitled: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn't, What
Shouldn't Make You Happy, but Does.” I’m looking forward to reading this book
that “empowers readers to look beyond their first response, sharing scientific
evidence that often it is our mindset—not our circumstances—that matters most.”
Why We Ride: Women Writers on the Horses in Their Lives, edited by Verna Dreisbach. I can’t
wait to read this collection of essays exploring the ways horses have enriched
the lives of the contributors, including Jacqueline Winspear, author of the
Maisie Dobbs mysteries. With an introduction by Jane Smiley.
You’re probably wondering where the fiction is. I’m already
reading Every Secret Thing by Susanna
Kearsley, and I’ll pick something else from my own overloaded shelves when I
finish that.
So you see I’ll have plenty to occupy me as the 2013 reading
year comes to an end. I’m looking forward to curling up with a cup of tea or
coffee and immersing myself in some of these.
What are your plans for year’s end, reading or otherwise?
“Cynicism makes you old. Wonder, curiosity, and unbridled
joy keep you young.”
—Lisa Kogan
I’ll take any excuse to eat chocolate—and it would be
un-American not to participate in National Chocolate Covered Anything Day,
don’t you think? I happen to have some chocolate covered almonds and dried
cherries on hand, but there are ever so many things that can be covered in
chocolate…even bacon! (I think I’ll stick with almonds and cherries.)
Even though this is kind of a silly “holiday,” I think it’s
good to have silly little celebrations all through the year. Why can’t we make
up our own holidays? I’ve been known to celebrate horse and dog birthdays, as
well as Marmot Day. If you were making up your own holiday, what would you
celebrate?
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| I'm the only ornament this tree needs... |
We don’t have as many holiday decorations up this year as usual, partly because I don’t have the energy or desire to decorate the house from top to bottom (I’m wearing shorts and sweating and that’s just not conducive to putting up holly and evergreens), and partly because Prudy thinks we put up the Christmas tree for her private and exclusive use. She treats it like a jungle gym, and climbs to the top daily (not unlike her sister)—and this is without ornaments and lights. So we won’t be displaying our fancy (breakable) ornaments this year or putting the tasseled runner on the mantel (I’m sure she’d pull it and everything else down on top of her). But it’s all good. We’re expecting a cold front, Nick will be home for winter break, and I’m planning a little personal stay-cation from the usual routine after Christmas.
I hope your holiday preparations are running smoothly, and
that the weather, whatever it’s doing where you live, isn’t keeping you from
enjoying the season. Here is a special holiday edition of Link Love for you to
enjoy in between all your activities:
Artist Susan Branch offers free downloadable holiday desktop
wallpaper, stationery and other fun stuff (I especially love the bookmarks)
here.
Christmas movies can be more than just happy little
distractions—many of them, even the cheesiest ones, remind us of lessons worth
remembering. Dani at Positively Present reveals some of her favorite movies and
their accompanying lessons here.
For the book lovers among us, Belle has some ideas for end-of-the-year book “housekeeping.”
What are your favorite Christmas traditions? This post lists
50 (!) Christmas traditions for a merry little Christmas. Some of my favorites from
this list are listening to Christmas music, turning out the lights to admire the Christmas tree (well, usually—see above),
and making cookies (though I make molasses sugar cookies instead of plain
ones).
A very cool thing an airline did for its passengers:
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| Ho, ho, ho |
Many of us keep journals, but while doing so few of us pay
much attention to selecting the most precise words, to determining their most
effective order, to working with effective pauses and breath-like pacing, to
presenting an engaging impression of a single, unique day. This poem by
Nebraskan Nancy McCleery is a good example of one poet’s carefully recorded
observations. [Introduction by Ted Kooser.]
December Notes
December Notes
The backyard is one white sheet
Where we read in the bird tracks
The songs we hear. Delicate
Sparrow, heavier cardinal,
Filigree threads of chickadee.
And wing patterns where one flew
Low, then up and away, gone
To the woods but calling out
Clearly its bright epigrams.
More snow promised for tonight.
The postal van is stalled
In the road again, the mail
Will be late and any good news
Will reach us by hand.
“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned so
as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before
the new one can come.”
—Joseph Campbell
The year is winding down and though I’m having a hard time
realizing it’s nearly Christmas (because it’s 85 degrees here), it’s nearly
Christmas! And nearly the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014.
Endings and beginnings have been on my mind lately. This
year has had more than its share of them. My son graduated from high school and
started college. My niece got married, and two beloved family members died.
We’re all adjusting to our altered roles and circumstances. Life keeps flowing
by faster and faster, with beginnings and endings—change—nearly a constant. Here are some thoughts that have helped
me negotiate the tricky emotional terrain of beginnings and endings.
When something significant is ending, whether it’s a job,
relationship, or stage of life, we should recognize
and accept that the ending is taking place—even celebrate it. Don’t struggle against it because that will only make
it harder. Even though I’m thrilled that my son has moved on to college, at
first I felt a certain loss of identity—I no longer had a child at home, and
all the physical and emotional energy I poured into that role suddenly had no
place to go. I was surprised at how much impact that had on me. Celebrating the
real accomplishment of raising a child to age 18 and getting him through public
school and into college helped me adjust.
Endings can shock us into remembering what’s really important. When something ends, it’s a
good time to take stock of where we
are and where we want to go. How can we move forward? What positives can we
take from what just ended? What types of feelings has the ending stirred up?
It’s OK to feel angry or to grieve when faced with an ending. It helps me to
repeat the phrase, “Let it happen, let it go.” (And breathe. Don’t forget to
breathe.)
Endings are merely times of transition between what was and
what will be. Each one is a new
beginning—and most people think of beginnings with excitement and anticipation.
Something fantastic might be just around the corner! Keeping that in mind can
help us accept what ends in our lives, learn from it, and look forward to what
comes next.
Is something ending for you? Is something beginning?
“Our real power is not derived from our positions in life, a
hefty bank account, or an impressive career. Instead, it is the expression of
that authenticity inside of us, our strength, integrity, and grace
externalized. We don’t realize that each of us has the power of the universe
within us.”
—Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
and David Kessler,
You’ve heard of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday—how about Giving Tuesday? Tomorrow, Dec. 3, marks the second annual Giving Tuesday (#GivingTuesday), a movement to create a national day of giving on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. Families and individuals are encouraged to be generous in whatever ways they see fit, by volunteering or donating to a favorite cause. Last year, there was a marked increase in charitable giving on Giving Tuesday, and organizers hope for an even bigger impact this year. You can read more about Giving Tuesday here.
Every year as part of our holiday tradition, we like to choose one or two charitable organizations to donate to, and this year, we’ll start by participating in Giving Tuesday with a donation to Affordable Christmas, a program that allows lower-income families to purchase new Christmas gifts for their children at 1/10th of the retail price.
Every year as part of our holiday tradition, we like to choose one or two charitable organizations to donate to, and this year, we’ll start by participating in Giving Tuesday with a donation to Affordable Christmas, a program that allows lower-income families to purchase new Christmas gifts for their children at 1/10th of the retail price.
What are your favorite holiday charitable activities?
