Friday Reads

Good morning! I cannot believe how insanely busy the last two weeks have been, and I, for one am ready to get back to living again. Yep, more reading, more writing, more laughter.

So, with the hardest part of my summer over, I am desperately in need of a book that is light, fast-paced (so I don't put it down), and maybe a little lovey-dovey. I scoured the web this morning on all my favorite sites, and think I have found the perfect book for the day:

Love the One You're With, by Emily Giffin is my #fridayreads choice! I honestly don't even remember seeing this book by her before, and literally can't wait for the library to open so I can go get it. The best thing about Emily's books is while they are considered "Chick Lit" I believe they are smart, real, and very thoughtful all the while being light, fast-paced, and maybe a little lovey-dovey.

Can you feel my excitement? I hope you all find a fun Friday Read today...

Happiness is...

10 Things I loved about this weekend:


1.  Laughter and LOTS of it.
2.  My birthday was not only the longest day ever, but the best day ever.  That never happens.
3.  Being surrounded by love All.  The.  Time.
4.  Having a rink-full of people sing happy birthday to me.
5.  Seeing The Help.  More laughter, tears, and love.
6.  Having Jackie create the ugliest corsage EVER.
7.  Snuggling in bed Saturday while it rained.  
8.  Drinks on Friday night, and dinner on Saturday night.
9.  Getting everyone I know to start "pinning"
10.  Closing the book on Van Camp.
Amen.


Have a fabulous day!  One of these days, I'll get back to what I do best... reading and writing :)

Celebrate

I used to hate my birthday for reasons I can't even remember now.  I guess I always felt it was kinda like New Year's Eve or something... almost a let down.  It never lived up to what I imagined it should be in my head. 

So I know you'll forgive me when I post pictures like this on my page :) I am done with the expectations, and completely all about celebrating the blessed life I have. 

Life is simply too short to do anything else...

PS... Due to a shortage of much needed sleep, time, and brain cells, the #fridayreads portion of this blog will be posted on Sunday this week!  Tune in Sunday...

housework

Set your timer:  For the next 15 minutes write about someone who is obsessed with cleaning.

For those of you who know me, this one is a stretch.  I would rather organize than clean, but the more I thought about it, I think they're the same thing.  I could work for hours on a closet, trying to find the perfect use for it, making sure everything has a place.  I will sit and plan out the week every Sunday morning, and have even added coupon clipping to that chore. 

I love it.  Makes me feel like I'm actually accomplishing something.  But nitty, gritty cleaning?  I despise it, and have wanted a cleaning lady for years.  If only...sigh.  So here it goes:

Cheryl looked at her calendar hanging on the fridge to see what she had to do today.  Of course, she didn't really need to look since she had been on the same cleaning schedule for the past five years, but it made her feel good to know it was there.  A cleaning schedule based on her family and their needs.

Fridays:  Bathrooms and floors

She smiled to herself, knowing that most mothers weren't this disciplined with their cleaning.  Most didn't have any plan at all and it showed in their homes.  Dust on the coffee table.  Dog hair on the furniture.  Dirty sinks in the kitchen.  The thought of those things made Cheryl's skin crawl.  That would never happen here.

She even had a cleaning closet, a mecca of all her favorite cleaning products, just for her.  When they built this house three years ago, she insisted on the closet, even fighting with the contractor about where it should go.  On many occasions he wanted to tell her where it should go.  But, defeated, he took her "suggestions" and did what she wanted. 

Most people did.

Pulling out her cleaning caddy, she turned on her iPod to the Perfect Home Playlist, and set off for the bathrooms on the second floor. 

Today is going to be a fabulous day, she thought to herself...

Where does the time go?

Yesterday we were in Burger King in Saugatuck, and there was a young family there with a baby about 3-4 months old.  He was so tiny and the parents were taking turns holding him so the other one could eat.  They'd swap him off, each taking the child in the one arm-football hold that Toby and I know so well.  It was literally the only way we could get Evan to calm down most of the time... I know that position all too well.  Most people have spit up on their shoulders.  Ours were on our forearms. 

Flash forward 14 years and I'm sending that same "baby" to football camp.  I simply don't know where the time goes, nor why we are so unaware of it flying by.  Maybe we're just to busy and focused getting to the next stage and through the current phase to pay attention. 

I know I am guilty of it. 

I remember when Blake was a baby, and Gretchen came to visit.  "I would take ten of these instead of my one teen," she had said, and I remember thinking you're crazy!  Sleepless nights and constant mind-numbing duties?  Gimme the teen, I thought to myself.

Now I know exactly what she means.  We are no longer the center of their universe and Queen of their castle.  They have moved onto other loves and interests that we are not invited or even allowed to. 

We bug them.
We annoy them.
They seek us out only for money or food.

Evan is still the same loving kid he has always been.  The main part of his personality is still intact, but he is definitely pulling away, as he should be.  I know this is a normal part of parenting, and also why we long for that beautiful baby in our arms. 

We just want to be needed again, without an argument.  Without a heavy sigh or eye roll.  Without sarcasm. 

So I will leave you with this picture from yesterday, when the big boys decided it was okay to play with the little ones.  Linda and I were delighted to see that inside they were still kids at heart.  They were still them. 

Because of the sun, they are shadows, but I think that's fitting.  Max is clinging to Evan's back, and Blake is sitting on the shoulders of Ryan and Jake.  They stood there for several pictures because I think they too were content in that moment. 

Stay in the moment no matter what the age...

Friday Reads!

As I sit down to write this morning, I'm beginning to realize that I forgot to pick a #fridayreads for last week!  As I recall, I was preparing for root canal #2 this year, and my head just wasn't on straight with that. 

And it's funny because my pick for the week had less to do with finding a great book, and more to do with how to comfort myself.  Last Friday's pick was Sizzlin' Sixteen by Janet Evanovich.  I picked it because it's familiar and easy.  I know the characters.  I know the general flow of the books.  I've studied her writing for so long, I even can figure out where she is going by the end. 

Janet's writing is fast-paced, uncomplicated, and most of all, funny.  I picked this book because I wanted to laugh, and she didn't disappoint.  If you haven't read her stuff before, you have to start with One for the Money.  The beginning of the series is so fresh, and you simply can't help but fall in love with all of her characters. 

This week's pick comes to me by way of Linda.  I have to admit that I have already started it and, while I have a feeling I know how it will all end, I am enjoying the ride very much. 

Beautiful writing? Check
Great plot? check
Great characters with room to grow? check
A handsome love interest?  check

Reading this is like having a tall glass of lemonade on a really hot day.  It's refreshing, enjoyable, and just what is needed.  Now if we could add some vodka to that lemonade, it would be downright fabulous!

My favorite part about this book is that it's her second version of this book.  After geting the rights back from her first publication, she revised it to make it more enjoyable for the reader. 

Love that!

I hope you enjoy it too!

The Black Hole: TV

Set your timer: Keep a notebook of the amount of tv you watch in a week and assess whether you could find more time to write. Try to write a character in a series you watch, or watch half of one of your favorite shows and write the second half.
Well, duh. I don't need to keep a notebook to tell me that I'm watching too much tv. Speaking of Notebook, don't you just love Ryan Gosling?
Here's the deal:
I watch too much tv.
I love to go to the movies.
I love to read.
There are so many distracting things in my life, it's a wonder that I am able to write at all! But I did use this exercise to try and encourage some brainstorming for book ideas this past weekend. Two of my favorite movies were on this weekend and I taped them both: How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and The Proposal. Talk about a happy Saturday! If I could bottle them up and package it into a book I would.
These are the books I like to read and essentially, write. I just keep thinking the idea will come to me, in the middle of the night, and yet it hasn't. I have a hundred characters in my head that I love, but can't find them a home. Very frustrating, but at the same time, I know it's part of the package. I know that embracing all of it will make it happen sooner.
In the meantime, I'm going to catch up on a little Y and R.
Have a lovely day...