If you know me at all, then you will know that reading is by far my favorite thing to do in my alone down time which these days has become so rare that I barely recognize it as actual "down time" when it does occur. When this rare beast shows up, I end up either folding laundry, exercising, or watching tv in bed because I am that exhausted. Or knitting. So many of my beautiful friends are with child or have just recently experienced the arrival of their new baby that I am terribly behind in finishing the knitted items I have begun for them. I am just now finishing up something for a baby that arrived almost two weeks ago! And I had planned on having it finished for the baby shower which was this past November! Well, the point is, I am about to finish it and am taking a breather to return to my first love, books.
It's January and things have quieted down after the holiday whirlwind and instead of knitting and wrapping and baking furiously in the evenings, I have a few more moments in my evenings after I have tucked the kids into bed that can be redirected.
I have quite the reading list and more items are added every day, so I am going to start on a project that I have wanted to accomplish since I was twelve. When I was twelve I wrote out a list of all the things I wanted to do before I was 25, because at twelve, 25 years old seems so seriously adult. Twenty-five has come and gone and at 29 I would definitely like to cross off a few things from the list before I hit the big 3-0. Me, being me, of course, even at the age of twelve had books on the list. I wanted to read all the works of Jane Austen and the complete works of Shakespeare. I have had a head start, I am proud to say because in high school I read Emma, although I remember the Gwyneth Paltrow film version rather than the actual novel itself which means I must re-read it. I had also read through Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice a number of times just out of the sheer delight of them, but I am sorry to say that is as far as I have gotten. I have done better with Shakespeare mostly because in my last semester of college I took a Shakespeare course and the required reading was quite extensive which of course, made nerdy me quite satisfied. So, through the course of time I am proud to say I have made progress towards this goal's end, but as the saying goes, no cigar. This year, that is the tall order I intend to fill. Finish reading Austen and Shakespeare. I love them both for different reasons, but I believe that they both opened up society to a view of itself. Both are so honest and held up a mirror to the world in which they lived, in my opinion and both seem so true to their work. So, that is what I shall do. And I will probably be watching the movie versions so I can fit in my knitting time, too on the late nights I am waiting for my husband to come home.
I just started reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel, so I am going to finish that first before I head into my reading regimen.
As for my other hobbies, such as cooking, that is taking a back seat for now due to my weight loss goals and overall health plan. I must say, that the French in me is so strong that if I can't cook using real butter and cheese and other yummy things that should only be eaten in moderation, then well, I really don't feel much like doing it at all. So I find that I am mostly chopping vegetables for salads and baking skinless chicken breast and broiling fish and steaming hunks of broccoli. Not much fun, but I am making a great start in accomplishing that particular goal. That and taking better care of myself. It's quite embarrassing to sit down in that great big swivel chair at the salon and have the hairdresser take one look at my hair and correctly estimate how long it had been since I have been back there. Who knows, she could have cheated and checked out my card before hand to guilt me into coming back sooner, but needless to say, I was so mortified I left making the obligatory six week appointment for the end of January.
In other news, the kids are thriving which is a delight to a parent. My sweet, beautiful daughter will be four years old this Saturday. I am completely flabbergasted. My little dumpling boy learns new words every day and will be two in the spring. Again, astounded...
That's all for now.
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