Sleep well, sleep deep, sleep long

Well look at that, I survived week one and have even decided this may not be so bad after all. I have gotten myself in a pattern of drinking water all day. The two water bottles helped a lot with that. And it's a funny thing ... once you get your body used to being hydrated, you really miss it when you're not. My body has been telling me when I need to drink more water throughout the days. The last 3 days of the week, I actually drank all 64 ounces of my "required" water before 4pm! Bonus, I weighed in and have lost 10 pounds! It was a good week, a very good week; and I do feel a difference. I feel better, and ready to move on.

So, now we are on to week two, step two, change two. This one is going to be a little more of a challenge for me.

This week's change is sleep. Get seven to eight hours of good sleep a night. Piece of cake, right? Um, well....

Sleep. I have a love-hate relationship with sleep. On one hand it's one of my favourite things to do. On the other, it has become more elusive as I have gotten older. I've always been a bit of a night owl, staying up late reading, watching movies, gaming. And yet, I work a job that requires me to be up fairly early most days. I love to sleep in, and naps are a favorite activity of mine. And yet, sleeping later and during the day does affect sleep at night.

So, I shall follow the plan. I will keep the tv off in the bedroom at night (I'm not getting rid of it; I use it in the mornings and often while doing housework). I will limit my caffeine, sugar and liquids after dinner (it's so ironic that one week after making me dramatically increase my water intake, the plan is to sleep through the night *sigh*). I will develop a sleep routine. I will try to be more consistent in bed and rising times. And I will continue to drink water all day long. And we shall see.

Thanks for listening.

So far, so hydrated....

Just checking in mid-week to let you all know I haven't given up. Or drowned. :)

This has been a pretty easy way to slip into the new project. I like water; I drank a good amount of it even before beginning this journey. I was just never sure HOW much. Well, now I know exactly how much. I started the week keeping track of my water intake as I drank it, a cup or two at a time. I use Lose It! to log my daily food, so I just started adding water to the log. However that quickly became a hassle. Between drinking water, bathroom breaks (hey, all that water has to go somewhere!) and logging the ounces, I was running myself ragged. I thought that was probably not a good side effect of the program, so I knew I had to come up with something else.

So, I got myself a couple of good water bottles ~ exactly the same ~ 32 ounces each; one for work and one for home (that way I can't forget it in one place and be totally lost in my hydration).

I had only two requirements. First, it had to be bpa free:

And second, it had to be made in the USA (I'm getting a little more vigilant about this):

Oh, and third, it had to have a loop (to carry it) and a wide mouth (so I can add ice). I hate those little sippy spouts. They are impossible to clean and always seem so ick.

Mission accomplished! I am on my way to making it a habit to be hydrated. Hope your week is going as well as mine.

Thanks for listening.

Why do YOU read?

It's Book Fair week in the Children's Room. That means a lot of time at my desk. It also means a lot of time to catch up on things like professional journals and literary blogs. A lot of reading time, but also a lot of thinking and introspection time. And sometimes, just sometimes, I read an article or a blog post, or a sentence even, that gets me really thinking.

This time it happened to be a paragraph in Rogert Ebert's Sun Times Journal column. Of all things to happen, the king of movie reviews got me thinking about why we read. And why we read WHAT we read.

Here's the paragraph (and the link to the column, if you want to read what started me on this train of thought):

"There is no pattern. My only goal is to enjoy reading. I learned that the average American teenager spends 17 minutes a weekend in voluntary reading. Surely that statistic is wrong. Do they mean reading of "serious" novels? I would certainly count science fiction, graphic novels, vampires, Harry Potter, newspapers, magazines, blogs--anything. Just to read for yourself for pleasure is the point. Dickens will come later, Henry James perhaps never."

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011/04/death_disports_with_writers_mo.html

My first thought was ... Why do we read? And I didn't have an immediate answer. I still don't.

I know an awful lot of people who would answer that question, "Because my teacher (or mom, or tutor, or father...) makes me" It's only natural; I work in a public library, in the Children's Room. A lot of the patrons I see are here for "assignment" reading. But there are so many who are here just to find the next good book to read.

In fact, just a few minutes ago as I was typing this, a thirteen year old girl came up and asked for my help in starting a book club. She and a bunch of her friends want to meet monthly and talk about books. Just for fun. When I told her that made my day, she laughed. But I was serious. A group of teens who want to meet and talk about books. That's joy to any librarians ears. And it's absolute bliss to any reader's ears.

I keep hearing (and reading) about how books are dead, librarians are so last century, reading has gone by the wayside, we don't need libraries because we all have Google, and did I mention ... books are dead? Funny thing that, but they really aren't. I read them, I buy them, I collect them, I loan them and borrow them, I sell them, and I help people find them all day long. Yes, the format is changing for many of them, and I will be the first to admit that I love my Kindle. I love ebooks. They are so convenient. A little too convenient, one might say; it's just so very easy to buy one, read it, and buy the next one. So books are not dead. (Well, technically, they are dead trees, but that's a whole nother thing....).

This isn't about book, anyways. Its about READING. And I still don't have an answer to my question. I know why I read. There are a plethora of reasons, depending upon what reading material we are discussing. And there will likely be a future blog post about why I read.

What I really want to know is ~ Why do YOU read?

So leave a comment. Ask your friends, and have them leave a comment. Feel free to pass this question around. Tell me why you read. You can tell me what and when and how and where, too. But what I really want to know is WHY.

I look forward to the answers. Thanks for listening; and now ~ I'M Listening.

The very merry Christmas issue

This is exclusively for Christmas Day. There will be another final issue later today.

Yes, I am blessed. I realize that every day, and never more than at Christmas. This year I was gifted by many people with CONSUMABLES! Wine, chocolate, dip, temporary tattoos, cookies and candles. And gift cards, oh wonderful gift cards. And a great set of purple socks.

I also, however, got a lot of stuff.
To be specific, and in no particular order: 2 pint glasses, 2 wine glasses, 2 casserole dishes, 2 sweaters, a t-shirt, a jersey, 3 pair of earrings, 3 books, 1 bread plate, 2 DVDs, 2 CDs, 1 paperweight, 1 foot stool, 1 curling iron, 1 gps case, 1 SU snuggie, a tea towel, 2 sets of napkins, a candle trimmer, a bell, 2 ornaments, a mug, a wine stopper, a wine vacuum set and a scarf.

So, I now have to account for 37 things. We'll call it an even 40, as I most likely forgot to list something. So, I have gotten rid of:3 pair pants, 1 gps case, 2 sheet sets, 3 pair pillowcases, 4 holiday sweaters, 6 pair jeans, 4 holiday fleece, 1 pair boots, 1 glove, 1 curling iron, 2 pins, 2 pair earrings, 8 broken pieces of jewelry, 1 wine rack, and one SU doll. And what wasn't tossed is packed into one old suitcase to give to the rescue mission.

That covers Christmas. And now the strata is done and it's time for brunch. I'll be back this afternoon to finish up the year.

The best intentions....

Ah well, I did mean to catch things up before Christmas. So now I have to do a retrospective up to today, and then I'll post about Christmas.

It is December 27, so I have 27 days to account for, plus I acquired a few things: 2 hats, a DVD, a GPS (her name is Penelope, for Odysseus' wife), a dragonfly window decoration, and 3 new CDs. That is 35 total.

I have gotten rid of, in one way or another, and in no particular order:
3 glasses
a mug
7 tins
3 books
a candle holder
3 mugs
2 shot glasses
6 earrings (not pairs, separates)
3 small glasses
7 cups

That is 36 things (35 plus one, just in case I forgot something).

Stay tuned for the Christmas edition....

One month left!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday; I certainly did.

It has been 16 days since my last post, plus 3 to get to the end of the month. I also bought 4 books, a sweater and a pair of shoes. That's a total of 25 things.

So here's a picture:

It is 11 DVDs, a CD, a mug, a small teapot, a brush, a candle holder, an old sweatshirt, a book, 4 pair of gloves and 3 loose unpaired gloves. That's 25 things.

And I am ready for December!

A few days, a month, and two to go....

My last post ended with the words, "See you in a few days or so." I guess a month must count as "or so". I have been keeping up, just not posting, so here's a month in one fell swoop. A boring post, though, as I haven't been taking pictures, just lots of notes.

I did have one more shopping spree, during which I bought a sweater, two skirts, a book and 3 CDs. So, if I add those 7 things to the 31 days I am behind and add in 1 poodle skirt and a pair of cat's eye glasses, I have 40 things to get rid of.

So, here's a list:
7 books, 3 necklaces, 2 candle holders, 1 wallet, 1 tv antenna, 1 radio antenna, 1 broken fairy trinket, 1 computer mouse, 1 cell phone ear piece, 1 pair headphones, 8 useless cords, 1 exercise ball, 1 toothbrush holder, 1 Palm Tungsten, 3 cookbooks, 1 CD player, 4 pair of jammies and 2 night shirts.

That's 41 things. So I'm good through tomorrow.

I am actually beginning to find it a little difficult to find things to discard. I have just under 2 months to go and Christmas is in there, so I'll have to toss at least 60 things. It's going to be interesting....

Still rainy, still lazy....

It's been only a few days since my last post, but they have been very busy days. Last night was the first show of our season ~ Avenue Q. It is one of the funniest shows I have ever seen. Definitely the right choice for Banned Books Week, too; something to offend everyone! But oh, did we laugh! And I bought a set of small pins. :)

I also took delivery today of my new obsession ~ Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (and the following 3 books in the series). So, that's 5 things for which I have to account, plus 3 days.

So I am getting rid of:

2 dresses, 1 pair of shorts, 1 belt, 2 tank tops, 1 skirt and


One spoon rack. I no longer collect spoons, so this one was actually pretty easy.

That's it for tonight. Next time we speak, it will be October. Three months to go. For now I am going to hibernate with Claire and Jamie. :)

Fall and Festivals and Faires, oh my!

It's been a busy few weeks. Last weekend was the Syracuse Irish Festival. What a great time! Wonderful music, great food, tasty ale, and I got to share it with some of my favourite people. And of course, there was shopping. This past weekend was the Niagara Celtic Festival in Olcott, an event I look forward to every year. More great music, more great food, lots of ale and many more of my favourite people. And, of course, more shopping.

I'll post in two sections. First, I have 15 days to account for. It's that time of year, and I have been going through clothes again. I have so many things that I just don't wear! So I am getting rid of 15 summer tops.


Next, I have all the stuff I bought and that was given to me. That includes a sweater, a shawl, a mug, 2 books, 9 CDs and a DVD. Here are some pics of most of the stuff.


This is the mug and most of the CDs (I left 2 at work).


This is what happens when you forget to click the "respond" buttin in the Columbia House email. *sigh* I guess it could be worse.


And here's the sweater, the books and Bailey.

That's a total of 15 more things. So, I'm getting rid of:


2 sweatshirts, 3 sweaters, 1 tshirt, 1 denim shirt, 1 summer top, and 1 chemise

And:


4 skirts, 1 tank top and a dress.

I probably missed a day or an item (or 2 or 3 of each) somewhere over the past few weeks and months, so I have decided to toss a few extras, just to make sure.
So, as a bonus I am adding this stuff to the bag to the Rescue mission:

4 t-shirts, 4 pairs of pajamas, 3 tanks and a skirt.

That should do it for now. I'm almost 3/4 of the way through, and I really think I might make it!

Books, books, books

Well, look at me. It's only been 5 days, and I am keeping true to my determination to stay updated. :)

For five days I have five books:


And so I'm a little bit closer.

Falling back into the routines....

It has been 70 days since my last post. Summer has come and gone. Faire has passed into the past. I have been very neglectful of my blog, and I am sorry for that. I have been a very good girl, though. I have been keeping track of the days and packing stuff up to get rid of. I have also been keeping track of all the things I acquired. It's mostly garb and other faire accessories.

This is going to be a very boring post. No pictures; just a couple of lists. First, the list of things I acquired over the past 2 months. Some of this I made, some I bought, some was gifted:
6 skirts, 1 bodice, 4 pair of bloomers, 3 chemises, 1 capelet, 2 pockets, 1 feather fan, 1 leather mask, 2 flower garlands, 1 mead mug, 2 ceramic mugs, 4 CDs, 3 books (yes, only 3 books!!), 1 camp coffee maker, 1 electric kettle, 1 pair of pewter candlesticks, and 1 wooden claddagh wall hanging.

That's 35 things. Added to the 70 days, and I have to toss (or recycle, donate, etc.) 105 things.

So, here's the list:
9 pair of shoes, 9 purses, 17 plates, 1 sugar thing from a diner, 9 bowls, 1 flask, 2 fancy hair comb sets, 1 pink satin pouch, 4 necklaces, 1 watch, 5 pair earrings, 16 stray earrings, 9 pins, 1 bracelet, 11 charms, 3 glass candle holders, 6 pair capris.

That's 105 things. And I am now caught up. I am going to really try to stay up on the project from now on. I am, after all, 2/3 of the way through. Wow. I might actually make it!

A book buying expedition or two...

Well, I finally cracked. I have been doing pretty well in the "not buying stuff" department, and last weekend, I cracked. Actually, it started 2 weekends ago and culminated last weekend in a true shopping spree.

But first, I have several days to account for, 16 to be exact. For those 16 days, I have decided to get rid of 16 t-shirts. And this is what a pile of 16 t-shirts looks like:



Now for the shopping spree. I bought, over the past two weeks, 11 books:

One of them, Brida, I have started and don't like. So that one is going straight to the library and I'm not going to count it. However, I also bought two hair sticks which brings the total up to 12.

So, I'll get rid of 2 shower curtains (both the same bright, garish fish design):


One bodice that bled badly when it was washed (by the seamstress's directions, I might add...):


And one Trivial Pursuit Book Lovers edition:


A pair of flip flops that are too small:


A blue sweater t-shirt:


2 tan tops that I never wear:


2 sweaters:


And 2 matching tanks:


and that catches me up. I'll have a slew of garb to account for after his weekend, though, so stay tuned....

It's been a long, long time....

....since my last post. I've been to Ireland and I am back! I'll be posting my pictures in a seperate blog sometime soon, so watch for that!

Now, I am going to sdo this in stages, as I have many days to post for, as well as things I bought in Ireland and things I got for my birthday. (Yes, I am now a year older) I have been keeping track of things acquired and discarded, so here goes...

My last posted discard was for Tuesday, May 20; that means I have 19 things to count (and that gets me through today). Here's a list; I dpon;t have pictures this time, as I have been working with my memory cards and camera with the Ireland pics. I'll be back to photos next time.

5 paperback "throwaway" books
Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier
An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor
1 old glass with gold trim (the last of the old wedding gifts....)
An old make-up case (too big for practical use)
Mozart Musical Masterpieces book and CD
Butane Curling Iron
A broken canister that goes with my tea and coffee set
1 denim shirt
2 leather skirts (yes, 2 *grin*)
4 winter scarves

That's 19 and that gets me through!

Now, the things I have acquired:
2 tshirts
1 photo album
7 CDs
2 cookbooks
1 set of guide books
Assorted small souvenirs (magnets and pins that fit in my current collections; I'm counting this as 1 thing)
2 books from Ireland
3 books for my birthday
1 dragonfly candle holder
1 claddagh ring
1 Royal Tara trinket box
1 shamrock necklace
1 claddagh necklace
2 dolls
1 sheep (not a real one. *grin*)
1 egg cup

That's 28 things.

So, I have gotten rid of:
Trivial Pursuit 90's edition
4 fire damaged tigger statuettes
4 sewing patterns
1 box assorted greeting cards
1 address book
1 pair sneakers
3 pair sandals
1 jacket
4 t shirts
1 cardigan
1 hairbrush
2 pair PJs
1 purple sweater
4 black mini skirts (let's face it; these 41 year old legs ain't never getting into a skirt THAT short again!)

That's 28 +1 (in case I missed anything).

And now I am caught up. *whew*

Yeah, I'm a slacker....

I admit it. It's been that kind of week with allergies, work and just general PMSiness, and I let things slide. But I'm back now. And I'm making it up with books. anyone who really knows me will tell you that my books are my most prized possession. I covet them, I explore them, I arrange them, I collect them, and I even read them. And sometimes ~ ok, often ~ I end up with some I'll never read again, or that I don't really even like.

I have 11 days to make up for, and I have 11 books that are going. Some (of the fantasy ones) to my brother, some to the library.

These six are going to my brother. They are 2 trilogies of fantasy fiction that he'll probably like and I'm pretty sure he doesn't have them.




I think I'll give this one to him, too. He'll like it, and it will be a good one to keep for my nephew. :)


These are going to the library. They're just not worth the shelf space.


This one was all set to go to Ireland with me. I always bring "throw away books" when I travel, paperbacks that I'll read and leave wherever I am when I finish them. I've left books in airports, airplanes, hotel rooms, taxis, buses, park benches, etc. This was going to be one of them for this trip, but i discovered i already read it. So it's going to the library.


This one I am going to pass along to friends and family to read. I loved it! But I probably won't ever read it again, so after the book discussion this week, I'll share the joy. :)


So, that's actually 12 books. I guess I am set until Tuesday.

I've been doing really well on the shopping front. I have bought some fabric (ok, lots of fabric, and I'm not done yet), but I've decided to count the items I make rather than the pieces of fabric. I really need some new garb pieces for faire (skirts and chemises and bloomers, oh my....). So when I get home from Ireland, I'll be sewing and adding items. What fun!

Enjoy your Sunday!

28 days and counting....

Until my vacation. My trip to Ireland with my Dan. And wow do I need a vacation. This has been a rough spring. I have been so tired, and I am sure part of it is that I'm burning out at work. Hopefully this vacation will revive me and give me back some inspiration. If not, I'm not sure what I'll do.

Big news. We're going to the voters. The library, that is. We need a boost to the budget (we're running pretty close to the 2001 budget, very short staffed and very low materials budgets, among other things). I have a link, but I left it at work. I'll post it tomorrow.

{Okay, it's tomorrow now. Here's the link: http://voteyesforourlibrary.org/jervis}

Anyways, I have some catching up to do. I haven't bought anything, so I have just the day to day things to toss. And here they are.

A fan way past its prime.


Two pair of sandals. I just don't wear white shoes.


A too fuzzy green turtleneck sweater.


A cream sweater that I always think i am going to wear, but I never do.


I also gave away a book this past weekend and didn't log it. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson. It's making the rounds of the family right now with instructions to keep it going and then donate it somewhere when everyone has read it.

So, that's it for now. I'm caught up to today. I'd like to say that I'll do a better job of keeping track, but, well, we all know how that goes. :)

Have a good hump day!

Internet issues; isn't blogging adventurous?

I have been having on again ~ off again connection problems at home, so I am woefully behind on my blog. I have been keeping track of things to get rid of, as well as purchases (and there have been several acquisitions over the past week....). So, here we go.

First, the easy part. I have 7 days to make up for and catch up on. That will actually get me through Friday, so I won't have to worry about the modem kicking me off at home. (And no, I am not writing this at work, just pasting and posting. *grin*)

Five t-shirts that I never wear, for various reasons. The main reason being that I have A LOT of tshirts.


Two pairs of fleece pants that are too short. What can I say, my ankles get cold.


There. I'm caught up and actually ahead of the game. Well, except for those pesky acquisitions.

Let's see, over the past week I got:
3 books, a DVD, a new brush, a necklace, and a bracelet (that's 7 things so far).


Five CDs; plus 3 more came today that I forgot to take a picture of (my CD club's points were expiring, so I had to use them. Yippee, free CDs!! *sigh* more stuff to count....) (That makes 15...)


And my favourite addition to the chaos:

Pride and Prejudiuce and Zombies. A most romantic surprise, don't you think? My Dan knows me so well!!

That's a grand total of 16 items. So I will donate or toss:

Two pair of capris:

I don't know what possessed me to buy these colors!

Two pair of pants:

Let's face it; I'll never be this size again. And if I ever am, I'll celebrate with NEW pants!

One nearly worn out sweater set:

This is the first purchase I ever made at Christopher and Banks, and I have been hooked ever since. It remains my favourite clothing store.

One sweater that has a hole in it:

Another great C&B purchase that I wore right out.

A well used, chopped up sweatshirt:

I have many, many sweatshirts for housework and the such. This one is going.

Four wrap skirts that I made years ago:

When I made these, I was just learning to sew, and they were easy practice for the machine. I haven't worn them in a long time, though.

And 5 CDs that I donated to the library without taking a picture of them first:
Sheila Stratton-Peel, Encore for a Queen, Circle, The Lost Boys and The Shantyman

Wow. That should do it! I hope to have my modem/connection fixed or replaced by the weekend. So I'll hope to be back on track then. If not, Happy Easter and see you next week!

It's all about the convenience....

The question was where would I get my news if newspapers went away...

I do read the news on the Internet. I admit it. I don't subscribe to a newspaper. Personally, I don't think my local fish wrap is worth the cash. I am thinking of subscribing to the Syracuse paper, but I haven't yet. And if I do, it will be weekends only, so I can get the coupons.

I read my news on the Internet. Does that make me a bad person? I don't think so. It makes me efficient, I guess. I am already on there, might as well read the headlines. Sometimes I even click on a link and read a whole article. It really doesn't take me long. I only read the score for sports, and the occasional article or editorial if it pertains to my team. I have very little interest in pop culture, and the new movie times and reviews are all available on my iPod. It's mostly the main US and World news; let's face it, I don't really want to read most of it. It's too depressing.

I get most of my favourite columns in either email or RSS, so there's no loss there. That way I can read a week's worth (or a month's worth) in one fell swoop without a month's worth of papers piling up. (It's bad enough I let the magazines sit there until the piles topple over.)

I also subscribe to several newspapers vie email. They are all from Ireland, Scotland and the BBC, though. What can I say, I'd rather watch the BBC shows and movies, too.

I will say, though; I miss the comics. They are just not the same online.

"Where the Red Fern Grows" still makes me cry

I signed up for a new site today; Plinky. It's writing prompts, blogging ideas, inspiring questions ~ that sort of thing. I don't know how many of them I'll push over here; I may start a new blog for them if I like it that much. But here's the first one. (And I know I am a week behind reporting on discards. I have been busy this week, but I have been following the plan and documenting things all week. I just have to sit down and get the pics up to the blog. Tomorrow. I promise.)

It was fifth grade. Everyone (all 3 classes) was reading "Where the Red Fern Grows" in study hall. We had a sub; her name escapes me. I think it was the gym teacher. So, there we were. 60 or so fifth grade kids reading quietly. Then one of us started to cry. And then another. The next thing you knew, the whole room was in tears. Sobbing hysterically as only a dramatic fifth grader can. And there stood the teacher. A class of crying kids with no idea why and no idea what to do about it. And so she stood there and cried.