Tired (again)

This weekend was a little tough for me. I am exhausted once again. It's not like I did much either. I try to take it easy on the weekends but I always end up trying to catch up on the things I don't have time to do during the week. I would love to be able to just wake up and have my coffee and then throw the hours of the day up in the air and let them fall where they may. I guess it's just not part of my personality and if I do sit down for a few minutes my mind races with all the things I should be doing. It's almost as if I feel that there isn't enough time in my day and I need to occupy every hour that passes with something. I know that there is always something I can be doing besides sitting there wasting my time (in my opinion). I think I need to find a new and exciting book to read. I've already read so much these past couple of months and haven't really found anything interesting yet. Any suggestions?

Books I Love...

I love this story and Mr. Darcy...

Should I admit to this one...

This one is really useful...

I love reading. I've read so many books in my lifetime. I remember spending entire summers reading whole books in a day or two. I would lose myself in the stories and become one with the characters I loved. The story of Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights) was one of my favorites. I read Judy Blume books when I was younger and remember relating to the character of Margaret in "Are You There God? It's Me Margaret." Lately, I've been reading more than I used to. I take out so many books and start to read them all at once. This is not a good thing. I tend to mix the stories and the characters up in my head and confuse myself. At my age, and with the way my brain is working lately, the last thing I need is to confuse myself further. I wish I could express how important reading is to my kids. My son would rather read freaky "Captain Underpants" over and over again than give a good story a chance. I will get him to read better books. It's my new goal starting this summer.

New Cookbook

I'm checking out this new cookbook. I'm looking it over to see if it's worth keeping. Isn't it pretty? And it's huge, too.

What I'm Reading Now...

Not the Kindle Edition, though. I became interested in Anna Wintour some time ago after reading an interview she did with a fashion magazine. Recently, I watched her documentary "The September Issue" and that further deepened my interest so I ordered this book from the library. I haven't quite gotten past the introduction yet but this will be one I will carry with me to read every chance I get. Sometimes I get books and start reading them but lose interest and end up returning them unread but I'm hoping this one keeps my interest. I have a strong feeling it will.

Books

The Giving Tree is very beautiful.

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series is very funny.

The Pigeon Series cracks us up!

My kids and I have something in common. We really love books. The other day while waiting for my husband to get back from somewhere (I actually don't remember where he was) my kids and I decided we would go to Barnes & Noble for a bit to kill some time. We took some time to look through the shelves and pull a bunch of books that seemed good. We also pulled some of our favorites. We spent a good 2 hours in that place and we probably would have stayed longer but figured we'd better move on. I think we'll make hanging out at bookstores a priority on days we don't have a lot to do.

I Love Cookbooks

Recently, I have taken an honest-to-goodness, really real interest in cooking and, in the process, have started a collection of cookbooks. I own a good number of them but the more expensive ones I borrow from the library and return much, much later than your average borrow time. I can pour over them for hours. Here is my latest borrow. I would love to get my kids (specifically, my daughter) to try new foods. Her diet consists of milk, cheese, macaroni and cheese, more cheese, cereal, cheese and pancakes. Oh, and cheese! Maybe pasta with meat sauce when there's a full moon but really that is the extent of her diet. I would love to be able to cook up new and exciting meals for her to enjoy and nourish her. I know that children can be picky but this just seems unreal to me. I plan to get her to eat more things. I'm thinking that starting in the new year one of my major goals will be to introduce her to better food. I think it's really, really important.

The Sartorialist Book

I recently got this book and have looked over all the pictures over and over again. Talk about inspiring. I have been a fan of Scott Schuman for over a year now and check his website daily for his wonderful photos. He has such a great eye for beauty and fashion and his photos are beautifully taken. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves individual creativity in fashion and clothing.

check out his site:

www.thesartorialist.com

The Lives We Leave Behind

I am an anxious person by nature. I try to keep a certain level of peace in my life at all times even though I know that isn't always possible . But for the most part I've been able to achieve that balance by abiding by a specific set of rules that I try not to deviate from. Several years ago I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I thought I would certainly lose my mind and in turn die from the lunacy that would take over my brain. The episode took a lot from me at the time and prevented me from finishing things that I had hoped would help me with my future plans. I am happy to say that I didn't lose my mind and, as you can see, I'm still alive. The factors that led to that awful time are no longer a part of my everyday life. Thankfully! But recently, certain things have brought back memories of that time and I know that if I don't do everything in my power to let that go I can be sure that those feelings will return. I can't go through that again. I won't go through that again! There are things that will happen in our lives that will test our strength, as well as, our sanity. I believe I've grown stronger due to some amazing support from my husband, some family and close friends. But what happens to those who aren't as lucky. I say that because there is plenty of evidence to support the fact that so many people have not had the good fortune of support to take them through tough times. I am currently reading a book called The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases From a State Hospital Attic . About a year ago, a friend and I had the good fortune of attending an exhibit at the New York Public Library that had displayed the main ten individuals portrayed in the book. It was both eye opening and heartbreaking. The book details the lives of people who didn't have a backup system or people to turn to and, in fact, some of those people shouldn't have even been there. I thank my lucky stars that I have people. It's seems so simple yet it means so much. My eyes are open just a little wider now.