The Thrill is Gone - Back to work

All good things come to an end............and likewise with my 2 week vacation. I have no complaints, it was glorious (yes, glorious!) while it lasted and I still have that relaxed feeling today even with the knowledge that I am returning to work at 7 am tomorrow. Did you say alarm??

I accomplished a lot of small tasks, some not so small, and some reading which I don't do a lot of while working 5 days a week. My lunch hour is only 30 min. and break periods are not enough to settle into a book with my tea. 

I finished a book that my daughter recommended to me, The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. A different type of story about the author's version of a flu epidemic which brought about a semi-world demise. It was very personable, fun, and adorable. The character was a pilot and his best friend was his dog so since I have a dog and a husband who loves airplanes and flies his own remote controlled models, I felt right at home. A great read which brought a tear more than once. I like those kinds of books. I think Bill would enjoy it too if it wasn't due back on Wednesday! He doesn't read a lot other than magazine articles but does enjoy a good story once in a while. I'll have to try and get it on my kobo for him.

Speaking of books.....I belong to a book club at my library. I've only been a member for a year and really wasn't sure what I was getting into. I'm not a 'joiner' of sorts, not very outspoken at all and tend to be shy in a group of people I don't know. I can be intimidated easily..........hmmm, should I be telling you all this? Just for the record, I am almost 60 and I refuse to be bullied and also choose very wisely how I will spend my time. If something is too boring, someone is too obnoxious or I am feeling uncomfortable, I will stop attending. 

The club has approximately 14 members, give or take a couple. I've never seen everyone altogether at one time, but this is the number I came up with over the term. One gentleman was there when I joined and seems to attend every Wednesday night meeting (once a month). I, on the other hand, do not. If I haven't finished a book and am enjoying it, I won't go. I'll renew if possible and/or cram to get it done by the due date. I don't like the ending spoiled on anything. I repeat, anything! Glenn is a quiet, very intelligent 60+ man who doesn't shoot down anyones opinion of the book. I know this, because he chuckles when I comment on a 'chic' story about how I loved the romance of it all, when he will very openly say....."it was too mushy for me, but it was a good story". Once in a story the female character refused to go shopping for new clothes even when offered money to do so. I commented how frustrating that is to a person like myself who loves to shop.........Glenn laughed out loud. He will often comment about how his wife would enjoy this type as well.

There is a second gentleman also, who attends sporadically. He is a nice man too, I'm sure, but comes off as the brown-nose, a bit arrogant and has friendships with some local authors. I don't like listening to him, so I'm secretly glad that he isn't there every month. The rest of us are female and of varying ages. Mostly in our 50's, a few older, and maybe three younger we create an interesting group. Some talk too much, some not enough and me, I try to stay right in the middle. It is an enjoyable hour out of the house when I go.

I had a lot of books in my house, over the years having belonged to the Doubleday Book Club. Wow, is that even still around? I used to love ordering books and having them arrive at my door, all hardcovers. I don't have time for the small paperbacks. I will pick up the large soft cover books at the library or at a garage sale because I can fool myself into believing they are 'just like a hardcover'. Silly, I know, but again it is all about age and choices. :)

I've emptied shelves, offered books to my daughter who has a house full,  found some of my favourites on a free books site Tuebl.com and downloaded them into my kobo and put the remainder into boxes for a garage sale in the fall or spring. 

 Of course I have others that will go with me when we sell and move into our Jayco fulltime. Just a handful that I know I will read again and can't find them online. I refuse to pay for online books and know from a fellow blogger that there are many options for trading reading materials in the travel world. This I'm counting on!

This was a big accomplishment for me................................I've sorted out my recipe books and clippings! I went from a full crammed 3' wide x 2' deep shelf to this. I can't believe what 40 yrs of clipping magazines and buying second hand cookbooks, many of them diet recipes has come down to. Like how could I possibly think I would make all those wonderful meals??? LOL, I'm so proud of this endeavour that I vow to minimize even more or at the very least, stop adding to it. Add one discard one, that's my motto for clothes and recipes.

This has been fun, thank you for stopping in for a READ.

Any or all comments are welcome!