About my lack of a post today...

I have this whole post written about Milton and how he likes to chase the dust broom.

It includes a video that has been processing since 1:30 this afternoon. Nine hours. It's longer than my usual video, so I'm going to give it until I go to bed tonight and if it doesn't work I'll be re-filming because Milton is always up for attacking the broom.

Also, I completely flaked on part of my new year's resolution today. If you look to your left at my book list you'll see that it grew by three. I had lunch with my mom and grandmother today and while I was waiting on them I stopped at the bookstore. Big mistake! Their clearance stack had recently been replenished and I just couldn't pass up the three and four dollar price tags. I got all three books for ten bucks. No book lover would fault me for that.

Happy Wednesday! (What's left of it)

The plague I mean, resolutions...

So how is 2010 looking so far to all of you?

I certainly hope everyone has avoided disaster to this point - especially since it's only the first day.

We're just getting started.

Anyone care to share their resolutions with me? Losing weight? Building muscle? Cleaning out your closet? Saving money?

Can you tell I'm stalling?

Making resolutions has never really been something I've done. Mostly because I feel like I'm setting myself up for failure, and that's no way to start out the new year. Am I right?

Last year I resolved to be grateful for something every day. More specifically I joined in on 365 days of grace in small things where the challenge is to blog daily about 5 things you are grateful for. This is something that has had a profound effect of my life this last year; something I will talk about a bit more later in the month. I did manage to stick with it, but a few things got in my way and my 365 posts will not be done until January 19th.

Given the success of this 365 day resolution I've decided to do another. I'm jumping on the bandwagon with a fellow blogger and attempting to do Project 365 which challenges you to take at least one photo a day for a year. That doesn't sound too difficult does it? One would think not, but I can see how, on those boring days, it might take some creativity to take a different photo than the one you took the day before.

Right now I have a second blog dedicated to my current 365 challenge. I haven't yet decided if I will continue using it as a 365 blog or if I'll let it stand as a gratitude blog and post my Project 365 photos here. I'm undecided, but I won't be posting daily for this project. I will definitley take a photo every day, but there might just be one post a week dedicated to the project. It will make life easier for me and hopefully keep this photo thing from seeming like a chore.

Either way, I'll post my first photo by the end of today. Stay tuned.

On to resolution number 2.

Did I just say 2? I'm pretty sure I did. Holy cow!

I am an avid reader. Reading is sexy and all that jazz.

As hobbies go this is my favorite and certainly the longest running.

I don't do book reviews on here because I'm bad at them. I have a hard time keeping it short and sweet and not spoiling things. Just ask my English lit professor that asked me to write a four page paper synopsizing Emma by Jane Austen. My paper was at least double that.

Another love if mine is bookstores and new book smell. This can sometimes be a problem. Which brings me to my next resolution.

For a few years now I've been collecting books on my shelf that I either a) mean to read, b) start to read but don't finish or c) receive as gifts and don't get around to.

So, I am resolving to read all the book in my "to be read" pile before I allow myself to buy another book. Gasp!

Let me add a disclaimer to this: I will never refuse a book as a gift. Just in case you were wondering.

I gathered up all my unread or half read books to take a photo and document the beginning of my challenge. The size of my pile was much larger than I had anticipated.


There are four compilations books, so in all I have 32 books to read before I set foot in make a purchase at a bookstore.

Here is the list, in no particular order:

The Devil Wears Prada, Weisberger
The Fabulous Girl's Guide to Decorum, Izzo & Marsh
The Host, Meyer
Atonement, McEwan
The Jungle, Sinclair
The Yada Yada Prayer Group, Jackson
French Women Don't Get Fat, Guiliano
Moll Flanders, Defoe
Son of a Witch, Maguire
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Rowling
The Choice, Sparks
Saving Graces, Edwards
Little Women, Alcott
The Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis
*The Magician's Nephew
*The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Horse and His Boy
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle
The Complete Novels, Austen
Sense and Sensibility
**Pride and Prejudice
Mansfield Park
**Emma
Northanger Abbey
Persuasion
Lady Susan
Three Plums in one, Evanovich
One For the Money
Two For the Dough
Three to Get Deadly
More Plums in one, Evanovich
Four to Score
High Five
Hot Six
An Echo in the Bone, Gabaldon (not pictured)

*I have read these already, but plan to read them again.
**I have read these already and probably won't read them again. Not right now anyway.

The last book by Diana Gabaldon is the most recent one from the Outlander series which my mother-in-law and I have been reading together. I do not own the book, but she does and as it has already been purchased I'm including it on my "to be read" list. And if you've read the Outlander series you can't possibly expect me to read all these other books before I read An Echo in the Bone. I mean, let's get real here.

Wish me luck. I might even attempt a review or two, but I'm not promising anything.

Gratitude, Day 22

They say silence is golden. Sometimes that is true. It's nice to turn everything off and just enjoy the lack of constant stimulation. Then your thoughts start to take over and they are a lot louder than the television or computer could ever hope to be.

For me, this where books come in. I have always loved to read. It's an instant escape into someone else's world. Someone else, who usually has much bigger problems than me. And the good ones have a happy ending, which lends hope that everyone in my reality will too.

Book review: The Twilight Series

I have read the books twice now in about 2 weeks. If you have not read them yet, go now and get them. I'm not kidding. Right this second. Go.

It's easy reading because the books are geared towards young adult readers. But the story is awesome, and if you are like me and you harbor a secret love of vampire folklore, you'll love them even more.

I'd read them through again if I thought that Andy wouldn't get annoyed with me. I'm going to move on to Jane Austen... for now.

Call me a follower...

I've been wanting to read the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer for a while now. I keep hearing really good things about it. Also, the twilight movie is coming out later this year and I hate seeing a movie based on a book that I haven't read. I know, I know, I could just not see the movie, but who are we kidding here? It seems like it's going to be a must see. I found the first two books, Twilight and New Hope, at Wal-mart for a really good price, so I broke down and bought them. I may have a new addiction, but if I don't then at least I'll know what everyone is talking about.