Season of Summer and Books

Each season brings new promise, farewells, and hellos. My summer has surely been a change from spring, and I welcome it all. Since I never really had me time in the spring, winter, or fall either, I don't think much about devoting my day 100% to my little guy. It is a tremendous pleasure.

When the school year comes around again, I will be there from 8-12. Not 7:30 to 4. Yes, my salary is gravely affected, but my life will be tremendously enriched. I am so happy to greet this new routine, though I am NOT rushing through the one my son and I have now.

As far as me time goes for this mama, I have almost made it through two books this summer. That's NOTHING to so many people, yet for me, it's pretty darn good. I'm a slow reader anyway, and with a toddler, you just never know when you'll want to pick it up.

I have found myself quietly slipping into a nap (even 15 minutes) after reading during his nap time. It's pretty nice, actually. And though I wish I could plow through more books, I also enjoy napping when he does, catching up on my favorite shows, and blogging.


I have enjoyed Heart of the Matter this summer, and Vision in White.
I dearly love Emily Giffin, and I love the feel of paperbacks. Not the tiny mass market ones, but the bigger ones. No other type of books feels better in my hands. So even though this one was out LAST summer, I waited for the paperback. I had plenty other books to read, anyway!

When I was about 8 weeks pregnant, my mother-in-law took me to her river house in Hardy, AR. She bought me food that would not turn my stomach, fed me well, and bought me silly, mindless books and magazines to read. It was for me to relax, and hubby to stay home to pack our house, since we were a week away from buying our first place.


Vision in White was the book she bought, and I didn't read it then because I was in the middle of another one, but I wanted so much to read it. I read all the bride fiction that looked decent when I was engaged, and this looked like plain, simple fun. Nora Roberts likes to write four books in a series, maybe three, and this was a "Bride Quartet" book. This was two years ago, and now all the books are out. I am just finishing up this one, and it's simple, plain, joyful fun.

My next book won't be the second in the Bride Quartet, as I rarely go back to back with the same author.

I AM still reading The Happiness Project book but am going slowly, since I can. And summer has turned things upside down, but hey, even that makes me happy. I needed a little shaking up at the end of May...time for a relaxing routine. Looks like the prescription that worked was mommy/toddler time and reading.

Happiness indeed.

Procrastination Happiness and Unhappiness

It's summer for this teacher, and this mama couldn't be more excited to spend her summer with a handsome 17 month-old.

We're getting into the swing of things post-end of school year, and we've had much catching up to do at home. Grocery shopping, laundry, etc. However, there are so very many things I have put off for months, and I did a few things today.

Procrastination RARELY makes me happy. When you know you'll get to it later (as in, EXACTLY when you will do it), it can be kind of a fun little thing. But while reading The Happiness Project and knowing how micro-movements are the way to go, I adopted the one-minute-rule. It's worked beautifully! Can it be done in a minute or less? DO IT NOW.

However, there are so many things that DO take more than a minute, and involve planning. I'm determined to be better about that with more time now. Today, I finally called the vet to make an appointment for this weekend for my beagle, who is a bit overdue for her check-up. I'm ashamed and a bad mommy to my sweet lady, but I give her a lot of love, and I'm making up for it now. Dogs are so forgiving.

And also, she's needed a new collar for quite some time. And a new ID tag. Did it all today. She's spiffed up, and soon will have her new rabies vaccine tag, too.

I feel AWFUL that I procrastinated on this. I kept telling myself it was a money and time thing, but she's a living being, and my responsibility.

I'll try to remember this the next time this comes up. Next thing? Make dentist appointment for me. As long as I have the appointment, I'm fine with July or August. As long as I know it's on the calendar.

What can YOU stop procrastinating on? Anything?