Before I Wake

I am a voracious reader. It borderlines on obsessive and at times can be downright inconvenient. I'm the type of person who will put off practically anything to read a good book.

I grew up surrounded by books and people reading books - old, new, used, borrowed, from the library, school, Oprah's Book Club, it doesn't matter the source. My entire family reads and shares. My closest friends read and share.

I'm a very fast reader. I need at least 300-400 pages or I get frustrated because the story doesn't last long enough. I'm a very good reader, from a very early age. But I love books. I love paper. The feel of the pages, soft and cool, words ready to engage you and make you forget about everything else.

I'm pretty flexible about the topic. I just like a good read. I'm not that good with non-fiction. I lose patience and tend to skim or flip or use as a resource. I did read every word of Love and Respect and I'm proud of myself for that. I do like those detective-type stories and generational stories about families. I think Harry Potter is amazing. The mind of that woman, the imagination, the attention to detail, to carry us through and hold our attention, craving more for seven books...I was crushed for days when James Frey admitted to "not telling the truth" in A Million Little Pieces - I felt personally offended. I laughed my head off reading The Devil Wears Prada and wanted to move to Mitford when I read that series. I seem to get attached to the people in the books, they seem so real to me.

I'm not good at author's names which is a shame. I have loved so many of them but can't remember them to give them credit. I have loved Maeve Binchy and ALL of her books (I can't ready her short ones, they end too soon and that makes me sad). She leaves me wanting more of her characters. I am loving Jodi Picoult and her books. Such good stories. The Shell Seekers, whoever wrote that. The Glass Castle - true memoirs and an unbelieveable tale of growing up. I could go on forever.

Yesterday I finished Before I Wake by Robert J. Wiersema. What a book. You know when you cry at the end it is GOOD. The story about a toddler who is the victim of a hit and run, survives but is comatose. She seems to have healing powers for those around her. It is the story of her and her parents, those around her and the investigation into her gifts. I am so surprised it is written by a man. It just felt like the author was a woman. A Canadian author (yah), written up in the Globe and Mail on their Best Book List.

If you are ready to start a new book or are compiling a list of books to read, give this a try. Reading is so personal, but I liked this one enough to dare to recommend :)

Sandy

We're Back

Well, summer vacation has started with a bang!

My daughter and I have just returned home after being away for three weeks. We had visiting and surprise birthday-partying to do, she had a week of band camp (bass clarinet) and then we went to Prince Edward Island for four days with my mom, sister, niece and nephew.

We had so much fun on the island. Took the kids to see Anne of Green Gables (the musical), which is always heart-wrenching and awesome. Did the antique photo picture. Visited Avonlea Village (where "Anne grew up"), hit Cow's Ice-Cream four days straight and of course, went to a lobster supper and ate ourselves silly. PEI is such a treasure in our own back yard.

So now I'm up late reading the blogs because I'm so tired I can't sleep. Everyone seems to be having a nice summer so far. There are good vibes coming from the bloggysphere.

I'm off to Maine in four days for a quick shopping trip with my sister (she'll shop and I'll watch) with no kids or husbands. Just us. I don't think we've ever done that before. I'm sure we will be fine. We have quite a volatile history behind us but we have worked hard on "us" for several years, so I'm sure we'll have a ball. My nephew is going to the National Scouting Jamboree for a week back home in Quebec and will be gone for a total of two weeks. That will be hard for mother and son (age 12), so I hope our getaway will be a distraction for her since I know he'll be distracted with tents and hiking and the like.

Then the summer weeks should quiet down and not rush by so fast. Frank has his vacation the last three weeks of August, into Labour Day weekend. He never wants to do much, he just enjoys not going into work. The three of us may poke around somewhere for a few days, or maybe just day trips from home.

I've been missing my friends at home and I hope to catch up with them soon. I know one of my friends has been off work for a week after she was bitten by a dog! Can you imagine! Scary! That's a scoop I need to get.

My husband keeps wanted me to do Face-Book, but I think I'm going to remain loyal to bloggyville - any thoughts on Facebook?

The weather here has been pretty crappy - rainy and cloudy. I hope August brings more sunshine! El Nino is wreaking havoc on our summers although global-warming is great on our winters so I guess it's all a trade-off. Too wet to mow, so I'll take the breaks when given.

Sandy

Update

First of all - Happy 140th Canada Day, July 1, 2007

Just as a brief update to my Harsh Words post.

How interesting my response has been. I wrote about it and three people commented with very consistent thoughts and opinions. I also sent my post as an email to a friend that I often turn to for advice. She is a very thoughtful and prayerful person, so I tend to listen to her a lot. Her response was very much the same as the others.

I love consistency. Especially with regard to the Word of God and how to be a Christian. Sometimes (well, most times) I just want a straight answer. Depending on the people, if all arrows point in the same direction, than that usually means that's the way to go.

Generally, out of love, I have a duty to my friend to share my concerns. That the experiences of my past may help others as well as myself.

I think I knew this. But I think I needed a nudge.

Then GUESS WHAT happened? My friend started coming to these realizations on her own, out of the blue. I couldn't believe it. She was sharing and I was confirming, that yes, these were valid concerns worth exploring. Man! Not everything, but enough to get started. I'm hoping there will be more conversations this summer that I may be able to "point out or mention" and she won't shoot the messenger.

Guess God had His own agenda (imagine that) and although He and I were on the same wave-length, I needed to wait for His time-line :)

Sandy