Confessions of a Book-aholic!

Oh, my...I went to the library last night, except this time, instead of standing guard in the kid's section watching over the girls, my husband came along and I LEISURELY got to peruse the stacks. I tried my best to restrain my collection of books to take home, remembering vividly my confession of the 71 books beside my bed already, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity for more. I just couldn't.

I've updated my stacks list on the side bar to reflect the new acquisitions...some of them I'm almost giddy about reading! Seriously, do books do this for anyone else?

The first book I cracked open was the Ultimate Bread book. It's so pretty! It makes you hungry too! I could NOT put this book down last night. We turned off our nightstand lights way past bedtime and after I heard my hubby snore I reached for my book light to finish "devouring" the luscious pictures in this book...dreaming of being able to make even just ONE of these recipes. It probably won't happen. That's why I'm confessing to try and prod myself along on this idea. Bread is so temperamental for me; that's why I've worn out two or three bread machines, but I'm fantasizing about the day I can make bread by hand. We'll see...

I have also begun doing the writing exercises taken from A Year in the Life. It's a book about journaling. A line taken from the back cover says, "A Year in the Life gently leads you through one full year of introspective writing, using weekly prompts and topics as a springboard into your deepest feelings." Hmmm.... The first exercise is describing your physical journal with a bubble idea page. I'm usually not a big fan of that kind of free-flowing diagramming (no surprise there to those of you who know me), but I have definite ideas about my journal so I followed the author's instructions and had the most fun I've ever had with the whole bubble concept. I want to share that exercise with you sometime, but want to wait until I actually incorporate some of my ideas and can share via pictures.

The next exercise was to name your journal. Is this all too touchy-feely for you? I just like this kind of stuff so bear with me. I know it's not for everyone. If it's not for you, just read on and get a good laugh. (or skip it for something else that brings you joy!) Here's what I wrote:

I name you cherished friend. You are a safe place to land. I can dump all of myself on your pages and see the good, the bad and the in-between and you do not judge. You take it all in and store it for posterity - to remember it all - a life lived openly. You are a safe place to land.

You do not hug or console. You do not have a hearty laugh. You do not cook a meal or send a card. You do not reassure my doubts with optimistic encouragement. Instead you are faithful and loyal. You are always there, quietly waiting...keeping secrets, holding my heart. You are a comfort. You are a safe place to land - without judgment (except my own), without argument (except my own.) You are my cherished friend.

Now a psychologist could have fun with that, especially a Christian psychologist, but it was just the sentiments that poured out when thinking about my journal. I don't read too deeply into the meaning of what I said. I'm not looking at it critically and admonishing myself that this is what God should be to me in some of the descriptions. I'm not trying to be "all about myself." It's just what my heart felt as I wrote about my journal...flowery, flawed, but true feelings nonetheless. I have a feeling this book will bear out some interesting blog posts in the future, that is, if I don't put it down for the NEXT amazing book.

I truly do have a problem...books...how glorious!