Winter: Time to Read

At least, that's my hope. I always want to snuggle down in a blanket and read at this time of year. My memories of childhood Christmases (after the little-kid toy Christmases) are of everyone getting new books, and all of us in the family sitting around the house reading in quiet solitude. It didn't really matter if I was living in Arizona (not very cold) or California (not cold at all), I loved the long series of days with no obligations, being able to read for hours non-stop.

Of course, most of this time period I'm talking about was when I was in school or college, which meant part of my calendar was designated as vacation. My job of being a student was suspended while I enjoyed no structure in my days, no homework, etc.

Today I have a toddler, from which there is no vacation. I keep trying to remember to instigate a "reading time" during the day, but we're just not people that do the same thing every day, much less at the same time every day. So maybe it will have to be occasional. But toddler needs to learn how to let Mommy read while she plays with toys or looks at her own books. She's at the age where she's just starting to play by herself sometimes, so maybe reading time for me is in sight. I hope so. There are so many books I want to read! And now there just keep being more all the time!

I've been looking at different reading lists on NPR and found a few I think I'll like. In one browser window I'm looking at the book list and reading the descriptions, and in another browser window I'm reserving books at my local library. And in another window I'm putting books on my wish list on Paperback Swap. And did I mention it's 6am? Everyone else is asleep, that's why I can successfully do this multi-tasking stuff.

So here's one of the lists I like, by Nancy Pearl, the famous librarian who has a librarian action figure modeled on her. She calls her list Under-the-Radar Books.

I'm Not Crazy (Again)

Really, I'm not! It's amazing how many times I have to rediscover this truth. I love the craft community. I was just reading this great article on Make and Meaning about the creative process, and it is so affirming that I feel a sudden burst of happiness and that calm you get when you feel like you're not weird, you're you, and all is right with the world. Ah.

I've read so many foofy blah blah articles and books about the creative process that don't really describe exactly what happens, but have this pie-in-the-sky language that I just can't relate to, which just makes me feel weird, and then here is this one with kooky descriptions that I totally GET. I really don't know how the writer did it, figured out how to express it, but it's fabulous. I feel a kindred spirit, and affirmation.

There's an overused, messed up word: affirmation. Remember the craze for affirmation books? I have several of them. For the inner child, the women who do too much, etc. And gosh darnit, people like me (Stuart Smalley reference--who is now our senator). Well, this noodling playful expression that comes from specific personal experience is exactly the kind of affirmation that works for me.

What affirms you and your creative process?

Busy Busy Busy

Just a quick update: my first craft fair, the Green Gifts Fair, went fabulously. I made over $100! That probably sounds like small potatoes to most of you craft fair experts. But I'm happy. And we had so many compliments from other vendors on our table, that it was "colorful and playful."

So in two days I have the Women's Art Festival and I'm sure it will be fun, esp. with my buddy Sue there again. But I just kinda want to get it over with so I can focus more on my family's Christmas. I have some Christmas shopping done, but I need to figure out the whole picture.

I've been sad lately because I miss my folks and sisters out in Seattle. I just saw them in September but it went by too fast.

I've decided to make my Mommy Blog public so everyone can read it. And I'm really going to try to update it more often (I haven't since April). I need it, it's like a journal and it helps me figure out where I am in the world.

Go Read This!

Hey! I just found this fun new craft blog that I immediately made my home page: Make & Meaning. Diane from CraftyPod is one of the founders, and it just looks delicious, like the newspaper I want to sit and read on a Sunday afternoon with a cuppa.