My personal reading challenges

I have an account on Goodreads. If you love books then Goodreads.com is a great place to be. Each year they set up a challenge for us to challenge ourselves to read more, to set goals to read however many books we think we can or that we want to read. I enjoy challenges like that since I’m just a little competitive. And I love books. ♥

In 2013 my goal was 25 books. I made it to 44%, having read only 11 books. Actually, if you look at my list here on my blog for what books I read that year, my total was 34. The difference is because I apparently didn’t report them all on Goodreads. Oops!

I don’t remember what my goal for 2014 was, but I reported 38 books. In actuality, I read 46.

In 2015 I met my goal of 50 books. Yay! (Plus one I didn’t report.)

This year I set a goal of 25, then decided to up it to 50 again. Once I joined the ReFoReMo challenge in March, I said – what the hey! – and reset my goal to 150 books this year. Yipes! Not to panic, yet. I am already 64 ahead of schedule at 71%, having read 107 as of this writing. I still have a few more titles on hold at the library for the lingering on of ReFoReMo in my life, and we have about eight months left in 2016. I can do it! (yes I can) Gosh, I love books! ♥

It may not seem like such a big accomplishment where most of my reading so far this year is picture books. I could never manage to read that many novels in twelve months. BUT … reading is reading. I’m learning about writing while I’m enjoying all those expertly told stories, too, as they serve as mentor texts. ♥

Someday I’ll try to count how many books I have here in my growing TBR stashes. ♥ Novels, that is. Novels beckoning to me, novels tempting me, calling me. *sigh* I want to read them, get lost in them, devour them all! ♥

I ♥ BOOKS.

Another feature on Goodreads is that other members I’ve connected with as “friends” can recommend books they’ve read. Oh me. Some have. 🙂 ♥

Oh, and while I’m on the topic — thank you to author Darlene Foster who follows my blog and recommended Pompeii by Robert Harris. I bought it through Audible.com and very much enjoyed it. Of course, I could have borrowed it from the library but I didn’t even think of doing that at the time. I really like Audible, anyway. 🙂 I can multi-task that way — listen to the book being performed for me (not just read), which is so great, and work around doing something else at the same time. But not writing. Not while “reading.” 😉

Have you set a goal this year for how many books you want to read? Or is there some other goal-setting you’ve established?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

45 life lessons as written by a 90-year-old

When I began using email many years ago there were so many “forwards” being sent around. I still receive the occasional article in one of my email accounts. What I’m sharing with you today is one of those.

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio. Regina said, “To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I’ve ever written.”

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short – enjoy it.
4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don’t worry, God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It’s never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

What is your mantra? Do you have any to share that are not mentioned?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Giveaway #4; We have a winner!

Thank you to the two people who entered my April giveaway contest!

We have a winner!

The prize is this pretty keepsake photo pen:

I used Random.org name picker and found out that the winner …

with this comment:

I agree with you that finding a pen is a problem at times. … I am using jack Miner pot(cup size broken) to keep at my desk. Also I have one note books which has a place for a pen on one side as long as it is not too fat.

JANE!

I will get this into the mail to you soon, Jane.

To everyone who is interested in my giveaways, I’ve been watching for and setting aside fun things that have to do with reading and/or writing. The May giveaway will be posted in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!

Local library love; giveaway reminder

I just found THIS VIDEO on my local library’s Twitter feed. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

My library is still bringing books in for me for ReFoReMo, and I’m analyzing the few I have to take back soon. The challenge was a great learning experience for me; I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My fourth giveaway draw is tonight, but it seems I have to change the stipulation that I’ll send only to Canada or US for this one. This nice little photo pen is great as a Mother’s Day gift, or a gift to a grandparent – with the children’s photo in it.

If you aren’t interested in this item perhaps you know someone to pass it on to, or you can send someone here to enter the draw for themselves?

Are you a lover of your local library?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

About my giveaways – I’ve been thinking …

Hello, everyone!

My apologies for not posting for almost two weeks. I’ve been working on the Reading For Research Month challenge – and still reading books on the list as our local library brings them in for me, handling my week at Dad’s, and sick with bronchitis since the last week of March. Because of the latter, during my week of caregiving I’ve not hung around Dad as much and when my respite arrives I go home and usually nap – whether the nap was intended or not. I’m very grateful for the help I have.

Now I have a pondering to share with you.

I’ve observed that very few of my readers are entering the monthly draw for my giveaways. I hope more of you will leave comments to have your name in the draw as I’m planning to have larger items when I can, and I would like to know that you are interested. It would be wonderful if you’d pass the word along, too, on Twitter or Facebook, or wherever you socialize online. Thank you. 🙂

Please check my post about the giveaway for this month, and put your name in by leaving a comment. The day is coming up this week for someone to win! Comment by April 13.

This week I’ll be writing more – or, that is the plan. I have a lot of catching up to do for 12×12, the online critique group I’m in, and final details in the newsletter (Valley Sunshine) I am closing down after many years of publishing. Plus, I have updates to do here on my blog, especially with regards to all the books I’ve read lately. (note my Books I Read widgets and my “Books I read this year” link –> “books I read in 2016” page.)

Thank you for being part of my life. I appreciate you!

What projects or plans do you want to work on most right now? Are you feeling sidetracked?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Another pile of books for ReFoReMo

The challenge has ended, sort of. ReFoReMo may be over in one way, but I have a lot of work to do yet. On our own we were to read through each book and then analyze it – study how each was written, observe the POV and universal theme, choose our favourite line, write a little about the story’s main character, and more. It’s been educational for me to find out what is popular now, the many different types and themes of picture books, and the variety of ways to present stories. I’ve learned what type of book I’m not interested in writing and what style I’d like to try. A few I didn’t enjoy reading, a couple brought tears to my eyes, a few were educational and I learned fascinating things I didn’t know before; some stories were funny, a couple were hilarious (to me), and many were sweet stories in a variety of ways. This has been a great experience. (Thanks Carrie Charley Brown!)

I got more books from the library on Saturday and I’ve also started returning books. That’s the sad part.

Here are some of the latest ones I borrowed, I have a few others to photograph, and there are more on hold for me.

Have you read any of the above? They are:

Gravity by Jason Chin
One Day, The End by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
~~Birthday~~ Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka
Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead
How Hybrid Cars Work by Jennifer Swanson
Sparky! by Jenny Offill
A Dance Like Starlight by Kristy Dempsey
Wolfie the Bunny by Amy Dyckman
if you want to see a whale by Julia Fogliano
When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan
Locomotive by Brian Floca

I’ve read over eighty picture books through March because of Reading For Research Month, and I’m not done yet. That’s more books than I would normally read in a year! Some people have read many more than the 100 suggested, in only this month.

Now we’re learning from the special posts written for our further insight and inspiration. I’m so glad I did this, although now I’m behind in some other things I was doing – blogging and 12×12, to name only two. What I’ve gleaned through ReFoReMo should help in my writing though, so it’s all good. 🙂

On Sunday eleven of us shared Easter dinner at my dad’s, then I came home for my week off. I have a lot of reading, writing, revising to do and also publishing to finish! I am a writer and lovin’ it!

When is the last time you read a picture book to a child or for your own enjoyment?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

My 4th giveaway of 2016; your chance to win!

Are you ready for another giveaway?

In keeping with writing and reading, this month I am offering something handy and a little different.

I thought you might like to have this lovely blue ink pen – blue pen with blue ink. The unique thing about this keepsake pen is that you can insert a small photo in the top of it. Cool, huh? You twist the writing point out because of that feature.

This pen also has a clip back so you can clip it onto a page of stationery or a shirt pocket to make it harder to lose.

If you want to enter the draw for a chance to win this keepsake photo pen, leave a comment telling me if you devised a clever way to not lose your pens, or if you are like me and often have to search whenever you need one.

Draw date for this giveaway is at 10 PM AST, that’s 9 PM Eastern, on Wednesday, April 13. This gives you lots of time to pass the word on to others, too.

I will use Random.org name picker to find out which of you is the winner. Watch here the next morning for the announcement, and don’t forget to check your email. These could be yours!

Remember, you have until April 13 to get your name into the draw, but don’t put it off!

PS: I have been trying to find things easy to mail so that I can send them anywhere. I was told at the post office that to mail overseas it’s much easier to send something that is paper, otherwise postage leaps in price – as in doubles! – even if it’s the same weight. Seems a little ridiculous to me, but that’s their rule – not mine. Because of that, ~~I am very sorry that I can offer this item only to my readers in Canada and the United States~~.

I AM WILLING AND ABLE TO SEND THIS ITEM ANYWHERE. (CHECKED AT POST OFFICE AND FOUND AN ACCEPTABLE RATE FOR THIS.)

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂