Struggling to Keep Focus

I can tell it's nearing the end of the semester. Homework is a struggle. While I've been pretty good about staying on top of my reading, I'm starting to daydream about all the books waiting for me on my to-be-read shelf.

Not that I haven't been able to squeeze in a couple of fun reads over the last few weeks. I have. A few weeks ago I read A Wrinkle in Time and, a week or so later, The Sea of Monsters in the Percy Jackson series. This weekend I not only finished my weekly reading assignment in Our Mutual Friend and a few scholarly articles on Dickens's treatment of the feminine, but I also managed to finish off Seduced by Sin.

Those three books were easy, quick reads. I purposely picked them because I know that I can't afford to get drawn into any of the more complex novels sitting on my TBR shelf. Young adult novels don't require a lot of brain power or thoughtful reflection. The same goes for historical romances. Not that I'm knocking them. Quite the opposite. I quite enjoy "bubble gum" reads.

Since I've signed up for classes in the winter - call me a glutton for punishment - I'm already plotting what I'm going to read over the Christmas break. I'm thinking more bubble gum books! Strangely enough, the plan is to borrow my sister's Sookie Stackhouse books. I believe she has the boxed set and I plan on devouring those books in that week between Christmas and New Years. (I have to catch up to my cousin and sister so we can discuss what happened!)

But first, I need to get through the rest of Our Mutual Friend and write a 16-page paper about angels and demons in Dickens. Sounds fun, right?

Comments

They saved the finger..

This was supposed to be an easy, carefree weekend. One of those rare weekends where spontaneity is possible because plans were not made ahead of time. We could lounge on the couch, work on our hobbies, or even do a little shopping. And, no, I'm not referring to the necessary evil of grocery shopping, but the much more enjoyable version where you get to buy things that actually make you happy. Because the oldest boy needed some pants and the youngest could use a new pair of shoes, I decided to head into the city to do some shopping at Kohl's. Of course, my decision to shop there was not quite so altruistic. Mama needed a new bathing suit! So, I pack the kids up and head into the city. The youngest picks out his shoes . The oldest tries on a few pairs of jeans and ends up with two in the basket. Did I mention we have to shop in the men's department now? That he's wearing size 29? My baby is growing up! Then it was Mom's ...

Looking for Willing Victims

I've decided I'd like to expand my photography skills and experience. This means I need willing models. So far I've got a couple of people who might be willing to let me practice on them. I'm excited but nervous. I want so badly to take amazing pictures and give them each something they like. Shoot #1: Mom wants me to take Christmas pictures of her three daughters. I'm very excited, but I also want a lovely background. I was thinking of taking them to a park or some other such setting where there's a lot of pines. The problem is that Fall has just arrived and these are supposed to be Christmas pictures. Any suggestions? Shoot #2: A senior. I think I'm okay on this one. She wants fall colors in her pictures, so I just need to wait for the trees to do their thing. Then its a matter of finding the right location. Now here's my real delimna: Where do I upload them so they can be printed to look like professional pictures? Rounded corners and im...

Camping with Little Boys

Our first travel trailer. I don't remember camping much with my family as a kid. This is likely because we always had the same vacation destination: a family plot in Baldwin, MI. There was no cabin there. Instead, there were two structures: a small, silver camper and an old single-wide trailer. The silver camper is gone but the single-wide still sits there and is used by extended family members to this day. It wasn't until I was a teenager that my step-mom and dad bought a pop-up trailer and we started camping elsewhere in the state. My memory isn't the greatest, but I'm almost certain they got the pop-up after I started dating Ken. Eventually, my parents upgraded to a fifth wheel that my dad still pulls around to various nearby camping spots. Ken, by contrast, didn't have a set vacation destination growing up. His family camped. They started out with a truck-bed camper, I believe, and eventually upgraded to a fifth wheel. Ken and I vacationed both in Baldwin an...

Castle in the Clouds

Search This Blog