Life is Like an Old Pop-Up

Last Friday is lost to me and by next Friday I will be another year older. Realization dawned on me when I noticed the trailer hidden among the weeds in our yard. Isn’t it about time we get rid of that old piece of junk? I asked my husband. The trailer started as a pop-up camper which my family spent some of the best weekends of my life in when I was a little girl. We grew up and moved on and the camper was passed on to an uncle. Once his kids grew up, the camper made it full circle back to me. We spent many weekends with our own kids in the camper until the tarp could no longer hold any more duct tape and we eventually turned that old camper into a trailer. It may not look as good as it use to, but it still serves a purpose, just not the one it was originally meant for. Isn’t that trailer about the same age as you? my husband responded.
I suppose my life isn’t so different from that old camper. My kids are getting older and my life is taking on a new purpose and I know I’m not alone. Many of us take new directions in our life, either by choice or happenstance. Many of us want to make sure we are doing everything we can to have a happy life, which is obvious by looking at the bestsellers lists. The Secret , Quantum Wellness, Soul Wisdom, A New Earth , You Can Heal Your Life, The Power of Now , The Purpose-Driven Life , and Your Best Life Now . I have another personal favorite, Critical Choices that Change Lives .

What about you?

Have you found an inspiring book that changed your life?

The Heat Is On!

This is a near perfect weekend with the sun shining and the weather finally warm enough to enjoy those outdoor activities. My son is fortunate enough to have a friend with a pool – how can you beat that?

I must settle for lying out on the deck with a book in hand. My daughter and I are currently arguing over the teen book club pick, Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen. Since it is her book, I have to stay up awfully late or get up extremely early to get a chance to read it. I have a stack of books I should read next, but none of them is really jumping out at me, so I could use your help.

What are your top summer picks?

Something Old Something New

In this day of living green, recycling has become more important than ever. Recycling can mean so much more than hauling bins of paper and bottles to the recycle center each week. Reusing is a form of recycling as well. HGTV actually built and decorated a completely green home which they gave away this month. Sadly I wasn’t the lucky winner, but there was a lot to be learned about living green.

I suppose purchasing second hand books would be a way to recycle, although, I have to admit, I have never thought of it that way. Used books aren’t just trash to be hauled away, but treasures waiting to be found. The library is another great location for a treasure hunt. In my city, the treasure box is as endearing as the treasure. The Farnsworth Public Library has a history of it’s own since it was dedicated on this day 105 years ago!

I thought everyone thought as I do about the joy of browsing through classic and out of print titles, so imagine my surprise when I came across this this Guardian Books Blog post by Chas Newkey-Burden, an author who hates second hand books. Not only used books, but library books as well! Oh horror!

Now you may not find it odd that an author would hate used books, or even a bookstore owner for that matter. After all, don’t they lose money when customers purchase used books or even pick them up at their local library? Surprising enough, I don’t think so.

Growing up, I spent endless hours at our local library finding the perfect titles to spice up my summer. I soon became the type of reader no single author could possibly keep up with. Visiting the library or used book store is the perfect way to discover new authors. Of course, when my favorites release a new title, only a new book store can help me. I can’t possibly wait for someone else to read the book first!

What about you? Do you adore or abhor used books? Do you feel the same way about the library?

Romance Anyone?

This week I have been closely following a story by fellow blogger and Wisconsinite, Barbara Vey about a poll on MSNBC called “Do You Read Romance Novels?”

It sounds like an innocent enough question, doesn’t it? So, why are romance readers across America outraged? Read Beyond Her Book and let me know what you think.

Everyone needs a little romance in their life, my only question is why do they have to muddy the covers up with so many words?

Bon Voyage!

We have been getting a lot of rain here in Wisconsin. Well, not me personally, but more in the south. For me it’s just enough to keep the sun away and the mood bleak. I thought of something that was able to bring a smile to my face, though.

Two of my kids have been visiting relatives this week. Now I can finally get rid of all the unwanted items in the house without guilt. When they get home, I can tell them the two turtles and two cats joined the rest of the animals on the ark! They can’t blame me for that, can they?

Seriously, though, what is there to do with all this rain? I’ve found myself spending a lot of time reading. Currently I am reading our book club selection, Can You Keep a Secret . This is definitely the perfect selection to lift anyone’s spirits. Another laugh out loud hit from Sophie Kinsella .

My daughter read the Pretty Little Liars series and now she has me hooked, too. Finally some of the mysteries are revealed in book four, Unbelievable. Ky finished in a day or two and then was disappointed because she couldn’t share her excitement. Now I know how she feels. I finished while she was away and now am anxiously awaiting her return so we can finally discuss who “A” is. Sara Shepard has been stringing us along for almost two years, so it was both thrilling and a little depressing to find out. Luckily, there will be four more books to continue with the characters we know and love and/or hate.

I began the week engrossed in Little Face by British author Sophie Hannah. This psychological mystery starts strong and had me from page one. In my mind the story could go one of two ways, so I devoured the story to see which direction it took. Although I enjoyed the journey, the end was like returning from a trip visiting relatives. I dump the dirty laundry out of my bag in exhaustion and don’t care enough at the moment to sort through it all. Maybe one day, but more likely it will be forgotten forever as I move on to the next journey.

What about you? Have you read anything you loved or were disappointed in this week?

...here I come!

Summer is finally here. How do I know this? Is it because the sun is shining with a high in the 80’s today? Is it because the kids will be out of school in a couple more days or because we have more customers parading around in shorts? No. The Stanley Cup has been awarded! Hooray Red Wings ! They had me worried for a game or two but they pulled through. For me a sure sign of summer is the end of the hockey season. At least for a couple of weeks until the youth summer hockey league begins.

Another sign that summer is here is our annual Copperfest celebration which began today. This is an event I have looked forward to every year since I was a little girl. I anticipated the freedom of wandering aimlessly, absorbing the sights and sounds – the music of local bands blaring through the night, the first fireworks of the year, the warm butter dripping off the cob and down my arm. It was truly a weekend to be cherished. But what did it mean?

It recently dawned on me that I had no real idea why Oconto celebrated Copperfest each year. How is that possible? It is not only possible, but in my experience quite common that we tend to overlook the great destinations all around us. I have not been to Copper Culture State Park since elementary school and my only memory of this visit was rolling down “Susie’s Hill”. As far as I know my children have never explored this Park or Museum. How many other great local destinations have we overlooked in our hurry to escape this city, county, or state for our summer vacations?

With gas prices out of control, this will be the perfect summer to find all of those local hidden treasures. Next stop, my backyard!

And the award for the best parent goes to....

Can you imagine spending two months in a canoe? How about two months with a sixteen year old? Add those two factors together and that doesn’t sound anything like my dream vacation! Steven Faulkner is a much better parent than I will ever be.

Steve felt like he was losing touch with his sixteen year old son – something I can relate to, although he handled it much differently than I. Instead of showing up at whatever location his son and his friends were hanging out at to become “one of the guys”, Steve took his son on a two month canoe trip. Instead of screaming until he was blue in the face, he taught his son about French explorers Joliet and Marquette as they followed the same route taken in 1673. Steve even brought his son home after the expedition! How tempting would it be to encourage him to spread his wings by leaving him at any one of the many stops along the way?

It’s not all my fault that I am not and never will be the parent Steve Faulkner is. My children are not and never will be the son Justin Faulkner was. For this thousand-mile voyage in a sixteen-foot canoe, the Faulkners brought along only a few supplies and a couple of books to read together. My kids would rather swim home after an hour of canoeing than to go any longer without their cell phones, I-pods , computers, and their posse of friends. And to be seen with mom? No way!!

Tomorrow Steve will be at BayShore Books to sign his book about this adventure, Waterwalk: A Passage of Ghosts . How will I react to meeting this icon? Do I bow at his feet or simply hand over my children?