That's the title of this painting, too. Lazy Days.

I personally love days in which we have no strict schedule, yet we hover around a loose framework that keeps this mama from going insane.

Today has been one of those days.

We scrapped our original intent to restock our stash of strawberries after calling and finding out the patch isn't open again until tomorrow. Waiting on Mother Nature is probably a good thing in this instance.

So, then we lazed around for awhile, doing the things around the house that keep the dust bunnies from attacking and headed on over to the library.

A couple hours later we emerged victorious, loaded down with yummy reads for just about everyone. Can you tell I'm a self-professed bibliophile? Yes, I am one of those people who deeply inhale and borderline swoon at the entrance of a library, Barnes and Noble, Borders, McKay's, or any other establishment that houses multiple shelves of books.

I have always loved books. I remember summers as a child, reading page after page -- fulfilling and exceeding the commitments I made to the summer reading program in my own small town library. We kept track of pages then, and I usually hung in the neighborhood of 2000-3000 pages per summer -- even in fourth or fifth grade.

Libbyline has inherited my love of the written word. She took out a stack of books today, came home and headed for "siesta" -- a prescribed rest/quiet time I instituted in our home three or four years ago when my youngest outgrew napping. She emerged 2 1/2 hours later, victoriously proclaiming her completion of THREE books!! She devoured three 107 page books during siesta!

I love to do the very same thing when I have the chance. I rarely have opportunity anymore to read without interruption or without caring for my family around me. Yet, I have done so, and with great relish in the past six weeks or so. Here are a few of the books I've "devoured" recently: (I'm sure you'll quickly see a pattern here)

Divine by Karen Kingsbury
Redemption by Karen Kingsbury
Remember by Karen Kingsbury
Return by Karen Kingsbury
Rejoice by Karen Kingsbury
Reunion by Karen Kingsbury
Fame by Karen Kingsbury
Forgiven by Karen Kingsbury
The Angel Inside by Chris Widener
This Isn't the Life I Signed Up For . . . But I'm Finding Hope and Healing by Donna Partow
Emotional Phases of a Woman's Life by Jean Lush (re-reading pertinent parts)
Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore (finishing up this week)
Last, but not least . . . God's Word (hiding it in my heart and that of my family).

Like I said when I returned to blogging, most of the books I've read this spring were NOT on my list of scheduled reads for Katrina's Spring Reading Thing. I know I'm even forgetting some others that I read along the way, in addition to the multiple issues of Southern Living, Creating Keepsakes, Better Homes and Gardens, and other assorted periodicals that I've perused this spring.

In addition to all that, I also took a little time to read Paula Deen's biography -- parts of it out loud to my family on one of our jaunts to Knoxville/Maryville so DP could attend graduate classes. I edited a great deal along the way due to the racy nature of Miss Paula's recounting of her life, but the woman is doggone funny!! She tickles my funny bone in a way few do anymore. Her silly sense of humor and relish for food and life itself make me chuckle just thinking about it right now. The recipes she includes in the book are worth the read in and of itself.

So, that's a bit of what keeps me occupied when I'm not chained to my washer or preparing yet another gourmet meal (my kids had frozen corn dogs tonight, I had a handful of dry roasted peanuts, and DP had to scrounge through the fridge for whatever he could find at 9:30 pm).

I would have reviewed all the Kingsbury books for you, but the fact that I read and will continue to read everything she's written is testimony enough; you can read official reviews at her site.

Guess where I'm headed? Off to read another book! I got my own stack out at the library today, too.

Labels: reading, summer fun

I'm a little late on the upstart with opening up a new blog this week, but I am certainly not going to forget about the Spring Reading Thing over at Katrina's. Check out the button in my sidebar if you want to go directly there and join in on the fun!

Here's my list of "I hope to Reads" this spring:

The Excellent Wife, by Martha Peace
Grace in Thine Eyes, by Liz Curtis Higgs
Eragon, by Christopher Paolini (I refuse to see the movie that is about to be available on DVD before I've read the book.)
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, by John Piper (started this last fall and got hidden under some other books on my nightstand)
Get Out of That Pit, by Beth Moore (got for Christmas and got shoved aside in favor of Karen Kingsbury novels -- not bad, but it is time to read this book!)
The Witness, by Dee Henderson (lost in a box in my garage when we moved, hope to find it before summer)
Before I Wake, by Dee Henderson (love everything by this author and know I'll want to read it once I finish the one above)
Fear Not: Thoughts On Courage, by Benjamin Darling
Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller
Made to Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath (at my DP's request)

I've got many more that I'd like to read, but I'll delve into these first and add more as I can. I'm excited to embark on this venture with so many other bibliophiles out there.

Labels: books, reading