Incommunicado

I have been, well, incommunicado lately. But I posted on my book blog finally, and that has inspired me to post here. However, I'm now out of what brief moments of writing time I can afford, and since I did write about life at inkblotcoffee (even though it was in relation to reading), you are more than welcome to go there to look at it. The link is above. For the rest of you, who would rather just hang out on this page, here's a video for your viewing pleasure:

Fell Off the Map

It's just been busy. Not so busy that I haven't had time to read, but so busy that when I've had free time I've read so that I can focus on something other than the busyness (not that the busyness has been bad, just time consuming). So I've gone back and re-enjoyed some old favourites, like Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief, and Shannon Hale's Goose Girl and Robin McKinley's Spindle's End. And I've read a few newbie's that I've really loved like Chitra Divakaruni's One Amazing Thing and Nancy Leigh DeMoss's Choosing Gratitude. But I was out of town for a while, and the Little Man has been sick on and off, and the Big Man had a birthday, and we're getting ready to move, and well...you get the picture.

I think, though, that it has really been the power of the written word that has helped me maintain my sanity when my To Do list is miles long. There's something about being able to sit down for an hour during naptime or after the little guy is in bed and before my husband is home and just be somewhere else. I love my home and my life and my family, but sometimes it's nice to turn off for a little bit and rest my thoughts and my heart. I feel like the days are spinning by faster and faster, propelling us into boxes and onto the moving truck and off to a new life, but when I'm reading it's just the flicking of pages and the story of someone else, whose life is generally more chaotic than mine. So when I come back to reality, it's no big deal that I have twelve phone calls to make, five loads of laundry to wash, twenty-three emails to write, and one extremely dirty diaper to change. And I am happy about things like hugs and laughter and a clean kitchen floor. And more books on the shelf for when I need them.

A few closing notes.

• Inquiring minds want to know: Why did Chitra Divakaruni drop the "Banerjee" in the middle? On that note, One Amazing Thing is one of my favourites of her books and is definitely worth a read. She does a beautiful job delving into the various characters and exploring the human psyche.
• Choosing Gratitude has really challenged me to rethink my attitude, my expectations, and my reactions to what God gives me. It's a quick read with a thirty day Bible study at the end, and I highly recommend it.
• If you are a fantasy junky, any Turner, Hale, or McKinley book is almost always going to be a good choice. My oldest sister accuses me of rereading books without discretion, but when you get to be such good friends with the characters, how can you help it? And yes, I do imagine alternate lives for myself where I can steal a queen, take over a kingdom, and talk to animals.