Summer reading

Summer always makes me want to read, outside in the sunshine.  I really am affected by the changing of seasons.  My huge battle is always what to read, classics, romance, mystery or biography. 

I love romance novels set in England.  Shh don't tell others.  I always feel like it is a dirty little secret. I will own it now.  I don't like trashy romances, I like stories of English lords and ladies. Maybe it is because I am so far removed from all that or maybe it is because I must have a happy ending. Love happy endings to stories I don't understand why you would have anything else.

I also like historical fiction along the same lines. I recently read The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, and was like what is all the hype? Half way into it and I realized I was enjoying it. One of those books you're glad you slugged through to the end, because the end made it all worth while. Of course this one did not have a happy ending. That one was one I meant to read since it came out.  

I have a long list of things I would like to read and a list of things I think I should read. I want to read classics more than I do. I think to me books hold potential. In the back of my mind I think they can make you a better person. Or a worse person, but I choose to see the potential. The next classic book I am hyping myself up to read is Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. I have started that one twice now. It seems to be an internal, mental book. Just finding it tough to slug into it. Seems very depressing. But I want to try because two very trusted individuals say it is a redemption book. If I hate injustice, I love redemption twice as much. We will see how it goes.

My favorite book is The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas. It was the original revenge story. Around chapter five it seemed like the book dropped my story and picked up a non related one, I wanted to stop but Hubby promised me it would be worth it. Man was he correct. I love that story.   just finished listening to it on CD. I read an abridged version and wanted to see how it differed. I am sorry to say I had forgotten much. I enjoyed it as much the second go around.

I discovered Agatha Christie's writing last fall and have been soaking it in. I have listed all the books she wrote and am trying to read them in order. Maybe I do not need to read them exclusive to other writers. A book by another author in between may keep her fresher longer. One fond memory I have is reading Murder on the Orient Express on the plane ride back from London. It just seemed so fitting reading a travel novel while traveling.

So to kick off the summer reading I will start Crime and Punishment, finish Poirot Investigates by AC and find a "fun" book to read also. Sound like a plan to you too?

Weird thing I overheard today

So I am in the drive thru line at Wendy's today.  I overhear from the car in front of me, "Small fresh fries, I don't want any of the three day old stuff you have back there."  My first thought: you just ordered small spit fries dude.  Not that any fast food personnel would ever do such a thing, but I think they wish they could say something snarky back to him.  "Well sir, I don't have any fresh fries or three day old ones, would you accept one and a half day old fries?"  

Made me want to roll up on his bumper to see what kind of colorful language I could get out of him.  I think the language would have a paisley tint to it.  

Thank God I no longer work in fast food, or any kind of food for that matter.

Why I am a more patient person than I was

I hate waiting.  Hate it with a passion I usually reserve for arrogantly rude people, you know people who think they are right, ALL the time.  I believe my hatred of waiting is the key reason I am constantly late.  I am late because I hate to wait.  The ironic part is then I continually make others wait for me.  This is not fair, and as a person that places a high value on fairness I am working on correcting my lateness.  Some months are better than others.  My lateness is a great source of frustration for my Hubby.  He is an ex-military man and has been trained to believe that just arriving on time is late.  (If you're not early you're late.)  Believe me it did not take much training to get him to think that either.  They pretty much put the thought out there and he went "Yes, I agree".  

I have found a small cure for my hatred of waiting.  If I am knitting, I am not waiting.  This was evidenced last night while waiting(knitting) for my hair appointment.  My hairdresser ran 20 minutes behind and I did not realize it till she started apologizing.  I was turning the heel of my flame colored sock.  I am actually a little annoyed when people call me in to appointments when I am in the middle of the row.  What you can not be ready for me now.  Wait till I finish this row then you will be ready for me.  

Maybe I like to see the effect of my time.  I did not have to wait for 10 minutes to be seated for dinner I finished a couple of rounds on my sock.  Or maybe it is a release of energy, I know I pay attention better at church when I twiddle my thumbs.  Don't judge me remember?  

My life verse

Proverbs 3:5&6 says Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight.

As long as I can remember I believed in Jesus, I did not understand many things but I believed. I realize now that I had a child's understanding and a child's faith.  Not that it is a bad thing.  I believed what people told me: that he died for our sins.  I never really understood why.  To be honest I still don't.  Think he had to die because God said he had to die.  That is enough for me.  It does not matter to me who passed sentence or their motives for doing it, it just had to be done according to God and that is good enough for me.  See what I mean by child's understanding.  I feel my husband has a good grasp of the ideology but I never understood why someone would ask me "Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?"  Uhm Yes?  Is that the answer you want?  Why would they even care?  Do they even care or are they just passing time with me in front of them?  Is that what we ask each other when we attend Church?  I always viewed God and religion as a personal private thing.  Don't get me wrong I am not ashamed of my beliefs, but why would I talk to a stranger about something I hold very dear?  I realize that part of the reason I feel that it is private for me is that I can not quote scripture.  Once you put on that "believer" badge you're supposed to turn into the fountain of Biblical knowledge.  That did not happen for me.  I can paraphrase things but I can not quote.  People use that too often to make themselves feel better at the expense of others.  Judge not lest ye be judged is one that I have to remind myself of a lot.  So what I am saying is I am comfortable with my child' s faith.  It may be simple but I think it is true.  I have questions that I hope God will answer for me, but I don't get bogged down in theory or philosophy.  

Who killed Jesus?  We all did.  

Why did he die?  Because God said so.  

Do I believe?  Yes, but I can't tell you why.  

Am I a better person than you?  No, but sometimes I know true peace.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

So what do you say?

Why is it that people feel the need to explain themselves?  I believe my husband would say that I am one of the worst offenders.  So here is the explanation of why I started to blog.  I think I want to have random thoughts and throw them out in to the real world and see if they make sense once they are out of my head.  I want to be able to communicate better,  but I do not have great expectations of this.  I am not a grammar or philosophy groupie so if you're a person that has high regards for those things, leave now.  Seriously, I will frustrate you like a cat deciding to go out or stay in.  I am not a beautiful eloquent speaker or thinker.  I am blunt and to the point, if I can remember what my point was.  I know this about myself, and you should too now.   What I lack in eloquence I believe I make up for in sly wit and a warped sense of humor.  I want to be happy and make those around me happy in the process.  This is who I am, still interested in me?

So I was thinking the other day that I had my perfect reason to want a blog.  I was sitting on my deck on the first really hot day of the year (85 degrees F) sewing in the ends of a sweater I knit of British wool.  Now the ironic part is that I was doing this task that thousands of others have done over the centuries listening to Disturbed's Land of Confusion.  Oh yeah and the sweater is for my beer!  I am a mass of contradictions.