The view of the shed from the back yard yesterday afternoon. We mowed the front lawn (tag-team) and while Don was taking his turn, I wandered around the property. It’s pretty beautiful out there!
This morning feels quite cold and I’m sitting here typing this wearing a sweatshirt over my pajamas. But it’s going up to 77 later today. It’s that time of year when layers are needed.
I read from 6 am to 9 am – could not put it down – and finished I am Pilgrim. Wow. What a ride! I loved it. Now I am faced with my next decision – what to read next? I have some ideas but haven’t made a decision yet.
Referring back to yesterday’s post, I wanted to add that I don’t listen to audio books. I don’t want to have another person’s voice in my head, just as I don’t watch movie adaptations of favorite books (the exception being To Kill a Mockingbird) because I already have the characters fleshed out in my head; their voices, their physical looks, their mannerisms, and I don’t want another person’s casting decisions ruining the world that I’ve created. I’m very protective of my reading world.
That being said, I know plenty of people who love audio books. My sister, who drives great distances on a daily basis because of her work, listens to audio books while she drives. They enrich what would otherwise be a tedious and long journey. Some people love audio books because they have vision problems. Some people just love them, full stop.
It’s a good thing. We have a variety of ways to read a book.
They’re just not for me. Someday, I might change my tune, but not at the present.
Today is my best friend’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Laural! Hopefully, we will see each other next week, as she and her husband will be in town to visit their son, who recently moved to NYC. He’s a Rabbi at a Temple on the Upper East Side. Her daughter is a Veterinarian. I expected nothing less from her children. So proud of them!
Big news yesterday! I had to put a pause on my no cellphone/laptop ban. Get ready, my friends. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Happy Wednesday.
That first picture is a beautiful sight. I wish it was 77 here. Our high today was 111 F. :/ I have never listened to a book on tape but don’t think it would be for me. I really need to concentrate when I am reading and sometimes have to restart a paragraph, or a page or even the whole book so I can really grasp what’s written, what’s being said, what’s going on. :) I just finished a book by a local author and now am not sure what I want to tackle next. Have a good rest of the week.
Thank you, Tammy!
FAll??? It is nowhere near making an appearance here in Atlanta. Love that first photo. xo Laura
It sure is making an appearance here, Laura! xo
I have a twist on having another person’s voice in my head – I tried to read William F Buckley’s books on his sailing adventures, but couldn’t because I could hear him reciting each word in that upper-class patrician accent, reminding me of other facets of his life which bring no joy.
Completely understand that one. I’d feel the same way, Anne!
Oh, how I hope and pray the bumpy ride will rid us of that mess. I just know that thus far his orange skin appears to be made of teflon and things just fall away with no problems. I guess we have been burned so many times so far that I automatically think there will be no repercussions. I do hope this 10,000th + stupid thing will finally be IT. I want a magical Fall!!
Good one Chris…Teflon!!! I couldn’t agree more!!! ( I guess I got carried way on the !!….but…I dare to hope! ) ;)
Oh, Donnamae!! It would be just too wonderful if he finally got what he is due. I just feel like I can’t get too excited because we have been let down SO MANY TIMES already. We watched Rachel last night for the first time in months, and at the end she was smiling and said “I don’t think I will be able to sleep tonight”. Our country deserves so much better than what we have had the past (too) many years.
I am cautiously optimistic…but, remain always hopeful. But, YES….this is long overdue. Keep the faith Chris! Believe!! I’m right there with you!! ;)
This particular thing is much more than a stupid thing. I’m not saying it will be easy but I believe there is a shift happening. Thanks, Chris!
It is a beautiful fall day here too…and I’m so ready, not only for fall….but for the “bumpy ride”. Sure hope this time’s the one!!
I tried to listen to an audio book once, but I found I couldn’t follow along….I kept getting distracted because my eyes weren’t engaged by reading, so they wandered and my mind along with it. I don’t know how some people can listen and drive. They must have a super power which I don’t.
Enjoy your day! ;)
Exactly! I forgot about that. Your eyes aren’t engaged and that takes me out of the story. Thanks, Donnamae!
I don;t do audio books because of the way they are read. I tried one and the reader accented the wrong things IMO. Like the character walking down a sidewalk as if it were the most incredible thing in the world, and it was just walking down the walk to the front door. Can’t stand those kind of readers.
BTW, some of us don’t have time to read, we are caregivers. So good audio books might be in demand but this one made me cringe. I would love a book or two read by children. My handicapped daughter might like to listen to something like that. Now, it is the New York Canters from PBS. Nice voices.
Since I coach actors on how to speak text so it makes sense, I suspect an audio book would drive me mad. I’d never be able to get in to the story because I’d be ‘correcting’ the reader constantly.
Audio books are also listened to by those who are crafters and makers. They’re working but also listening to a book at the same time. Same with moms, I would guess.
Good idea to have some books read by children! That makes sense.
A bumpy ride . . . LOCK HIM UP . . . LOCK THEM ALL UP!!!
Agree wholeheartedly! Thanks, Chris.
Your cooler weather and color change are ahead of ours. It’s cool here in the mornings, but definitely not sweatshirt weather. Still walking around in the mornings in just a t-shirt and capri yoga pants. The color change here is still mild…just hints of golds and reds. The neighbor’s glorious, huge maple tree that I always photograph every year is behind in changing colors. Last year at this time, it was definitely starting to change. This year, it’s still mostly green.
Like you, I can’t listen to audio books. Not only for the same reason you mentioned, but also because I’m simply not an auditory learner. I am visual. Might be part of our INFJ personality.
We’re quite a bit north of you, so that makes sense.
And yes, I’m a visual learner as well. Thanks, Melanie. (Thinking of you, my friend. xo)
I love books in any form! Am
A visual learner but on long car trips, audiobooks great. Kindle iPad on plane trips. As a former Edicator-English and Writing etc. I get aggravated when a book is poorly written and edited.
My iPhone and iPad are playing havoc with my response-maybe WiFi …alas!!
Oh, so do I! Thanks, Brenda.
I’m a page-turner. Maybe someday I’ll have to go to an alternative form but I love the tactile feeling of a book in my hand. A used or previously read book is even better. It has the energy of all the earlier readers and we have shared this experience, whether I know them or not. I suppose if I had to do long car commutes I would go audio in part but for now, keep that paper!
How lucky to get that warm today. We’ll be lucky to make 70 here at the lake today. Someone said they thought they saw small piles of snow this morning, although it admitted it might be hail instead. Either way, I’m not ready for that!
My cottage internet is down so I went down the road to a cousin’s so I could listen to the hearings this morning. Bumpy ride? It will be worse than Michigan’s potholes — and they are VERY, very bad!
Love what you said about the ‘energy of all the earlier readers’ – lovely.
Yep. Strap in, everyone – we are DEFINITELY in for a bumpy ride!
Hi Claudia, we enjoy listening to audio books on ling drives, and I tend to also listen to them while walking. For me, recommending a book that i listened to is problematic because i’m not sure that actually reading that same book would be as enjoyable. Two specific books that my husband and listened to were The Persimmon Tree by Bryce Courtenay and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. The Persimmon Tree was read by Humphrey Bower and he was wonderful, his Australian accent just lent itself perfectly to the story. The Nightingale was read by Polly Stone, we really enjoyed her delivery. Reading is important to me, and I read ‘real’ books as much as I can, but also use my Kindle app on my iPad, which is great at night because then I don’t keep my husband up with the light on. Your reading blogs have helped me to move towards some different authors. Friends of mine love Louise Penny books I just can’t get into them. Any recommendations of where to begin with her books? xoxo
Yes, in order, from the beginning. The first book in the series is Still Life. There is a chronological story here, with characters developing over time. Reading out of the timeline, out of context, lessens the enjoyment.