Thursday Book Suggestions

Kids:

The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese

Ping is a duckling who craves adventure, but also loves his duck-y family.  This story is about both Ping’s solo adventure down the Yangtze River and his joyful return to his family.  It’s a great story, but the real magic is in the illustrations.

Older Kids:

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

At some time or another, every child or teen thinks about running away from home and making a go of it on their own.  In My Side of the Mountain, Sam does just that.  He tells his parents goodbye, travels from his city home in New York City to a tract of land in the Catskill Mountains, and teaches himself to live off the land.  Sam makes human and animal friends, has fantastic adventures, and begins to grow from a boy to a self-sufficient young man.  This book offers something for everyone – young, old, guy, gal, city slicker, or country bumpkin.

Young Adult:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Here are the facts:

My hubby has never been a reader, much to my dismay. 

I picked The Hunger Games up from the library, then hubby stole it from me and read it cover to cover in a day.

This is all the motivation you should need to read it!  (I loved it, too.)

Adult:

The Art of Racing in the Rain: a Novel by Garth Stein

The best book–by far–that I’ve read in the past 6 months.  Another book told from the perspective of the dog, but this one is completely different than its peers.  It was much deeper than I expected, and has something to teach everyone.  Who knew doggies had such profound thoughts?  I was very excited to hear it’s being made into a movie (due out in 2012).

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Books, Libraries, and Reading

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”  ~Charles W. Eliot

Most people only have to know me for a short period of time before they learn that I’m sort of obsessed with books.  I love books.  I love reading.  I love book stores.  But–most of all–I LOVE public libraries.  See, buying books takes money.  Buying books the way I read them takes LOTS of money.  I am poor.  Thus, I let my library buy the books…and then I get to read them…for free (as long as I manage to return them on time!). 

For as long as I can remember, my mother chaperoned regular trips to our local public library.  There was much anticipation and excitement on library day, and the four of us probably ran amuck in the library quite often.  My poor, run ragged, genius mother cultivated a passion for reading in all four of us kids.  And then she proceeded to spend exactly 45% of her precious time extracting our noses from books in order to participate in some of life’s less important activities, such as meals, school, and chores.

A coworker who also enjoys reading mentioned to me the other day that she has trouble coming up with books she wants to read.  She said she gets a bit overwhelmed when she walks in the library, because she’s not sure how or where to find a book that she will enjoy.  And I realized that there are probably lots of readers with the same problem.

First, what is it that makes a book great?  Personally, I like the following definition:

You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.”  ~Paul Sweeney

This is going to sound a little Facebook-esq, but here are my Thursday Book Suggestions for your next literary friend…

Kids:

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

A childhood classic written by one of my all-time favorite kids authors.

Older Kids:

 

A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry

Educational, but still fun, this book tells the story of a river through the years.  I read this book over and over growing up and was very sad when my copy got destroyed during one of our moves.

Young Adult:

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

If you liked Twilight, you will likely fall in love with this book, too.  The writing often borders on prose, giving the book an artistic feel all its own.

Adult:

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

 Everyone who enjoys books should give Dan Brown’s a try.  His books are heavy on the details, yet action-packed, giving you a fast paced read with substance.

 

P.S. My library – The Washington Centerville Public Library – has an excellent resource webpage for finding your next favorite book.

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January Goals

2010 brings a new format to my goal-making.  My priority for the next few months is our House Project List.  So, for the next few months my goals will be 80% home improvement, 10% 101 in 1001, and 10% other.

~

1. Find and buy a dress I can wear in the winter. (#42)

2. Read The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.

3. Apply KILZ paint primer to stains on dining room, guest bedroom, office, and living room walls.

4. Paint downstairs ceilings & office ceiling (white semi-gloss).

5. Clean grout around bathtub.

6. Re-seal grout around bathtub.

7. Paint upstairs ceiling repair.

8. Move old water softener, hot water heater, and dryer out of basement & discard.

9. Purchase and install blinds on front door.

10. Look for a new refrigerator.

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December Goals: Recap

As expected, the total number of days in December, measured in “actual time”, was 15.  Yes, I swear to you, December is half as long as other months.  The good news is that January and February generally run about 35 and 40 days, respectively.

~

1. Finish knitting project before Christmas.  Partially – I worked on it and now have until next weekend to finish.

2. Winterize my garden and flower beds.  Partially – They’re cleaned up, but the ground froze before I could completely winterize everything.  I’m just waiting for a thaw so I can finish up. 

3. Complete 5 items on our home improvement “to do” list.  Done – We de-cluttered our office and basement (a huge project, really), cleaned bathroom fixtures, painted over nail holes, installed clover plates on outlets/switches, and installed smoke detectors.

4. Finish reading Dune.  Not happening – I just can’t get into this book, which frustrates me because I really, really wanted to like it.

5. Move more sand into the arena.  No – due to the aforementioned frozen ground.  Stupid Ohio winters! 

6. Give blood.  Done – First week in December. 

7. Write and send Christmas letters & Christmas cards.  Done – Sort of.  I ended up consolidating this into an e-letter.

8. Make cool, fun, interesting plans for New Year’s Eve…and send 2009 out in style!  Partially – We made fun plans to hang out with friends, but ended up getting lazy and staying home on the couch instead.  Which, by the way, I was totally OK with.

9. Come up with a super cool, super unique New Year’s resolution.  Done – Although I didn’t come up with anything super unique.

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November Goals: Recap

I caught myself coming and going both ways this month.  It was absolutely crazy!  The sad part is, December is bound to be just as bad, if  not worse.

~

1. Write Christmas lists.  Yes – here.

2. Read 3 books.  Partially – I finished The Good Guy by Dean Koontz and am in the middle of Dune by Frank Herbert.  Dune has taken me a loooong time to get into, but I’m starting to like it.

3. Winterize my garden and flower beds.  No.

4. Find & purchase a soap dish.  Yes! – Exactly what I wanted for 99 cents!

5. Make mulled wine.  No.

6. Complete my barely started knitting project.  No.

7. Get a group together to go see ”The Twilight Saga: New Moon”.  Yes! – So much fun!  I’ll post about it sometime soon.

8. Try a new type of wine.  Yes – had a glass of Valley Vineyards‘ Vidal Blanc tonight.  I want to try more Ohio-grown wines.

9. Make dish(es) for Thanksgiving dinner!  Yes – I made Cranberry Fluff, Cranberry Muffins, Coconut Macaroons, Pancakes (for the morning after), and Mashed Potatoes.  The only thing that didn’t turn out was my Cappuccino Pie–it never set up.  Bummer!

10. Buy at least two Christmas presents.  Yes – two down, many more to go!

11. Pick up manure in arena & haul at least 10 loads of sand into the arena.  Yes – I thought my back was going to crack in two the day afterwards! 

12. Ride my horse at least 3 times per week.  Yes – except when the weather was bad and over Thanksgiving week, but that was a given.

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Gearing Up for #’s 29, 30, & 31

The first step was to come up with a list of 80 books I’m excited about reading over the next 1001 days (998 now).  Many of these came from a reading list supplied by a terrific motivational speaker we had at one of our training seminars for work, my boss’s recommendations, and suggestions from friends.  I’ve left a few open to “chance”, too.  So, here’s the list:

 

1. Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore (1^st)

2. A Life at Work: The Joy of Discovering What You Were Born to Do by Thomas Moore (2^nd)

3. Financing Your Small Business by James E. Burk & Richard P. Lehman

4. Know-How: The 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform from Those Who Don’t by Ram Charan

5. The Unofficial Guide to Marketing Your Small Business by Marcia Layton Turner

6. If at First You Don’t Succeed…: The Eight Patterns of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs by Brent Bowers & Carl Schramm

7. Steps to Small Business Start-Up: Everything You Need to Know to Turn Your Idea Into a Successful Business by Linda Pinson & Jerry Jinnett

8. The Elements of Small Business: A Lay Person’s Guide to the Terms, Concepts and Forms That Every Business Person Needs by John Thaler

9. Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham & Donald O. Clifton

10. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Steven R. Covey

11. Walking in Circles Before Lying Down by Merrill Markoe

12. The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan (1^st)

13. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (2^nd)

14. Becoming A Successful Manager by Jack H. Grossman and J. Robert Parkinson

15. 365 Foolish Mistakes Smart Managers Commit Every Day: How and Why to Avoid Them by Shri L. Henkel

16. Managing Knock Your Socks Off Service by Chip R. Bell and Ron Zemke

17. Built To Last – Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras

18. Equinomics: The Secrets to Making Money with Your Horse Business by Lanier Cordell

19. How to Drive Service Competition Crazy

20. Good To Great by Jim Collins

21. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

22. The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.P. Covey

23. Crucial Conversations – tools for talking when stakes are high by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler

24. First, Break All The Rules by M. Buckingham & Curt Coffman

25. Now, Discover Your Strengths by M. Buckingham & D. Clifton, PhD

26. Love & Profit:  The Art of Caring Leadership by James A. Autry

27. Swim With the Sharks: Without Being Eaten Alive by Harvey Mackay

28. Strategic Selling by Robert B. Miller, Stephen E. Heiman with Tad Tuleja

29. Comedy Writing Secrets: How to Think Funny, Write Funny, Act Funny, and Get Paid For It by Melvin Helitzer

30. The THINK and GROW RICH Action Pack by Napolean Hill

31. Getting The Love You Want: A Guide for Couples by Harville Hendrix, Ph.D.

32. The Power of NOW by Eckhart Tolle

33. The Game of Work: How to Enjoy Work as Much as Play by Charles A. Coonradt with Lee Nelson

34. Who Took My Money? by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter, C.P.A.

35. A Table in the Presence by Lt. Carey H. Cash

36. The Morality of Money by Ken Hubbard & Nick Pagano

37. The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

38. Top Grading by Bradford D. Smart, Ph.D.

39. Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish

40. The Bible

41. Secrets of the Vine: Breaking Through to Abundance by Bruce Wilkinson

42. Holy Humor – Inspirational Wit & Cartoons, by Cal & Rose Samra

43. 301 Ways To Have Fun At Work by Dave Hensath & Leslie Yerkes

44. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

45. The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale

46. Customer Satisfaction is Worthless – Customer Loyalty is Priceless, by Jeffrey Gitomer

47. Illusions: Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

48. The Healing Heart by Norman Cousins

49. Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl

50. The Humor of Christ by Elton Trueblood

51. Love, Medicine and Miracles by Bernie L. Siegel, M.D.

52. How to Win Customers and Keep Them For Life by Michael LeBoeuf, Ph.D.

53. ADD: A Different Perspective by Tom Hartman

54. Driven To Distraction – Recognizing & Coping With Attention Deficit Order by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D.

55. Working With Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

56. You Can Be Happy, No Matter What by Richard Carlson, PhD

57. Finding Your Purpose by Barbara Braham

58. Nuts! by Kevin Freiberg and Jackie Freiberg

59. The Secrets of Life by Stuart Wilde

60. Manifest Your Destiny by Wayne W. Dyer

61. The Power of Intention by Wayne W. Dyer

62. The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy, D.R.S., PhD

63. Brands That Rock by Roger Blackwell & Tim Stephan

64. Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch

65. From Mind to Market by Roger D. Blackwell

66. Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

67. White Oleander by Janet Fitch

68. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

69. Prep: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld

70. Heart of a Mule: The Dick Schafrath Stories by Dick Schafrath

71.-81. Will be TBD as I find something that strikes my fancy 🙂

 I want a few more “fun” books, so we’ll see what I can come up with…

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It’s Time for Some Goals (101 in 1001)

It’s time for me to set a few goals in order to give myself specific targets to work toward over the next few years.  What it’s all about. 

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past — frequently simple goals such as new year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities. 

Many thanks to Terra for unwittingly inspiring me to get motivated… 

     “If one moves confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”  —Henry David Thoreau

Start date: Today (Sunday, February 17, 2008)

End date: Monday, November 15, 2010

Striked=completed

Bold=in progress

Alverna’s 101 in 1001

Financial 

     1. Eliminate all consumer debt, including: my VISA & MasterCard, our Lowe’s card, my medical bill, and our parents’ generous “wedding expense” loans. 

     2. Put $5,000 in savings.

     3. Acquire a chest freezer so we can buy in bulk frozen foods to cut our grocery budget.

     4. Get overdraft protection on my checking account.

     5. Either expand the Wide Mouth Gifts I started or come up with some sort of on the side income. (See the results here, I’ve been working hard to make it more user-friendly.  Let me know what you think!)

Home/Farm Improvements 

     6. Replace the carpet in the kitchen with the snap together no-scratch slate look tile we’ve got picked out at Lowe’s.

     7. Replace the kitchen sink faucet with a stainless steel one (that doesn’t leak!).

     8. Install a drainage system around our barn. (3/19/08: I may not have been specific enough when I set this goal.  We’ve put in place a temporary solution–basically a sump pump in one of the storage stalls.  It’s helping tremendously for now.  However, I would like to have something better and more permanent eventually.)

     9. Replace the roof on the older half of our barn.

     10. Pick any manure in the arena and move the two sand piles that are currently in our pasture to the arena to improve the footing.

     11. Install a new wood fence section to separate the arena and the dry lot.

     12. Replace the chewed fence boards in the arena.  (March ’08; Thanks to my darling husband!)

     13. Replace the less attractive/functional boards on the run-in shed.  (March ’08; Also thanks to the Mr.–it was a joint goal!)

Career/Educational

     14. Find a job I love…or come to a place where I’m 100% happy with the one I have.

     15. Attend at least four continuing education seminars, at least two being equine-industry related. [0/4]

     16. Start our business, officially.  (3/19/08: It’s very,very close to becoming a reality…)

     17. Move the Bugh Equine Center website from Freewebs to a “real”, hosted website.

Self Improvement 

     18. Re-register to vote–once my name change becomes official.

     19. Locate a nonprofit organization with a cause I feel motivated by and volunteer with said organization.

     20. Lose ten pounds, and keep it off. [10/10]  (3/19/08: I actually lost ten pounds without really trying just because of all the work we’ve been doing on the barn…but I’m not crossing this one off because the goal was to lose AND keep it off.)

     21. Work with my neurologist to figure out the migraine prevention & treatment protocol that works best for me and I’m comfortable with using.

     22. Keep a headache journal for a year.

     23. Find a birth control method that I like.  (Suggestions are welcome ladies!)

     24. Write an article & get it published.

    25. Blog twice a week for at least one month. [2/8] (1, 2)

     26. Make a list of 100 things that make me happy.

     27. Climb a rock wall.

     28. Read the (Catholic) Bible from cover to cover.

     29. Read 25 other books–that I’ve never read before–in 2008. (Book suggestions anyone?) [1/25]  (3/19/08: Completed so far: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Steven R. Covey.  In progress: Equinomics: The Secrets to Making Money with Your Horse Business by Lanier Cordell, White Oleander by Janet Fitch, and THINK and GROW RICH by Napolean Hill)

     30. Read 30 books in 2009. [0/30]

     31. Read 25 books in 2010. [0/25]

     32. Visit the library down the road.  If it’s “safe”, get a library card.  If not, continue going to the library by our old apartment.  (February ’08; The security guard at the front door made me nervous, but it turns out our local library is OK.)

     33. Check out eight books on tape/CD in 2008.  Listen to them while driving to/from work. (These can count as the books I’m reading.) [2/8]  (3/19/08: 7 Habits & White Oleander are on CD.  I love this arrangement except–and this is no offense to the book/author–I had a little trouble staying awake while driving while listening to 7 Habits.  Apparently between 7-8am is not my optimal hour for self-motivation, which is good to know!)

     34. Do 100 sit-ups a night for two weeks. [0/14]

     35. Pray daily for a month. [0/30]

     36. Attend mass every Sunday for six months. [1/24]  (Mass 3/16/08)

     37. Attend mass for all Holy Days of Obligation for one year. [0/10] 

Personal 

     38. Take ballroom dance lessons with my husband (his idea, not mine 🙂 ). 

     39. Find (and buy) a pair of sunglasses I actually like (and that fit me!).

     40. Remove clothes from my wardrobe that I don’t like or don’t fit me.  Replace with clothes I like and will actually wear.  The end result should be a wardrobe I love!

     41. Find and buy functional and attractive sleepwear…then throw out all of the old, over-sized tee’s I usually wear.

     42. Find and buy a dress I can wear in the winter.

     43. Find and buy something slinky and sexy to wear for my husband.

     44. Find makeup that doesn’t make me break out and matches my skin tone.

     45. Mail a postcard to Post Secret.

     46. Get a massage.

     47. Get a facial.

     48. Take a cooking class.

     49. Travel outside the continental US.

     50. Take my husband whitewater rafting.

     51. Go horseback riding on the beach.  Somewhere warm.  Anywhere.

     52. Call or email my mom at least twice a week.

     53. Become a big sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

     54. Make at least two new, permanent friends in Dayton. [0/2]

     55. Have lunch with at least one “long lost friend”.

     56. Go to a concert.

     57. Have our wedding photos printed & put them in an album.

     58. Put together my cookbook.

     59. Cook 20 new recipes. [0/20]

     60. Visit either NYC or Chicago.

     61. Learn & practice monthly breast self exams for a year. [0/12]

     62. Find 10 new restaurants, coffee shops, or hang out spots within 15 minutes of our house. [0/10]

     63. Go on an overnight mother/daughter trip with my mom.

     64. Give blood at least four times per year. [0/10]

     65. Try five new foods, preferably foreign. [0/5]

     66. Take my husband to a strip club, just for the heck of it!

     67. Join a local hobby group.

     68. Buy a quality digital camera.

     69. Go to a drive-in movie.

     70. Buy a new lap top.

     71.  Plan a girl’s weekend road trip.

     72.  Plan a romantic trip for my husband and I.

     73. Go snorkeling.

     74. Golf 18 holes…note I don’t have any performance goal!

     75. Write and mail 2008 & 2009 Christmas letters.

     76. Show Pea (my OTTB) in-hand and under saddle.

     77. Take Pea to either a RPSI or a Trakehner breed inspection.

     78. Get Pea in foal to a warmblood stallion.

     79. Send a non-special occasion card to someone who’s family and someone who’s not.  (3/17/08: I mailed a “Hope” card to my Grandpa, who’s 82 and fell last week.  He broke a bunch of little bones in his hand…and now he’s grouchy because Grandma’s “making” him walk with a cane so it doesn’t happen again!) 

     80. Finish a knitting or cross stitch project.

     81. Have one of our wedding photos blown up to 16″x20″ and framed…and hang it above the fireplace.

    82. Write my husband a love note every week for a month (email counts). [1/4]

     83. Buy a cute corset–and wear it.

     84. Visit Cheryl, Scott, and the girls in Cleveland.

     85. Learn how to make at least one fancy dessert.

     86. Take a completely spontaneous getaway trip.

     87. Go bowling at least four times. [0/4]

     88. Take my little brothers on a day trip.

     89. Spend a weekend with my oldest brother.

     90. Go to a wine tasting event.

     91. Give a massage.

     92. Ride in a “Hunt” at the Miami Valley Hunt.

     93. Get tipsy in good company.

     94. Ride at least twice a week for six months, providing the weather is decent.  [0/48]

     95. Face a fear. 

     96. Go naked for a day.

     97. Make love outdoors.

     98. Learn one good joke.

     99. Leave work on time every day for a week. [0/7]

     100. Figure out which charity is most meaningful to me.

     101. Donate $5 to that charity for each unfinished item on this list.

        

    

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