It's a dark, rainy morning in central New York. Coffee mug in hand, I'm composing "to do" lists for the week ahead. They look something like this:List #1: Books to Review
- A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg (including book club meeting recap)
- Mariana by Monica Dickens
- Summer by Edith Wharton
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
- The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (DNF)
List #2: Books to Read
- Bleak House by Charles Dickens (Amanda's read-along starts Wed.)
- Etham Frome by Edith Wharton (the perfect follow-up to Summer)
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (for book club)
List #3: Home Happenings
- Monday - Twin A college visit/interview
- Tuesday - pack Daughter #1 for college
- Wednesday - take Daughter #1 back to college
- Thursday - laundry/pack for family trip
- Friday - Twin B doctor's appointment/ haircut/ pack and load car
- Saturday - begin family vacation (plus more college visits!)
Now that this is properly written out, it's obvious the tasks on list 3 will occupy the majority of my time and energy this week. List 2 (along with a glass of wine!) should provide some relaxation at the end of the day, and list 1 will, most likely, be neglected once again. I hope to check in from Maine next Sunday, and get back to 'blogging as usual' after Labor Day.
So, what's on you to do/to read list this week?
Oh, you do have a very busy week ahead. But the events on your list sound like fun...except, maybe a little sad, too, since you'll be sending kids to college!
ReplyDeleteBut maybe that's a good thing, too. More time for reading.
And someone else wrote on a blog today about how autumn is a great time for reading...cooler weather, more conducive to curling up to read; football (no distractions from husbands); etc.
I'm hoping to get a lot more reading done. As you'll notice from my salon today, I've been watching my grandson until school starts next week; so I should soon have lots more time on my hands.
Click my name for my Salon URL.
I'm hoping to finish The Three Musketeers today. Seven hundred plus pages. Gotta get busy.
ReplyDeleteFortunately I do not have to get this child or that child here or there. Remember, This Too Will Pass.
Tomorrow is the first day of school. That is basically my list for the week. I'll have to restart all of my classroom projects and programs and get several schoolwide projects moving. I'm in charge of academic competitions this year, so I'll be working on the spelling bee, the geography bee, and getting an Odyssey of the Mind team together.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'll be reading some, too.
Looks like you have a busy week ahead! Glad you have vacation to look forward to. I hope you can relax and read a lot while in Maine. My experience with Maine is that it's a great place to do those things!
ReplyDeleteI'm very interested in the books you are going to review and the ones you're reading! I want to start re-reading m,any of the classics because it's been such a long time since I read many of them.
The Bleak House read-a-long interests me but I am in the midst of Infinite Jest so I better not join anything right now. I'll just read your posts!
Have a great week, JoAnn!
~ Amy
That's a big list #3. We're only getting ready for a senior year of high school here and my first year in the middle school library -- both exciting.
ReplyDeleteAnd a terrific list #2 -- all winners. Cutting for Stone reminded me of Dickens and the other great 19th century storytellers.
I don't think I knew that you were in central New York. I spent two years in Ithaca. Are you in that neck of woods?
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a busy week ahead of you!
ReplyDeleteI love lists. They make me feel like I might have just a tiny bit of control over my life (ha). I have fallen behind again with my review writing, so I have a single-minded goal to get caught up this week. Somehow. You have a wonderful (busy) week! Wine and books are the cure to all that ails you.
ReplyDeleteUgh - Much as I miss college, I do not miss having to move back and forth from home to dorm, especially over Christmas break. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteI'm more upstate and it's been pouring all day here too.
Just making the lists is half the battle. They don't look so bad.
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
I just finished Etham Frome last week and along with everyone else I liked it a lot-I want to joint the Bleak House read a long but I am really into a lot of things now-maybe I can see a way to do it-I enjoyed your post a lot
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a list! I want to hear what you thing of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Maybe you could review that one first:)
ReplyDeleteHave a great, busy week, JoAnn!
Cutting for Stone is a favorite novel of mine--I'm so glad you'll be taking it up to read. I'm excited to see that it tops the national bestseller, something that is not Nora Roberts or James Patterson.
ReplyDeleteI will try to get a copy of Bleak House before the read-along--always want to read that!
Sounds like you have a busy week ahead! Good luck with the packing in particular (that's always the hardest part of moving for me)!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your thoughts on Summer and Mariana :)
I'd need lists for all those agenda items as well; good luck. Hope the kids have a great year at school.
ReplyDeleteCutting for Stone is a treat! I had problems with The Happiness Project as well --finished it but....
What a full week, and such a time of change in your life, JoAnn.
ReplyDeleteI thought The Happiness Project started off a lot stronger than it finished, can't wait to see your review.
ReplyDelete#1 on my list: have a baby. (Am only 37 weeks, should nt complain, but OMG I'm so tired.)
There's something about lists that just makes us feel like we accomplished something doesn't it? I whittled back on my books to read this week. My son's bedroom is my big to-do list this week!! Have a great time crossing off things on your lists!!
ReplyDeleteLaurel-Rain Snow - It will be hard taking my daughter back to school tomorrow. She was in NYC most of the summer, so we've only had her home for a week and a half.
ReplyDeleteReaderbuzz - Some day I will get to The Three Musketeers! My days of transporting children are numbered, I'm afraid.
C.B. James - I hope your first few days of school have gone smoothly. A new year is so exciting and it sounds like you have quite a bit on your plate.
Amy - I love Maine and can't wait to go on Saturday. I'm very intimidated by Infinite Jest.
Lynne - My twins will be high school seniors this year, too! Can't wait to start Cutting for Stone. I'll pick it up at the library tomorrow.
Thomas - I lived in Ithaca for a while when I was a child, but now we're closer to the Syracuse area. Were you at Cornell?
Stephanie - It is a little crazy this week. I'm looking forward to some quiet reading time later tonight though.
Sandy - It's funny, but just writing the list makes me feel like I've accomplished something.
E.L. Fay - We've got the packing and moving down to a science now. Our power was out for several hours Sunday night - that rain was unbelievable!
Beth F - Just making the list makes things seem more approachable.
Mel U - Ethan Frome seems to be one just about everybody loves. Too bad about Bleak House, but it sounds like you have a lot going on right now.
Gavin - Since you asked, I'll tackle The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks first. It was a fantastic book!
Matt - I'm really looking forward to Cutting for Stone! I'll pick it up at the library tomorrow. Hope you can read Bleak House with us.
Nymeth - Edith Wharton never disappoints me! I thought Summer was wonderful. Mariana was just what I expected from a Persephone Classic.
Diane - I was so happy the group chose Cutting for Stone! I've been wanting to read it for some time.
Nan - It does seem like things are changing rapidly around here. Still, I love the young adults my kids have turned in to and enjoy their company more each day.
Lisa - Looking forward to your exciting news soon...
Staci - I've always been a list-maker. Such a feeling of accomplishment checking things off...
I'm looking forward to your thought on Molly Wizenberg's book. I think I'm going to put it on my birthday wishlist. :)
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about making lists - it's as though the list itself is an accomplishment and once it's done my mind is more at ease.
Everybookandcranny - I really liked the book, and so did everyone else in my book group. We all made a different recipe for out pot luck dinner - the most delicious discussion ever!
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