Reader!

My mother had some issues when I was growing up, but to her credit she sure did teach us kids a love for books and reading! She read everything in sight! Sometimes she even passed her books on to us for us to read.

 And read...we did!!! In fact, it's not unusual for my sisters to call, even now, just to share with me what they're reading! I guess, considering all the bad stuff my mom passed on to us, it's a good thing she passed on something really valuable and positive too!...I have wonderful memories of rainy days with all of us piled up in my mother's big bed. There was the sound of the rain pitter pattering down on the tin roof, the smell of my mother's crisp clean sheets all scented with  soap and flowers, and the sound of her voice softly reading some story or the other while we were all huddled up together. *sigh!* That was a wonderful time. (By the way, this custom silhouette is entitled "...Two children Reading Back To Back(not a print)" http://www.etsy.com/listing/34853629/custom-silhouette-of-two-children It's from SilhouettesByCarolin on ETSY http://www.etsy.com/shop/silhouettesbycarolin I love this shop! Check it out too!)
  I have that same love of reading today, although WHAT I read has changed. It used to be mostly the comics section of the Newspaper, Laura Ingall's Little House on the Prairie series, and Erma Bombeck's books. (FYI, if you want some fun reading...just about one woman's life...you HAVE to read her books!!!) I could read any of her books, any time, still!!!
   But anybody that knows me knows that what I love to read most now are my Bible,

 my Awake and Watchtower magazines (this one on stress...GOOD!),

 and my medical reference books. Both of these are books with symptoms of just about everything you can imagine listed in the back indexes. You can look up your symptom and then go to the page that tells you what it could be, and what you should do about it!

Over the years these books have been invaluable! They've saved me some trips to the doctor for things I could fix at home, and saved me some panic about unfamiliar things that turned out to be nothing to worry about. I think every family...especially with kids...should have some of these books in your house at your fingertips!
  Another one, along the lines of health, that's helped me a lot is this one:

 It's another one of those 'look it up' type of books, but this one instead of listing just symptoms, it lists the ailments themselves (bronchitis, lupus, cancer, etc) and gives you details on how they will affect you, but also the natural way you could choose to treat them. It also lists the names of herbs and so forth, and gives you the info on what they are, their pros and cons,  and what's the best way to use them.

 I have practically read these books to death! LOL You can tell from looking at them!...But I've also done some other, more casual, reading. In fact, I read this book.

It was my one and only book I read from Oprah's suggested book club reads. I'm sure other people loved it, but it didn't hold my attention very well. I like stories with lots of different story lines, and a love story...of course! Not a sex story, but a love story. I don't like explicit stuff or vulgar language. I like my mind to be thoroughly engaged in how the end turns out, to somehow be able to see myself in the story...Years ago, before the movie came out, hubby and I used to sit and read this book to each other after dinner.

  Talk about keeping your attention!!! We had fun reading that book! It was funny how just as we were at the end of reading it...the T.V. movie trailers starting coming on advertising this epic mini-series that was about to come on. I have to say, they certainly did a great job bringing that book to life! Although, as with all movies  based on books probably, there were some things left out. Actually a lot of things left out with this book! It was a good read...of course this was over 25 years ago that I read it!!!
  Oh yeah, I have a favorite poet I love to read too! Maya Angelou. She's written other things besides poetry that I've read, like her book "I know why the Caged Bird sings". But this was the last book of her poems I read. It was given to me as a gift by someone who said that her poem entitled "phenomenal Woman" reminded them of something that I would write! That, to me, was the ultimate complement!

  Between Erma Bombeck and Maya Angelou, style-wise, is ME!!! :-)) And I'll leave you with ME...for today.


In The Mirror, I See Me

The lines of history are there,
just like a book upon the shelf;
And they are written so that you see
that I'm no longer just myself.

I did not see it before now-
my mother's hair and brother's teeth,
my sister's honey-colored skin-
have stolen time, just like a thief.

The mirror's image always was
of me alone-just here and now;
But as I age, and years go by,
I see granddaddy's furrowed brow.

I see my auntie's pug, round nose;
and my uncle's sun-bleached spots.
It is amazing -one-by-one,
the way it all connects the dots.

They have written on the pages
of the book of life I see;
When I look into the mirror
I no longer just see me.

It is a thing I must accept,
instead of fighting who to be.
I will accept my life's reflection,
and I'll smile at what I see,
when, in the mirror, I see me.