Hello! I have returned.
A year ago, I started recording every book I read. In that 24th year of life, I also endured some bad shit. So...I read a lot of fluff. Like. A lot. I'm almost ashamed. But then I think about it, and those were hilarious books, and there is nothing like watching your friend read love scenes aloud while you make over 100 whoopie pies with your dearest friends and her boyfriend squirms. And then dancing drunkenly with nutcrackers. And then frightening your boyfriend's brother by drunkenly doing impressions of his adorable Southern mother. Or reading books because your middle aged coworkers won't shut up about them. Or reading books because a blog tells you to, and finding that you love all the suggestions.
SO, with no further ado: here are the first 3 months of my 24th year of life, in books:
June:
Wolf Hall--Hilary Mantel
Seven Up--Janet Evanovich
Hard Eight--Janet Evanovich
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest--Siegg Larsson
To the Nines--Janet Evanovich
Pets and the Planet: A Practical Guide to Sustainable Pet Care--Carol Frischmann
July:
The Hunger Games--Suzanne Collins
Not Quite a Husband--Sherry Thomas
Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming--Paul Hawken
The White Queen--Phillipa Gregory*
Catching Fire--Suzanne Collins
August:
The Hedgehog's Dilemma--Phil Warwick
Something Wonderful--Judith McNaught
Girl in the Arena--Lise Haines
Ten Big Ones--Janet Evanovich
Eleven on Top--Janet Evanovich
His at Night--Sherry Thomas
Belfast Diary: War as a Way of Life--John Conroy
Almost Heaven--Judith McNaught
The Red Queen--Phillipa Gregory
Gosh, I read a lot of trash. Summer, you know? Depression, you know?
Next up: Fall, and a return to some more serious subject matter.
*I'm sorry, but every time I see the name Phillipa after this I will only think of this hottie.
June 17, 2011
April 15, 2011
Young Professional
This happened awhile ago, but I decided to share it with you all. I was featured as the Fond du Lac Reporter's Young Professional of the Week on Sunday, April 3.
It was kind of terrifying to realize that I would be in the paper, mostly because I knew patrons would see it. That said, it was also a huge honor to be recognized after only living and working in Fond du Lac for 10 months. The people at the Reporter were really nice and I got to have my picture taken in a studio and everything.
So far, only one patron has talked to me about it, and he was really cool! He was really pumped about me wanting to hike the Inca Trail and asked how I got interested in that. He is planning to hike the Appalachian Trail, and is starting to train now that the weather is a bit better. Since he is retired and in good physical condition, he figured he might as well try. How cool!
It was kind of terrifying to realize that I would be in the paper, mostly because I knew patrons would see it. That said, it was also a huge honor to be recognized after only living and working in Fond du Lac for 10 months. The people at the Reporter were really nice and I got to have my picture taken in a studio and everything.
So far, only one patron has talked to me about it, and he was really cool! He was really pumped about me wanting to hike the Inca Trail and asked how I got interested in that. He is planning to hike the Appalachian Trail, and is starting to train now that the weather is a bit better. Since he is retired and in good physical condition, he figured he might as well try. How cool!
March 28, 2011
That's so radical.
Can you believe it is only two short months (and some change) until my 25th birthday? It blows me away. So much has happened in the past ten months. I won't lie, they were pretty awful months. Hopefully spring will show up soon and things will stop being so lonely and cold.
On my 24th birthday, I decided to start recording every book I read while I was 24. It has been really fun and a lesson in humility. Guess what? I don't read that much! It is shocking how few books I'm reading a month. Some months are heavier than others, of course, but it looks like I'm averaging a book a week. That doesn't seem like a lot to me, especially considering how bored I am in FDL. TV on DVD has certainly been a contributing factor to this. Whoops.
In June I'll be sharing the results of my year of reading record keeping, but until then, I had to share this book with you. It is called "Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture" by Shannon Hayes. It looks at the "movement" of people deciding to take themselves out of the rat race and live in ways that honor four basic tenets:
1) ecological sustainability
2) social justice
3)community engagement
4) family well-being
The book goes into a ton of detail (obvi) but what I appreciated most was that Hayes explores both the historical background/evolution of homemaking and profiles real people making these choices. There are areas in which I disagree with her, quite strongly.
Hayes profiles many homeschoolers and people who do not have health insurance, some by choice. The "negatives" of homeschooling are not, in my opinion, adequately explored, nor are the advantages of attending school. Of course, not all people have access to amazing public schools or can afford a good private school. I truly believe there are solutions to making our schools better and that parents can make a huge difference, regardless of the quality of a school.
After watching several family members endure serious illness and disease, I believe that while the health insurance industry is totally screwing us, I won't be without health insurance by choice. I also think that school, even regular ole public school, has some benefits. And, of course, I love me some academia.
That said, this book took a lot of things I've been pondering and summed them up. It gave me a nice background, a construct, to understand some of the choices I'm contemplating. At this point in my life, there seem to be nothing but choices. For how long do you put career first? Do I feel comfortable putting my career aside for a partner's career? Do I go full on vegetarian, even though food is such an important way for me to connect with others and meat is a part of those people's lives/cultures/traditions*? How do I contribute to the well being of a community that seems hostile to so many of my beliefs? Ah! Even as this book challenged me, it reassured me. "Radical Homemakers" is highly recommended for anyone trying to decide how to create a fulfilling, socially responsible life. It won't give answers, but it does give ideas. And who doesn't need some inspiration now and then?
*To answer this, I guess what I've decided is that I'm not going to go vegetarian. I believe we're animals, and animals do eat other animals. Fact. Watch the Discovery Channel. However, I am disgusted by the policies of industrial agriculture and the way it disregards the souls and well-being of animals. (Yes, I believe animals have souls.) So, I will only be purchasing meat from small farms where it has been raised humanely. As for dairy, I'm WI born and bred, and there's no way I'm giving up cheese. As far as eggs, I plan to source them from locals who have a flock in the yard. This is a lot easier given that I live in Hicksville and that my aunt has chickens. In the end, my diet will be largely meat free, as I cannot afford humanely raised meat very often. This seems like a reasonable choice for me and I hope that my vegetarian and vegan friends can respect it.
On my 24th birthday, I decided to start recording every book I read while I was 24. It has been really fun and a lesson in humility. Guess what? I don't read that much! It is shocking how few books I'm reading a month. Some months are heavier than others, of course, but it looks like I'm averaging a book a week. That doesn't seem like a lot to me, especially considering how bored I am in FDL. TV on DVD has certainly been a contributing factor to this. Whoops.
In June I'll be sharing the results of my year of reading record keeping, but until then, I had to share this book with you. It is called "Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture" by Shannon Hayes. It looks at the "movement" of people deciding to take themselves out of the rat race and live in ways that honor four basic tenets:
1) ecological sustainability
2) social justice
3)community engagement
4) family well-being
The book goes into a ton of detail (obvi) but what I appreciated most was that Hayes explores both the historical background/evolution of homemaking and profiles real people making these choices. There are areas in which I disagree with her, quite strongly.
Hayes profiles many homeschoolers and people who do not have health insurance, some by choice. The "negatives" of homeschooling are not, in my opinion, adequately explored, nor are the advantages of attending school. Of course, not all people have access to amazing public schools or can afford a good private school. I truly believe there are solutions to making our schools better and that parents can make a huge difference, regardless of the quality of a school.
After watching several family members endure serious illness and disease, I believe that while the health insurance industry is totally screwing us, I won't be without health insurance by choice. I also think that school, even regular ole public school, has some benefits. And, of course, I love me some academia.
That said, this book took a lot of things I've been pondering and summed them up. It gave me a nice background, a construct, to understand some of the choices I'm contemplating. At this point in my life, there seem to be nothing but choices. For how long do you put career first? Do I feel comfortable putting my career aside for a partner's career? Do I go full on vegetarian, even though food is such an important way for me to connect with others and meat is a part of those people's lives/cultures/traditions*? How do I contribute to the well being of a community that seems hostile to so many of my beliefs? Ah! Even as this book challenged me, it reassured me. "Radical Homemakers" is highly recommended for anyone trying to decide how to create a fulfilling, socially responsible life. It won't give answers, but it does give ideas. And who doesn't need some inspiration now and then?
*To answer this, I guess what I've decided is that I'm not going to go vegetarian. I believe we're animals, and animals do eat other animals. Fact. Watch the Discovery Channel. However, I am disgusted by the policies of industrial agriculture and the way it disregards the souls and well-being of animals. (Yes, I believe animals have souls.) So, I will only be purchasing meat from small farms where it has been raised humanely. As for dairy, I'm WI born and bred, and there's no way I'm giving up cheese. As far as eggs, I plan to source them from locals who have a flock in the yard. This is a lot easier given that I live in Hicksville and that my aunt has chickens. In the end, my diet will be largely meat free, as I cannot afford humanely raised meat very often. This seems like a reasonable choice for me and I hope that my vegetarian and vegan friends can respect it.
February 10, 2011
This has nothing to do with libraries.
Parkers at Purple Stride Chicago 2010I know I said I was going to stop posting non-library stuff here. But. I'm not. Because I'm posting this.
Come and be a part of Purple Stride Milwaukee with us! It is June 4, 2011, and we are so excited to celebrate with all of you and remember my dad. We are so so excited. Please join us. Donate or join the team by going here.
January 4, 2011
Keeping Track
In the battle between the tactile and digital world, there is one area where I have tried so hard to go digital and have failed. I've not only failed, but I've failed multiple times. What has done me in?
Calendars.
I cannot, for the life of me, use a digital calendar effectively.
It does not matter if it is Google Calendar (which I like) or my iCal (which I used to update obsessively, never to check), or the calendar in my Outlook at work (which will even set alarms to remind you to go to meetings!) Nope. It doesn't work. The only things that work are nice big wall or desk calendars. I like the boxes to be large enough to write in, I like to see the whole month at a time, and I like there to be a pretty photo. Since 2008, my home calendars have been: Ireland, Georgia O'Keefe, Natural Parks, and John Singer Sargent. At work I have the largest desk calendar Staples sells, and it is island themed. Actually finding the date on a piece of paper and writing it down, then looking at it multiple times a day, keeps events fresh in my mind and helps me to remember.
In addition, calendars bring a little bit of art into my life. Until recently, my apartment calendar was always in the kitchen. Now it lives in my bedroom. In both places, it brought color and energy to the space. It takes more energy and thought to sync my work and home calendars, but it seems that only the really important "work" events end up on my home calendar. Isn't that how it should be anyways?
Calendars.
I cannot, for the life of me, use a digital calendar effectively.
It does not matter if it is Google Calendar (which I like) or my iCal (which I used to update obsessively, never to check), or the calendar in my Outlook at work (which will even set alarms to remind you to go to meetings!) Nope. It doesn't work. The only things that work are nice big wall or desk calendars. I like the boxes to be large enough to write in, I like to see the whole month at a time, and I like there to be a pretty photo. Since 2008, my home calendars have been: Ireland, Georgia O'Keefe, Natural Parks, and John Singer Sargent. At work I have the largest desk calendar Staples sells, and it is island themed. Actually finding the date on a piece of paper and writing it down, then looking at it multiple times a day, keeps events fresh in my mind and helps me to remember.
In addition, calendars bring a little bit of art into my life. Until recently, my apartment calendar was always in the kitchen. Now it lives in my bedroom. In both places, it brought color and energy to the space. It takes more energy and thought to sync my work and home calendars, but it seems that only the really important "work" events end up on my home calendar. Isn't that how it should be anyways?
December 31, 2010
NYE Resolutions
My resolutions for 2011:
1) Drink more water.
2) Better posture!
3) Work towards making the life I WANT, not the life I think I "should" lead.
4) Write more letters.
5) Dance more.
December 26, 2010
Moving (on, forward, away)
Hello blog world. It has been so, so long. I've sort of abandoned this project. It started when I was in a different place in my life, figuratively, literally, emotionally, etc. I will continue to write here once in awhile. I don't harbor any illusions that this blog is going to make me ultra famous in Library Land, and I know (through the power of Google Analytics) that pretty much everyone who reads this thing is a friend or relative of mine. It's useful as a place to push around ideas, and I guess it doesn't matter if it is widely read or read at all.
That said, 2010 is drawing to a close. We have less than a week to go of the worst year ever, and I am just hoping to get through it without any more illnesses, accidents, or deaths. There has been a lot of sadness, pain, disappointment, and despair this year. There has also been a lot of love and support. Unfortunately, at this point all the "good things" were connected to something so terrible that it kind of dims the brightness. For example, a community rich with kindness, support, friendship and love appeared to take care of my dad and our family, but it was connected to my dad's cancer and death. Would trade all those outpourings of love for him. I got a job, but it involves living in a town I don't like, alone, with NO friends and away from my bf. Financial security, yes. Loneliness, anxiety, depression, and paranoia? Would trade the cash for some friends close by and a sense of community. Really.
The one truly good thing, that has no "bad" side attached, is my cat, Winston. In July he came home with me and has since provided more love than I can express. He has become my best friend. Today I came to my apartment, sat in a chair and he curled up in my arms, just like a baby. I feel for him the way I imagine people feel about a child. It was just what I needed.
So, after a lot of thought, I'm moving on. I'm moving forward to a new year. Things will be better, because I will MAKE them better. In 2010, things happened and I reacted. In 2011, I am going to DO things. Even if those decisions aren't the most "rational" (ie, move again! Get a different job, even though I love mine, so that I can have friends again and live someplace where I am happy!) it will be for the best. Life is short, and hard, and often quite brutal, but it also can be beautiful and sweet and fun. I want to laugh more. Part of that is moving these sorts of thoughts into a new space. This will still be updated once and again, but I'm going to put more energy into a new project I'm doing with an amazing friend. Look for casualdecadence.com to be up sometime in 2011.
Thanks for listening. Now go hug someone. I guarantee they need it.
That said, 2010 is drawing to a close. We have less than a week to go of the worst year ever, and I am just hoping to get through it without any more illnesses, accidents, or deaths. There has been a lot of sadness, pain, disappointment, and despair this year. There has also been a lot of love and support. Unfortunately, at this point all the "good things" were connected to something so terrible that it kind of dims the brightness. For example, a community rich with kindness, support, friendship and love appeared to take care of my dad and our family, but it was connected to my dad's cancer and death. Would trade all those outpourings of love for him. I got a job, but it involves living in a town I don't like, alone, with NO friends and away from my bf. Financial security, yes. Loneliness, anxiety, depression, and paranoia? Would trade the cash for some friends close by and a sense of community. Really.
The one truly good thing, that has no "bad" side attached, is my cat, Winston. In July he came home with me and has since provided more love than I can express. He has become my best friend. Today I came to my apartment, sat in a chair and he curled up in my arms, just like a baby. I feel for him the way I imagine people feel about a child. It was just what I needed.
So, after a lot of thought, I'm moving on. I'm moving forward to a new year. Things will be better, because I will MAKE them better. In 2010, things happened and I reacted. In 2011, I am going to DO things. Even if those decisions aren't the most "rational" (ie, move again! Get a different job, even though I love mine, so that I can have friends again and live someplace where I am happy!) it will be for the best. Life is short, and hard, and often quite brutal, but it also can be beautiful and sweet and fun. I want to laugh more. Part of that is moving these sorts of thoughts into a new space. This will still be updated once and again, but I'm going to put more energy into a new project I'm doing with an amazing friend. Look for casualdecadence.com to be up sometime in 2011.
Thanks for listening. Now go hug someone. I guarantee they need it.
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