Leading an Extra Life

I often feel sorry for people who don't read good books;
they are missing a chance to lead an extra life.
~ Scott Corbett ~

I just finished one of those books you race through because it’s so good and then you’re sad because it’s over.

In A Gentle Rain, the main character describes the accepting attitude of the folks that make up his staff of ranch hands, all of whom had disabilities. Ben said , “Most people look at a leaky soul and see nothing but trickles of good intentions falling on bone-dry earth. But these folks? They see a gentle rain."

I’ll be seeking more books by Deborah Smith right away. Gentle Rain was especially meaningful to me as a Florida cracker. This story brought my ancestral history and my imagination to life with stories of the “real Florida”; cattle ranching, Seninole Indians, palmetto scrub, alligators and rodeos. I’m told my ancestors were called crackers because of the sound of the bullwhips popping. My husband has his great grandfather’s bullwhip - a neat piece of history.

Another recent read was John Grisham’s recent release, The Appeal. As usual, I applaud Grisham for his strong characterizations and gripping plot. However, I found this book rather depressing; way too close to the evening news to be entertaining. Greed, corruption, buying candidates, manipulating elections - blech.

I’ll leave you with the name of the best business book I’ve read in ages. Check out Michael Pink’s The Rainforest Strategy for fresh insights and inspiration for business success in tough times. You can get his book for the cost of postage HERE. I also enjoy Michaels’ blog.

In my early morning reading time, I’ve been camped out in Ephesians for the last month. I’m continually amazed that the Word of God is living… no matter how many times you read it, it always speaks something new.

Books are like friends- you can't have too many! What's on your nightstand?

Dinner with a Perfect Friend

I recently read a short and fascinating book called Dinner with a Perfect Stranger. It’s an intriguing account of a dinner conversation between a cynical businessman and Jesus.

I felt I needed to title my post “Dinner with a Perfect Friend” since that’s my relationship with Him. I can laugh and cry with Him and call in the middle of the night if I want to. I call him Friend, Encourager, Teacher & Counselor to name a few.

If you think of Him as a polite stranger, a judgmental father or just a wise man, this book’s for you. Really. I want you to read it and tell me what you think of it. Just leave me a comment (be sure to leave your email address) and I’ll send it to you. I only have one copy so it’s for the first to speak up.

I’ll leave you with a smile by quoting a T-shirt I saw in a gift shop this week:

JESUS LOVES YOU …
          but I’m His favorite.

In the Slow Lane

I have lived this week in slow motion. A whole new experience for me. The school buses are running… the stores are full of people realizing that hurricane season is just really getting cranked up…the discipline of fall schedules is kicking up in August (the new September). And I have wanted to sleep and read. I do have to work, and I’ve been going through the motions without my usual energy.

I could possibly attribute the lassitude to hormones. Mine are doing some wacky things for sure. It may have something to do with a very quiet house, with Cupcake’s bedroom empty for the first time in 18 years.

I pulled out a book this morning that Uncommon Blonde gave me in the week before her wedding. Quite timely, since we are just a week away from favorite son’s wedding. There are lots of snippets that are bursting with encouragement and wisdom. You should gift yourself with this book:
Put On Your Dancin’ Shoes
Proverbs and Promises for Women Who Want to Live Well

It says to savor the present moment. I will. Today I will do good to myself and to others. I get to go get my hair cut and highlighted this morning. That’s doing good to myself. I will trust the opportunity to do good to others will present itself and that I will have eyes to see. I know my energy will return. In the meantime, I’ll slow dance slowly.

Today's snippet from this book is on Success .

When asked to name his greatest accomplishment in life,
he replied: “My children still come home to see me. “
-Former President George H. W. Bush

New Mercies & Grits

I just finished a good novel called New Mercies. (Great title!) It was set in Natchez, Mississippi in 1933. A character who had recently moved to the South from Chicago quipped, “Why would you take a perfectly good ear of corn and make it into sand?”, referring to grits. I shared this with the lady behind the desk when I returned the book to the library and her response echoed mine. “Well, he obviously hasn’t it had it cooked right!” I love grits. I had some this morning as a treat to start Saturday off right. It is a true comfort food to me and to everyone in my family. If you haven’t ever had it “cooked right”, I’m the one to show you.

It’s a cold and rainy day in the South, but I am thankful for grits and good books and fellow bloggers who create fascinating reading material that is often better than fiction. I am discovering a lot of talented writers out there who now are published through the world of blogging. Gotta love it.

It’s Not For Me To Know

I couldn’t find my copy of Og Mandino’s book “The Greatest Salesman in the World” today when I needed to re-read the chapter on persistence. “I Will Persist Until I Succeed” is the scroll I was looking for. I actually have parts of the book somewhat memorized. I remember it says, “It is not for me to know how many steps it will take to complete my journey, or how many strikes of the axe it will take to fell the tree." It’s not for me know. My job is to keep going. (By the way, this book is not for salespeople, it’s for everybody. A classic on success in life.)

I’m a whole week into my weight watcher’s re-commitment and guess how much I lost in my first week? Zip. That’s right. Zero. I followed the plan and have my food tracker as proof. So does this mean the program does not work? Nope. I have experience with this. It seems like a lot of people lose a lot their first week and get really excited. On the other hand, my body seems to put on the brakes and say, “Ok, you want to eat less, then I am going to burn less.” Yes, I exercised 4 out of 7 days. Could be better, I know. The good news is persistence will prevail. I was watching “The Biggest Loser” last week and most of the people had not lost much that week. One woman gained a pound. Nothing was said about the tricks your metabolism plays, plateaus (if you never knew anyone who could plateau right out of the gate, now you do) or the fact that muscle weighs more than fat and this can reflect in your weekly weigh-ins. Granted, I can’t claim that one. It’s a good thing I made a commitment to this plan and told you about it. Otherwise, I could fall back on “It just doesn’t work.” Bah humbug. It’s not for me to know exactly how long it will take. I just need to follow the plan with resolve. Persistence? I’m in.