Tuesday

Tuesday, May 31

"Life among academics had taught me that a well-expressed opinion is usually better than a badly expressed fact, so far as professional advancement goes."

This quote is from my latest summer read: "Outlander". I'm not very far into it, and having a hard time getting into it, but I LOVED this quote! I think I have always felt this way myself. Forget professional advancement, I think people just listen to you if you can express yourself well whether or not you have a clue what you are talking about. Little known fact about me (among my Abilene friends): I interpreted for the deaf as a job in college, then as part of a ministry at church in Temple. I would occasionally teach sign language classes -- or more likely, co-teach with Debbie Riggs. On Sunday nights, we would have our students get up and sign some songs or part of the announcements. I always told them, "Be wrong with confidence!" There weren't any deaf people that came on Sunday nights, and the only way the people watching you would know whether or not you made a mistake was by the look on your face! I'm not sure where that may or may not apply to real life, but I do believe that if you simply look like you know what you're doing, people will pay attention!

Summer is getting off to a halting start for us -- baseball camp, dentist appointments, and rainy days. Not quite what we had in mind. Riley is loving baseball camp, and Ashley is cavity-free! :-)

I'll keep you posted on my summer reading. Thanks for all of the ideas on books to read -- I'm keeping a list! Keep 'em coming!

Sunday

Summer Reading. . .

I polled some friends, did some of my own research and have officially started on my 'summer reading list'. I have already finished two that were recommended to me by some of the 'coffee gals'.

"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold. Begins with the murder of a 14-year old girl -- then told from her perspective in 'her heaven' as she watches her family deal with the grief and horror of it. A page turner, and you can't put it down, but VERY dark. Just real people dealing with real horror.

"gods in Alabama" by Joshilyn Jackson. It DOES have a great first line, Denise (my friend from Alabama that recommended it to me), but if I put it here, my own filter will keep me from reading my blog! :-) I'll try this: "There are gods in Alabama: Jack Daniel's, high school quarterbacks, trucks, big t*ts, and also Jesus." Good book -- after reading "The Lovely Bones" it was still a bit dark for me. Great ending. More real people and real families.

I can't decide what to start on next -- Tammy is telling me I MUST read the Harry Potter series (I've now officially read 3 pages -- not bad -- but Riley keeps taking it from me). I started in on a book by Carol Higgins Clark - Mary's daughter. Bad, bad, very bad. I've got "The Outlander" that Denise told me about -- some sort of time traveling, bodice busting book she told me about! :-)

So, tell me what you would read this summer if you were going to spend big chunks of time around the pool? And, if you need a book to read, I still say that Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series is HYSTERICAL (they all have numbers in the title -- start w/ 'One for the Money'). Just so much fun.