2014 Goodreads Reading Challenge -- 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

Yesterday I finished my first book in the 2014 Goodreads Reading Challenge.  I started the challenge by continuing to read down my Nook queue and this was the next in line.  There are so many books and so little time that I have to figure out a way to get all the reading done in some orderly manner -- gone are my days of just reading for fun -- I now have to have a plan.

So, I have to say that I picked a very painful book to read.  It is an account of a man, Don Piper, being involved in an horrific auto accident, his death and trip to Heaven and his return to tell the tale.  I have to say that I was a bit disappointed because the time spent on his account of Heaven.  There wasn't much there but I don't really know what I expected -- I just expected more.

The account of the accident was graphic and painful.  The account of his recovering was long and grueling and he was honest about his depression.  Toward the end he did discuss how the accident had affected his faith and how he realized that he was allowed to live so that he could use his experience as a ministry.  However, the whole book has a depressed tone to it.

Would I recommend the book?  I don't know.  I read it, I didn't find it boring but I didn't find it uplifting either.  It was simply painful, beginning to end.  

To Fitbit or Not to Fitbit


A huge part of a successful marriage is patience.  My husband had to test his patience first thing this morning.  Now, I go to bed early and get up early -- generally earlier than him -- so I have lots of time for my brain to work before I see him.  I can formulate honey-do lists, grocery lists, places to go lists -- in multiples -- before his feet ever hit the floor.  I am raring to go and he only has one eye open. 

Today was the ultimate test.

I handed him a math word problem.  I completely expected him to break into the Tammy Wynette song "D-I-V-O-R-C-E". However, being the gentleman that he is he simply begged ignorance -- like he didn't quite get what I was asking. 

Well, what I was asking was -- how long (in time) do I have to walk a predetermined path to total 10,000 steps.  I got THE look -- the blank look so I sat about doing the math myself.  My path is 100 steps.  Clearly I would have to walk it 100 times.  I timed myself with my trusty Timex and it takes a second or two over 1 minute to walk it so......drumroll....I would have to walk it  1 hour and 40 minutes.  Yes, I know that is simple arithmetic but in all fairness to me, I adjusted the path.  My original path was a bit longer and wasn't as easy to calculate so here I am.

So, here is the next consideration.  In the last six months I have had major surgery and I have arthritis but I need to exercise.  My exercise of choice is walking.  No, I don't have room for a treadmill and while walking outside would be preferable it is too cold or too many allergens or too hot -- most of the time. We have a Tony Little Gazelle

 but it just kills my back.  After I got the go ahead from my doctor to exercise I climbed on it, walked for 30 minutes and felt great.  Repeated the next day I sent my back into all sort of discomfort -- not to mention my hip which hurt all the way through me.  So, I rested.  I did the same thing, half the time, night before last and the back was zinging me again so I have now given up on the Gazelle. I don't have any problem walking through my house, however, and the way the floor plan is laid out  I have almost a track like path to walk so that will be my exercise of choice.

Now, after all the math is done and the decision to wear out my floors has been made, I have to decide whether to do it the frugal way by just timing or do I buy some sort of a tracker to wear to track my steps for me.  I have been looking at these

but other than the pink color catching my eye and noting the price differences, I have no clue which one would be the best.  I think I can link it to myfitnesspal on my Nook so that would be good if I were wanting to count calories which I don't really want to do particularly but it would be a good feature. 

My thought process is that by using a tracker of some sort I could track all my steps throughout the day, not just the 100 laps around the house and maybe I wouldn't have to walk all 100.  Of course, I don't expect to make that goal immediately, maybe never, but it is just that -- a goal -- and any activity toward that goal is a plus.

So, any thoughts?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  What a great start to a new year, a new week, and a new book.

This morning I downloaded a copy of "The Christmas Candle" by Max Lucado. I had seen the book many times on the shelves at my neighborhood Barnes and Noble but failed to pick up a copy. I had seen the ads for the movie that I still want to see even though we have moved past the Christmas season but apparently we are not movie goers anymore.  So the whole "Christmas Candle" experience escaped me until I read a review on a blog I frequently read.

The review, which can be found at Brandon's Notepad, discusses the book and the movie.  The author of the blog entry does an in depth analysis of the religious aspects of the both the book and the movie as well as some comparison/contrast of both.

I found the review to be well thought out and compelling -- enough to make me stop reading and download the book which I began immediately.  I will refer back to the blog as I read the book to think through the points made by the blog author.

As I generally like to read "the book" before I see "the movie" I am glad I bought the book in plenty of time to get it read before the movie is released in February.  I am sure I will enjoy both and hope that "The Christmas Candle" will become one of my yearly Christmas favorites.

Even though I just started the book, it has me hook, line and sinker.  As one reviewer, John C. Maxwell, said "Fans of Charles Dickens and Jan Karon's Mitford series, you're in for a treat!Max Lucado has penned a wholly original Christmas story complete with cbblestone streets, quirky characters and a supernatural visit that you'll never forget."  Well, that cinches it for me -- I am in and I am sure I won't be able to put it down.

So, if you have read the book or seen the movie or if you like to read religious analysis, visit Brandon's Notepad.  Perhaps his blog will encourage you to read the book again or, as in my case, the first time.  I will review when I have completed the book.

One Little Word -- 2014


Faith


Enough said.

Musing Mondays

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading, Musing Mondays asked several questions and you are asked to answer only one.

Today I will be talking about a new reading habit of mine -- reading in bed before I go to sleep.  My husband bought me my fifth Nook for Christmas.  Excess?  Absolutely!  NOT MY FAULT!  They need to quit coming out with new models.  However, I have been passing my other models on to family members so that is good.  Anyway, my latest acquisition is the new Nook Glowlight.  It is significantly lighter in weight than my Nook Simple Touch but more importantly, it has a light which makes it easy to read in bed and not disturb the Hubs. 

So, because I have the light now, I can read a bit in bed without the light disturbing the Hubs.  I don't read long because it absolutely puts me to sleep but it is such a nice way to end the day.  I don't watch the news much because that is just disturbing before you try to get a good nights sleep but reading is  a much gentler way to nod off.  I haven't always read in bed because of the lighting issue but now I can and I am enjoying that five to ten minutes before I drift off.  Fortunately I conk out before the urge to stay up all night reading strikes.

Anyway, this is my new reading habit and it is a nice one for sure!

Downton Abbey


Hubs and I don't watch a lot of television.  It may be "on" but that doesn't mean we are watching it.  My father was a television news announcer when I was a child and the television was always on with him keeping up with the news of the day so he had some idea of what he would be reporting on at 10 p.m.  After he left news reporting he worked as a cartoonist and, because he had always worked at night, he continued to work at night so there was always noise, either the television or the radio.  So, I became very accustomed to the constant noise factor and I still find myself comforted by it. 

We do watch a few things on a regular basis, however.  We watch my soap opera "Days of Our Lives" every evening -- we DVR.  Then, we watch "Elementary", "Revenge" and "Parenthood".  A year or so ago we got rid of all our "premium" cable channels, bought a Roku and subscribed to Acorn and Hulu Plus.  A great deal of our television viewing is done via this device as we love all the British mysteries on Acorn.  We are working our way through the Hercule Poirot mysteries now, having finished the George Gently mysteries, which I absolutely loved. 

However, there is nothing like Masterpiece Theater on PBS which usually has such wonderful offerings.  We have all been looking forward to season 4 of "Downtown Abbey" which began airing last night and we weren't disappointed!  A two hour episode of this series to start us out was pure delight  I love the setting and scenery as well as the costuming.  The characters are wonderful -- glad to see O'Brien go -- she was so devious.  And what about that dreadful Nanny?  It is so much fun to see the personalities of the staff as well as the "upstairs" family and to see them interact so personally.  I remember watching "Upstairs, Downstairs" and while both sides of the house were represented in the story, I don't remember there being such interpersonal relationships between the staff and the family. 

It was a wonderful evening for television viewing and I heard recently that they have already started filming season 5!  I hope this series is around for a long time!

Dont' Have Time--

For a blog! It is time for Downton Abbey!  Love, love, love!

Shopping Spree!!!

I have always had an interest in quilting but I prefer hand quilting to machine quilting even though it is hard on my hands.  I don't really care for machine piecing because I am not really very good at it but hand piecing is so -- well, slow.  So, I have been exploring English Paper Piecing and absolutely love it. I started with EPP a while back and abandoned it -- don't know why -- but have picked it up again.  It is something mindless to do while watching tv and it doesn't make a huge mess. 

I am also going to go back to foundation piecing because I like the accuracy of it.  I have made a few blocks with the paper foundations and find it a lot of fun, once I figure I have things going correctly.

However, after browsing through several blogs I realized I needed some new stuff to do either of these techniques. No, I don't really need new stuff but what a great opportunity to go do a little shopping.  I haven't set foot in a quilt store in quite a while so it was good fun.

This is what I came home with.

1.  Add-a-quarter ruler to make my trims better on my foundation piecing. 

2.  Two packages of templates for my English Paper Piecing

3.  Sewline glue stick to eliminate basting on the EPP.  I have tried it but not
      sure how I like it yet.

4.  Refill cartridges for the glue stick.

5.  Clover applique pins.  TINY! but oh-so-cute.

I guess all this means I need to get myself in gear and start getting busy!

Book Beginnings on Friday

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Rose City Reader.  The premise is to share the first sentence or two of what you are currently reading.

I am beginning this book as I share this line with you so here goes:


"Liverpool was a desperate place on October 9, 1940, when Julia Stanley Lennon gave birth tp her first and only son, at the Oxford Maternity Home."

Yes, this is a biography of John Lennon written by Tim Riley.  My first impression of this book came when I saw the cover in the store -- a somber John Lennon looking through rose colored glasses.  I never thought of John Lennon as anything but a realist and a bit cynical so the idea of him looking at life through pink tinted shades just doesn't mesh with my impression of him.  I look forward to seeing if perhaps he was a bit more idealistic and optimistic as a youngster than he was as an adult.

From the descriptive language of the first sentence I expect this book to be written in a realistic manner, sometimes harsh, but never sugar coated.  That remains to be seen.  I will review when I am done.  Loads of photos in this book -- I am sure I will enjoy that!

Booking Through Thursday -- January 2, 2014


Looky, looky - I got the date right!

I digress.

Today's question for Booking Through Thursday is "What Were Your Favorite Books Last Year".

This is easy -- the books I read by Dorothea Benton Frank.  I was looking for an audio book to read on my daily commute and decided on "Folly Beach" because I recognized the cover and it was affordable at my neighborhood Half Price Books.  The first five minutes into the book and I was hooked.  It helped that it was narrated by a fantastic speaker in the form of Robin Miles.  This led me into a love for the Frank books and a love for audio books.

I went on to read "Pawley's Island", "Sullivan's Island", "Return to Sullivan's Island" and "Porch Lights".  I am pretty sure I am not done with Dorothea Benton Frank yet -- will let you know.

Deja Vu All Over Again and Let the New Year's Reading Begin


Meet H and C.  They are "best friends".  Their mothers, B and C, were best friends at the same age.  C looks just like her mother and H looks just like hers so, for me, it is like deja vu all over again! They were at my house yesterday afternoon visiting and they were so much fun to watch.  This was the best moment!

H (on the left) and C -- New Year's Eve 2014

New Year's Eve was spent at home.  We enjoyed a chuck roast I had put in the crock pot almost twenty four hours earlier and I can't tell you how good it tasted.  I had roasted veggies and scalloped potatoes with it.  After dinner we settled down to a bowl game -- Texas A&M vs Duke University.  I only watched with one eye because I had already started on my 2014 Reading Challenge.

I am drawing my books from four sources -- The Elm Creek Series, The Aunt Dimity Series, my Nook queue and the Nancy Drew series.  I also have a couple of biographies to enjoy as well.  The first book I am starting with is one from my Nook -- I am just starting with the first in the alphabetical library list.  However, with that said, I am dismissing any that may have sounded like a good idea when I acquired them but no longer hold any interest for me.  I have no plan to spend my time reading books I am not interested in just because I have them.

The book is "90 Minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper.  It is a short book, less than 200 pages and it is packed with a painful account of how Mr. Piper was in a horrific automobile accident, sustained horrific injuries, died for 90 minutes and came back to tell the tale.  I don't know why I am chosing to read a book with so much pain involved but I can't put it down.  Do I believe that he actually saw heaven?  I don't know yet but his story sounds an awful lot like the one my brother in law has retold when he had a heart attack a year ago.  So, I will continue and review when I am done.

I am not good at reading more than one book at a time but I think I am going to jump into the John Lennon biography.

I never had a favorite Beatle but I now I think that John Lennon is the most interesting.  Of course, I still believe in the Paul Is Dead Conspiracy so what do I know?

I did buy a new book for my personal library.  I have read quite a few Dorothea Benton Frank books and have decided to add them to my own bookshelves.  So, when I visited Half Price Books a couple of days ago I picked up a brand new copy of "Folly Beach" for only $5.98.  I listened to this book on audio book for my 2013 challenge but I might just have to read the actual book.

So, that is the beginning of my new year.  Relaxing day reading and stitching today, dinner with daughter tonight and getting on with the rest of my life tomorrow.

Have a good one!