Reading Challenge Recap

Have you ever tried a reading challenge?  I have seen them before but was never really interested; I don't usually have a problem finding books I like, and I was in a book club, now sadly defunct, that kept me reading books I wouldn't normally gravitate to.  Perhaps because the book club was in decline, I thought it might be worth a try this year when I saw this list back in January.

Modern Mrs Darcy, one of my favourite book recommending sites, posted this challenge, and since I could think of books for half the categories right off the top of my head, I jumped in.

Here are the categories and what I read for them (I managed them all but two):

A book published this year - (If I did read one from this year, I didn't notice...)
A book you can finish in a day -  Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A book you've been meaning to read - Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
A book recommended by your local librarian or bookseller - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
A book you you should have read in school - The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
A book chosen for you by your spouse, sibling, child, or BFF - (does Mom count?) - The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva
A book published before you were born - Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
A book that was banned at some point - 1984 by George Orwell
A book you previously abandoned - Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
A book you own but have never read - Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
A book that intimidates you - (I was going to read Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, since it's already on my bookshelf, but never got to it...)
A book you've already read at least once - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Mongomery

Since I wrote about books last, this is what I've read:
Blood Sport by Dick Francis
Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, and Voyager by Diana Gabaldon - I'm making myself take a break and read a couple other books in between, but I've got book four out of the library and ready to devour.
A Hidden Life by Adele Geras - rated only a 3.5 - the main character was decent hearted, but every imaginable disfunction happening in her family around her left a sour taste.
Diary of Anne Frank - an important read.  Glad to be able to cross this off the must read list.
1984 - Glad to cross this one off as well.  I feel smarter having read the must reads...  Crazy story.

Now back to another Silva, George, and Gabaldon as reads for the holidays I know I will enjoy.

Happy reading!  Let me know what I should add to my list for 2017!

At the Moment...

i was … up too many times last night!
i am … going for a nap as soon as I'm done here.
i think … that this will be a good week; I have visits with friends planned.
i wonder … what color Nolan's eyes will end up being.  They are turning a bit greenish in the middles, like Madeline's.
i wish … that he wouldn't grow up too fast, and that M would grow up faster.  Strange.
i save … all these things and treasure them in my heart.
i always … have a hard time making inconsequential decisions.
i believe … that Jesus Christ makes it all worthwhile, and is the giver of all good gifts.
i promise … to read all the book club books (Yay, Lisa!)
i love … second chances.

(This is from Becky Higgins.)

A Year of... what?

For book club this year, we had two selections that were memoirs of year long experiments.  The first was The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, and I just finished The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs.  (I just heard about the third book Jacobs wrote in this style, called Drop Dead Healthy (his first was about reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica).  In a funny twist, I heard about it on twitter, via Gretchen Rubin.)  I also have a request in at the library for A Year of Living Generously by Lawrence Scanlan.

Have you ever thought of doing a year long project??  What ideas interest you?  What could you come up with that would stretch you, take you out of your comfort zone, and make you into a better person?  What would be just plain fun?  For your enjoyment and inspiration, I've compiled up a short list of year long projects...

Write a letter or card a day.
Origami!
Make a Sky Scarf - knit one row a day the color of the sky that day.
Live Generously.
Take a photo a day. (Google Project 365 & you'll find lots of ideas.)
Take a photo of yourself every day...
Crock Pot cooking (Every week for a year?)
Organization - Make a master list and work your way through your home, organizing every corner.
Read a book a week.
Start a blog & write about your project.  Or start a blog as your project.
Draw something every day.
Buy a Daily Journal and write a sentence a day. (I'm doing this for Nolan as his other baby book.)
Write a book; work on it every day.
Sleep 8 hours a night.
Keep all your shopping lists.
Find a geocache every week for a year.

What are other ideas for the list?  Have you done a year of something?

Ten Ways to Support Your Camp

Camp has always been an important part of my life, from when I first went as a child until now.  I believe in the work they do, and while I am not as involved now as when I lived out at camp all summer, there are always ways to support the ministry of camping.  Here are a few I came up with - maybe you can add to the list.

1. Join the board.
If you've got extra time year round, there are all types who are needed on camp boards.  Organized types, handy types, mechanical types, creative types... there would be a place for you.

2. Sew costumes.
Or help out with whatever specifics needs come up.  We had a fun sewing bee a few weeks ago sewing Narnia tunics and cloaks for this summer.

3. Get a list of the staff and pray for them by name.
Start early and pray for preparation details, for the staff selection and the campers to come.  Pray through the summer; maybe your camp sends out a prayer request email.

4. Take out cookies for the staff lounge.
Working at camp is an awesome job, but it is also one of the most draining.  Finding a made with love treat on your break time is a huge encouragement.

5. Write the director an encouraging note.
Encouragement is usually needed and always welcome.  Who doesn't love getting mail?  And when it's sent just to be uplifting, even better.

6. Volunteer to cook or nurse or do maintenance or speak for a week.
Camps need these volunteers to run; you might find it to be the best week of your summer.

7. Go out to a work day.
Even a few hours can make a difference, and there are usually jobs that anyone can do.  We're heading out to one this weekend, and  I expect the kid to be in there getting things done - it's pretty special for a kid to go to camp knowing they helped with some of the behind the scenes stuff.

8. Be on the planning committee for a fundraiser.
If you're asked to be involved in a special project, try and make the time for it.

9. Sponsor a child to go.
You can do this through your church, if it's a denominational camp, or through the camp itself; if it's KBK / KLC, you can sponsor the staff who will be doing a walk-a-thon next weekend to raise money for camper sponsorships.

10. Spread the word.
Send camp brochures to school with your kid to send home with their friends.  Add a note for their parents with the week your kid is going and your number if they want to know more about it.

What are some other ways to support a camp?

L is for Life Lists

A little while ago I posted about Bucket Lists, and here now for your inspiration (or entertainment), and for my motivation (since it's now public), is the official "Life List."

One Hundred Things To Do Before I'm One Hundred

Sports / Fitness

Run in a 5k race.
Do a Triathlon.
Go snowshoeing.
Go cross country skiing again.
Take M kayaking.

Travel

Go on a cruise.

Go to Europe with Sean.

Go to the Maritimes - east coast.

Go to Vancouver Island - west coast.

Take Madeline to Ghana to meet Salomey.
Take a photo of 'the tree' in all four seasons. 

Accomplishments

Have at least ONE year where I send everybody cards for their birthdays and anniversaries.

Make bagels.

Write a book.
Landscape my yard so I love it.
Write a letter a week for a year.
  

Adventure

Go see U2 in concert again. (Preferably somewhere cool.)
Attend a World Cup soccer game.
Ride an elephant.
Ride a camel.
Hike behind a waterfall.
Find 100 Geocaches.
Ride in a helicopter.
Ride in a hot air balloon.

**********

Ok, so that's not 100... that wasn't literal.
Have you ever added to a list something you've accomplished just so you could check it off?
Here's that half of the list:

Cool Stuff I've Already Done
(these may or may not have been my ideas to start with...)

Sports / Fitness

Windsurfed across the lake without falling.
Snowboarded in 5 provinces.
At one point was a certified snowboard instructor.
Rock climbed in the mountains.
Ice climbed a frozen waterfall.
Played rugby & won provincials.
Set a provincial record for the 800 m in grade 8.
Played & coached soccer.
Played & coached basketball.

Travel

In Canada:  BC - Vancouver;  AB - Calgary, Edmonton, Banff, Jasper, Kananaskis;  SK & MB - these are home, so I've been to lots of cool places... Churchill MB is worth mentioning, though;  ON - Toronto, Niagra Falls;  PQ - Montreal, Quebec City

Mexico, Italy, Austria, Germany, Holland, Venezuela, England, Portugal, Barbados, Switzerland, Kenya, USA (North & South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Florida)

Accomplishments

Have been published in a scrapbooking magazine.
Have some handmade goods for sale in retail shops.
Done weddings.
Done baptisms.
Played with the Winnipeg Pops Orchestra.
Played in a jazz trio.  (Like I said, some of these were NOT my ideas...)

**********

Your Turn!  Leave me a comment with the top 3 things on your list.

 

Do you have a Bucket List?

Years ago, Neil and I had lists - "100 things I want to do during my life" or something like that.  I don't think we actually had a title for them; I wonder if they are still around somewhere.  If I ever come across one, I'll post it for you.  I wonder how many of his he got to in his 30 years. 

Have you seen the Bucket List movie with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson?  I'd recommend it if you haven't. It's about two guys who take off from the hospital to do all sorts of crazy adventures - one of them has a list of things he wants to do before he kicks the bucket.

Sean and I started new ones (since I have no idea where my old one ended up...) on the drive home from the races the other weekend.  Well, I started a new one for me, and started one for Sean with things he was talking about.

And today I was browsing blogs and found one called My Bucket List Journey - it's fabulous!  She's got a list and is actively working through it, spending her life doing the things she wants to do most in life and writing about it.  Here is her post on how to create your own bucket list.  It's got a lot of great ideas, too, and my list may just get a lot longer!  When I get it filled out a little more, I will add it here for your amusement and inspiration.

Do you have a list?  If you do and have it online somewhere, send the link!  I'd love to read some other ones.

Before Summer Ends

In no particular order, here are 10 things I'd like to do before September rolls around:

Get to Winnipeg for a visit.
Go camping.
Go check out our visitor's center & get some new ideas of places to check out and things to do - be tourists in our own city.
Go kayaking somewhere.
Go biking at White Butte Trails.
Lay on a beach somewhere.
Finish our summer book club reads.  (Anna Karenina is almost done (again!) and the other one is short, I hear.)
Make plans to get a new fence. (And then comes re-landscaping!)
Get a watch for running.
Go golfing with Sean again.


What is on your list?