By 
I am perhaps not off to the best start. On Thursday I lost my book. This was a startling situation to me because I am in the habit of carrying a book with me at all times. My journal (Planner, Buju, diary). To be fair I temporarily misplace it nearly as often as I need to pee in any given day but usually I find it in short order. I, naturally, had my book with my journal, and then it was gone!
The only explanation I had was that the universe wanted me to decide what else I was going to read. Fail to plan is planning to fail after all. And no, my other class text was not going to fly—this to my chagrin has apparently not arrived from the publisher yet—and this is about expanding my reading beyond that which is necessary.
So I deliberately set about deciding what should be in my stack. I thought about my goals for this year and over the next few months in particular and I focused on three areas that produced 10 books totally 2,133 pages. I don’t expect to live that long to get to the 2133 challenge so why not just go with this one.
All of the books I chose come directly from my own book shelves and I haven’t finished (and in some cases started) any of them before. As an accountability tool I made a page in my journal to track my progress as I complete each one. Kind of a reverse books read list.
My three focus areas are American Humanities which is what I am teaching this semester, parenting- because being a mama is worth reading about, and finally my career and education aspirations.
There was something really rewarding about putting these books together and something wonderfully aesthetically pleasing about seeing them all stacked up. It makes me want to read. Now where is that book?
Addendum. As soon as I finished writing this post I found my book, exactly where I expected it to be, and had looked already two times! The universe has me under its command.
Open Arts Spring 2023 
Kate- I am giggling at your post- what a great way to start my Friday evening 🙂 I have to admit– last night I could not find my book for a good ten minutes and then found it on a window ledge. It’s amazing we get anywhere, no?
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Yeah pretty much. I lost my phone a few months ago, thankfully I found it in the freezer quickly enough.
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Ha, Ha. In the freezer. Sorry, Kate, I have that kind of stuff locked up. Yeah, I hadn’t thought about how good putting that stack of books together from my closet (which is where I keep my books–it has some shelves.) A good way to start, for sure. Glad you found your book. I had mine with me while I was waiting today to get my driver’s license renewed. Hard to concentrate when they’re calling out the next number served constantly.
Oh, what is that fascinating piece of art on your wall?
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Yes, thankfully my usual interruption is an energetic 4 year old coming for a tackle hug
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Hello Teri. I didn’t see your last sentence. I’m so glad you noticed, I just put that up and wanted to add it behind my books. It is a foil postcard of Neverland and all the characters of Peter Pan. I purchased it with my pocket money when I was a child and the idea of Neverland held so much magic. I have carried it with me for nearly 30 years. The edges are frayed, the paper is yellowed and the foil is bubbled and I love it all the more. It deserved a frame and a place I could see it and be reminded of the magic imaginary places in books held for me even then- so you can see, what better piece of art to have in this shot.
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Thus, the mom books!
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Kate, I’m so so glad I asked. (The reason you didn’t see that sentence at first is because I edited my comment to add it a short while later.) My eyes are sparkling, and I have flown away to Neverland on this Sunday morning!
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This made me so happy
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