Reading and Eating

Hello to all my bookish peeps! I’m in the process of catching up on my reading, but it’s not easy, especially since. . .

1. I keep adding to my already overflowing bookshelves (more on that in an upcoming post)
2. I added another book to the reading list

Anyway, I’m looking at how to breathe a little more life into my blog, and what I’ve decided is give you a bit more of me.

Oh dear,

Book Chat: Wonder by RJ Palacio

Wonder by RJ Palacio

Title: Wonder
Author: RJ Palacio
Hardback, 313
Published February 2012
Publisher: Random House Children’s Book
Rating: 4/5

Juvenile fiction is not what I tend to read, but I heard such great things about RJ Palacio‘s Wonder, I thought I should read it.  Wonder is a heart warming, heart wrenching, laugh out loud, and maybe even do a little crying book.  It’s a book that every parent should read and discuss with their child.  It teaches kindness, compassion, understanding, and acceptance.  It also shows kids being bullied by others and how they handle it.

Wonder is unique in that RJ Palacio tells the story of August (Auggie) Pullman

20 Thanksgiving Fun Facts

1. According  to the U. S. Census Bureau, Minnesota is the top turkey-producing state in America.
2. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture it’s estimated that 7.7 million pounds of cranberries will be produced for 2012
3. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest pumpkin ever baked weighed 2,020 pounds and measured just over 12 feet long
4. Three towns in the U.S. take their name from the traditional Thanksgiving bird: Turkey, Texas; Turkey Creek, Louisiana; and Turkey, North Carolina
5. Macy’s employees launched the first Thanksgiving Day

Interview with Myself

I came across a training exercise I did when I was a technical training supervisor (almost 8 years ago).  We had to interview ourselves, which admittedly was pretty awkward.  So, I went back and answered them again just to see if any of my answers had changed. Some did and some were more positive and some were more cynical while others were completely different.

1. What would you tell you 16-year-old self?

16 can be a horrifically awkward point in your life, but it’s important to discover who you are and not let anyone try to change you. Be a leader, not a

Quote of the Day — Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

~~ Reinhold Niebuhr

This quote is actually piggy backing off the one from yesterday (thank goodness I haven’t lost to many minutes due to being angry today).  I have a thorn in my side of a colleague and I am trying my very best not to be nasty, but she is really starting to get to me.

I started repeating the “Serenity Prayer” and as I did it brought back the memory of my grandmother saying this Prayer.  She would always say it when someone would tick her off to the point where she wanted to have words with them or as she would say “cut them”.  On that front my grandmother and I are very much alike — hot tempered, high strung, strong willed, and not much for letting people treat us any kind of way.

Having said this a few times today, I have come to the conclusion that this person means me no good and for whatever her reason(s) she has it in for me.  Now that I am fully aware of this and I can’t change her mind, I am at peace with it.

And I am a little bit wiser today, too.