Another Year of Bilbo Baggins

It has been a busy few weeks, as the weeks of September never fail to be. But in all the new things that are only just beginning, and all the old things we are returning to, it is important to celebrate the ancient traditions, like the birthday of a likewise ancient Hobbit.

Indeed, of all the reasons to eat good food, drink cheap ale, watch one of our favorite movies, and just have fellowship with one another, in our books, the celebration of Bilbo Baggins birthday is one of the best. 

 

To another year.

Three Worlds in a Day

 

"What had seemed to be lost was to be restored to her tenfold."

 

~A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

We read all that Sunday, till one book was finished and another begun. We read all that day, till the sun went down and the night lights turned on. 

I lived in three worlds that day, in the world of a fanciful child thrown into hardship, and then into the legends of Arthur through the short lived tale of an incomplete story. And then, when that was over, I peered over your page, and lived in yours.

A Stormy Night with Charles Dickens

It was a dark and stormy night in which I read Charles Dickens.

I read till late, till Book the Second made way to Book the Third, fittingly entitled "The Track of a Storm".

I stopped then and listened to the thunder shake my little house, and wondered at how awful and awe-inspiring it must be to see the sea rise in a storm like this one.

"But, there were other echoes, from a distance, that rumbled menacingly in the corner all through this (little) space and time. And it was now... that they began to have an awful sound, as of a great storm in France with a dreadful sea rising." ~A Tale of Two Cities

Turning Twenty

Let it be known that on the eve on which I turned the ripe age of twenty, I stood in the bathroom in my Reckless T-shirt without pants on, blow drying my hair. What a glorious moment in which I emerged from the bathroom a fully fledged adult. 

The choices I make will matter now. I know I'll make some bad ones, but there will be some good ones too. I know there will be some hurt, but there also be some wonder. 
I've become less eager than I once was. I am no longer running off into the future. I like the now. After all, isn't this the future I was waiting for?

I have everything I ever thought I needed, and so much more. 
And as far as my life so far goes, I think that, despite all the bad choices I've made, there's a whole lot of good that came out of it.  

How blessed I am to have not one, but two groups of weirdos who with their presence have granted me a family. 
How blessed I am to have books to read and people to love and pages on which to write. 
How blessed I am to have this boy whom is so much more than I deserve and who gives me everything I never asked for and everything I never thought I'd needed. 
How blessed I am to have a mother who with her goofy wisdom and unlikely strength allows me to be weak when I can no longer be strong. 
How blessed I am to have my troop of boys who give me more love than I know what to do with. 
How blessed I am to have a father who knows me, sometimes more so than I know myself.
Oh, how blessed I am to have fierce friends who build me higher with their feisty words. 
How blessed I am to have goofy friends, who make me laugh with my whole face.
How blessed I am to have a fight-man and a humble-dragon who look out for me, even when I do not need it. 
How blessed I am to have a little sister, even though I never got one. And an older brother, because I've always wanted one. 

 
I have enough best friends to last me a lifetime; best friends in the form of brothers, and soul mates, and kindred-spirits, and best-mates, and business-partners. Oh Lord, you have given me more than I ever needed. Me, this shell of a person, so incomplete and insufficient, who had been so solitary in my lonesomeness, yet is now so showered with blessings. 

"Only through the one who grants our blessings can one who once had nothing so suddenly gain everything."  

I wrote these words when I was sixteen, but I do not think I understood them then.  
There were a lot of things lacking in my life at that age. Though I had blessings tenfold more than I deserved, there was a void in my heart in the form of my own destitute gratitude.
I am by no means rich by societies standards, but I am wealthy in my heart and in my soul.

For twenty, this is pretty good I think.  

The future is now. And as scary as that may be, looking back behind me, and looking at all the wonderful faces that surround me, I think I have everything I need. 


 

The Life of a "BookDragon"

As a storyteller, one of my greatest inspirations is the freedom to experience other stories. Whether it is the exploration of a fictional realm, or the privilege to walk the path of another's life, reading is a writer's greatest asset.

I don't remember a day of my life since I picked up the first novel that I haven't been reading. I'm always reading something. But finding the time to do so isn't always easy. 
So how, throughout all the craziness of life, how can you find time to read?

I have constructed I list of seven things you can do to continue to read admits a busy schedule. This list is for books worms only. [I prefer the term Book-Dragons, who wants to be a compared to a worm?] 
Because reading is one of my number one priorities non-Book Dragons [worms] may find this list a little extreme and probably won't be able to relate. But, if you feel like reading this list anyway, be my guest; Just know that I already know I am a nerd so you don't have to tell me... so without further ado... here is my list.  

1. Make a goal.
Whether your goal is to read a certain number of books this year or finish the one your reading now by the end of this week, making goals will motivate you to read more. I find that when I make a reading goal for myself I often end up reading double as much as I originally intended.

2. Make it part of your routine. 
Eventually, you won't have to "make time to read," you'll just do it. Even if you only find the time to read a page or two, it's still better than not reading at all. Reading before bed is a great way to make reading part of your routine. It also helps your brain come down from a busy day, which will help you sleep better and more deeply, so don't even worry about the sleep you're losing to reading (so long as you know when to put the book down of course... which most of us probably don't.)

3.  Read everywhere all the time.
There's nothing like curling into a chair with your cat, a hot cup of tea and a good book. Although those are most readers ideal reading conditions, more often than not, life doesn't allow for this. Whether you're waiting for an appointment, or you have your book propped up on the table while you eat lunch (or held up in front of your nose as you're walking through public... lol,) drastic times call for drastic measures.


 4. Bring your book everywhere!
 (This one should be obvious, if you're going to read everywhere you're going to need a book.)
In case of an emergency always take a book with you. You never know when you'll find time to read. And although showing up with a massive novel to a gathering may be a little offensive to some people, you never know when you'll get bored or the opportunity to read will arise. 


5. Stop watching T.V.
This one makes such a huge difference. I didn't even realize how much time I wasted in front of the TV until recently when I started watching the new season of a TV show that just came on Netflix and my reading time suffered drastically. I went from reading two plus books a week to barely even finishing one. It's so easy to fall out of the habit of reading regularly. But, if you're not willing to completely drop watching TV (which I gotta admit I haven't done either,) then my advice is to prioritize. Which TV shows are worth watching and how much time do you really want to spend in front of the T.V?


6. Plan ahead.
I have a stack of books on my nightstand, and this isn't just because I ran out of space on my bookshelves. Looking forward to the books I'm going to read next gets me pumped to read more. It also avoids the bafflement of not knowing what to read next because I already know what I'm going to read next. 
 Abibliophobia is the fear of running out of reading material; But, if you're like me, then the problem is not that you worry about not having anything to read but not having enough time to read everything you want to read. There's just too many options. The World is full of so many great books. Where do you even start?! This is why I always decide what I'm going to read next before I finish the book I'm reading now.
A great way to do this is by using Goodreads. My "want to read list" is getting bigger by the day! Goodreads is a great way to keep track of what you want to read and what you have already read. It also keeps you focused on your reading goal. I am currently three books ahead of schedule, just by using this list!


7. Have a reading buddy!
I am so lucky to have two little brothers that are almost as big book-dragons as I am. I love curling into my bed and reading with them. The silent companionship of the flipping pages and my snoring cat is one of my favorite things. We also love to talk about what we're reading and challenge each other (exp. If I finish my book by the end of the day you have to read 100pages tomorrow. (Oh goodness, that sounds even nerdier when I write it down...))


Well, that's my list. I hope it was of some use to you, and if not I hope it as least motivated you to read more! 

Photo credit to Heinrich Nikel Photography. 

Check out more of his work here or read his blog here.

On a similar note, I'm planning on writing more book reviews on here in the near future.  This is one of the things I have been slacking majorly with and although writing about my journey and endeavors as a writer is a major part of this blog, books are just as important. 

Also if you want to stay updated on what I'm reading you can add me on Goodreads. I would love to see what you guys are reading and have you as my reading buddy!

Stay tuned for more book reviews coming soon!

Rainy Mornings

I know it's going to be a good day when it rains in the morning. 

I love writing when it rains. There's something about the rain that inspires me. 

Today however I had to get away from my laptop and breathe for a moment. So I took my friends for a walk through the yard.

 Raffael didn't want to get his paws wet.

Kiki didn't mind so much:P

"Some people feel the rain, others just get wet."

~Bob Marley 

Thrift Shopping

The Help by; Kathryn Stockett

Apples of Gold

Sonnets from the Portuguese

Devices and Desires by; K.J Parker

The Time Travelers Wife by; Audery Niffenegger  

From Giotto to Cezanne: A Concise History of Painting by; Michael Levey

Thrift Shopping

I love thrift shopping. 
Some people cringe at the idea of using old things. They think it's icky because the stuff is used. 
I think that is what makes it so interesting. The stuff you buy at thrift stores is timeworn. It's already been somewhere. These objects have history. They are antiquities from another life.

Red floral dress; thrifted from Garage

Red Sweater; Thrifted from SmartSet 

Book; Catherine the Great, Portrait of a Woman by; Robert K. Massie

Book; Masterpieces of Fantasy and Enchantment by: Nelson Doubleday

Book: (Oxford Edition) Poetical Works of Robert Bridges

Green Dress; Thrifted from Ardenes

 Book; The Moon in the Cloud by; Rosemary Harris

Book: The Harvard Classics; American Historical Documents (Deluxe Edition) (1000-1904)

In a few weeks I will see the Ocean for the first time! I saw these two beakers at the thrift store for 25cents each and thought they were the perfect vessel to store my souvenir of the ocean on my book-shelf. 

Blue Top; Thrifted from NewYork

Blue Flannel Shirt: Thrifted from George. I love getting comfy flannel shirts to wear over my clothes when I'm painting. Soon this one too will be covered in paint!

Book; The Golden Compass by; Phillip Pullman

Book; Masterpieces of Mystery and Suspense Compiled by; Martin H. Greenberg