Reading

I've always loved to read.  I remember the first real chapter books I received one Christmas in Iowa, in the early 50's.  I was probably seven years old when "The Bobbsey Twins" and "Heidi" came into my life.  Heidi was difficult for me, and as I recall, it took me a long time to finish it.  I loved the parts at the beginning where Heidi lived with Grandfather and the goats, but when she ended up in the city I lost interest (I've always been a country girl at heart).  Still, I eventually read the whole book during that long Iowa winter.  

A little later in the 50's, living in north Missouri, my mom bought me the Egermeier's Bible Story Book.  I would take it upstairs to bed with me, along with a bag of gingersnap cookies and a cup of milk to dip them in, and stay up so late reading that my mom actually took the fuse out of the fusebox so I'd have to go to sleep.

Because I've never had a driver's license, I didn't read a lot of library books for many years.  Oh, there were brief times of membership in some book club where if you buy a certain amount of books you had to buy a few more... as soon as I had fulfilled my agreement with them, I'd opt out, because we really didn't have a lot of money for books.  Then garage sales became popular, so I'd find affordable books often.  It was sort of hit-and-miss, because I ended up bringing home books I really didn't like much; but for 25 or 50 cents, it was worth the risk.  

With the introduction of digital books, I rediscovered the pleasures of reading.  I renewed my long-forgotten library card, put the Nook and Kindle apps on my iPad, and I now read to my heart's content.  I have access to books that cost me nothing, and I don't have to leave my house to get them.  AND I don't have books piling up around the house that I'll never read a second time.  It's turned out to be one of the best freebies of my life, a free gift that keeps on giving.  

I often catch myself reading the same type of book, or even the same author, so much that I get into a rut and get bored with what I'm reading.  That's when I go to an Internet friend, a retired teacher in Washington state, who has never steered me wrong.  I do like some of her suggestions better than others, but I don't think I've ever "not read" a book she led me to.  Of course if I really like a book she's suggested, sometimes I'll look up more books by the same author and read those until boredom sets in again.  You'd think I'd learn.

Yesterday I couldn't get interested in books I already had on the iPad and realized I hadn't read a John Sandford book for awhile; he's one of my favorite authors.  I especially like his Virgil Flowers character.  There are usually a few laughs along with all the detective work, murders, and mayhem.  The last one I read was set in Iowa, which was fun for me because I was familliar with all the towns where the action took place.  I wondered if perhaps the digital library had a book I'd missed reading along the way, one of his earlier works I'd skipped over.

Imagine my amazement at finding his latest Virgil Flowers book, Deep Freeze, not only in the cyber-library, but available!  It was just released in October.  Usually in the case of a recently released book, I have to put a hold on it and wait for weeks before my turn comes around... or at least I have to settle for a real book, so heavy to hold with the smidge of arthritis in my wrist. That means a trip to the library, not as big a deal now that Cliff is retired.  Virgil Flowers is just what the doctor ordered for long winter days.  The trouble with a good book, though, is that I'm done with it in a couple of days.  

On another note, Gabe the Schnauzer gets neutered today.  Originally it was scheduled for two days ago, but turns out Cliff had one more radiation appointment than we realized.  So today's the day.  I wasn't told to withhold food from him, but when I took the cats in for neutering, I was told not to feed them.  So, no food for Gabe, just in case.  We are to have him there by 9 AM.  

He's great company for me, and he brightens my winter moodiness.  I can't help but laugh at his antics, even if they involve his stealing my gloves off the couch or spreading chewed-up kleenexes all around the living room.

Peace.