Shawna R. B. Atteberry

Singing Owl said: Back in the day, before I went to seminary, I worked in the Children’s Room at the Public Library, and every year we geared up for Summer Reading. Children would come in and record the books read over the summer, and the season included numerous special and celebratory events. As a lifelong book lover and enthusiastic summer reader, I find I still accumulate a pile of books for the summer.

This week, then, a Summer Reading Friday Five.

1) Do you think of summer as a particularly good season for reading? Why or why not?

Yes, I think it’s because I was in school for so long, and summer was when I could read whatever I want.

2) Have you ever fallen asleep reading on the beach?

No, but I’m willing to give it a try.

3) Can you recall a favorite childhood book read in the summertime?

Anything by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

4) Do you have a favorite genre for light or relaxing reading?

Urban fantasy. Last weekend I read Jim Butcher’s White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9) and Francis Clark’s Waking Brigid. I stayed up until 3:00 in the morning reading, and read both books in two days. I love doing that! Although it doesn’t happen as often as it used to. But there’s nothing better than being curled up in bed lost in a book as the wee hours tick tock by.

5) What is the next book on your reading list?

A book my friend Jen wrote. I’m eagerly awaiting for her to finish the second draft.

I swiped the picture from Singing Owl.

Mother Junia writes: In honor of summer, please share your own beachy memories, plans, and dreams with a “Beach Trip” Friday Five.

1. Ocean rocks, lake limps? Vice versa? Or “it’s all beautiful in its own way”? I love the ocean–the waves, the buoyant water, everything. But I live right next to Lake Michigan, and a really big freshwater lake is fine by me too.

2. Year round beach living: Heaven…or the Other Place? During warm weather heaven, but during the winter when the wind in coming off the lake brrrrr. Really can’t call it hell: too cold. Barcelona was the same way.

3. Any beach plans for this summer? Yep, there’s beach nearby, and I plan on getting to it.

4. Best beach memory ever? Swimming in the Mediterranean.

5. Fantasy beach trip? The Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Bonus: Share a piece of music/poetry/film/book that expresses something about what the beach means to you.

Here’s a poem I wrote about the Mediterranean when I lived in Barcelona.

“Wading in the Sea”

I waded in the Mediterranean as the tide was rising
The blue-green, aquamarine jewels invited me
Off came my shoes and socks as the wind blew from the sea.
As the sun-lit diamonds twinkled very bewitching
Out I waded into the sea.

The cold waters made my feet zing
As I walked on the shore slowly, breathing deeply
The sea air which made my cheeks pink and rosy.
The sheer beauty of the moment made my heart sing
As I waded in the sea.

The sun’s rays brought warmth to my face
A stark contrast to the cold which nipped my toes
I looked out to where the sea ended and the horizon rose.
The snow-capped waves created an endless maze
As I waded in the sea.

My heart was light and I felt care-free
For a few minutes I had no worries
For a moment lost in time there is no hurry
I felt as if the world was at my feet
As I waded in the sea.

© 1997 Shawna Renee Bound

Sally says: This week I took some time out to stop and walk and take in the view; my son Chris is studying in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, too often we simply drive up there, turn around and come home! This time Tim and I took time out to take in the view. It occurs to me that we need to do that more in life….
With that in mind I offer you this weeks Friday Five:
1. How important is the “big picture” to you, do you need a glimpse of the possibilities or are you a details person?

I am a big picture person, and I need someone around to point out the details. Good thing I married him.

2. If the big picture is important to you how do you hold onto it in the nitty gritty details of life?

My Hubby reminds me of them. I also find having a routine helps.

3. Name a book, poem, psalm, piece of music that transports to to another dimension ( one….what am I thinking….)

Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere: A Novel.

4.Thinking of physical views, is there somewhere that inspires you, somewhere that you breathe more easily?

By any big body of water. The Mediterranean is my favorite so far. And I’m not going to complain about living right on Lake Michigan either!

5. A picture opportunity… post one if you can ( or a link to one!)

Welcome to your irregularly scheduled Fifth Friday Five, hosted by will smama and Songbird!
Since will smama is preparing for a joint garage sale with her parents, and Songbird’s church had a Yard and Plant Sale last Saturday, we have five enormously important questions we hope you will answer:

1) Are you a garage saler?

Occassionally. It’s harder now without a car.

2) If so, are you an immediate buyer or a risk taker who comes back later when prices are lower?

I usually buy immediately. I don’t like taking the chance it won’t be there later.

3) What’s the best treasure you’ve found at a yard or garage sale?

End tables: I really needed them at the time.

4)If you’ve done one yourself, at church or at home, was it worth the effort?

Yes, I’ve done one, and no it was not worth the effort.

5) Can you bring yourself to haggle?

If I like the item enough.

BONUS: For the true aficionado: Please discuss the impact of Ebay, Craig’s List, Freecycle, etc… on the church or home yard/garage sale.

I love Craig’s List. When I moved from Kansas City, I listed the furniture I wanted to sell, and it was gone in short order.

Singing Owl wants to know about traveling and destinations:

1) Favorite Destination — someplace you’ve visited once or often and would gladly go again

Rome, London, and Paris

2) Unfavorite Destination — someplace you wish you had never been (and why)

Camping in a tent. My idea of roughing it is hot and cold running water, electricity, and a bed.

3) Fantasy Destination — someplace to visit if cost and/or time did not matter

I’d love to do a tour of Ireland–the whole island.

4) Fictional Destination — someplace from a book or movie or other art or media form you would love to visit, although it exists only in imagination

Middle Earth! My one exception to the running water and electricity rule. Okay, okay, may be Narnia too.

5) Funny Destination — the funniest place name you’ve ever visited or want to visit

Honestly, I can’t think of a funny one. I’m sure there are funny ones, but none is popping in the brain right now.

The picture is Tracy and I in front of the fountain at the Pantheon in Rome.

Singing Owl says: Yesterday I had two separate conversations in which people were musing about how much change is occurring. The WW II generation, of which my mom is a part, went from horse and buggy to automobiles, saw the lessening, or even the end of many diseases, went from widespread use of kerosene lamps and outhouses (in the country, and most folks were rural)) to a totally electrified and plumbed society. The fastest means of communication was a telegraph. The second conversation–gulp–was about MY generation and how much change occurred in the last half of the 20th century. The person said his 13 year old had not seen a vinyl record album until a few days before, couldn’t remember a time without cell phones, and on and on.

As for the questions!

1. What modern convenience/invention could you absolutely, positively not live
without?

A laptop computer. I do not wish to write muliple drafts on a typewriter, and I love the freedom a laptop gives me. Yes, I do remember typewriters, and I have written papers on them. Long live laptops!

2. What modern convenience/invention do you wish had never seen the light of day?
Why?

Honestly, I can’t think of one.

3. Do you own a music-playing device older than a CD player? More than one? If
so, do you use it (them)?

No, we don’t. I gave away my cassette players before we got married because we didn’t have room. We now have a clock/radio/CD player and 2 MP3 players.

4. Do you find the rapid change in our world exciting, scary, a mix…or something
else?

A mix. I like a lot of the changes but I don’t think we developing ethics along with the technological advances we’re making. That scares me.

5. What did our forebears have that we have lost and you’d like to regain? Bonus
points if you have a suggestion of how to begin that process.

Community. You used to know all your neighbors. So I guess I need to start getting out and meeting my neighbors.

Mother Laura says: We are right in the middle of a move–only twenty minutes away, but we’re still a mix of busy, excited, nervous and surprisingly full of grief about what we’re leaving, for me at least. So this week’s Friday Five asks about your experience of the marvels and madness of moving…

1. How many times have you moved? When was the last time?

I don’t now how many times we move when I was a kid, so I’m going to go with the adult years. I’ve moved six times since 1994. The last time I moved was in ‘06 when I married The Hubby. We decided living in the same stat would be a good thing. I moved from Kansas City to Chicago.

2. What do you love and hate about moving?

I love the decluttering, and I hate everything else.

3. Do you do it yourself or hire movers?

I wish I had money to hire movers. I’ve always done it myself with help from wonderful, gracious, and did I say wonderful, friends.

4. Advice for surviving and thriving during a move?

A back brace and lots of Bayer Back and Body. Or yeah, and a good set of tennis shoes.

5. Are you in the middle of any inner moves, if not outer ones?

I am moving away from being so negative about myself and seeing myself more as God sees me and in a much more positive light.

Bonus: Share a piece of music/poetry/film/book that expresses something about what moving means to you.

Under the Tuscan Sun. I would so totally buy a villa in Italy on a whim! Or Spain for that matter. And yes, I would still hate moving.

Photo by CBIdesign.