Make Your Time Work

Working smarter, not harder. Exercise bike while
reading the homework I assigned for the next day.

If I had a dime for every time someone said to me, "I wish I could (fill in the blank), but I don't have the time," I could fund my current tuition with it. Most often the blank is the amount of reading I do. And usually the person saying this has things going on in his/her life that I wish I had more time for.

Everyone says "I don't have the time to..." about something at some point. The truth is, if it's important, you'll make the time. Our lives are easily filled with people, places, things (and that's a whole other conversation), so the only way anything fits in is if we place it there. Sounds impossible, doesn't it?

I've decided it's not always quite as impossible as we think. Going on a big trip to Israel this summer, I realized my husband and I needed to start exercising so we could handle the excessive walking the trip requires. But where the heck in my life of family, friendship, teacher, student, and church would I fit exercise?! But did I really have a choice?

There were some questions I had to ask myself. In my current season of life:
1. What do I HAVE to do?
2. What do I THINK I have to do?
3. What do I want to do?
4. What can I let go, cause I frankly don't care that much about it?

Everyone's answers will vary because it depends where you're at in life and your preferences. For example, spic 'n span cleaning of my house isn't even on my radar. If stuff is picked up and there's no obvious mold issue, we are good to go. However, I did notice two things in answering these questions that may apply more widely -  question #1 was a smaller list of items than I thought and question #2 was a larger list than it should be. And basically everything on lists #2&4, I can forget. Looking at my schedule, I placed the items from #1 and then fit around where I could items from #3. Yes, right now I do less of what I want than of what I have to, but I was able to fit in three hours of exercise every week!

And the big part to realize in all of this...if you still don't have time for something, then it's not as important to you as you thought right now. Life goes through seasons and things change. Don't give up on it, just put it aside for now. Quit stressing and keep your dimes!

Reading in Store

It's been awhile...I think that's my most common thought on the blog the past few months. Life has been plugging away. Before my own college classes began again, I had to prep for the senior classes I teach at the high school. They are part of a college in high school program. We will work from a college level syllabus I wrote and textbooks the local college requires and at the end of the semester, my students will have a college class credit to transfer wherever they may go when they graduate.

In other news, my own college classes are back in session. I have two literature classes - African-American Lit and The Anthropocene. I'm sure you're questioning that last one. Anthropocene is out current epoch. Scientists (and whoever else is in charge of this naming of time periods) haven't decided where the starting point of the Anthropocene is, but it "dates from when human activities started to have a significant global impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems." Anyway, we are reading a good stretch of books (mostly 20th century, which I like) and tracing the picture they paint (although some unwittingly) of Anthropocenic events. Something different and The Great Gatsby made the reading list, so you know I'm in!

In all, my work this semester consists of reading two books per week, adding up to approximately 30 books by May; thirteen short analysis papers; one five page book analysis; and two 20 page papers. We are heading into week three and after this weekend I should have three of my thirteen short papers done. Keeping on top of it is the key and my plan is to write my short papers now and save the end of the semester to sweat out the two larger papers.

I spent the entire last weekend at B&N, working 6-8 hours a day reading, note-taking, and writing. It truly worked so much better than trying to work at home. I'm so distracted by house and family things when I work from home, so I plan on spending the next 15 weekends at B&N as well. When all is said and done, B&N should start paying me for my advertising of their premises here and on social media! (Not to mention my dual meaning post title - something they can offer that Amazon can't!)

My outlook is much better this semester, which I credit to knowing what to expect. That makes SO much difference. Last semester really broke me in and God gave me some direction that completely helped calm me for all I have ahead. I'm excited and already enjoying it, although already facing the challenge of balancing life, work, and study with time constraints. Part of that balance includes things to add to the schedule. I've done a lot of taking things out, but there are important pieces missing too, like time to work out. I've mostly maintained my weight loss from this time last year, but last semester has started to challenge my gains. I'm more interested in endurance and toning/strengthening now, so I've fit a workout hour in three days a week based on times when I'm already out and about and can stop at the gym. I also saw a trainer for a customized plan, so my time and effort isn't wasted. Working smarter, not harder. Well, in this case working smarter and harder, lol. And maybe picking up with some fitness update posts again.

Hope all is well for you readers. I will hopefully remember to put some of my analysis papers here on the blog...kinda a throw back to book reviewing. Til next time...

2017 Reading Goal

Waiting on two still, but this is it for
African-American Lit and
U.S. Lit - the Anthropocene

According to my Goodreads count, I read 28 of my 60 book goal for 2016. Wow. I can't remember the last time my year's reading record sucked as badly as 2016 did. (Actually, I can, cause I've kept track since 1997. It was 16 books in 2001.) Last year proved to be a busy year, divided into three time consuming parts, that left so little time for reading. January through May I was finishing off my first school year teaching AP Literature, which gave me the chance to read what I was teaching, but took much more time in preparation and grading. The summer was spent renovating our house and we didn't even go on vacation, let alone read much. And come August my PhD program started. I did a ton of reading for my two classes, but not in a trackable way. Bits of poetry and short stories here and there for British Lit and dozens of articles and academic book chapters for Methods.

That won't stop me from setting a reading goal for 2017 though! Even if I'm not reading a lot, one thing is sure, I am always in the middle of a book. You will never ask me, "What are you reading at the moment?" and hear "Nothing right now." The to be read list is a mile long and I own dozens of them, plus access to various library systems.

I'm setting a goal this year for two other reasons. My PhD reading this semester is solidly literature and my books are almost all novels! Everything I read will apply to my goal for 2017. Also, I'm hoping with that intensive reading schedule at hand and a goal to meet, I will gain back my focus. I find I am so easily distracted lately by technology, people, Netflix (I adore binge watching), staring at my new library shelves, you know, the usual. I'll be finishing off my current binge watch this week (the 100) and weaning myself from FB in preparation for the glorious reading to come...or at least I hope it's glorious, there's quite a few first time reads for me on the syllabi.

Here's to a new reading season!

www.phdcomics
Yes, it's so traumatizing, there are comics
just for PhD students. Ha!

My Library - More Than a Collection of Books

The one thing I've been waiting for since we saw our new house for the first time almost a year ago is finally finished. My library - more than a collection of books now! A week and a half ago, we picked up nine of IKEA's Billy Bookshelves. Hand crafted shelving is hardy but extremely expensive and bookshelves in local stores are flimsy although extremely affordable. I was so pleased to find IKEA's shelves are sturdy and the prices comparable to Target and Wal-Mart shelves.

In three nights last week my husband pieced the bookshelves together and placed them accordingly. The room immediately transformed with their placement and the minute they were up, I unpacked tote after tote of books. My poor books had been packed up almost a year ago and although I knew I missed their presence, I hadn't realized how much it would feel like reuniting with friends as I unpacked them. My books have stories and hold memories...even if it's just the knowledge of where I was in life when I bought a particular book.

Front entry to library

View from front windows

So, the unpacking of books was glorious. With limited time that night - although I was up until 2 A.M.taking them out of totes - I simply stacked books on shelves according to genre. As only book lovers can imagine, that wasn't as easy as it sounds. I had to estimate how much shelving to designate for what I already owned and for how much each genre may grow in the future. Also, there's the matter of some books applying to more than one category. Let's be honest, I reveled in it.

That was Friday, 12/16. On Sunday, 12/18, my friend and fellow reader S.R. offered to come over to help alphabetize. I gladly took her up on it. What better way than to enjoy the project than with a friend? I want to say it took us about two and half hours. Seeing the empty space left when we were done was both sad and exciting. Sad because I had cleaned out my book collection before moving and now missed them, even if they were just to take up space. Excited because I haven't really bought a physical book just for the heck of it in a long time and Barnes & Noble will be exciting in a new way for the next few visits.

Anyway, I'm obviously excited, but who am I kidding? You just want to see the pictures!

The shelves along the back of the couch (left to right) hold Christian nonfiction and fiction, textbooks, childhood books, signed editions, and very old/first editions. The single bookshelf on the other side of the window holds biographies and general researched stories on people (mostly authors) and mythology/fantasy. The single bookshelf juxtaposed to it (only in profile here, but can be seen to the left in pic above) holds memoirs and general subject nonfiction.

The main wall has four bookshelves, where I decided to put fiction, since it is the largest genre in my collection and the most likely to grow. The single shelf juxtaposed to those contains Classics.


As you can see, there's room to grow. After that, well, who needs windows?

Readcation Trial

Gatsby, my reading partner, wasn't always a huge help.

Sunday after Christmas came and all I could see coming to me throughout the vast holiday break was a week of cleaning my house. Boo! My house does need a week's worth of cleaning out, but there's no way I could spend my whole week off doing so without feeling like crazy person just in time to go back to work. I needed some fun things to do. Luckily a few get togethers came together and I also planned my very own Readcation.

The idea of a Readcation - a vacation spent reading - has been an adulthood dream of sorts, but Book Riot gave it a name and set up. Once I read the Readcation article in October, I knew I'd make it happen at least on a small scale. (My actual dream is to take a year sabbatical just to read through my TBR list, keeping a journal as I read.)

I picked Monday, December 28th as my Readcation day because there wasn't anything going on until much later in the evening and I knew I wouldn't be interrupted. Of course, I slept in first, a must on a day off when I'd usually be up by six. Upon waking, I settled in to read right in my bed (my kids are older, so without worry they'd be up any time soon). This is how every day should start. First up was A Prayer for Owen Meany because I assigned the first five chapters to my AP students over break and only had thirty pages left of those 255. I've been enjoying the reread, picking up the nuances I didn't notice the first time, because it's been so long since I read it.

I soon moved onto The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. I've been meaning to read it, but it wasn't on the top of the TBR either. However, a student is reading it for his independent novel project and, knowing I wanted to read it, he told me before break that his project was going to ruin it for me, so I'd better read it. I was so happy he warned me, that I took my classroom copy home with me and read to page 71 before I felt sleepy and decided to take a nap.

Monday evening was spent with family and friends, but I also read more Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, finishing up close to half of The Night Circus. I liked the taste of Readcation and plan on implementing it more strictly in the future.

Has anyone taken a vacation for the purpose of reading before? If so, you're my hero and I want to hear about it.

Bout of Books 15

It's that time again! I'm not sure how many Bout of Books I've officially participated in (written a post like this and linked it up), but it's been three or four now. The January Bout of Books is my favorite because I'm in the reading mode from a Christmas break of reading and work isn't crazy and interfering!

So clearly, I love Bout of Books (especially the Twitter chats) and intend to participate. Should you? If you've never participated, check out this blurb from the Bout of Books team, filling you in on some details.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 4th and runs through Sunday, January 10th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 15 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

So if you love to read and others need an excuse for you to do so excessively, here's your chance. Visit the Bout of Books link in the blurb and find the various ways you can sign up and participate. Hope to see you around the blogs in 2016!

ANNOYED

Life is ridiculous. Not really bad by most standards, except it is severely lacking one thing I love without exception: reading. Usually life gets craziest for me with the busy months of the school year: March and September. This year, life hasn't let up since day one. Don't get me wrong, it's not all bad. There's time spent with family and friends and new or memorable experiences. And even things like grading papers has a good side: it means I have a job. So, I feel like I can only be annoyed at the most. Annoyed in capital letters at the least. ANNOYED.

The only books coming into my house are those on my wish list at paperbackswap.com. (Well there's Outlander #2, Dragonfly in Amber, from the library via OverDrive app...but I'm ashamed to say the number of times I've had to renew it. At three weeks a shot no less. Smh.) As the swap books trickle in I place them on my shelves, only to see other titles longingly beckon me. Titles I've waited forever to read, titles I have at my fingertips, yet they seem to elude me. Over the past few weeks, I've placed such titles by my bedside, because picking them up and stacking them nearby seems like a step in the right direction, as small a step as it may be.

So now I catch glimpses of them daily. Rushing in after work to change my clothes before heading out again. Out the corner of my eye while guiltily binging on past seasons of Survivor and Lost (just starting season 3...oh my lord, season 2 put me in a fit toward the end!). In a dead stare, grading essays and wishing that just by looking at the stack my essays would be graded and I could be reading. Between camera clicks and social media posts (my new puppy Gatsby might as well be a human infant). Fleetingly as I fall asleep.

I like to think my annoyance is becoming determination. That I will dig myself out of this never ending suck on my time and prevent it from happening again. We all know it's not true though. I enjoy time with my friends and family. I love Lost! Sleep is my next favorite thing to reading. Grading essays...haha. No. Necessary evil I guess.

But I have a goal. After this week I will be caught up on my school work. Next couple weeks I will finish up my forever read of Dragonfly in Amber (it's good, just long and my timing is bad) and read and review the newest Mitch Albom as part of a TLC Tour, which I'm excited about. I'm setting time limits to get things graded efficiently instead of dragging them out and dwindling around my kitchen table and work desk. I'm limiting the number of nights I have stuff to do per week. By Thanksgiving I will be set to sit. Sit and read...and watch more Lost. I'm starting with that special stack. And hopefully season 4 of Lost.

I've never had such a bad reading year. Anyone else feeling this?