What's On My Nightstand...

On my nightstand are a lot of books that I don't necessarily read but they bring me comfort just knowing they are there. I have my battery clock that has served me well. I don't like the digital ones. There is some homemade lotion I'm almost out of and another bottle to use when it is finally all gone     ( someone I know made the lotion and a friend gave it to me). Down in the cloth basket are recipe books and books I am currently looking at. And the two little baskets hold "stuff" like my TV remote, a glasses case etc. I have some herb magazines I'm hoping to get too soon and a couple of pictures that just make me smile. On the far left there is a teddy bear my oldest son gave me one Christmas and it was just so cute I keep him close by to remind me of "love."

This is a cooperative blog post I am doing bi-weekly with a friend. Here is her post... Enjoy!

http://gentlegull.blogspot.com/2014/09/whats-on-my-nightstand.html

Refuge...

"The library had become her solace. Her refuge. Books did not question or judge. They made safe companions."

Inglath Cooper, Truth and Roses: A Love Story

We all need a place of refuge from life. I'm glad my children feel that way about their home and with friends and families homes. To find refuge to relax, to not have to feel like you have to be anything but your imperfect, perfect self is a time to gather strength to keep moving forward in each present moment.  When I'm not able to be with those people who provide solace, I find it in books, nature, food, art, quiet time, and animals.

Each Day...

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see."

John Burroughs

I was feeling this way today. It seems like when I finally have spaces of time in my day or days I have so much to fit in, so many thoughts, things I want ( not to mention need to do) to get done, and people I wish I had more time for. Sometimes it's hard to balance all the "have to", "want to", "hope to"s."

Books...

I've always thought there are too many books in the world and not enough time to read them all. But for quite awhile now I just have not been able to allow myself that space to "sit down and read." At the library yesterday I picked up two more books and my hope is to "enjoy" the escape and read! Not sure that will happen since I have several books sitting by my bedside that I've have half finished. I use to relish the night time, crawling into bed and getting my book, but lately I find myself watching TV that I don't even care about and never picking up the book.

Library...

My son and I went to the library yesterday and we each walked out with a huge stack of books. It was so much fun. When my kids where growing up, the library was like our second home. They had a limit of 100 books you could check out, and between the four of us we almost always reached that limit. Most days now I just run in and get my book on hold and run back out, so it was nice to just take the time with my son to browse the rows of books and hang out in an old familiar place, filled with good memories.

Song...

Years ago as a teenager, I use to play the guitar and write songs. It was very therapeutic at that time in my life. When I saw this picture it brought back good memories of how the words I needed to express came out in song and soothed my soul. Words have always brought me comfort in one form or another. After my song writing days, I kept journals and now I write a blog, articles and my fiction novel. Having books by my bedside bring me comfort as I read others peoples words too. 

A sweet memory...

I was out with two of my children today running an errand to the library. My youngest is soon to be eighteen so it was a sweet memory of all the days we use to spend at the library checking out more books then we could carry. We participated in a lot of programs and enjoyed hanging out together. My children aren't avid readers but they do have a love of a good book. The library holds reminders of all the stories we read together and is a place of comfort and good "sweet" memories.