Accomplishments

Yesterday after finishing the first of my three less-than-fascinating projects, I made a good start on the second.  Wow, did I feel good about that; it was a weight off my shoulders.  Now I feel that I have overcome my inertia and have a chance of getting all three completed before mid-month.

Then I felt so good I got out the last of my cooking apples (not that I had many) and made some apple butter.  The yield was only two pints, but that's two more to put away.  

My last noteworthy accomplishment was finishing another Young Adult mystery novel.  This is something I haven't written about before so I'll explain.  The social studies teacher with whom I taught and I yearly took a course in YA literature.  The purpose was to familiarize ourselves with contemporary fiction we could recommend to our students (and since we bought all the books - sometimes as many as ten - fifteen a month, we were able to build up  respectful classroom libraries).  After she retired (four years before I did), my friend continued to take the course with me, and by the time I retired, we had been taking the course for, I think, 13 years. 

Then I gave it up.  For a while I simply did not want to read another YA book.  I was finished, I thought.  However, my friend continued to go and when we met for lunch we'd always go to a bookstore.  I went to adult literature and she would too - after a stop at the "children's books".  She'd talk about those books.  Sometimes I'd just listen; sometimes I'd chime in with comparisons or questions about books we had read before versus the new ones.  Slowly, I began to become interested in what she was saying, and a few times I picked up a YA books from my shelves here at home.  Finally, I was ready to return, and this year I am taking the course again. 

Did I need time to recharge my batteries?  Yes, I think so.  Did I need to realize that I could still enjoy these books even though I no longer had a classroom that might benefit?  Yes, to that, too.  

Sewing, cooking, reading - those were my accomplishments today.  I think I am the most proud - no, not proud - satisfied of the reading and returning to the search for good books.  The fact that I'm now reading for grandson, nieces and nephews, and children of friends rather than students doesn't matter.