Thursday, January 31, 2013

January update

Last time, I wrote about New Year's resolutions. How have I done so far? Nothing added to LibraryThing, but still putting titles in my ratty notebook which I haven't rebound yet. First two, nada. Organizing my room? I got a new clothes hamper, so the floor is tidier. 1 point for #3. Finishing my quilt...I bought some more fabric for said quilt, and I pulled out the squares from their hiding place. I've also taken apart some old clothes to repurpose into squares or bits for the quilt. 1.5 points for #4. I have made more art in that I finished spinning all the merino wool I got for Christmas, plus started spinning alpaca, and the quilt is out of the dark. 2 points for #5. Finally, traveling...I did drive to Williamstown, MA on MLK Day weekend and visited Sweet Brook Farm where I bought the aforementioned alpaca fiber and met the alpacas. I drove to Norfolk, MA last week, which is tucked off the beaten path and is quite lovely. There is no exit for it on 495-- you have to drive through Franklin, MA to get there, so it's a sneaky little gem. :) No visiting people I know per se, so 1 point for #6. I'm satisfied with that. It's only been a month. February brings my first Nutmeg meeting. I am also hoping for a snow day somewhere so I can bust out all my crafts. Craft extravaganza.

In library-world news, ALA announced the Youth Media Awards, which are like the Oscars of the children's/YA book scene. I've read the Caldecott and Newbery winners already, but the Printz and Morris are now on my to-read list. If that sentence made no sense to you, go here for ALA's press release.

Ex libris,

Marissa

Monday, January 7, 2013

Resolutions

Another year! Man, they just fly by. A new year means resolutions. I think I have only ever really kept one resolution, and that was 2001 when I resolved to write down all the books I read like my grandmother did. I still do that with pen and paper. My LibraryThing is a small slice of the list. I read 83 books in 2012 (although I missed some because when I read a picture book on the fly or read to my Lego Club, I don't count those.) I will continue to keep that resolution, but here are a few things that I will try to do in 2013:

1. I will add all my books to LibraryThing.
2. I will take my old notebook I write my books in and rebind it.
3. I will organize my room to the point that I can get a new bed.
4. I will finish the quilt I started randomly some years ago.
5. I will make more art! Bookbinding, spinning (my new love), whatever. It has been awhile.
6. I will visit people and/or travel just for kicks. (Lookin' at you, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)

I'm going to stop there because I like even numbers. So, in short, be more creative, be more social, and clean up. I don't want to make any reading-related resolutions because of the Nutmeg Committee. I have 2 left of the 8 books I have to read by February 13. The Nutmeg Committee is a resolution in and of itself, reading-wise and being more social. I did that on purpose.

A few recommendations while I have you:
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (before she wrote Gone Girl)
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Ex libris,

Marissa