New Years Resolutions...

...to keep or break, that is the dilemma. Resolutions just don't seem to last long so I hesitate to make them because I fail at enough things without adding more to the list. But this year I thought I would decide on resolutions that are non-measurable, in that it is a more or less type resolution and if I do it once that could easily be more or less than I did last year. Also if I use the 'make an effort' phrase then as long as I remember to attempt it once during the year I've met my resolution. So here goes:

1. I will attempt to purchase more Michigan and American made products this year to boost the economy.
2. I will create less trash this year by recycling and composting more to help the environment.
3. I will attempt to purchase at least 1 book to support an author that I really enjoy.
4. I will be more grateful and less of a griper to promote a happy working atmosphere. 
5. I will not break more than 5 resolutions in 2012.

What about you? Are you resolved to do things different in 2012?

It's the Most Wonderful Time...

...of December! Yes I know you were expecting me to say the year but is it really? If you celebrate the reason for Christmas all year round then that really doesn't make this time of the year any more special than the rest of the year. But for December this is a wonderful time, at least for me.
Our library program is over, Breakfast with Santa saw 250 people in the library within 2.5 hours, including feeding them, taking Santa pictures and doing a Christmas story and craft all while the library still offered its regular services of computers and material checkouts. (Whew)
Unfortunately I don't have all of my Christmas shopping done, but as we don't do a lot of gift giving in my family I basically just have nieces and nephews to buy for or put everything together as a big family gift this year. Church Christmas program only involves me sitting around and sing songs I have sung before so there is no stress there because I'm not in charge nor do I have any kids to make sure they have their lines memorized. So this is the time that I can just sit back, enjoy the Christmas music, decorations (I put my windowsill tree up last night)and TV specials. The only thing that can kill the spirit is if I allow myself to get upset about the whole Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays debate.
Face it people the Calendar says Christmas not Holiday. It says Hanukkah not Holiday. It says Kwanzaa not Holiday. So here is my solution. Wish everyone the holiday greetings of the day you celebrate and add on the Happy Holidays just in case they celebrate a different one.
For today let me wish you a "Happy Pearl Harbor Day" (though I'm not sure Happy is the right word). If I had written this on the 4th I would wish you a "Merry National Cookie Day: because who doesn't want to celebrate that! If you remember to do so on Saturday the 10th be sure to wish all your human friends a "Happy Human Rights Day". If that isn't enough greetings for you don't forget; Santa Lucia Day on the 13th, Boston Tea Party anniversary on the 16th, and you can always through a party to celebrate Card Playing Day on the 28th. But my wish to you is very simple.
Have a Very Merry Christmas and Happy (all other) Holidays!

If you have something to prove...

...prove it everyday. This will probably be seen as a rant but it is also an important life lesson. If you want to be an honest, ethical, fair and likable person be that person everyday.

 Don't wait for someone to question your behavior live every day like you are under a microscope. Unless you are a hermit, and at times I wish I was, people will be watching you and making judgements about your actions and behavior. If they question those actions and you do a 360 going way overboard it then raises the conundrum of, were they right in the first place? Were you acting inappropriately? 

In the work world you do have to make adjustments, you do have to change and be flexible to meet bosses demands and the changing work environment but by going overboard you really aren't fooling anyone but yourself because all the people around you know what is really going on and respect your effort to 'prove' something even less. 

There is one who always sees what is done, even in secret, and one day you will stand before Him even if you don't believe in Him. 

To my future employers...

...I know you've googled me looking for all my deep dark secrets. Here they are,
1. I'm not good at networking in person but I'm pretty good at digital social networking
2. There are times that I say more than I should. I like to think it is because I have an aversion to secrecy but some may think of it as gossiping
3. I work hard, think creatively, and problem solving is one of my skills. The downside of problem solving skills is that it leads me to thinking that my solutions are the best
4. I don't present visually as a very professional person but I am well educated, communicate clearly, and have a professional attitude
5. Once hired I don't like changing jobs so I very likely could be that employee who stays forever (unless I'm shanghaied by a jealous library who wants me for my 'mad' blogging skills

I know I'll hear from you soon!

My Day Off

Sleeping, shopping and Subway!
It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a relaxing week day off and I'm making the most of it.

Yesterday was a long training day for the library in Kentwood. The Black Belt Librarian taught us many important things about security and customer service. Security isn't something we think a lot about in a small town but as pointed out to us yesterday, "You never know who you are dealing with and you can't judge by appearances."

Tomorrow my oldest niece is getting married. I haven't decided if I feel that she is awfully young or if I just need to admit that I'm older than I pretend. It does help to remember that I was still in college when she was born. I'm excited for her and she's marrying a good guy, I just pray they are ready for the changes ahead.
Today is my best friend's birthday. God brought us together in college and she's been BFF ever since. Life may not always turn out the way we wish or plan but if we trust God we know that it will all work out for the best.

"Blackie's Day Off", by Cheryl Lucas

Blackie was a horse. He was a strong horse. Blackie worked for the Miller family. Blackie worked HARD for the Miller family. He would plow the field. He would plant the field. He would harvest the field. Blackie knew how to raise barns and pull logs. Blackie was tired of working. Blackie lived in a big red barn with other horses, pigs and cows. Blackie lived right next to a horse called Betty. Betty was not a strong work horse. Betty was a buggy horse. Betty got to go with the Miller family to visit the neighbors. She would take the Miller family to town. Betty would go with the family to their Sunday Meetings. Betty was a traveler. Blackie would listen to Betty talk about all the places she had been. Blackie wished that he could see all the places Betty talked about. One Sunday morning after Betty and the Miller family left Blackie found a broken fence. Blackie knew how to fix the fence but he needed farmer Miller and his tools. Blackie thought about all the work he would have to do at the farm. He thought about all the places Betty had told him about. He looked again at the broken fence and decided to take a day off. Blackie jumped over the broken fence and headed down the road. Soon Blackie came to a hard road with white and yellow stripes. There were fast machines on the hard road. They went really fast. Blackie decided it was safer if he traveled in the soft grass beside the road. Up the road Blackie trotted. Some of the fast machines would slow down and watch him. Others would move far away from him like they were scared. Blackie thought they were very strange. Blackie saw a big house up on a hill. The house had beautiful flowers. Blackie loved flowers. He went up the hill and smelled all the flowers. Betty had told Blackie that neighbors were friendly and would often have a treat for visitors. Blackie decided that the beautiful roses would make a wonderful treat. They tasted good. After visiting the house on the hill, Blackie decided to go to town. On his way to town Blackie found a really big pond. The pond was so big that he couldn't see the other side. Blackie stopped to drink from the pond. The roses had made him thirsty. When he finished drinking Blackie continued on his trip to town. Betty had told him about all the big buildings. There was a library, a bank, and a grocery store. Blackie wasn't sure what these buildings were for but they were big. There were a lot more of those fast machines in town too. Some of them were not moving so Blackie could get a closer look. After seeing what was in town Blackie headed back into the country to explore. Blackie saw even bigger machines in fields. It looked like those machines were doing the same job Blackie did. Blackie was glad that he didn't have to work with those big machines. They looked a little scary. Blackie saw all sorts of funny things. He saw a woman riding a two wheeled machine. A man driving a machine around in circles in his yard. Children standing throwing a ball at a circle again and again and again. Pretty soon Blackie was ready to go home and enjoy a nap under the shade tree. Blackie headed down the road looking for his pasture. He was a cow pasture, a pig pen and a field with some kinda of tall long necked sheep. When he went over to talk to them they said they were Alpacas. Blackie asked them if they knew where his field was. They didn't. They weren't very friendly either. One even tried to spit at him. Blackie continued down the road looking for home. Blackie heard a familiar sound. The rumbling of buggy wheels. Over the top of the next hill Blackie saw a line of buggies leaving a neighbors house. Blackie trotted on up to the closest buggy horse and asked if he knew Betty. Again and again Blackie asked if any of the horses knew where Betty was and how he could get home. Soon Blackie heard his name being called. Blackie followed the sound and saw Betty. She was pulling her buggy full of the Miller family. Blackie was so happy to see his family that he gave a loud whinny and kicked up his hooves. Young John Miller got out of the buggy and came to click a lead on Blackie's halter. Blackie followed the Miller family all the way home to his pasture and took his nap under the shade tree. The next morning Blackie and Farmer Miller fixed up the broken fence. Blackie worked many days for the Miller family. But now as he worked, he would remember all the wonderful places he had visited on his day off. As he would plow the field he would think of the neighbor's roses. When he had to plant or harvest the field he would remember the big pond he drank from. Every time he helped raise a barn he would wonder how the big buildings in town had been built. At the end of the day Blackie would bed down in his barn and dream about the places he would visit on his next day off.

When the boss is away...

...I can get into a lot of trouble!
On the positive side my boss doesn't read my blog or see my facebook account on the negative side all my coworkers have access so I'll have to watch what I say!!!!
In all honesty I don't think I'm in trouble yet because I specifically asked the boss how much of her job did she want me to do while she was gone on vacation. Her response... "All of It" so really I shouldn't get in trouble for anything unless it is from the Board...right?

So here is what I've done so far while the boss has been away; ordered books, assigned memorials to books, gotten the windows cleaned, scheduled the carpet to be cleaned, authorized the closing of the library 2 hours early for the carpet to be cleaned, paid bills, authorized time off, plus all my other normal duties. Is there any doubt that I will need a vacation soon? 1.5 weeks to go and then I'll have to stop myself from overstepping my job description!

My green thumb...

...was amputated at birth.

My Flowers


My Mom's Flowers



Enough said

Lay up your treasures in heaven...

...but cherish the memories on earth.

My Dad informed our church congregations that 2 weeping willow trees were going to be taken down. These trees have been a part of the Brockway Wesleyan Church for decades and for many it is going to be difficult seeing them gone. I have many memories of climbing the corner willow tree after school. (This was back before I really understood that climbing trees in school uniforms wasn't a really good idea)
The tree had this wonderful branch that came out and then curved up far enough from the trunk to create a swing like seat. This was usually as far as I went as I wasn't super fond of heights even as a kid. Others, especially the boys, would climb right up as far as they could.
It will be sad to see these trees come down, but it reminds us to lay up our treasures in heaven where wind, storms and rot cannot uproot them, and to cherish memories of special times gone by.

Things you may not know...

...about your Public Library.
1. Libraries are not free. Yes it may be free for you to use it but there is a financial cost to having a local public library. This cost is usually a property tax millage that goes to the library directly or to the city/county if it is not a District Library. Local support of libraries becomes more important as State and Federal Aid continue to be cut.
2. Just because a library has the beginning, the middle or the end of a series does not guarantee that they have the whole series. Sometimes it's a matter of starting the series late and not being able to buy the beginning. Other times it's a matter of no one was reading the series so the library quit buying them. But often it is a matter of books being damaged, lost or not returned. Be thankful if you library allows you to inter loan titles from other libraries.
3. While a library may offer online resources 24/7 it cannot physically stay open 24/7 unless it has a huge benefactor who gives millions of dollars to the library every year. Most libraries budget for a certain number of hours and then break those hours up to offer different times on different days. This may mean that your library opens early on some days and closes early or they may open late on days that they have evening hours. Learn your libraries hours and hope that they don't keep changing them.
4. Programs are a free entertainment and informational resource provided by the library. Yet just as a book that never gets checked out, no matter how good it is, a program that is not well attended gets deleted. Our library offers story time programs for toddler/preschoolers, after school programs for students, computer classes for all ages and a variety of specialty programs including virtual vacations, meet the author programs and special performers. Your library is a great place to broaden your horizons.
5. Your public library is not staffed, designed nor licensed to be a daycare facility. Many parents believe that the public library is a "safe place" for their kids to hang out (sometimes all day) so they think nothing about letting their 6, 7, 8,...year old kid go to the library by themselves. What everyone needs to realize is that a library is no safer than any other public facility. Yes, there are staff at the library but they aren't babysitters or daycare providers. A library is not like a public school where teachers have the responsibility of the students. A library is only as safe as the people that are in it and since a public library is open to all there are times where it may be a very unsafe environment and we don't even know it.

Those are some of my top thought on things you may not know about public libraries. Use them, support them, and supervise your children while in them! Thank You.

Are you comfortable...

...in your own skin? That was the question of the night last night at my church board meeting. Understanding the intent of the question I was hesitant to answer. Yes I'm comfortable in my leadership role at BWC, Yes I'm comfortable with the ministries and direction of BWC, and Yes I have adjusted and have become comfortable with all the changes that come when a church goes through a change of leadership.

But am I comfortable in my skin? Absolutely not!! I have too much skin for one thing because there is WAY TOO MUCH BODY for it to cover and another I don't care all that much for personal contact. I can only think of one person outside of my family that I'm comfortable hugging (Luv ya Haze) and even in the family, don't ask me to hug those not born into the family. Even as the nephs and nieces grow up that level of comfort changes, (so I hug as much as I can when they are young).

Maybe it's my spinster ways that puts too much importance on hugging and hand holding but I just don't have that comfort level with them to not be thinking "I don't want to be touching or touched right now" every time those touches occur. So how do you get comfortable with something like this? You know if you're afraid of heights and want to conquer that fear there are lots of theories on how to conquer those fears. Often these theories include a jump in and deal with it option. So I ask is that possible for my uncomfortable phobia? Should I start going around and hugging everyone I know? Should I hold hands with anyone I may be walking with? Can I just stay uncomfortable in my skin?

Do your friends...

...really know who you are? I would hope for the most part yes but technology and social media can raise some questions. I do a book blog for the library with the help of the staff. "Let's Talk Books" is designed to be a reader's advisory tool to help readers find a good book. We publish it on Wordpress and it use to automatically post on my facebook page. Yesterday it stopped & I couldn't figure out what happened.
Well today I start research and find this handy facebook app NetworkedBlogs and attempt to set that up to post my blog not only to my facebook page but also the library's page and twitter account. It was relatively simple to set up but it requires authentication that you are the blogs author. To do this I had to send requests to 5 facebook friends who would verify that, yes I write the blogs. The library's blog wasn't too difficult I just hit up the library staff but for my personal one I had to select 5 other friends. This is where the problem arose because only a very few of my family and friends read my blog or even know I have one. (Shh, this blog is top secret) So I selected the few that I knew had read my blog in the past and my sister who faithfully keeps track of it, but then I had to think of who on my friends list of 174 people know I have a blog or would be willing to verify I was the author even if they didn't know. So I selected some that I have good gaming report with and added a post asking them to verify.
Now after all that I have to think...do I really want my blog on my facebook. Granted I don't often blog anything that is embarrassing or offensive but having it show up on my facebook could draw in more readers who would then learn more about how boring and routine my life is. But then I did start this blog so many years ago as a way to share my bogus wisdom and now I offer it all to my facebook friends should they want to read it. (That is if enough friends now me and verify that yes, Cheryl Lucas is just the type to write a blog called "Brains, Books, and Bogus Thoughts")

Getting my nookie...

...on! Well I've had my nook color for a few weeks and I really like it. I can read with it in the dark and can play 'angry birds' on it and even check facebook status. The only thing I don't like is that to check out ebooks from the library's site I still have to go through my laptop and then transfer it to my nook. The library's site is getting some new ebooks though and I may be able to download those without going through my laptop but over all it is good.
While B&N may not have as many free nook books as Amazon has free Kindle books they do have a variety and they have a free Friday selection that even if I'm not sure I will like it, it's FREE!
And for those who thought this was a racy blog post... sorry nook nookie is the only nookie in my life.

Oh my goodness....

...Christie Craig commented on my blog!!! I feel recognized by royalty! There is some kind of awe I feel for authors who have a deft hand at combining humor, romance, a touch of suspense and even a flash of the paranormal. When I first discovered Christie Craig's books the library already owned 3-4 of them yet I had not tried any. Being the paperback romance queen of the library you would think that I had read at least one of each author but alas there are too many books and too many authors so I grab author's I know and titles that catch my attention.
That's what caught my attention with Craig's book "Weddings Can be Murder". As an almost 40 year old 'spinster' weddings are never something I enjoy and only go if they are close family or lifetime friends so I thought this book was right up my alley. Needless to say within 2 weeks I had checked out and read every Christie Craig book our library had and submitted order recommendations for those we didn't. Even her foray into YA lit under the name C.C. Hunter was a great teen paranormal story.
So all of this gushing and you are probably wondering why she posted on my blog to begin with...in an ever widen hope of winning something cool I entered a contest on an awesome blog: killerfictionwriters.blogspot.com which has some of the funniest authors in the mystery/romance genre that I've read and I actually won!!!! My life once again is good. BTW one of the prizes I won was a $10 B&N gift card and if you read my last post you know I just bought a nook. E-books here I come!

My foray into technology...

...keeps costing me money. Living in the boondocks (It would be nicer if there really was a lake with a dock) makes keeping up with technology difficult. I have to bring my laptop to work every time I need to update or download something and can't access anything at home.
The TV is filled with ads for Droids, iPads, Blackberry Playbooks, and various other techno devices that are suppose to be the 'must haves' of the techno world. I really was thinking seriously about purchasing some type of tablet device but without Internet access at home I would be in the same situation as I am with my laptop. So I start looking into the 3G and 4G options. The problem, you have to have a service provider agreement to access these features. Once again I live in the boondocks and service providers are extremely limited. We can only get access with our current cellphones because we invested in a booster antenna to reach a service tower. Now a few months ago high speed Internet became available in my hometown through our phone company. The caveat, you must live within 2 miles of their service building/hub. I live 8 miles!
So what do I go and do this week. I buy a nook from Barnes and Noble. It's not 3G but it is Wi-Fi so I can bring it to work and load it up with ebooks from the library or if I must keep from B&N. I have previously looked at Kindle but I wanted something that I could access the Internet with not just read books. Kindle is also been a very proprietorial reader in that the only things you could read on it were books you buy from Amazon.com. That is changing this year as they are going to make their Kindle formatting available through library ebook lending sites like Overdrive.com. This will make people with Kindles happy but it still didn't offer what I wanted so I went with the nook color and by next week I should know if it was money well spent or more money wasted.

Just a quick lunch break...

...post. I ate my healthy salad and finished it off with 2 ice cream sandwiches. Does the healthy salad still count? I have been excessively tired lately and I don't know if it is just getting back to routine after vacation or something else. I struggle to keep my eyes open at work and I'm ready to go to bed by 8 PM. The problem with that is I'm then wide awake by 5 AM and I don't like mornings.

Had to make a correction there because I first put that I hate mornings. My 5 year old nephew whom I visited during vacation has a bad habit of "HATING" everything. If he doesn't want something offered him or if he doesn't want to do something asked of him his response is "I Hate That". I tried in my one week there to get him to change to "I Don't Like That" instead. The furthest I got was when he would hate something I'd ask him what he meant and he would cover his mouth with both hands and open his eyes as wide as he could and then proclaim that he didn't like it. Who knows it probably didn't stick because Aunt Cheryl isn't there to keep reminding him of the difference between not liking and hating. Maybe this summer I can help him along some more.

Return to the beach...

...and saw the dolphins. They were just too fast and too far away for any good pictures. One did get pretty close and was wonderful to see but just not easy to take a pic because you never knew where it would surface. Here is some wildlife I did get.

A Snowy Egret

Pelican Roost

Ring Neck Snake (Fished out of the pool)

Why does blogger take so long...

...to load pictures? I loaded 20 on facebook in the time it took to load one here. I guess somethings just are the way they are.
gChevy and Madison in his new tent/hunting blind
Josh and Taylor spending hours staring at laptops.
Lighted lantern set off at the beach last night. It reminded me of Tangled even though there was only one and not thousands

FYI I managed to read 2 chapters while waiting for these pics to load :(

Just some quick pictures of that Florida sun...

...as it sets over the Gulf.
I am discovering that being in shape would make a much more enjoyable time yet I'm going to enjoy myself anyway and spend some serious time thinking about how I can change eating and other habits to improve my life.
I've done the obsessed thing where I count calories or points and yes it works but eventually the obsession fades and I give up. I need to find a way that I can live with and not a flame that burns hot then goes out.
There are more pics on my facebook for those who are FB friends of mine, and if your not, there will be more pics coming here to they just take longer to load.

The sun in Florida...

...is the same sun in Michigan but it sure feels nicer here in April! I'm not a big one for heat though as I don't like to sweat but it has been nice seeing blue skies and green grass & and trees. Having a pool at my sisters is nice to as I took a nice dip this morning.
The days may not be packed with things to do but that is okay because I'm on vacation and just chilling with my laptop & book pile is what I'm looking forward too.

And another reason to buy a camera...

...they provide memories that the mind cannot relay. It's been a week since my lovely Blueberry Baby rolled over into a ditch. While damages are not as extreme as a rollover would normally produce they would have been worth a pic or two. I tried to take one with my phone but didn't follow through with the correct steps and it didn't save.
In a week or two my Blueberry Baby will be back looking a good as new. While my Insurance Premiums may go up as a reminder of my icy road rollover, my bruises and car damages will be gone and then all I will have to remind me of this once in a lifetime experience (hopefully) is a slight anxiety of driving on icy roads and fading memories.

Is there anything to write about...

...that is worth reading? Well since reading worth is based on individual taste I'll let you judge for yourself.
Addictions are a funny thing. Now I realize there are some serious addictions that are dangerous to your health and those around you but it's just as easy to get addicted to simple and silly things. I firmly believe that technology is one of the most unrealized addictions in our society today. Take time to think about the amount of time you spend with technology, whether TV, computer, video games, phones, music, etc... and now even reading is becoming a techno habit!
Ebooks and ereaders are the new wave of the literary world! This has some convenience factors but also I'm discovering some drawbacks. Part of the problem for me is that reading off an ereader is not as easy as holding a book. Why? I'm not really sure but I think it has something to do with page spacing and ease of reading. I'm a pretty fast reader and have trained my eyes to flow through a page of text quickly. When reading from an ereader though I have found that it is a slower process as the text is limited to what is visible on the screen so you click through several screens to see the same amount of text as I could scan on one page of a book.
Also I haven't found an ereader that works in dim lighting. I know the Kindle doesn't glare so it's easy to read in bright sunlight but I do most of my reading inside and sometimes there isn't a bright light source beside or behind me. I can read on my laptop because it is a brighter screen but the ereader I tried had no illumination at all making it almost impossible to see.
One main advantage to ereaders is that you can read with total anonymity. Not that people can't see that you are reading but they don't know what you are reading unless you tell them. As an avid romance reader that is one advantage I like. Even though I realize that no one should have to apologize for their reading taste I still feel that you are judged by it. Romance readers are often looked at as fluff readers. And I will admit there is that element of unrealistic fantasy that comes with reading romances but isn't there enough serious and depressing things in real life that we don't need to read about it in fiction too? When using an ereader no one will know if your reading the latest Harlequin or the newest Nobel Prize winner.
All things said and considered I like to hold a book when I read and until I find an ereader that is easier to read than what I have tried so far I'm not jumping on the band wagon.

Maxine's Valentine Sing-along (visit maxine.com)

Drill Sargeant Valentine (visit maxine.com)

Do they count as happy pills...

...if they are a natural supplement? I wouldn't say I suffer from major depression. I'm more of an anxiety type person myself, but I do tend to fall into periods of total indifference. I don't care if I get out of bed, I don't care if I go to work, I don't care if I move off my couch all weekend, I just don't care.
I have discovered that these times usually come when I consistently forget to take my 5-htp daily. If I take it regularly it keeps my moods more balanced and keeps me more engaged in my own life rather than just letting it drift on by. I've forgotten them for the last month I think and I believe that is maybe one reason I've not wanted to be at work lately. I've been easily aggravated with my boss and would prefer to just be at home with my nose in a book and my mind in a land far far away.
I guess this is just a reminder that it is better to pop the 'happy pills' than deal with the aftereffects of forgetting them.

And the word for today is...

...Hookey. –noun
unjustifiable absence from school, work, etc. (usually used in the phrase play hooky)
As a public librarian I don't often involve myself in truancy matters unless we have same kid/teen coming to the library everyday during school hours, without any type of adult supervision and playing around. Then we contact the schools to ask if that kid/child is enrolled and if they are excused or suspended. (We can only do this if a staff member already knows who the kid/teen is and that information is not connected to their library usage. (Crazy privacy laws))
Well today we had 4 teenagers hanging out in the Teen Room laughing and talking at 11:30 AM. I stepped in and asked, "Are we playing hookey today?" at which I got a few blank stares and one (supposedly already out of high school) askes, "What's hookey?"

My point. There is a reason kids/teens are required to attend school and it would be really helpful to them if they paid attention while they were there!

Too many wants...

...not enough money. Let this be a lesson to any non-adult who may read this blog. Just because you are a grown-up and have a job does not mean you can buy everything you want. With adulthood comes bills, taxes and responsibilities. Sure I earn enough to go out and buy all the gadgets I want but then how do I make car payments, and Direct TV payments, and insurance payments, and property tax payments. The utility bills keep coming and if you want lights, water, heat, etc... you have to keep paying them. Don't forget that because you have that car and insurance payment means you have a vehicle that you have to keep gas in and tires on and fresh oil in and have enough in reserve for and work or repairs that need to be done. Most of us also want to eat so that means grocery bills and you know you don't want to run out of toilet paper or other of life essentials so that gets added onto the grocery bill. For those who believe God's Word is law there is also tithe and charitable giving that comes out of those paycheck that have already been hit by Uncle Sam. So face it. Even as an adult you can't spend money like it grows on trees. (I'll let someone with a family list all the extra expenses kids and spouses add to the budget.)

Now I'm not broke. I have a fairly healthy savings account that I could survive on for a month if I lost my job for some reason but I'm not affluent enough to buy everything I want all at once nor without thinking about whether I really need it and would use it. So these are the purchases I am currently mulling over and deciding if I should splurge and how much can I afford to splurge at once and what do I need to wait for:

1. A Nook: our library has started loaning e-books and I think it would cool to have an e-reader so I can check them out and read them.
I prefer reading from a physical book but when traveling it might be easier to take the e-reader with 20 books on it than to pack 20 physical books in my suitcase. Cost of Nook $199.99
2. A GPS: I do quite a bit of traveling for the library and I really don't like driving in cities especially if it is a new city and I don't know where my location is.
I've borrowed my Dad's GPS before and it really takes some of the stress out of driving even if it takes you down some weird roads. Cost of GPS $150.00 approximately.
3. A Digital Camera: I'm not a big picture taker as I always feel conspicuous when snapping pics. I don't know if it my aversion to having my pic taken or if it is my delusion that everyone is always watching and judging me no matter what I'm doing.

But I will admit that blog postings and facebook sharing are more interesting when there are pics in the content. Cost of camera unknown because I don't know what kind I would like.
4. TV Series on DVD: Regardless of what patron's may think I don't buy everything I want with library money just so I can watch it. I may buy the beginning of a series to see if there is more than me who like it but if it doesn't circulate well then I don't feel justified to buy the rest of the series just because I want it. Right now I would really like to see seasons of Mentalist, White Collar, Avatar: the Last Airbender, Lie to Me, The Office, and Warehouse 13 but without knowing if the will be popular with the library patrons I can't, in good conscience spend library money for them so I buy them myself and if I don't want to keep them after watching I donate them to the library. (Besides the library budget can't afford everything I want plus everything others want) Cost of DVD series $25-$65 a season.

My current free money budget $200. Anything over that I will have to save towards. So, what do you think I should buy first? (Future wants include a Smartphone and DVR)

Free time...

...and how we spend it. Isn't the whole concept of 'free time' suppose to mean that you can spend it doing whatever you want? That's what I think. Maybe the problem is that I claim more time as 'free' than I should. I work 40 hours a week, I sleep about 40 hours a week, I give 5-8 hours to church ministry. The rest of my time I like to think of as free. There is a few hours that I have to dedicated to grocery shopping and cooking and very little housekeeping but the rest should be free to do what I want. (I am an adult after all) Being single I don't have kids or a spouse to take care of, I don't have pets to feed, walk or train, it's just me and I enjoy my free-time!
What do I do with this free time? Mainly I read. Sometimes I read with the TV on but it usually is just for the noise because it is mainly reruns anyway. There are a few shows that I dedicate time to just watching and only read during the commercials. I enjoy watching movies but not many of them have really impressed me lately. Of course the other thing I like doing during all this 'free' time is eat and my body shows it. There are people in my life who feel I should be doing something more productive with my free time. Things like exercising, more housekeeping, getting out of the house, and spending time with people instead of by myself. Isn't the concept of 'free' mean that you don't have to force yourself to do something you can just do what you want? So what if I am a reading addict who doesn't like to leave the house. I have to leave for work, church, shopping and banking. Isn't that enough?