I’m so excited to be posting my 100th blog post hot on the heels of my 1 year Blogiversary post, then getting to share about Our British Invasion as well! Since the main topic of the aforementioned visit was books and the awesome adventure shared to obtain them, I thought the following piece was absolutely incredible and wished to share it with all of you for my first video reading….Vlog, if you will.
I present to you “You Should Date A Girl Who Reads” written by Rosemarie Urquico ~ I am so hopeful you will enjoy my reading of her magical words…
Thank you!
Christina ~
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“You should date a girl who reads. Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes, who has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.
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Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She…’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she has found the book she wants. You see that weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a secondhand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow and worn.
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She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted.
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Ask her if she likes the book.
Buy her another cup of coffee.
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Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.
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It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas, for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry and in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.
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She has to give it a shot somehow.
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Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.
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Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who read understand that all things must come to end, but that you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.
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Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.
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If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.
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You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.
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You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.
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Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.
Well…I shouldn’t call inviting one of our most special friends here an invasion. But given our countries history this is my attempt at a snappy title.
We were so fortunate as to have the infamous and brilliant blogger StetotheJ(aka Ste J) in our home for a few weeks. All here…including the animals were most happy to share what we could of an American family with our visitor from across the pond…so to speak.
I did my best to make him a caffeine-a-holic, like myself…but we found it only made him sleepy. Tis alright though for we did make good friends with Tyler from Starbucks….whom you will have already heard of if you’ve read Ste J’s posts about his trip to America from his point of view.
I thought it apropos to share our point of view as well. Since we are all very verbal and chatty…he fit right in and I had to wait in line to speak with him as all here (mostly the children and animals) vied for his attentions. Jack and Emma had him racing Mario Kart style. Jack even made a few videos of Hotwheel’s Trick Track’s with some additions of Dominoes and such with Ste J as his helper.
By far the bestest and my most favorite part was the many trips to our various book stores about this small town I often refer to as “Podunkville” because it is small and I am a big-city girl having grown up in Portland, OR and traveled to most of the major big cities in America.
Treasure Trove of Books!
Honestly…it was bliss pure and simple. Good coffee…the bestest company and reading each and every spine in each store. We laughed in Time’s face as we paid it no mind on our quest for books. We quickly chose our favorite book stores and then re-visited. While Ste J may say that we were gracious hostess’s….in fact he was the greatest guest ever….having seen my new yet empty bookshelf he went on a mission to choose the very finest in literary selections to fill it with. In the end…there were 42 gifts….a virtual treasure trove of who’s who in modern and classical literature.
The first of the aforementioned gifts was Gabriel Garcia Márquez’s “Love in The Time of Cholera” and I have to admit his style is simply exquisite and inexplicably profound…no wonder he won a Nobel Prize for literature! Not even half way through and I am ready to replace my all time favorite book (Pride & Prejudice) with this one. Reading this is more of a literary delight than anything I’ve previously experienced.
Our trips to the local restaurants…walks by the river…and explorations of book stores…
Queen of The West on the Columbia River
not to mention some awesomazing Doctor Who watching made this visit more than memorable!
To Ste J I say…leave your Kingdom dearest sir and come back to us where we will all write and share our stories and find even more magnificent books to peruse….
This is my first attempt at participating in the Friday Fictioneers challenge; indeed an intriguing challenge. Thank you Rochelle! And thank you Jennifer Pendergast for this wonderfully inspiring photograph. For more information on how to be a part of the Friday Fictioneers , click on the link above! And since this is my first attempt, please be gentle 😉
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(Photo Credit to Jennifer Pendergast)
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She had studied this scene over and over in her mind. She knew every step, knew how long she would have when the moment came. She had to be perfect; there would be no second chance. She steadied her breath. Her accoutrements were at the ready.
Now all there was left to do was wait. Yes, wait for that perfect moment. She heard footsteps begin the descent down the majestic staircase. Counting each footfall….knowing he was coming closer. She positioned her .338 Lapua Magnum…looking through the scope she was ready; three more steps and the mark was hers—
“Mom!” startled she stepped away from her laptop to investigate…
And so it is…on January 17th I’ll be “Forty-two”, so I guess I am the answer to the great question. 😀 A dear friend pointed this out to me…I hadn’t thought about it much…I usually don’t because myself, my eldest, and youngest daughters all have birthdays in January…11 days apart. I decided this year I would give a shout out for me…and make a few changes on my blog. Yes….I know what you’re thinking….my life really is that exciting!! 😉
I would like to thank everyone who has visited, liked, commented, and followed me along this journey adding so much richness, love, and encouragement to my life…each of you light up my world and keep the darkness at bay.
Thank you cherished friends…more than words will allow me to express.
When I began this blog a little over 6 months ago. I honestly had no idea that anyone would be interested in it…that I would begin writing poetry…or that I would meet some of the most amazing incredible creative fantastic compassionate brilliant loving kind truly awesome people all over the world through this adventure.
When I count my blessings at the end of each year…this year took longer because I counted each of you…my most cherished new friends…kindred spirits…teachers…mentors…and so so very much more.
Thank you sweet friends…for joining me in this journey and for allowing me to accompany you on yours! Here’s to 2013 and the new adventures we all shall have…the new friends we shall meet…and all we will share together.
I hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! My wish for you this year is joy, health, peace, happiness, and the blessing of friends to celebrate with you when your up and hold you up when you’re down.
~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~
Christina ~
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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 8,400 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 14 years to get that many views.
2. Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back.
3. Answer 7 sensual questions ( Most romantic memory, Most sensual music, Most sensual season, Favorite flower, Favorite fruit, Best gift received, Love is… )
4. Select 10 nominees and notify them on their blogs.
5. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
Most Romantic Memory:I had been in Portland, Oregon planning my wedding for a few weeks. My fiancé drove 4 hours (one way) after work, when he had to be back at work at 6 am the next day, all because he wanted a kiss. He got his kiss and then had to turn around and drive those long 4 hours back home to be able to get to work.
Most Sensual Season:I would say Spring. Everything returns to green, the days get warmer and flowers are in bloom all around.
Favorite Flower:Roses…red roses.
Favorite Fruit: Strawberries.
Best Gift Received:Surprise roses.
Love is…Unconditional…given freely with nothing expected back. Love is…putting someone else’s happiness above your own.Love is…THE most divine feeling in the world.
For some reason when asked to answer Most Sensuous Music…this video came to mind. Since I fairly recently came upon it, and it really touched me…not just the video but the lyrics and way it is sung as well…:
To me sensuality means the five senses….so with that in mind the following bloggers have touched one or many of my five senses (as I am sure they have with others as well) Therefore, my nominees for The Sensual Blogging Award are:
She sat staring remembering the beginning…
When the darkness enveloped her…
the darkness that permeated her everything…
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Every moment…began to get brighter…
Slow and steady the light shone through…
Fought its way to her…
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She tried to hide from it
complacent in the comfort in the deep black of her memory…
The light…
Finding its way through…started to brighten her world…
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It was foreign to her…
She had forgotten what it felt like…
Warmth on her face…
surrounding her in its embrace…in its beauty…
One ray of light…then another…
Another and another…
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Soon she could see again…
She saw smiles…
She felt the warmth of friendship…
She was inundated by the light…
She welcomed it finding new comfort here in its golden hues…
She sat staring…remembering when it dawned on her…
She knew…
It was the October Rose…
Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Breeze driftin’ on by you know how I feel
(refrain:)x2
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me
And I’m feeling good
Fish in the sea you know how I feel
River running free you know how I feel
Blossom on the tree you know how I feel
(refrain)
Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don’t you know
Butterflies all havin’ fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That’s what I mean
And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me
Stars when you shine you know how I feel
Scent of the pine you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel