Summer Vacations and Big, Fat Books
What I’m planning for my vacation and how you can make your awesome too!
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I sat down to write my newsletter and could NOT get motivated, so I tried my hand at my first video ever.
Highlights:
- Why vacations rock and why we need them
- The 4 HUGE books I’m taking on my own vacation
- A short reflection activity that helps you get the most from summer break
- Me at my ADD best
- The blue rose wallpaper!
Note: The picture needs work and the sound is low (turn up the volume), but I hope you’ll enjoy it anyway.
You’re invited
Upcoming classes
- July 9 and 13: Office Spa Days 2-hours of clutter-clearing (details)
- July 12: Secrets of My Success Do you live near Salem, Oregon? If so, you’re invited to attend part of a free speakers series at Chemeketa Center for Business and Industry. I’ve been asked to present there on the 10 lessons that helped make my life and business a success. I’d love it if you were there! (details)
- July 14: Fun Summer School — Organizing Your Virtual Products Finally! A chance to organize and really use all those virtual products you’ve bought over the years. (details)
- August 11: Fun Summer School — Organizing Your Computer Files Every try to find a file on your computer and end up frustrated? Here’s your chance to get time and great ideas to solve the snarls! (details)
Upcoming programs
August:
- Psst! The super-secret beta membership program goes live in August! Details soon!
September:
- For Haven’s Sake — Declutter your creative space (3 months) Look for details next month!
- Inspired Organizing – Organize your office intuitively (4 months) More details next month!
Your turn!
What are your your favorite big, fat books? What would nourish you this summer?
237 days ago,
Kassy Daggett said:
Love this Jen! Such synchronicity! I spent November in Baja, March in Hawaii, and just returned from 2 weeks in Alaska with the humpbacks. I LOVE the synchronicity of your suggestions. Eye of the Whale and Alaska are on my errand list today. And, I’ve already read The Mists, Confessions & Wicked.
Spirit sisters!
Kassy Daggett´s last [type] ..Be Welcome Here…
237 days ago,
Lori Paximadis said:
Another _Mists_ lover here. I also loved Michener’s _Hawaii_ — read it while I was there. One of these days’ I’ll pick up _Alaska_. If you like nature/ocean nonfic, you might enjoy Susan Casey’s _The Wave_. We should totally compare book lists sometime. We have the same kind of taste, it seems.
I read *a lot,* and not just as part of my job, so I usually have some big fat book going. My challenge book of the summer is David Foster Wallace’s _The Pale King_. DFW’s longer works are always a struggle for me, but worth it in the end. Just picked it up at the library yesterday.
Lori Paximadis´s last [type] ..visitor
237 days ago,
Deborah said:
Yay “mists” – I’ve read it three times so far: as a maiden of 18, as a new mom at 30 and post-child-bearing (we are SO closed for business on that front) when my son was 5. Awesome change of POV!
My new favorite is Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss – a BIG book, a thick, wordy wonderful book and a love to replace Aragorn.
And yay! for Jen and short, watchable videos! Yay!!
Deborah´s last [type] ..Impromptu Rituals – Oliver! Style
237 days ago,
Debby Brown said:
I just requested some of the big books you mentioned from the library (I’ve already read a few of them).
I just finished a big book: The Passage by Justin Cronin. It is not an uplifting tale, but I love post-apocalyptic books. They give me a great deal to ponder when I read about the fictional re-building of civilizations.
237 days ago,
Debbie Rodgers said:
I loved watching your video – it was like chatting face-to-face with you.
My fave BIG books are Barbara Kingsolver’s Poisonwood Bible and Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance. I’m not sure I’m tackling any big ones this summer, though. What I NEED and WANT is to walk. So I shall.
Thank you again for your encouragement.
Debbie Rodgers´s last [type] ..WIN ‘A Fine Balance’ by Rohinton Mistry
237 days ago,
Lori Paximadis said:
Debby, I loved _The Passage_, too. Can’t wait for the next one in the series!
Lori Paximadis´s last [type] ..visitor
237 days ago,
Rachel said:
Love the video! It’s nice to see the person I read about on a regular basis! Two (more) thumbs up for Mists. I was thinking about getting myself another copy of it too this summer. However, due to a rather low luggage limit imposed by a cheapy flight company, I have invested in an e-reader so my virtual fat book of choice is the new Clan of the Cave Bear series. Thanks for your recommendations.
237 days ago,
Christine Weddle said:
Hi Jen. CONGRATULATIONS to you on your first video! Way to go!! It was a delight to get to SEE and hear you. Helps me feel connected (being the visual soul that I am!)
As far as big, fat books, that would be a big, fat “No, thank you,” for me! Just the sight of a big, fat book makes me feel anxious! I prefer shorter books, but I did appreciate you sharing the kinds of books you’re reading, just to get me thinking. I tend not to let myself do much reading (seems indulgent and haven’t figured out where that would go in my days and weeks…)
Now, on to writing my article because I am certainly not yet ready for the video world. But thanks for inspiring me and helping me see what it might look like!
With appreciation,
Christine
Christine Weddle´s last [type] ..Good Night?
237 days ago,
Kath Hofmann said:
Wonderful and refreshing video, Jen. It was very up close and personal. No big books for me this summer but I am re-reading “Ring of Bright Water” by Gavin Maxwell. Also, John Steinbeck’s “Travels with Charlie” is an annual summer re-read. I never get tired of either of them!
Have a fabulous, rejuvenating summer. Can’t wait to see you, for real, in the fall.
237 days ago,
Beth Thompson said:
Well, this summer vacation became a very bad 4 letter word for me. I planned for 6 months a father-daughter trip to the Prince Edward Island in Canada. I read Anne of Green Gables as a child and always wanted to go. In preparation I watched the Anne of Green Gables Movies.
I flew to Canada on June 9th. And got kicked out. Literally. Immigration wouldn’t let me enter the country due to a misdemeanor in 1994. Yes, that’s 17 years ago. So, June 10th, I did the 12 hour trip in reverse, but on only 2 hours of sleep. Got home, and discovered that the cabins I had reserved for the week, which Dad was going to pay for, had charged my card the full amount, I had 10.50$ in my account.
Let me tell you, big fat books were pretty much my only option for that vacation. That and laying out beside my pool. I couldn’t go anywhere or do anything, not even the $25/ day spa in Atlanta. Somehow I had fun anyway, but I still need a change of scenery, badly. I am hoping to take some long weekends away over the summer to make up for it. Long weekends that are no where near Canada.
Beth Thompson´s last [type] ..A Day of Abstracts
236 days ago,
Connie said:
A big fat Summer “Mind-Candy” read that I like to recommend is Diana Gabaldon’s, Outlander, the first (and best) in a series of seven or eight. It’s a time-traveling, bodice-ripping, historical fantasy that I could not put down to save my life. Lots of fun!
Connie´s last [type] ..Thursday NoShows.
236 days ago,
Emily Segal said:
Yay for congruence! I about fell out of my chair when you held Mists up. Last week, I read a recommendation of that book but figured “sigh, I live overseas and won’t be able to find it, just add it to the looong wish list.” Yesterday I was perusing the tiny English book selection at my local library and Bam! there it was! Clearly I’m meant to read it now.
Great video!
232 days ago,
jennifer said:
This was so fun! Doing the video tickled me and my favorite part is all the encouragement! If I do another one I’m going to use a real camera and mike, not a webcam. I’m always learning!
Kassy! How cool to travel the globe watching the humpbacks. Delight!
Lori – I’ll have to check out The Wave. Sounds intriguing! I’m pawing my way through Dickens’ Great Expectations and enjoying it, mostly. Long and verbose, but interesting.
Deborah – Yeah. When I got rid of my last copy of Mists I was thinking I’d read it enough. Apparently not!
Debbie – Yay, walking! It feels so good to get out there in the fine weather and really enjoy it. Movement is soo good for stress-management too!
Rachel — I just picked up book 1 & 2 from Clan of the Cave Bear too!
I’m glad you liked the video!
Hi Mommerz! I can’t wait to see you too! LOVED Ring of Bright Water.
Beth. Oh, Beth. Wow. I was thinking when I was writing the video captions of saying “Vacations can be nourishing.” instead of simply saying they are. Because sometimes they’re not. Yay for making lemonade from lemons and getting what you needed anyway. Brava!
Connie – I can’t remember which of her books I read, but the name Gabaldon rings a bell. Have you read Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati? Same genre and a great read. Yay for nerdy fiction!
Emily! Oh, yay! I love it when that happens. There seems to me a Mists thread in all the comments so far. Enjoy it — and thanks for the compliments!
231 days ago,
But it says so in my lab notebook | The Pragmatic Hybrid said:
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