Crazy, Lazy Days of Spring...

Sunday was a perfect lazy day.  I went to Sunday School at FBC, Cleveland, and had a wonderful lesson by my fantastic teacher (and reader of this blog- Shout Out!) (and former neighbor-- she's a multi-hyphenate if I've ever seen one-- neighbor/writer/teacher/friend/parent/all-around-cool-person).  Then I came home, laid in Meghann's new hammock on the porch and enjoyed my book. 

While I read, Parker and Atticus alternated between running around in the yard and running back to me, just to check and see if I was still around.  They did a lot of playing and had a lot of fun. 

I was reading the 10th of December by George Saunders. It was for "book club" (read: Me, Julianne, another co-worker,and Nameless eating dinner at the Mexican) this month. I chose it- its a book of short stories. I've not really read any short stories since college, and this was a really good book. I bought it a few weeks ago at Turnrow Books in Greenwood, which is my new favorite place in the Delta. I'd already chose it for Book Club when I saw a signed copy at Turnrow. I quickly snatched up the last signed copy, and then, just as quickly, placed it back down when the helpful clerk pointed out that it wasn't actually signed, but must have been misplaced. Luckily, he did have one more book that was actually signed, so I bought it. I appreciate his attention to detail because I can just imagine, over cheese dip and chips, bragging about my signed copy, to which Namless or Julianne would then point out the lack of signature, and I would just feel stupid. I might even scribble something on the first page just to avoid looking like a chucklehead. Just kidding!

I finished reading the book Sunday afternoon, and some of the stories, I scribbled notes or underlined particularly moving passages. I do this sometimes in my books, and I think it adds to the book. I love reading books that other people recommend to me-- they are sharing a part of themselves with me, and, they also cared enough to think of me and consider that I might be interested in that book. I believe it shows a lot about a person. I especially appreciate when I can read other people's notes or highlighted areas-- I love wondering what made this sentence or this thought so interesting to the person (whether it be the person I borrowed the book from or the previous owner, unbeknownst to me). Perhaps its a sentence that hit home to them based on a recent event or heartache. Maybe its a phrase they didn't understand. It might even be they were taking notes for a book report. Who knows. But its interesting thoughts like that which come to mind as I read.

I offered to let Nameless and Julianne borrow my copy so they wouldn't have to buy it (being an avid reader can be expensive!). Julianne had already bought a copy for her Kindle, but Nameless took me up on the offer. He saw me reading it one day, pen in hand, before I'd given it to him, and he expressed shock that I was writing in a book. A hard-back book. A signed copy of a hard-back book. It was like I'd just told him Santa Claus wasn't real. I felt really bad, and did a double-take-- am I the only one who writes in books? Is it bad to write in a book? Is it bad to write in a signed copy? Is it worse to write in a signed copy than a regular copy? I'm feeling a lot of guilt about this and I immediately ceased my note taking and underlining. I almost withdrew my offer to let him borrow the book, I was so confused and conflicted. So, does anyone else out there write in books? Think I'm terrible for what I've done? Have read this book and think its wonderful?

After I finished my reading, I went to a friend's CABi clothes party, then handbells, and then I came home and cooked dinner.  I watched some of the Bible and then hit the sack.  I went to bed, surrounded with these cute little guys-- Atticus is right beside me, Parker is in the middle, by my feet, and Mr. McCarty is to the right, barely able to be seen.  It was a wonderful day!