Getting Started...

So, I started this blog at the insistence of my sister who, as a blogger herself, thought it would be a good way to share the stories I so enjoy reading.  "A blog", I thought, "that could be a good idea." Having just completed my undergrad degree and full-time employment being an ever elusive idea thanks to the economy, I envisioned free time with time to spare.  The books on my nightstand suddenly became a possibility, as did the books on the coffee table, in the computer room and in a stack on the stairs (becoming a book hoarder is not unlikely in my future and shelving them is clearly unheard of).  The list of things I did not consider is almost as long as my "to-read" list.

One, I am the mother of two small children and the wife of a husband who has just started working on his MBA. I find that my men are generally warm and pleasant people, especially when they are fed and have the love and attention of their mother/wife bestowed upon them.  Life is easier for everyone when their basic needs are tended to and for the most part, I enjoy the tending. While I may find the time to read, it is not always easy to find the time to talk...er, write about it.

Two, my house does not maintain itself.  Actually, I chuckle as I type this because even though it does not maintain itself, to claim that I maintain it is a bit of a stretch.  I do what I need to...laundry, groceries, bills, etc.  But finding enough dust on the table to write your name in would not surprise me in the least.  Generally speaking, if my house is clean, I am either:
      a.) expecting company I do not know well (or my grandmother whose housekeeping skills rival no one) 
      b.) nesting (which has only happened exactly twice in my life...have I mentioned my two boys?)
      c.) reading something so excruciatingly dull that cleaning is a reprieve from whatever literary catastrophe I am trying to get through.

 But I digress....the third reason that I have not blogged lately is because although everyone is doing it and the topics range from ordinary to bizarre, I am finding that this whole blogging thing is a lot harder than it looks. Sometimes what I want to say about a book is hard to put into words, sometimes it is not worth mentioning, and sometimes I just can't find the gray area in the middle.  Most importantly, when I decided to do this I decided that above all, I did not want this blog to contain spoilers.  Nothing irritates me more than when someone, inadvertently or otherwise, ruins the end of a book for you (yes, woman at B&N, I am talking to you).   Telling someone to "grab a tissue, the end is a real tearjerker" or "I just loved it when...." really awakens a part of me that only wants to react one way: violently.  I will hit you before I will let you ruin a book for me. Seriously. I am not kidding. The flip side of that is that when I am trying to share a book that I think you should read, explaining why without divulging information only privy to the reader is a feat I am still trying to overcome.

Having said that, I recently attended a seminar on goal setting.  That's right, goal setting and trust me, this is relevant.  I attended this seminar because when I read the title of said seminar I could not think of one single, solitary goal I have ever set for myself.  Sure, there are things I would like to try/do and things I have tried/done.  But I can honestly say that I have never knowingly set a specific goal and then set out to attain it. Thinking that baby steps are surely necessary in both endeavors, goal setting and blogging, I have decided to combine the two and therefore hone two skills at once. (Wow, you can take the girl out of college but you can't take college out of the girl!)  My goal: to blog immediately upon completing a book, which in my case boils down to at least once a week. Shouldn't be too difficult, this goal should be an easy one to work with, right? (said Sisyphus to the rock..ha) I have said it, I have typed it, I have put it out here for all to witness....we shall see.