My Brain On Books XXXVII - Reverse Thon
I am reading for The Office of Letters and Lights the folks who bring us NaNoWriMo today as I love what they are doing for literacy with their Young Writer's Programs and because I've participated in NaNo every year since 2004. I have been blessed to have it in my life and would like to give something back if only kudos and link love. I'm putting this plug at the top in hopes some who stop by will check out their site and see all the great things they do to foster love of reading and writing and story in kids.
This post will be organized like a blog inside a blog with recent updates stacked atop previous ones. I may be posting some updates on Twitter @Joystory and the Joystory fb fanpage. But this is where I do anything more than a line or two. Including mini-challenges that don't require a separate post..
Be sure and see my tribute poem to Dewey and the Thon she birthed at the bottom of this post
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My new folding camper rocker which will be an integral part of thons from now on. |
6:00 PM - Almost ready to read
Didn't get this post prepped before my caregiver arrived this afternoon so had to wait until she left. Way too busy going shopping for thon food, visiting my 93 year old Mom and then putting away refer and fridge food. Then I had to prep this post including editing the intro meme, setting up the photo shoot and now this but at least the set up serves double duty as that's where I'm headed as soon as I drop my link over on the Dewey hub. I forgot to sign up so no one will know I'm participating if i don't do that.
My first book will be Injustice of Place by Kathryn J. Edin and two others. I'm starting there because it is a Libby book that is due in three hours and I want to read another chapter before trying to renew.
5:00 PM - Intro Meme
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Kelso Washington USA. Across the Cowlitz river from Longview where I grew up and had been living with my elderly mother between January 2013 and late July 2021. I moved into my 400 square foot efficiency unit in late July 2021. This post was a photo essay of my new space.
So this is my ninth thon in my own home, counting the Reverse Thons in August 2021 & 2023.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Non-Fiction: American Idolatry by Andrew L. Whitehead
Fiction: Familiaris by David Wrobleski (am about 50% in on this 900 page book)
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Savory: Jalapeno Poppers
Sweet: chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
- Widowed September 2020 It still smarts at unexpected moments. But at least it is usually only once or twice a month now instead of constantly.
- Began iving alone for the first time ever three years ago this month. Sometime in the last few months it began to feel like home.
- Legally blind with RP aka tunnel vision. Have only a sliver of vision left in center of right eye. The rest is shadows and shimmers.
- Have struggled with mood disorder of Anxiety and Depression and insomnia since grade school
- Diagnosed with high functioning autism in 2015. In my 50s!
- Have a caregiver who comes in five days a week to help with chores and errands I can't do alone.
- I proved during this move that I have more volume in fiber art supplies than in clothes by at least thee times.
- I probably have double the volume of clothes in tree-books but since I still haven't got them all moved over I can't be sure.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
This is my 37th thon so there aren't many variations I haven't tried.
Right off the bat I'm starting with a sleep deficit so I'm probably going to have catch some sleep at some point. Which makes me pout cz doing the 24 hour used to be my super power and it is the only metric I excel in anymore with both vision and hearing issue challenges making it impossible to rack up impressive numbers of pages or books finished.
Oh but I can rack up impressive numbers of books opened in 24 hours. Especially with non fic. I prefer to read one chapter of NF and set it aside for another for several hours and then spend several hours immersed in a novel.
Besides my devices loaded with ebooks, I have checked out books on CD from the library and hope to crochet while I listen.
The weather is perfect for venturing outside to sit on my front porch in my new folding rocker. Or even walk to the Gazebo across the courtyard. My caregiver helped me practice for months last year to make that walk with just my cane and I finally 'graduated' last August. So now I'm not such a shut-in that I can't take three steps after letting go of the door handle or porch post without panicking.
The weather is perfect for venturing outside to sit on my front porch in my new folding rocker. Or even walk to the Gazebo across the courtyard. My caregiver helped me practice for months last year to make that walk with just my cane and I finally 'graduated' last August. So now I'm not such a shut-in that I can't take three steps after letting go of the door handle or porch post without panicking.
Doing anything but especially reading or writing for a full 24 hours used to be my superpower but not so much anymore. Now that I'm in my mid sixties the price I pay for that self abuse is significant as all my systems are less forgiving.
Ah but the ONE thing that I could do different that could make a lot of difference in the quality of the experience is to do a better job than in the past of staying hydrated and getting up to move regularly.
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Ode to Dewey by Joy Renee We Miss You Dewey |