Read Any Good Books Lately? (January) and Thrive in Five Day 6

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes - though I am moving slowly so far this year!  I am in the middle of The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington - #100 of the Modern Library's List of 100 greatest novels.... but haven't figured out why it is on the list :-)  Written in 1918, the language is quaint.  The story is about a family dealing with a change in their finances and the difficulties in class expectations of the time.  What I really enjoy is the portrait of historical change in society as the automobile becomes popular.  If you enjoy a little history and learning how people think and grow.. you may like it :-)

Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich is a freebie that I downloaded on my Iphone not too long ago in a bored moment.  I like this one - though it is also taking me a little bit of time to get through.... mostly because I like books in print, the screen is not easy for me to see.. and I only read it when I don't have other options :-)  Whether I get rich or not is not really relevant... how I FEEL about my richness is the key in MY opinion.  And if I FEEL rich, well... 'nuff said...

Coach Yourself Thin is one I am itching to get into!  When I initially lost weight (60 pounds in 2007), I did with the help of the Biggest Loser Online Club.  I have to say that their menus are great and there is a super support team - for weight loss!  Two of the resident gurus.... Greg Hottinger (nutrition) and Michael Scholtz (fitness) collaborated on this book and it looks awesome!  I can't say enough positive things about what I know of these guys personally - and the advice they share - so I know that I will glean a lot of POSITIVE affirming information from their book!

Found a book I just can't seem to get through... The Mind of God by Paul Davies....  It's supposed to be a logical explanation for the existence of God.. but it lost me completely!  I plodded along to about halfway - and there started to be diagrams to decipher... and it sat on my bedside table a little longer.  UNTIL... my college-aged son came to me with stars in his eyes, rambling about the fantastic course load he has.  You'd have to know him - and that he is a big thinker who LOVES random information even more than I do .... his courses are Philosophy, Religion, and Sociology.   Well.... I sent this book along with him (both of us happy) and I'll be curious to see what he has to say about it!  It's not often that I am stymied by a book!

And, my favorite at the moment, is my other son's novel, The Last Prophecy.  It's taking time too because he has asked me to help edit it as I go - though I have to say it doesn't need much.  It's humbling to think my kid wrote a novel - but it's WAY cool!

Today is basically a day at home (yay!) to catch up with housework and reading, a bit of crafting and baking, move forward.. and enjoy life!   I'll catch one of my movies from the list for tonight....   a good day :-)

Hope you have plans for fun and family and enjoying life!


*****Thrive in Five Update Day 6*****

FINALLY had the moments of quiet with the scale and the tape measure in the same place!  I actually found the tape measure a couple of days ago but life did not happen in such a way that I could get the measuring done BEFORE coffee and breakfast.  As some of you know, our family situation has changed - AGAIN - and my husband is now happily self-employed once more.  (He spent a couple of years with what I jokingly call "a real job" when the economy tanked... and as of the end of 2011, we are back to OUR normal)  But what that means, is that I am no longer getting up early to get him out the door... so MY morning routine has changed... and he is getting up and walking the dog with me.  An extra blessing - but a change nonetheless and I am figuring out a new way to manage my mornings :-)

So I apologize to Hannah for not doing things on the proscribed timetable BUT I think this program is designed for ME to use in MY life according to what works!  The ultimate reason I decided to try Thrive in Five is because I am searching for a way to NORMALIZE my life and be healthy.  I don't want to count calories for the rest of my life.  I don't want to be tied to a gym membership.  I want to live a life where movement and food intake are balanced and I don't have to think too much about it.  I want my focus to be elsewhere!

And today - Hannah talks about 5 principles of total health.... and BALANCE!

BALANCE is  exactly what I need to incorporate in my life!  For me, the challenge is to identify and look at those areas, determine the areas I am neglecting and decide what changes I can make to bring my life in balance.  For me - I spend WAY too much time SITting.... and worrying... and not enough time enjoying God's creation.  So - a challenge for me is to get outside everyday (which I DO NOT like in the cold weather!)  That said - it always feels GOOD to come back inside :-)

What are you doing TODAY to lead you towards the life of your dreams?