July 9, 2013 by Becky

Memories of the library

I love to read, and as a kid I loved going to my school library.

I came across this little bookstore in Monterey CA.

Bookstore in Monterey, CA

When I stepped in the door, I was immediately taken back in time to the days I spent as a child perusing my school library. From that very distinct smell of the books, to the sight of those nifty little round step stools!

For some reason, I always thought those step stools were so very clever and cool! I’m not sure why I thought they were so cool, but I just did.

Simple pleasures, I guess.

Back then, I could, (and would), sit and read for hours!

Getting lost in the stories, dreaming of my own adventures. I would always check out the maximum number of books that was allowed at each visit, and I never shied away from the books with lots of pages. Sometimes, I would even try to find the books with the most pages in them!

I lived vicariously through Laura Ingalls Wilder in the Little House on the Prairie books. My imagination soared when I read all of the Oz books, beginning with the Wizard of Oz. And I was fascinated by the adventures of the little girl in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

These are just a few of the books that were stand-outs to me as a kid. Books I still think about today, and might even go back and re-read….some day.

Maybe, but…there are so many other books to read!

My eyes just won’t stay open for as long as they used to when I was a kid, so it takes just a little bit longer to get through a book!

But I still enjoy it, and strangely enough, I still look for the really long books to read.

So many books, just not enough time!

Or is it more like, so many books…just can’t keep my eyes open!

March 15, 2013 by Becky

Free books for kids!

My daughter is an avid reader. Has been since she was a toddler! So you can imagine her delight when she found the offer for free books in her “welcome home” package from the hospital after she had her first baby!

What a great idea! A book a month for your child, from birth to five years old!

Why not?

So she signed him up, and was quite delighted to receive a beautiful children’s book in the mail the very, next month!

Each month she receives a good quality book. No gimmicks, no tricks, just great age appropriate books! Most of them are hardback, some soft cover. All of them are very colorful, and intriguing!

The program is called “The Imagination Library“. The result of a dream and a vision that Dolly Parton had to provide free, high quality books to the preschool aged children in her county. It was her hope to instill the love of reading at a very early age.

The dream has grown since its inception in 1996, and today, free books are sent to nearly 700,000 young children each month, all over the world.

To sign up your child for the free books, or to just read more about this great programThe Imagination Library, go to this link: https://imaginationlibrary.com/

I think you’ll find like I did, it’s so encouraging to know that there are good people in this world who just like to do good things for other people.

January 25, 2013 by Becky

An adventure awaits

Of this, I am quite sure! I will have an adventure this week-end.

My grandkids are spending the week-end! I have been looking forward with anticipation to this date for quite some time!

What I didn’t anticipate, was the pesky cough the week before they came. It’s still hanging around, but thankfully, my energy level is up from earlier this week. It’s a good thing too, because these two little kids are going to use all the energy that I have tried to store up the last couple of days!

One boy, one girl, as different as night and day. And I love them both so very much!

Recently someone told me that “grandchildren are one of life’s best kept secrets”. I must agree with her. I am finding this “job” of being a Grandma to be one of the best careers ever!

Their smiles, their hugs, the sound of their voice, and their wonderful imaginations! Oh the joy of seeing the world through their eyes! I’m looking forward to hearing some good stories, and making new memories.