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Daily Archives: June 3rd, 2024

List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?

Being limited to three is somewhat of a torture I think, but here goes.

Books were an escape for me as a youngster. I could go anywhere, to any time. I remember reading many huge (by teen standards) books but a few stand out to me. Clan of the Cave Bear,  Gone With the Wind, Pet Cemetery. Limitless numbers of horror books, King and Koontz being my two favorite authors. Oy. None of them hold the same meaning for me that they once did. I doubt I would read any of them again, but they were perfect for a certain place in time.

The assortment of books collectively known as the Bible, specifically the Book of Esther “for such a time as this“, Daniel, Ezekiel & the Revelations of John, and the Psalms & Proverbs are all full of meaning.

Once my Dad told me if I wanted to understand him and his philosophy on the world I should read Atlas Shrugged. I did. It is still on my shelf.

Although not a specific title, my assortment of do-it-yourself, how-to resource books are probably my largest topic section! From herb, tree, flower and fungi identification books which are timeless & well loved resources. Then there are my cookbooks… The Sourdough Bible, cheese making guides, Gluten Free Gourmet and Canning books. Animal husbandry, gardening, hunting and home repair manuals. Oy. The list goes on and on.

I suppose every book I’ve ever read has had some sort of impact on me. Little snippets embedded into my psyche.

But the three that I would pack into my last bag would be The Bible, Atlas Shrugged and Edible Mushrooms of Alaska! 🧐

It’s been a decade +1 now. Looking back over some timeline photos with gratitude and admiration for the many wonderful people in our lives and glorious experiences. And for the young people (grown-ups?!?!) my oldest two have become (the first becoming the “Legal” for sure grown-up age today!)

I’m often scratching my head in wonderment of how, exactly, the time has gone so quickly. The business of life steps on the gas when you’re not looking.

This summer is getting underway and we are trying to take advantage of every single moment of decent weather! (Two summers of rain and dreary days has us in a deficit !) We’ve got a to-do list a mile long to get done and life moments to pause and celebrate. Which of course leads to the aforementioned warp 9 speed of life.

I hope you take a moment today to pause, breathe deeply, walk barefoot and be grateful.