Busy Me

I'm making the most of my days at home. I know there's always a positive in everything, and that me being home a lot at the moment, isn't a bad thing. I can honestly say I feel relaxed and happy and very content at the moment. I have no money, but the bills are being paid and that's the main thing. I am able to be more patient with my kids and that's a really nice gift for me to be able to give to them. They don't deserve a cranky and tired Mum all the time.

I have been very busy this morning. I am happy that it's 11am and I can sit down and relax for a few hours until it's time to get my kids from school. I went down to the treadmill today for the first time in a week. This cold has left me feeling a bit lethargic, so I didn't go on yesterday, but really felt I needed to make the effort. I'm very happy I did. I have been introduced to the new world of audio books, so I'm looking for ways that I can listen to my books. Thanks to Alaine I have been introduced to this new world. It's something I have never considered doing before. But it opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Why have I never thought of it before? Well, the truth is, I have thought about it before, but during my googling, I couldn't figure out how to do it that wouldn't be expensive. As far as I could tell, it was just as expensive as actually buying the book, and I didn't see the point of that. Alaine, gave me some books over the weekend and I have started Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I have been wanting to read the books ever since Suzy returned from Mackay, but I just hadn't bought them, seeing them as a treat that I would allow myself, once I had returned to work. Last night I downloaded the second book in the series and am very excited that I was able to figure out how to download the book and that it actually works. It's even got the same narrator as my first book. Alaine also gave me other books and I'm very excited to read them too. Never will housework, driving to get kids, cooking, be the same again, as I can listen to books. I'd like to get Billy-Joe hooked on it too, although I don't know how the ipod shuffle will cope with it.

I am also determined to work out how to use my new DVD recorder to how I want to use it. I have never been able to record anything, whether it be on a DVD or VCR as it was always too complex, I never did it often enough, and in the case of the years that Peter and I have been together, the original VCR he had, he no longer had the book for it. By the time we'd updated our VCRs I'd lost interest. And because he always hooked up things, and the stations were never on the correct number, I just got totally confused, and gave up. Now, however, everything is set up how it should be and the new DVD recorder makes it so much easier. I tried last night. Alaine and Sheree
recommended the show Dexter, so I've set about recording that as it's on when I watch Underbelly 2. I couldn't work out how to set the DVD recorder to record every Monday, but I posted on a forum last night, and before I'd gone to bed, there were three very helpful replies. I have set it up now, so I'm very excited that I took the time to work it out. I'd like to have shows to watch when the ratings season is over.

I am a bit tired now, a busy but productive morning and this cold, has sapped what little energy I had, out of me. I still have photos to edit of the advert shots I took for Barbi last week, so I need to finish those, so she can submit them.

As an aside, I am impressed with Alaine and Sheree's book reviews. Book reviews were my forte in school, but now I totally suck at them. My reviews on Good Reads are limited to whether I liked the book or not. I read others reviews and am amazed at the amount of thought an analysis they have put into their reading. As my memory has suffered in recent years, due to hormonal changes and my anti depressants, I am going to work on this aspect of reading. I have started taking Gingko Biloba a few weeks ago, and think I can already notice a difference. I am hoping, this too, will help with my reading. Alaine, talks about books and then asked for my response, and I couldn't answer her, because I just can't remember that level of detail. I only remember whether or not a book has left a lasting impression upon me, but I can't remember character names or specific happenings in the book. I am lucky if I remeber a general premise of the novel. I was once quick, analytical and focussed. I'd like to be that way again. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, just like Ali Edwards always has a word of the year, mine this year is 'Focus' and this is also for this goal of mine. I will go back to logging my books on Good Reads and will endeavour to have book reviews that are actually worth reading.