Because of my hectic schedule this week, I am going to skip Top Ten Tuesday and Top 5 Tuesday. That doesn't mean you shouldn't check them out and participate.
Monday, November 30, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday and Top 5 Tuesday
Sunday, November 29, 2020
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Nov 30
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.
Friday, November 27, 2020
Looking Ahead
I am a planner. Spontaneous actions make me uncomfortable. Odd since I am a total panster when I write. As I am contemplating 2021 and what my personal, professional (real estate), and writing goals might look like, I am working on a plan for success.
Items like: buy another bookshelf to help with my overflow of books that I want to keep, a new desk for the office, one-day planner sheets for my to-do list based off my goals, switching to an online calendar, and a plan to consolidate blogs are all on my list to review before the end of the year.
What does your 2021 success plan look like? Will you create a vision board? Do you journal or use daily planners?
Book Review: Around the World in More Than 80 Days by Larry Alex Taunton
In this engaging and thought-provoking political travel memoir, author, columnist, and cultural commentator Larry Alex Taunton seeks to answer the question: is America truly great when measured against the rest of the world?
To answer this question--and others related to it--he and his son Zachary travel to six continents and twenty-six countries. From the hyper-capitalistic countries to the hyper-security conscious countries, from those steeped in occult practices to modern and prosperous countries and more, this provides a glimpse into these countries from the comfort of your own home.
Each chapter of Around the World in More Than 80 Days opens with a quote, the most meaningful for me as a reader headlining the Epilogue, "America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." This quote is from Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America. An excellent selection considering how it continues to resonate today as much as it did when it was originally stated.
A glossy, full color insert includes over two dozen photographs from the author's near two-year journey to explore national greatness. I am so glad this was included, as it puts faces to these travels.
In the end, you will need to decide if you believe, as the author does, that America is the greatest country in the world.
I found much to enjoy in Around the World in More Than 80 Days. As a lover of history, this exploration reminds the reader of many of the truths about how America and its society has developed as a result of historical events; events that cannot be wiped out by apologizing for them or by trying to eradicate evidence from public view. This book focuses on the freedoms America provides its citizens, even those that we aren't always responsible with, as compared to what others experience around the world. As the author states, he can't ignore America's sins nor airbrush them out, but there are countries out there that don't acknowledge wrongdoings because they don't believe in the unalienable rights of their citizens. America, warts and all, is still a place people yearn to immigrate to.
Around the World in More Than 80 Days by Larry Alex Taunton is a fascinating story surrounding one journalist's desire to answer a question the nation has been struggling with for decades. His travels provide a fresh and much-needed perspective.
Hardcover : 336 pagesTuesday, November 24, 2020
Top 5 Tuesday - Top 5... Friend Recommendations
Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Things I'm Thankful for in 2020
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
- Our family's health - We only lost one family member to this crazy COVID stuff, and that was enough. We have been as vigilant as possible about staying safe.
- Working from home - My husband was able to start working from home in March, and it is doubtful he will be back in the office before next March. Companies across the nation are realizing that people can work from home and be productive. In the future, I think more work from home opportunities will be available and companies will be more open to hybrid schedules.
- Essential workers, healthcare providers, teachers, etc. - While we have been able to work mostly from home, not everyone is so lucky. There are tons of hometown heroes putting themselves in harm's way to care for and help others. God bless you all.
- Opportunity to work - I'm an independent contractor who meets strangers in their home or helps them view homes for a living. I've spent a lot of time home this year, which messed with many of the goals I had set in January. Therefore, I am thankful for the opportunities I have to work with great people when I can.
- Technology to keep us connected - Where would we be without Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, FaceTime, Skype, etc.? Some of this technology has made a real difference in keeping us connected. The only way my mother-in-law got to see her husband before he died was thanks to FaceTime, so I'm happy it exists.
- Real estate advocacy - I don't talk about this a lot, but our local, state, and national associations advocate on our behalf and on the behalf of property owners across the country. In many states, real estate wasn't considered essential during the pandemic at the beginning. In some places, it still isn't. Big deal, right? Well, if you had to relocate for personal or professional reasons and you couldn't, that might make things tough. What if you couldn't finalize the sale of your home because the fire department wasn't allowed to perform their mandatory inspection of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors? The state association helped us work with cities and towns to come up with a solution.
- Technology to keep us safe - From online shopping to contactless food delivery, from remote notarization to virtual home tours, and more the pandemic has created new ways of doing business or expanded options for those of us who already used these tools.
- Getting outdoors - Many of us maintained a hectic pace of moving from one thing to the next every day without taking the time to appreciate the outdoors. The pandemic has created a slower pace for many of us. Not for all (thank you, again, essential workers), but for many. The isolation of lockdowns has drawn us outside to work on home improvement projects, walk or cycle through our neighborhoods, visit parks, or hike local trails.
- Books - Where would we be without books right about now? If for no other reason than to remember what the world was like before the pandemic, books are a great source of entertainment. I've already completed my 2020 Goodreads challenge. I've read more books this year than I have the last five or six years.
- Blogging - Blogging continues to keep us connected. We talk about things that are important to us. We share our thoughts. We share books and television shows we enjoy. No matter how busy I get, I hope I'll always be able to maintain at least one blog.
Monday, November 23, 2020
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Nov 23
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Top 5 Tuesday - Top 5... Books I'm Glad I Read
Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Characters I’d Name a Pet After
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Monday, November 16, 2020
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Nov 16
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.