Read or draw???

The other thing that happened a couple days ago when I was dusting bookshelves was that I was reminded how much I like to read, how many books I own that are unread and how behind I am on my 2008 resolution to complete one book each week. It's an annual goal, not always reached, but one I could attain if I dug in and committed to it and one I have surpassed several times in big reading years.


And then I went into a tailspin about how many other resolutions aren't even close to the 7th month mark. I need to step to a faster drummer if I am going to journey to the end of this year with a sense of accomplishment, a year well lived and all that. Oh dear, I sleep too much, I watch too much telly, I daydream, I futz around.... (and isn't that true for many of us?)

I did complete one book last night, THE ART OF MENDING, by one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Berg. In this case, fabric and sewing is the metaphor for mending relationships -- and the ones in this book reminded me of Scott Peck's book of diabolical parents in PEOPLE OF THE LIE (I'd like to re-read that one now too). Broken parents, narcissistic parenting -- some folks just get the dregs when it comes to what they need to grow up whole and sane in this world.

On the fun side -- a friend asked me to dog-sit her two retrievers for 24 hours and OF COURSE I said yes -- she took all three of mine for two entire weeks while we romped around Ireland. So for this short while Steve and I have FIVE dogs (four black, one yellow) and they're probably all distant cousins of one another since they all came from Canine Companions for Independence. And they are: Elektra (love that name), Violetta, Brix, Demi and Parisse. I cannot tell you how much these animals have contributed to my life .... even if caring for them and loving them means I don't read and draw as much as maybe I think I should!