2021 is finally underway…

| TravellinPenguin

I think I have my thoughts organised around my book challenges this year enough so I can say it out loud.

2021- Stay focused

First off will I say no challenges ahead of time except to read my TBR books and library copies? However, I guess my TBR is a challenge. I am going to follow blogger Book Snob and begin reading them alphabetically by author. I need to not just read the books I am always drawn to on my shelves but to get the impulse buys I thought I’d love, then lost the mood. How many of those do we own?

Right now, I’m reading Charlotte Wood’s The Weekend. Three women in their 70s gather at their friend’s place for a weekend to clean it out after she dies. Throw in a very old arthritic, incontinent dog and the dynamics should be interesting.

I know I am probably the last reader to dig into this popular Austraian book. I’ve heard so much about it. I’m not far into it but I am enjoying the writing. I have no idea how these three women and Finn the dog are going to cope in this run down house of their friend without killing each other. For friends of long standing they sure have a go at each other behind their backs. So far it is Finn, the dog I’m enjoying the most. But it is pulling me into the story and I am looking forward to seeing how they all cope.

Once finished I will begin other books. I want to have an essay or short story read of the day. So that will be one book on the go. I will either start with Chekhov’s short stories or The Bookseller’s Tale by Martin Latham. I might rotate between them as I am looking forward to both of them.

I will also get one book at a time from the library. There are so many books I discover through fellow bloggers but I don’t want to purchase those books. I have my own extensive library but I feel it is important to always support the library and even if I don’t get to all the books I place on hold, I want to contribute to their usage statistics. I don’t trust government funding for libraries. Fortunately our library seems to be well supported and in safe hands but one just never knows.

I also have photography and magazine articles to read. I regularly read Photography magazines from the library online, own a subscription to the Monthly and Australian Book Review magazines, not to mention Womankind. I can stick those in a bag and read them while waiting for appointments or the bus.

Did I mention kindle books and the audible books I listen to nightly? Or the bookish podcasts and author interviews? (sigh)

So there you have it.

My baseline goal is to read 50 pages per day from one of the above challenges. I should not call them challenges as that is the fastest way I know of to fall off the wagon, so to speak. Anyway, that’s the plan and we’ll see how we go. I won’t mention my daily journal writing and learning to draw book. I’m making myself laugh now.

Other catch up news is both good and also sad. The good news is my health is finally settling down after major surgery. I will pass the five week mark on Thursday and can start driving again soon. Feeling better but probably won’t be fully recovered until end of January or February. I can start taking longer walks and need to get Ollie to the beach again. I’m sure he misses it but you wouldn’t know it.

The sad news is we had to euthanise our old dog Molly. She would have been 16 in March. She had a bad fall and ruptured her cruciate ligament. We knew she couldn’t have surgery at her age and with her very advanced arthritis complicating matters we would not have put her through that. She had an extremely peaceful end with both of us with her and knew no anxiety. She was more than ready to go. I like to think of her running with her old mates Odie who we lost to cancer last year and Wally who died 4 years ago of old age. I will put another bell in the maple tree for her, next to Odie and Wally’s bell. Ollie hasn’t indicated he misses her but then again he is such a little narcissist it is hard to tell. Our old cat, Uncle Buck, seems to know she is gone though. They were great mates for the last 14 years.

Our lovely three friends are all together again and their bells ring gently in the wind. L-R Odie, 2019; Molly 2021; Wally 2016.

Well, enough of that and forward we move. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens politically in America the month of January then I’m going to forget all about it and concentrate on Australia!!

Stay well my friends, especially those of you in North America and the UK. I think of you daily and am saddened by what is happening in both countries. Just stay safe. Think medical and not political. Enough said.

Until next time…

32 thoughts on “2021 is finally underway…”

  1. I’m so sorry about little Molly. So hard to say goodbye to our furry loved ones. I love the idea of putting their bells in the tree!!!

    The Weekend sounds really good and I added it to my TBR.

    I like your plan to read 50 pages of something every day. How’s that going so far?

    And I’m glad you’re doing better with your health.

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  3. My condolences about Molly. I know you made the right decision for her. Like you, I’ve said goodbye so many times. It never gets easier. I just have to keep thinking of their happiness and comfort. Hold Ollie a little tighter.

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  4. That’s great news about your progress post surgery. Recuperation can be very frustrating but you are sensible in taking it one step at a time.

    I like the sound of your TBR strategy – does it mean you read one book by author with surname A then move onto B or do you do all authors with surname A before moving to another letter?

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    1. I’ll do one book with A then move on to B. If I read all the As then the Bs I’d never get to the later letters in my life time. Though I’d like to read them all at once and then get all new books! 🐧🫖

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  5. So sorry to hear about Molly, but it was most likely the best decision – we always seem to be kinder to animals than we are humans.

    But I am glad that your health is returning – great news! And I think your reading etc plans sound great – good luck!

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  6. Sorry to hear about Molly, always hard to do but you did the right thing.
    Your reading plans sound like a good sensible plan, wish I could be sure of 50 pages a day, maybe that is the best goal to set.

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  7. Love your plans, and your ideas behind them Pam.

    As I said on Instagram, I was sorry to hear about Molly but it was the thing to do, we know. Re Finn, my friend whose reading group hated The weekend, hated Finn. But, I really think they missed the point of him.

    Finally, and most importantly, I’m glad your health is getting back on track. So important – of course.

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    1. Thanks Sue. I think Finn is saying quite a bit about this story. He is a metaphor for such a relevant part of this story. As I age I relate even more to an old smelly dog, haha. 🐧🐕

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  8. i like what you said about balance: very sane… and i’m forever doing that: ordering some book that i get excited about and then not reading it when it arrives because i’m all wrapped up in something else! i have to stay away from orderliness in my reading life or i get too tense about it and its no fun; hence my laissez faire attitude… i’m glad you’re getting better… modern medicine is in many ways a true miracle in spite of its unpleasantness… take care

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    1. Thank you, I probably will veer all over the place with my reading but it sounded good at the time. It’s fun to get organised even if it all does fall apart at times. Stay safe and well.

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  9. I’m sorry to hear about Molly, but I think you did the right thing in letting her go.
    That’s good news about your improving health, it’s so frustrating not being able to drive when you’ve used to doing it, eh?

    Re The Weekend: I hated Jude because she was so horrible to Finn…

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    1. Thanks for your comment re Molly. I’m a firm believer if one has pets you always need to do what’s best for them first. Otherwise you shouldn’t have them. With joy comes sorrow. Equals balance. I can be so profound at times, hahaha. Jude has been on my nerves since she first entered the page. However I love it when I feel like I’m really getting into a character’s life. At least I can dump her when I finish the book. 🐧🐕🐕

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      1. Yes, I agree about pets, they depend on us. I would never let a pet of mine suffer.
        Actually, I know someone just like Jude, fortunately no longer in my life.

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