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Friday, May 22, 2009

Friday Blog Roundup

Yesterday, I decided to stop working an hour early and head out to the library bookstore to see if they had a copy of Twilight. I figured spending 50 cents on it was a nice medium ground where if I didn't love it after one chapter, I could pass it along to someone else. I've mentioned it before, but our library system has three bookstores in the area where they sell both donated books and excess copies of books from the library system (for instance, they may purchase 100 copies of a popular book right when it comes out, but after a few months, they shed 50 copies to make room on the shelves). Most books are between 50 cents and a dollar.

This is the same bookstore that gave us the story of TaTantra, who still exists in our house and was actually "speaking" to me this morning about how much she enjoys the fact that we are continuously watching the same My Little Pony video. Sean wasn't working today so I wasn't offered any scintillating sex reads nor did I find anything I wanted beyond some old Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books. But that didn't really matter. Just being in the bookstore made me happy.

Afterwards, I stopped by the Borders and I thought about this video, which I love (a warning, it was made for Mother's Day and therefore mentions mothers a lot; it is, in fact, about the author's mother, but the author, Kelly Corrigan, absolutely rocks and if you don't own her book, you should and the video makes me laugh). I went to visit my book before browsing. She (I think of the book as a girl) was facing outward from the shelf (a step up! Last time I was there, only the spine was facing out), sort of smiling at me, as much as paper can smile. I went over and gave her a little pat before heading over to get coffee and walk up and down the aisles.

I've been uploading pictures that people are sending me from bookstores. Please keep sending them--it is so much fun to feel that at least a part of me is getting out and about even if I am stuck in the same city.

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The Weekly What If: In honour of the only book that made me feel better this week in the 7th circle of Hell--if you were enrolled in Hogwarts, where would the Sorting Hat place you? For those who haven't read the books, what this question essentially asks is if you could only pick one trait, are you brave, smart, loyal, or clever?

I would, I think, be placed in Hufflepuff. It's hard to get, but once you have my loyalty, you have it forever.

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And now, the blogs...

Hello, My Name is M... has a post this week about navigating other people while going through the emotional side of infertility. She writes: "At first, I tried asking for what I needed that day. Sometimes it was to listen, other times to leave me alone, still others to ignore it and pretend life was normal. This was all great while I was in that moment, but the problem arose when I left that moment and they were still doing what I had asked of them." The part that moved me the most were the final three sentences and the profound truth that came from them. This is the type of post that you want to email out to people and say, "this is exactly what I mean when I tell you that I don't know what I need."

Blondedawn has a post about seeing pregnant people...everywhere. Not just seeing them, but how seeing them everywhere makes her feel. She writes: "I very rarely have hard days like yesterday. Kids usually don’t bother me at all…the joy they bring overshadows the little bit of sadness I still have. It’s still hard to see pregnant women all over the freaking place, but what can you do? Life goes on." I liked the simplicity of this post and the stark honesty.

Dragonfly Mama
has a post thanking her body. The part that I loved the most was that she admitted that she could not have written this letter prior to this point. She writes: "So I spent a lot of time hating myself, hating the vessel my spirit had chosen to inhabit. And I don’t beat myself up for it, because I only knew what I could know back then. But this morning, I apologized to my body." No exercise can bring you to that place of acceptance and thankfulness; you need to get there yourself. With infertility, there is so much anger turned on the body (for good reason), that I think this is an important post to read and try yourself if/when you're in the right place to write one. It is just a gorgeous and moving post.

I had to throw this in because--like the rest of her blog--it makes me laugh every single time I click over and read it.

Lastly, Okaasan Mommy and More has a post about that state of being between things--of knowing that you are leaving one place and yet still needing to exist there for a set period of time. She writes: "I'm not sure that living in two places will ever be viable if I'm always wanting to be in the other place." I can't quite put my finger on why I came back to this post a few more times after I read it except to say that it's such a familiar feeling--seeing an end in sight but knowing you still have to walk the last few steps. And how do you keep your heart in the moment when the future looks enticing? A great post about longing.

The roundup to the Roundup: I love books (even those on tantric sex). The Weekly What If. Lots of great blog posts to read. See you back here Saturday night for Show & Tell (and don't forget to do your homework. Peruse the old Show & Tell posts and choose one to highlight by leaving it in the comment section on tomorrow's Show & Tell post).

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

There's something about buying a book, isn't there? I tell my husband that's why I wanted to go back to school....all that student loan money designated just for new (to me) books!

S said...

I love the Harry Potter books. I didn't get hooked until years after they became popular, but they are good reads.

I'd be in Ravenclaw. I often thought that when I read the books, actually. ;-)

areyoukiddingme said...

I'd probably end up in Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Because sometimes I have been known to put my smarts to bad use...I'm really good at thinking up devious ways to work the system. Fortunately, I don't put those thoughts into action. I just suggest that other people do it.

There's also a good chance I could end up in Hufflepuff, as I am also most loyal to those deserving of my loyalty.

Tash said...

You can always do the Online Hat Sorter.

(Ravenclaw, btw.)

Baby Smiling In Back Seat said...

Ravenclaw.

You are totally a Hufflepuff, Mel.

niobe said...

Thanks, Tash. Ravenclaw here too.

Lollipop Goldstein said...

Thank you, Tash! It sorted me into Hufflepuff. Just as a suspected!

JW Moxie said...

I've always thought that I'd like to have a Gryffindor-like personality, but others have placed me squarely in the Hufflepuff category. Years back I did a Sorting Hat quiz that's different than the one Tash posted and it also said that I was Hufflepuff.

I just did Tash's, and it said I was a Ravenclaw. I think that suits me just fine.

Journeywoman said...

I'd be in Ravenclaw. I suspected this throughout, but it was confirmed in the 7th book {MINOR Spoiler alert)


where we saw that to get into the Ravenclaw common room you had to answer a question correctly. If you didn't get it, you waited until someone did--so you learned. I was reading it and I thought WOW, THAT IS SO COOL!

Jendeis said...

I heart books. The biggest requirement for a house-house is enough room that I could have a library. With shelves upon shelves and a comfy chair and a side table for my cuppa. And a basket of nice bookmarks so that I'll stop using toilet paper.

For your Weekly What If: I'm pretty sure I'd be in Ravenclaw. I don't tolerate stupidity, I'm a scaredy cat and I haven't been able to MacGyver something worty of being called "clever."

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the shout-out, Mel! I have such warm fuzzies from the ICLW lovefest--giving it and receiving it.

I would love to be in Hufflepuff, but the hat sorts me into Ravenclaw, and that totally makes sense, too.

lassie said...

I just read Twilight and didn't hate it. The Harry Potter books, on the other hand, loved them! I was sorted into Hufflepuff- a good fit for my personality.

Thanks for mentioning dragonfly mama. What a powerful post. I felt like she was sitting on the couch next to me, quietly discussing her journey. Phew. That was intense. And awesome.

nh said...

Hufflepuff, I think.

I love books - and I love our library.

Mrs. Gamgee said...

Hufflepuff all the way for me!

ms. c said...

I love that you visit your book. That is precious. I'm happy to hear that it was facing out- yay!

I have a little tip for you... (I used to work in Chapters- the Canadian equvalent to Borders): If ever you go into the store and your book isn't facing out, just rearrange the shelf so that it IS. Where I worked we would do it randomly to make the shelf look full. There wasn't any rhyme or reason to it (other than aesthetics), so go for it! She deserves it!

Ps: Received my copy and plowed through it. It's on the top of my very tall book pile by my bed, and makes me so happy everytime I see it.

Tiger said...

Gryffindor for me!!
I LOVE the books :) :) :)

Cara said...

First - I visited your book last weekend too and CURSED myself for forgetting the camera! When I arrive she was politely showing its spine. When I left she was proudly showing her face to the crowd!

Second - The online hat sorter has me tintillating with excitement. But, I'm going to take a guess. I think the hat would hestitate on me. I'd like to say Griffondor, but I'm not brave at all...so I'm going with Hufflepuff too. Connections are my life.

Cara said...

It's been confirmed, "I'm not the fastest wand in the bunch..." but Hufflepuff to the end!

Photogrl said...

I'd be a Hufflepuff, as well.

There's just something about bookstores...they are one of my favorite spots to just hang out.

Coffeegrljapan said...

The online hat sorter assures me that I'm a Hufflepuff. I really never gave it much thought....I think my loyalty is a stronger characteristic than I sometimes give myself credit for.

Thanks for including me in the Roundup. I'm honored that what felt like "thinking out loud" could be construed as thought provoking to others.

And I can't wait to see the book on the shelves back home!!

Elizabeth said...

Ravenclaw! I thought so and then the quiz said so (but I wonder if I purposefully answered the questions in such a way as to get the answer I wanted?)

Wow, everyone here is a Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, with ONE lonely Gryffindor! What does that say about us collectively?

momofonefornow said...

ravenclaw or hufflepuff

Alana said...

My first thought was Gryffindor. However, the snazzy Online Hat Sorter placed me in Hufflepuff. :)

battynurse said...

I loved Harry Potter. I would have guessed that I would be hufflepuff but the hat picker said Ravenclaw.

M said...

interesting... i was sorted into ravenclaw, but i've always pictured myself as griffindor. perhaps i'm not as brave as i think? ;) oddly, i always related the most to mcgonagall!

thanks mel for the shout out. got all teary when i saw my name there. it was a very tough day yesterday, so feeling included and appreciated like that was the perfect salve.

Busted Tube said...

According to the Sorting Hat (and my best guess): Ravenclaw.
I love this week's Friday Round-Up- thank you!