Yes, the weather has been nasty lately, and that has made it difficult for folks to get out and do whatever it is they normally like to do. We’ve had 10 snow days in January, missing two full non-consecutive weeks, and with the way things look today (still a ton of snow out there and more snow and frigid temperatures in the forecast) we are going to get a few more days off. It’s always fun to watch Facebook posts for those who are now going stir-crazy and have cabin fever and can’t wait to get out and about. I understand that there are folks who are like that, and that’s fine, but it’s not a concept I understand. I’m perfectly fine staying at home, and if Nic didn’t have to drive so far to work in this weather, it’d be even better.

Don’t get me wrong. There are places I like to go and people I like to see, but if I’m “stuck” at home for a few days, that doesn’t bother me. I find that when I’m on regular schedule, the one thing I don’t have a lot of time to do is read what I want to read, and I have a huge list of books that I’d like to get read. Having these days at home gives me time to catch up on some of that reading. There’s not a lot to do in the way of housework, especially with just two of us here through the week, so that frees up a lot of time for reading. And that makes me a happy girl.

I often hear comments from those who don’t like to read, and that’s something I just don’t understand, just as they don’t understand why I love it so much. I do understand that there are sometimes experiences that have led those folks to despise reading, but I really wish that now that they’re older, they’d give it another try. There are a lot of good stories out there, and if they’d just give reading another chance, without having their minds made up that it’s going to be awful or that they’ll hate it, then they could find some of those stories. If you’re a person who hates reading, why don’t you give it another try? If you tell me some things that interest you, or some movies that you like, then I can offer some suggestions for books you may like. If there was a movie you liked and it’s based on a book, give that book a try. Consider approaching giving reading another try just like you’d approach trying a new food. In recent years, I’ve started eating foods that I had previously tried and didn’t like. Some of those foods I had already tried multiple times, but this time around when I decided to try them yet again, something changed, and I liked them. I tell my kids all the time to keep trying foods they haven’t liked before and tell them of the new things I eat now that I didn’t eat a year ago. My suggestion is to do the same with reading. Regardless of how many times you’re picked up a book and not liked reading, keep trying. Eventually you’re bound to find the right book that gets you hooked, but you have to keep trying.

And with that, I’m off to spend the rest of the day reading. I have several more books I’d like to get finished before I have to head back to work.