Siggy’s Blurbs

I read in every position and in every room.  I read in bed–although not long and I am careful what I read:  I don’t want nightmares if I can help it.  I keep books and literary magazines in the bathroom.  In fact, my wife bought and put together a small cabinet she spent hours researching just to keep my reading material neatly in the bathroom near the toilet.  Of course, the reading I do there is in bursts.  Most of the reading I do is in bursts.  It was amazing I actually made it through Keith Richard’s autobiography–all 540 pages of it.  It is really rare for me to read a novel.  My favorite room has a spot right next the comfortable though ragged Lazy Boy chair where I keep my favorite devotional, “My Utmost For His Highest”, by Oswald Chambers.  Most of my favorite books are in that room so I know where to find them when I am looking for a particular passage.  I love to read and I have never had so many books in my house.  I married a “book” person.

Tags: "My Utmost For His Highest", books, devotional, Keith Richards, Lazy Boy, Oswald Chambers, read in bed, read in the bathroom, reading, Rolling Stones
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There is always another book around the corner.  Sometimes I don’t know where they come from although I always remember who I “borrowed” a book from.  There is no lack of interesting books although you can become a dilettante and only sample a book here or there and only get a narrow picture of what the author wanted to convey.  There are some books, though, that are meant to be read that way.  Open up the book anywhere and start reading.  Novels obviously have to be read from cover to cover although I have no compunction to stop reading it if it does not keep my attention.  I enjoy a good story and am partial to animal’s stories:  authors who describe their special relationships to animals.  My office has my favorite books and special books that are marked up that I would never lend to anyone.  They are like “old friends” to me and I want them at my disposal if I need to refer to them.  I can not see how much an I Pad can possibly replace my library and there is nothing like leafing through a book and then another.  I like touching a book and turning pages and opening it anywhere.  There is always an interesting book around the corner.

Tags: a good story, animal stories, author, books, books are like old friends, favorite books, I Pad, novel, reading, turning pages
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There are too many things in this house.  And it has me depressed.  There are too many piles in different corners.  It is just too hard going through this stuff.  I see a stack of canceled checks on the desk.  Your father has been dead twenty years.  Why are they not in the trash?  We can’t even throw away broken down electronics.  That video/dvd player does work any more.  Why is it sitting on those records?  I even tried it again.  I already told my other it no longer works.  None of the lights on it worked.  I just want to pitch it.  It is preventing me from going through the pile of LP’s it is laying on.  Why are we keeping those two stacks of “Architectural Digest”.  When is the last time you looked at an issue.  I have to run everything by you.  You have to make a decision on everything.  All of this has me depressed.  Why don’t you let me have control of the decisions on most things.  And when I complain of too many things still in the house,  you tell me of all the things you have given away and pitched.  There may be a lot of truth to that.  There is still too many things in this house.  And I don’t want to work so hard in eliminating them.  There are still too many piles, boxes and books and LP’s everywhere.

Tags: "Architectural Digest", books, boxes, canceled checks, depressed, electronics, father, give away, have control, house, LP's, make a decision, piles in corners, records, stuff, throw away, too many things, trash, video/dvd player
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We have too many things in our house.  And that has me depressed.  I want greater order in our house.  I don’t know how to get there.

There are too many books, too much music particularly LP’s, too many knickknacks, electronic, computer and stereo equipment.  Some of it is broken down and other equipment is obsolete.

I just want to throw away some stuff, give it away, whatever.  Some of it is not mine.  It belongs to my wife.  I don’t know how to straighten up our house.  I am surrounded by things.

I just want to throw up my hands.  I don’t know where to start.  It is driving me crazy.  The disorder that is.  I want to say “abracadabra” and wake up and most of the stuff is gone.  I just don’t know what to do.

Tags: abracadabra, books, broken down, clutter, computer, depressed, disorder, driving me crazy, electronics, give away stuff, knickknacks, LP's, music, my wife, obsolete, records, stereo equipment, straighten up the house, throw away stuff, throw up my hands, too many things, too much stuff, want order in our house
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Clothes are just like books.  If you have too many, you can’t find your favorite ones too easily for they are buried.  For example, I would rather have an hundred favorite books than another additional nine hundred that hide the other hundred.  In fact I did that with my office:  it has my favorite books in it.  Just a thought.

Tags: balance, books, clothes, clutter, favorite books, office, too many books
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I don’t care how good an iPad is it won’t replace a book or library.  I know the new device can rapidly turn pages in a book but still it is not the same.

There is nothing like having a library and quickly glancing at your shelves, pulling out just the book you want and opening it up to any page.

I like physically handling my books, touching them.  I am not dependent on any batteries.  I am not so quick to run out and get this latest technological gadget from Apple.

The brain can not be replaced by this latest development.  The brain has the ability to review thousands of paragraphs you have read and know what book a passage came from and then find it.

There is nothing like an old book store to browse in.  None of these things can be replaced by the iPad.  By now, you get the idea I am skeptical of the value of this item.

I don’t want to pore over an instruction manual just to figure out how pick up a book and scan it.  Or even turn it on.  It is just too hard.  Call me old fashioned.

Tags: Apple, batteries, book passage, book shelves, books, brain, gadget, instruction manual, iPad, library, old book store, old fashioned, paragraph, technology
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I spend an inordinate amount of time straightening up my house.  It seems I mess it up, then I reach a point I can no longer tolerate my own disorder so I have to do something about it and then this cycle repeats itself.  And over and over.

I remember the few times my family went on vacation without me (I raised a boy and girl) things actually did not move.  They stayed in the same spot.

But I have to live with my own messes.  So does my wife.  I try to logically place items I put away.  Currently we are running out of space for books.  And we still buy more.  And I have run out of space for newly recorded cassettes.

We have empty cassette racks but we have to agree where to place them.  And that has not occurred yet.  It would take me another lifetime to play all the cassettes I have not heard.  Don’t ask me where we got them that is another story.

All this drives me crazy (and my wife).  Sometimes parts of my house actually looks neat and organized.  Until next time.

Tags: books, cassettes, cycle repeats itself, daughter, disorder, drive me crazy, mess, music, my family, my house, my messes, my wife, neat and organized, over and over, play music, son, straightening up the house, vacation
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I do not know why it is so hard to let go of things.  I am no different.  There is always another book or CD.  I can never have enough.  Let us talk about books only.

We have too many in this house.  The bookcases are bursting from the seams.  There are also boxes of books all over the house.  And it is difficult for us to give away any one.

I want to give some away but a lot are not mine so I can’t make a decision unilaterally to part with those.  I have reasoned with my other stating when you have too many unfortunately the superb books all too easily get lost or buried.  The argument was futile.

Nothing has changed.  I am also part of the problem:  I keep bringing new ones in the house.  I must have given my wife this year an half a dozen books for Christmas gifts.  And my wife also gave me books for gifts.

I am at wits end.  Some book shelves are doubled up.  As many as I have if I can not find a particular book I go a little crazy although I am usually successful in finding the book although I might take me awhile.

A running joke is Bob Dylan’s autobiography.  I keep misplacing that book although I have looked high and low for it.  He is just plain elusive.  I might have to buy another copy.

I read in all positions–standing up lying down even walking.  The bathroom must have almost two dozen books on the shelves there.  I can’t miss any opportunity to read.

Someone is going to have a real job deciding what to do with our book collection.  We can’t take them with us when we go.

Tags: at wits end, autobiography, Bob Dylan, book collection, bookcases, books, books in the bathroom, bookshelves, boxes of books, buy new books, can't take it with you, CD, Christmas gifts, clutter, give away books, letting go of things, my wife, read books, reading, superb books, too many books
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(1)  My wife whose support makes it all worthwhile

(2)  The extension of our fence so now all four dogs can run wild within it and we don’t have to worry about them getting out

(3)  The seventh Christmas we are spending together

(4)  The purchase of a “new” used vehicle

(5)  another year

(6)  my illness if you can call it that has given me a keener sense of the time bestowed to me

(7)  my two sisters who are always there when I need them

(8)  The four books Marilyn sent to me

(9)  all my friends

(10)  The safety of my trip to Boston during a difficult time:  I know angels were watching me during my ride to Boston and back.

(11)  I finally made it to “Walden Pond”

(12)  All my animals particularly my four dogs who never ask for anything and just love you unconditionally

(13)  For providing for all our needs

(14)  All the people who take care of us:  from Bob our mechanic to our dentist and all our doctors.  They just serve us.

(15)  My wife, the editor, lover and friend

(16)  John, you know who you are

(17)  The heat in our house

(18)  My web site and “Siggy’s Blurbs”

(19)  Sara’s support, you know who you are, also

(20)  My two, Emma and Saul

(21)  for everything I have forgotten to be grateful for

(22)  Pastor Pete and his flock

(23)  only “You” who without I can not do any thing

Tags: 2009, angels watching me, Bob our mechanic, books, Christmas, dogs love you unconditionally, editor lover and friend, Emma, fence, four dogs, grateful, gratitude, heat in our house, illness, John, Marilyn, my animals, my friends, my two sisters, my web site, my wife, new used vehicle, our dentist, our doctors, Pastor Pete and his flock, people take care of us, providing for all our needs, Sara's support, Saul, Siggy's Blurbs, those who serve, time bestowed to me, trip to Boston, Walden Pond, You who I can not do anything without
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When death is knocking at your door, money fades in importance.  It is so easy to delude ourselves:  that your time on this earth is forever.  But when the realization comes it is running out (often due to illness or old age) your money (and possessions) are no longer that important.

All of a sudden other things come to the forefront:  your relationship with loved ones, maybe your legacy also.  Your possessions which maybe you spent a lifetime accumulating do not matter that much.

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and the richest person in the whole world, realized that;   when he founded with his wife what is today’s largest private foundation pouring in it more and more of his energy and resources (billions of dollars) in that endeavor.

In my case, I can not take my journals, books and music I spent a lifetime collecting with me when I go.  I have to figure out what is truly important in my life.  I do not want to waste time.

Often when someone faces his/her deathbed and realizes the way they spent their time really does not matter.  Your impending death shifts your priorities and also forces you to reexamine your value system.

Too many people die alone because they did not invest time in others.  Did not Jesus say, “When you lose your life, you find it”.  I think that is a paraphrase.

When you are in the dusk of your life, you find out the most valuable commodity you possess is time.  All the money in the world can not buy you one more minute on earth.

That realization  forces you to examine your life carefully.  It is never too late to make a change although it is easy to regret the time you lost in fruitless endeavors.  You can never turn back the clock but there is always today.

Tags: accumulating things, Bill Gates, billions of dollars, books, death knocking at your door, deathbed, die alone, do not waste time, dusk of your life, examine your life, fruitless endeavors, God, illness, impending death, invest time in others, Jesus, journals, loved ones, make a change, Microsoft, money, music, never too late, old age, our time on earth, possessions, private foundation, regrets, relationships, richest person in the world, shift your priorities, spend your time, there is always today, time, turn back the clock, when you lose your life you find it, writer, writing, your legacy, your value system
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For a long time there were two forms of education I was undergoing:  one, my formal education and the other, the education I was receiving on my own.

All during my schooling I continued to read what I wanted to, whatever came across my path, whatever interested me.  As far back as I can remember I had a library card to the local library and made many trips there.  At home we always had plenty of reading material–magazines and books everywhere.

I did do my school work and received good grades but I had no illusion:  my independent reading was far more important and really my true education.

Yes, it is true some people get educated despite themselves but I always found the time to read whatever came across me and whatever interested me.  I felt most of the time I just went through the motions in most subjects in school.

There were some subjects that interested me particularly in school like Latin and mathematics and biology.  And maybe, I put forth extra effort there.

If the truth be known I was far more interested in participating in gym and in high school playing for the tennis team.  In fact, I was excited that in high school we had gym every day.

I felt these sports instilled an attitude to never give up until the game is over, which was no small lesson to learn which stood me well later in life.

I no longer go to school but I still read widely and for pleasure.  The literal translation of the word “education” come from the Latin “educare” which means to lead.  Education means “to lead toward”.  It is a process, not an end point, not an degree.  It is an unending journey.  And I am still on it.

Tags: biology, books, college degree, education, education is a process, formal education, game is over, go to school, good grades, gym class, high school, Latin, Latin word educare, lessons, library, library card, magazines, mathematics, never give up, read for pleasure, reading, reading material, school subjects, school work, schooling, sports, tennis team, to lead toward, true education, unending journey
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I don’t compelled to read a book in any particular order.  Of course, that is easier to do with non-fiction.  You certainly can’t do that with a novel and know what is going on.

It is very rarely I read a book sequentially.  For that to happen I have to be riveted by the subject content and writing.  I can count on my one hand how many books I have read that way recently.

Usually I skip around a book and read it in quick bursts.  For someone to feel they have to read a book every time page by page in order is a trap:  after awhile you don’t want to read any more.  It is too much like work.

I do not feel that compunction.  There are really no rules to the way you read.  You make your own.  And you can break them any time.

Tags: book novel, books, no rules to the way you read, non fiction, read a book, read page by page, reading, too much like work, writing
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