So, today is Monday, July 2nd, and I am going to try and update my blog more starting today. We will see how that works out.
Anyways, today was an interesting day! I went to a baby shower. One of my friends is due to have her baby on July 22nd, and this was actually her second baby shower and I was invited to both of them! The first shower I bought her usesful stuff: baby shampoo, soap, towels, etc and put it in a basket. (Compared to everyone else, I bought her a lot.) Then today came, and I decided to go to this one as well because she lives in New Brunswick now and I hardly see her.
This showers present was a baby blanket that my mother made in Harry Potter colours (red and gold). She did not take a picture, though, so I do not have one to share. She is making another one, but in different colours, so I will take a picture of that so that people can have a general idea. Why Harry Potter
colours? Because the baby is due on the 22nd, the day after the new book comes out. She LOVES Harry Potter, so it seemed a fitting combination. Even though I do not think the father of the baby appreciates Harry Potter very much. The shower was sad in a way, but I have felt this at other ways too. We are drifting apart. She is getting married in August, and I strongly feel I will go to the wedding and we will go our separate ways. Geography started it, but then she got back with her ex-boyfriend last summer, got engaged to him a month later, and somewhere in October became pregnant. She only has a small guest list for the wedding, and I am going, but I wondered one of the times we were talking about it if she really wanted to. It might be because so much changed in such a short time, but anyways.
I have to say, I could not imagine having a baby, well, ever, but least of all right now. I know people do it, and I applaud you for it, but there are so many things that I want to do before I settle down. I think the 50's are the new 30's because women are doing all the things later in life that they did not get to do when they were younger because they were wives and mothers. I am not ready for that chapter in my life. And, I would rather not hear "you will change your mind." I hear that enough in person, and I honestly do not understand why people are so against the idea of me not wanting children, but they are!
Kind of reminds me about talking to people about my degree. Everyone just assumes I am going to be a teacher, and they look at me like I have six heads when I say that I am not really sure I want to be a teacher. I know lots of people that are going into education next year, but it never really interested me. Mind you, I have no idea what I want to do next, but I find that people are pestering me a great deal to find out. I think that if you do not know, people can be a lot more benefical if they did not pester and suggest constantly. That's just me!
In other news, I am reading my beloved fantasy again. I found I did not read enough last month and I missed it. I am also trying to catch up on reviews, posting both on here and Twisted Kingdom. I posted a review of Roger Zelazny's The Guns of Avalon on Twisted Kingdom today. A great series, and good timing too because it is BAFAB week again. I a,m not sure if I am going to buy a book this time around or not, I have considered it. If I do it will be mid week before I announce it. Last time I gave away The Birth House to a lucky reader. Anyways, this week I am looking forward to receiving some new Gaiman books. Canada Day is a great holiday, but it made me have to wait for my mail! Also, we just got Sunday Shopping, so this was the first year that everything was open on Canada Day. It was weird! Some things were closed today (government things, and some of the smaller businesses), but a lot of things were open today as well. So, I went to the bookstore... and came out EMPTY-HANDED! Go me!One thing I find myself contemplating at this point in my life is what the hell I am going to do with all my books when I figure out what I want to do and have to move! I get rid of the books I do not like, but I still have a lot of books... In other news, Barnes and Noble FINALLY has a decent book description for the new Susan Carroll book coming out in July:
Fun, intricately plotted and with lots of derring-do, Carroll's latest should be popular with fans of historical romance. With a temper to match her fiery hair, Catriona O'Hanlon leaves her liege, Ariane, the Lady of the Fair Isle, to locate a sorceress's daughter and bring her to the Faire Isle, where she can be protected from the Dark Queen and the coven of the Silver Rose. The girl's father, Martin Le Loup, is living incognito with his daughter in London as dapper Englishman Martin Wolfe. Martin's an agent for Queen Elizabeth's spymaster and is conflicted about his job to ferret out Catholic threats to her majesty. As Cat and Martin spar with and fall for one another, danger lurks in the forms of the coven and the Medici. Carroll strikes a balance between froth and craftsmanship.How exciting! I roughly counted... and of the 110 books I have read as of June 30, 2007... 48 of them I owned prior to 2007. The rest I bought, received from publishers and authors, or got with credit at the second hand store in 2007. There are also books that I read for classes. I am actually impressed. I wish it was a bit higher, but it is about half. Credit at the second hand store has killed me this year as to amount of books coming in... I take books out of my house, and bring more in with the credit. Less than what I take out, but I have had about 2-300 dollars worth of credit over the last six months....
I am sooo looking forward to the Susan Carroll book!
ReplyDeleteMe too! Remember when we said we wished she would do a follow up book about Martin's daughter??
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry too much about not knowing what you want to do next - it will come and as life happens, it may change. I started my degree in journalism, switched to English, went to law school and now work as a government consultant. Go figure...
It is strange when you start to move apart from friends because of marriage/kids isn't it? I'm married but no kids and most of my friends are married with kids. It's hard. I feel like I don't relate to them as well but then it's hard with my single friends too. Ah well.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, on a book related note, you've read 110 book so far this year?! Wow! :)
Yikes! First of all, I was thinking I was going to have to offer up Congrats about an impending baby!! Lucky I actually READ your post!! I wouldn't worry about not wanting kids. Trust me, it's not for everyone! You gotta be true to yourself!
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine every moving now. I've collected so many books the past 4 or 5 years, it would take a Uhaul just for them!
Marg - Me too, too bad it is like a month away!
ReplyDeletedaphne - I think my mother is the only person that does not seem to think that my career apprehension is normal. She never went to university and she wants me to do something now! It doesn't really help that my sister has everything all worked out, she wants to be an engineer.
iliana - I know people with kids, but some of them had the kids before we even met, so it was not so bad. I am just not a baby person, and with a friend that is expecting and really only ever talking about the baby, I don't know what to say a lot of the time! She's home visiting until Friday, I don't really expect to hear from her. And, yes, 110 books. It has been a really good reading year so far!
Stephanie - No, no baby, thank you very much! haha. Yeah, it would take a uhaul just for my books as well. I need to figure something out because I don't want to live at home forever!
What a great post! You're not alone! When I left college I took a year off to contemplate what I was going to do with myself (and to write a book!). The next year I entered a Masters Program and became a teacher, because that's what everyone expected an English Major to do (plus it would give me the time I needed to write and travel). But I was very apprehensive about teaching 18 year olds when I was 22. Very. Then the first year of teaching rolled around and it was as horrible as I feared. I was totally unprepared. I stuck with it though, and every year after that was absolute magic.
ReplyDeleteI recently quit teaching to write full time, but I have recurring dreams once a week about being back the classroom and teaching students the joy of reading. It's a truly great job, never boring, always interesting, and you get to do what you love every day - which is read and write!! And as long as you renew your credential (at least in the US), you can always quit teaching after a year or two if you don't like it and go back to it later if you choose.
And I understand your hesitation about children. You have plenty of time!
Well, I am pretty much taking a year off to get my bearing too. I will hopefully get my mind in order and know what I want to do next year!
ReplyDeleteOh -- and for your books, don't get rid of them! If you become a teacher, use them for a classroom library. I had nearly 500 books in my in-class library, and students from around the campus would come to me for personal recommendations on what to read and to borrow books. I taught at a very low income school, and the students were really happy to have access to new books.
ReplyDeleteHaving children is the single HARDEST job out there, so I certainly wouldn't push you into having a child. I went through what I now know was a phase of not wanting children. I did though change my mind and now am going to adopt a second child hopefully by the end of the month. I have never regretted having children, but understand completely when a woman chooses not to. Good for you for knowing what you want. And oh, if you do change your mind one day, then we would be happy to have you join the ranks of motherhood. :)
ReplyDeleteStephanie
thewrittenword.wordpress.com
I have been reading about your adoption, very cool! Glad things are coming together for you. :)
ReplyDeleteAh, as a 33-year-old who was told in my 20's "oh, you'll change your mind" on the subject of having kids, here I am and I still haven't changed my mind! LOL! Having kids is not for everyone. And my hubby is 38 and stuck in a career he hates. So take your time and find what you love. :-) And my 42 books so far this year seems so paltry!
ReplyDelete