Finally, finally, I am back.
I’ve missed all of you guys. I’ve missed reading your blog posts the past days. I’ve been busy with household chores, gardening and organizing my book shelves. Funny how, there are books from my favorite authors in which I have two copies. I gave some paperback copies to a friend. There is another friend I know who intentionally buys two copies each of her favorite books, one for reading (usually a paperback) and one kept inside a glass book shelf (either a trade paper back or a hardbound one). One thing I lack though is enough space for our books, Nissa’s are mostly hardbound, Josef’s books take up space too. We have a big Lexicon that weighs a ton. I have to list those earlier finds that are now classic books. I’m 60% done with my 2015 reading challenge on Goodreads and I am planning to save the best for last – memoirs and classics.
The carabao grass needs trimming so instead of waiting for Josef to have his days off, I started it three days ago. I only garden early in the morning while the sun hasn’t shown its face yet, an hour or two but not beyond two hours at the most. Can’t stand being outside at 8am (it’s really hot) so I have to wake up early to water the plants, trim the grass and do a little deadheading of my Gardenia blooms. I can’t exactly remember now but a few months ago, our neighbor gave me a little pot of Ginseng plant. It has tiny red buds now about to bloom. I know it is a medicinal plant and I can’t wait to see its flowers in bloom.
Last Friday, I bought my first ever tablet (My Pad 4/Tierra). Lucky for me, it was on sale and I bought it for a lot less than it cost two weeks ago. It’s a 7.8″ Android tab with 3G, an 8MP autofocus rear camera and a 5MP front camera and an 8GB built-in memory. It has an expandable memory up to 32GB. Josef bought me a 32GB micro SD, a jelly cover and a screen protector along with a new SIM card and prepaid card too. Since I intend to use it mostly for my e-books, I installed the Aldiko e-Reader (it is the most user-friendly I guess). I tried the Moon + Reader too on my other phone. If you ask me which is more convenient, nothing can compare to the smell of new books and lovingly turning the pages while you discover a different world out there but having e-books is okay too especially when you read at night because you can always adjust the brightness and the font size plus there is a night mode too. For now though, I am loving my e-books conveniently arranged alphabetically on my e-reader. I can’t wait to read Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield (the last time was during my college days), William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina to name a few and all the lovely chick lit that makes me laugh and cry a little.
I couldn’t ask for more.
new tablet!!! oh…so happy for you Arlene!
you must have done a lot of reading 🙂 we’re just into the second quarter and you’re up 60% towards your goal! that’s amazing 🙂
take care and keep cool, we read on the news how hot it is there 🙂
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It’s hot, hot, hot. it’s around 35C in the metro pero ang equivalent daw sa index nun eh about 39C. Nakakatakot lumabas eh (baka matunaw taba ko) 🙂 so I just read.
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Welcome to the age of the Tablet Arlene. I don’t have one, but Julie loves hers with a vengeance. She says it is the second best present she has ever received, the first being her diamond engagement ring.
I hope you get many hours of enjoyment from your new purchase.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I am a late bloomer when it comes to gadgets Pete. Julie is right, there is a tremendous joy in having one. Mine is the best buy I did for this year. Having that much space to store everything is a bonus.
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Gardening and organizing books. That’s what I’ve been doing lately, too. Congratulations on your new tablet!
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Thanks! Are you done with gardening and organizing books? I still have a small patch to trim, couldn’t do it in one go because it is so hot here.
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We planted our vegetable garden today and also my herb garden and 2 flower beds. It has been so cold and rainy here that we waited longer this year. I hope everything grows well. We will be weeding and thinning out plants throughout the summer, I guess. And I don’t think I’ll ever be done organizing my books!
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I envy you for a lovely season for gardening. Summer is really a scorcher here so I don’t go out much. I have organized my books by authors and titles too.
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It must be nice to have the time to enjoy reading. I hardly reread books so I mostly give them away so others could enjoy them. I still prefer reading a hard copy but I also miss the Kindle I lost. Am waiting to get one that I could use wherever I would be without the need of paying.
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I only enjoyed those books when I was at the UST Library Lou so I really don’t have copies of them except those unexpected finds at Booksale.
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I bought a tablet for the same reason, its like having an entire library in your hand. It is marvelous; however, I do like the feel of a book in my hand, the smell of the paper and ink and the sound of turn a page. Nevertheless, the weight of most of the books I read are hefty and my hands tend to hurt so the tablet is the perfect answer to that and to reduce my weighty collection of books in print. Enjoy and welcome back!
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Thanks Tina, how are you? Embracing a new technology has its downside too but it think we could make it work. Every time I leave the house, I bring a small book with me (usually a paperback) so convenient really because it is not heavy. I still love visiting bookstores. The feel and scent of a new book is irresistible.
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Hello Arlene,
I am adjusting to my new level of functioning and trying to get back into my writing, thank you for asking. I could not agree with you more about books, I love them, I love reading and I love the smell of a bookstore! I hope you have a glorious day in the Lord, My friend.
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I am praying for you Tina. It’s nice to know that you’re back into writing. Be strong and keep the faith my friend.
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