GIGO

GIGO

 I used to say this to my kids all the time. Garbage In, Garbage Out. 

 A steady diet of SpongeBob can turn your brain to mush.

My brain, somedays....

But somewhere along the way, the kids grew up and I've pretty much given up on trying to monitor what they watch/read/etc. I mean, 2 out of 3 of them are legally adults and the third one certainly thinks she  is an adult.  There is just so much  monitoring I can do. 

And maybe I've let my own habits slide.   Seems recently I have been overdosing on Hallmark movies. First a solid month of Christmas movies, followed by another month of Valentine's movies. Mindless nirvana! 

And my reading habits, while being voracious, have centered around "cozy mysteries" and basic "chick lit". 

What I'm getting at is none of this challenges me.

So one of my favorite bloggers, Hollywood Housewife, has challenged herself  and her readers to read some classics this year. I've made a deal with myself. For every cozy mystery I read, I get to read a classic. 

Here's HH's list of classics that she will be reading and discussing this year.

(1813) PRIDE & PREJUDICE by Jane Austen (279 pages)
(1818) FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley (273 pages)
(1847) JANE EYRE by Charlotte Bronte (500 pages)
(1864) NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND by Fyodor Dostoevsky (138 pages)
(1899) THE AWAKENING by Kate Chopin (195 pages)
(1937) THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston (256 pages)
(1939) THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck (496 pages)
(1954) LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding (182 pages)
(1957) ON THE ROAD by Jack Kerouac (307 pages)
(1960) TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee (324 pages)


I just read Pride and Prejudice a couple of years ago along with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, so I felt like I had covered that classic sufficiently. Skip.

Many of these books are available on your Kindle for free or at least less than $5.00.  I downloaded the entire list.

And I've started on Frankenstein, the second book on her reading list.

I read it when I was much younger (a teenager!?). When I started it today I was surprised. I don't remember it starting this way. And yes, it challenges me. I can't just zip along. I have to actually read and think. And that's the point. 

 A little less garbage in. 

Join me? 

One year!

Happy Anniversary to Project Sixty by Sixty.



O my goodness. I have no idea how this happened.
One hundred thirty six posts.
One year of writing this blog.

I started out with 55 of the 60 challenges that I wanted to accomplish, an idea and a desire to write.
I've always loved to write.

(When I was about eight I wrote a book titled "How to Become a Queen". That was my goal at the time - Queen. It was pretty practical. First, buy an island. Get a crown. I had it all figured out. Or not. I'm not a Queen yet.)

And after one year I have completed 23 of the items on my list and worked on 3 others. So I am right on track...a little over one third of the challenges completed in one third the allotted time.

In a little over a month I will be 58. Eeek.

2011 Birthday cake.  

Look at all those candles.

I have to say this past year  has been one of the more interesting years I have had in a long time. And that was the whole point. I was tired of letting days and weeks slip by, doing the same ol', same ol'. No challenge, no excitement.
In the last 365 days I have reconnected with people, reconnected with myself, and reconnected with some hobbies.

So far, so good.

I feel like I need to honor my first year in some way.  Maybe a little give-away to thank everyone (all three of you?) for reading.

A gift card to somewhere challenging?

I spent a month drawing, so maybe a personalized drawing for the lucky winner?
Or would that be considered a booby prize?

A book? Or a selection of books?

I'm not sure what, but I'll be thinking on it.

Leave me a comment if you have a suggestion.

I'll have a decision by the 20th- my actual blog anniversary.

Can't wait to see what year two will bring!