Still homeless after my home burned in a fire… unless you count my van, which I’m making a home inside of. Not sure what I want to do next.
My December Word of the Month
Continuation
My December Haiku of the Month
Sadly still living
in a land of burned dwellings
all cats are hungry.
Bible Verses of the Month
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
My December reading diary is at the bottom of this page, after the book list.
My Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/lindajm
☆ – I own the book and am ready to read.
★★ – I’m reading it.
✓ – I finished reading it. Yay!
DNF – I did not like it or finish it.
Books I want to read in December
✓ Memoir: Life of Black Hawk, or Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak: Dictated by Himself, by Black Hawk
Finished this early in the month. Worth reading. I’m using this for a PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt, #A7: “A book with more than 20 letters in its title.” I can’t even imagine the culture that led Black Hawk to become a warrior for his people, fighting other tribes and unfriendly European immigrants. He was brave – that is for certain, but I was repulsed by his explanations of his wartime activities which included killing and scalping repeatedly. I am so glad we don’t live that way anymore… at least, most of us. I’m not thinking modern-day warfare is any better just because it is done from a distance, quite often. I love peace… but it seems that is not always the human way of life. Despite his warrior consciousness, Black Hawk apparently mellowed in later life and learned to live a way of peace and forgiveness. This is a great book for understanding the conflicts that created the American nation we all now share.
✓ Memoir: Single Gay Christian, by Gregory Coles
I’m reading this for a 2020 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt… Prompt #2: “A book by a trans or nonbinary author” … not loving prompts based on sexuality or racial issues, but trying to finish the challenge… so I found this book. Hope it fits the prompt as “nonbinary” but to be honest, I don’t understand all the terminology being used these days for sexual issues. Anyhow, I’m firm in believing that it is MY choice on how to complete the reading challenge – so this is my choice for that prompt even if I get definitions wrong. As I’m a Christian, this book is impressing me in a positive way. The author is very insightful and affable. It makes me wish I knew him “in person” and maybe when we get to Heaven, someday we’ll meet. Seems like a nice guy, and very devoted to the Lord.
✓ Historical Fiction: A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles
A Russian aristocrat in the 1920’s is confined to his hotel, for years. This is my last novel to read for the 2020 PopSugar Reading Challenge. [Later: nearly half-way finished, and enjoying the novel a lot.] It follows him from about 1920 when he’s sentenced to house arrest, through several decades. He has the run of the hotel so isn’t forced into just one room. He has lots of friends and experiences over the years. This works for a PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt, #A4: “A book set in the 1920s.”
My December 2020 Reading Diary
December 9 – Struggling. Got a late start on this page. This morning I’m in a motel room. I like to rent a motel room once a week for a shower and to do laundry. (Don’t be shocked about the one shower a week – I do get a sponge bath inside my van the other six days each week. I think I’m clean enough, but I need to wash my long hair, thus, need a shower weekly. Washing long hair in a van during the cold of winter is a difficult endeavor.) I’m making very slow progress on my one novel I need to read to finish the 2020 PopSugar Reading Challenge this year. I finished reading Black Hawk’s autobiography a few days ago.
December 12 – Just moved into a trailer yesterday! Not a big trailer, but nice… and everything I need is here for shelter and sustaining my life comfortably until I can build a new home on my land. (A forest fire 9/8/20 destroyed my other home.) I’m reading A Gentleman in Moscow. I’m using this for a PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt, #A7: “A book with more than 20 letters in its title.”
December 15 – Merry Christmas! … ten days in advance of the great day. Red and green. Blue and silver. Pretty colored lights, parades, happy people, good times. Sometimes it seems a bit much. I’m not a great cook. My youngest daughter loves to cook. What a great child I have. I admire and love the skills of great cooks. But what has that to do with reading? Christmas isn’t really interfering with my reading much. I have two books to finish before the end of the year… I feel hopeful about this. I want to finish the to finish the PopSugar Reading Challenge this year and I think after attempting it for five years it is high time. I have only to read the rest of A Gentleman in Moscow – and I’m almost half through it. Great novel… highly recommended! Also I need to finish the last half of Single Gay Christian by Gregory Coles – surprisingly, a short memoir full of helpful insights. It was published by Intervarsity Press (associated with the Intervarsity Christian college clubs, I guess). I need that for prompt #2… and then I’ll be done with the entire challenge! Happy me. I know many others have no problem reading 50 books in a year, but I’m a slowish reader and find it very … well … challenging.
December 25 – Merry Christmas! … @REALmerryCHRISTMAS … WOW, we’re really doing it today! I cruised Facebook and saw a few posts of people around my age unhappy because they were spending Christmas alone. I totally don’t feel that way. Seriously, alone time is good for me. I need that so, so much. At the same time, I will be visiting my daughter in a while because I have gifts to deliver. I don’t expect to stay there long, however. Not all day. Not for dinner. I’ve got an Amy’s Lasagna frozen dinner to heat up in the microwave and that’s plenty for me. Also bought myself a few treats because it is Christmas. A great excuse to overindulge, but what’s Christmas without pumpkin pie? Hmmm?? Last night I watched a humorous Christmas movie – a great way to celebrate Christmas Eve alone. It made me laugh, so well worth the time watching. It was Surviving Christmas – a rich man hires a family to spend Christmas with him. I thought it fit my situation. Wasn’t expecting to laugh, but that’s what made it so worthwhile. Now I’m listening to Christmas music on The Message (Sirius XM Christian channel) and am about to go on an online shopping spree… since my non-existent tree doesn’t have any gifts under it for me. No problem. I know how to buy myself gifts. Now… READING… happy me, I finished reading A Gentleman in Moscow last night. Yay! Now, to finish the 2020 PopSugar Reading Challenge I need only finish the second half of Single Gay Christian, and I’ll be done. Fifth year doing this challenge, and first time to finish.
December 29 – I finished reading Single Gay Christian at 6:41pm and therefore finished the entire 2020 PopSugar Reading Challenge for the first time, after attempting it for five years. I’m getting better at this!!
Leave a Reply