Book Club

January Book Club and a Chat

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This morning I was catching up on the blogs that I follow. If you listened to this week’s podcast you know that I am going to make a blog roll to share some of my favorite bloggers with you. Today I am sharing a blog post that inspired me to bring back my book club posts I was doing last year. On the Simple Simon & Company blog post they are doing a January challenge to finish a book you have started. Since I have 3 of them at the moment it seemed like a fun challenge to take part in and share with you all.

I really want to spend less time online and more time reading books that are inspiring or interesting. The kids and I have been making weekly trips to our local libraries and I have 3 books on the go right now. I just finished my first book of the year which is exciting. It’s called Find Your People by Jennie Allen (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore). The book has some really great insights and suggestions but if I am honest I am not sure I am fully on board with all of it. Still if you are someone who is seeking deeper, more meaningful relationships with a Christian focus you might like to check this one out.

The other book I am reading is “The Storyteller“ by Dave Grohl (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore). You may be thinking, “that’s a bit different than a Christian book about finding community.” You would be right. I love to learn, I love to read all sorts of things even if I don’t fully identify in any one way. To be honest, I’m not sure I am meant to. The previous book I mentioned had me thinking about the beauty in picking a path and just forging forward no matter what. Still, I think that life is meant to be a unique experience for all of us and I struggle to pick a camp and just stay there. If I am honest-that can make finding relationships challenging but I am just trusting in the path I am walking and open to where it leads me. How about you?

I think if I am being honest I relate a bit more to “The Storyteller.”  Not because my life has at all resembled Dave Grohl’s but I like the honest way he rights and what I am perceiving as his view of life, work and creativity. I never listened to Nirvana-I was more a New Kids on the Block fan (still am) and I never got into the Grunge scene in the 90’s. I wanted to read this book because I have read several quotes by Dave Grohl that I added to my quote book and I thought it would be fun to read a whole book written by him. I loved the fact that he went on record to say he actually wrote it rather than giving interviews to a ghost writer and letting them write it which I thought was pretty cool.

I am about half way through the book and it’s a fun read. Not having any previous knowledge of his career path I was wondering if I would enjoy it as much but I really am. I also am not one who reads biographies but this was definitely one I am glad I picked up-or checked out as it were 🙂

The other book I am reading I found through Substack and it’s called “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work”  (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore) by Mason Currey.  It’s really interesting learning about the process of so many artists. A little sad sometimes reading the darker sides of their lives but if you like hearing about the routines of creatives it’s an interesting read. It also led me to an artist I wasn’t familiar with-Al Hirschfeld and that lead me to checking out a book all about his artwork. I am going to be sharing more about how I am inspired from that in a future blog post so stay tuned!

The third book I am working on is called, “Unoffendable” by Brant Hansen (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore). This book along with “Find Your People” came in an email from Money Saving Mom. I requested it from the library and when it came in I couldn’t remember why I picked it-does that happen to you? I don’t consider myself as someone who offends easily and this book is geared towards Christians specifically but if I were to guess I think I was intrigued by the idea of just letting things go. I’m only a few pages in but it’s humorous and well-written so I am looking forward to it being my 4th book read of January.

I am also reading the “Complete Works of H. Emilie Cady”-or rather re-reading it. I love her wisdom and I read a bit during my prayer and meditation time in the afternoons along with A Course in Miracles (this link is an affiliate link. If you use this link I earn a small commission but you don’t pay anymore). They are both filled with such wisdom and I find something insightful each time I read. I haven’t finished A Course in Miracles yet but I hope to have it done by the end of the year.

So that is my January book club list. Are you reading anything special? I would love to hear! Do you have a favorite genre? Have you set a monthly reading goal for yourself? This year I am really trying for a book a week but recognize that may not happen so it’s more of a fun goal rather than something to stress about. How about you? Please comment below and let me know!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Book Club September 2022

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Happy September!

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these I receive a small commission but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

September? Really? When did that happen? I know it’s always said that “time flies” but sometimes I really cannot comprehend how quickly a year goes by.

Have you been reading a lot? I feel pretty good about what I finished this month and just the fact that I consciously made more time to read. Writing these posts keeps it in the forefront of my mind and I seem to make more time to read with them so I hope you enjoy them as well 🙂

I think I am going to leave last month’s list alone and just share with you the books I actually finished. If you are interested in the books on my self that I am in the process of reading you can visit my August Book Club post here.

Lessons in Truth by Emilie Cady: I just cannot say enough about this book. It offers me such comfort and I feel like I am reading a letter from a dear friend. If you like metaphysics/spirituality with a Christian focus you might enjoy this book as well. I purchased the collection of her works that include this book and I am currently reading the second book as part of my daily devotional time.

Hiring the Heavens by Jean Slatter: Another book that just made me feel positive and happy while I read it. This book focuses on hiring the angels to assist you as you go about your day. It’s a practice that I have implemented in my daily devotional time and it really strengthens my sense of connection to the Divine.

The Darling Dahlias and the Voodoo Lily by Susan Wittig Albert: I love this series so much and I really enjoyed this story line. If you like some cozy mysteries and historical fiction you might just like this series.

The Darling Dahlias and the Red Hot Poker: The most recent book in this series I really enjoyed this one as well. I was able to get it on loan from my library which was nice. Sadly I don’t have another one to read as of yet-hopefully the author will be writing another one 🙂

There were 3 children’s books I had borrowed from the library last month but I ended up returning them. I hadn’t started them and to be honest I wasn’t into reading them at the time so I decided to return them and maybe try them again at another time. They might be fun to bring into our homeschool when it starts up next week.

So that is my Book Club update. I hope your September is off to a great start! What are you reading? Please comment below and let me know-I am always looking for new suggestions!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Weekly Round Up for the 2nd Week of August 2022

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How is your August going? I have been feeling good, if not a bit antsy from time to time. Do you ever feel like you are supposed to be somewhere doing something but you don’t know where or what? I have been feeling that way a bit this past week so I’m trying to spend more time doing and less time lost in my head.

Here’s a bit of what I have been doing:

My First Create with Me Art Journaling Session

I had so much fun playing in my art journal with no goal in mind other than to play in my art journal. If you would like some virtual company to have a play with your journal you can watch the video and read the blog post here.

This Week in Flowers (and Pumpkins)
I am so grateful for the bouquets that I am still able to cut from the garden. I also share with you my pride and joy-PUMPKINS! Something I have been trying to successfully grow for years. You can see all the photos in the blog post here.

Weekly Podcasts
I also recorded a new podcast for this week where I am chatting about creative living. If you fancy a chat for about 20 minutes or so why not make your self a cup of your favorite beverage (iced tea? I love unsweetened iced tea this time of year) and join me here.

Letters for Creatives
I am also sending out my letters to creatives today. If you like the idea of a weekly email meant only to be inspiring to my fellow creatives you can sign up here.

Book Club
I decided to make my Book Club posts monthly and plan to share them the first week of every month. I wasn’t reading fast enough so I thought I might not have enough content to share each week. Unless of course I shared with you all the books I have added to my TBR (To Be Read) list! Of course after deciding that I finished 2 books this week so maybe I would have had something to share. Still, I’ll stick with once a month and see how it goes.

Not shared specifically on the blog but I have a fun video with painted papers coming on my YouTube channel on Monday. I admit to being nervous and excited to get my channel going again. I am taking small steps and will be sharing weekly there but every video that goes on YouTube can also be found on Dilettante TV here on the site so no worries if you aren’t hanging out on YT.

I finished painting an old sofa table for the studio. I started it last Friday and was able to give it a second coat this week and set it all up Wednesday. I am so happy with how it looks (you can see the before and after below) along with how my vintage typewriter looks on it.

    

I have a piece going in my art journal about birds. I was inspired after watching this video
on Sandi Hester’s YT channel (thank you Laura Bray for sharing her channel with me!). I just loved how she painted her birds (and the automotive brushes she was using-so I had to order some!)

I have been working off and on with birds the past few months and on Saturday we took a trip to our local used book store and I picked up an Encyclopedia on birds (along with some other books I’m hoping to use in collage). The page is sitting on my desk in my studio and as I came in to work today I was inspired to add some collage to it so that’s just what I did. It’s still a work in progress but I’ll be sure to share it with you when it’s all done.

I do hope you have had some time for your creativity this week. Please let me know what you have been working on-I would love to hear!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Book Club for August 2022

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How has your summer been? For me, the garden is in bloom, the kids have found some wonderful activities that they are really enjoying and I have already passed my last year’s read list.

When I was young I read all summer long. It was just my mom and I and she worked so summers for me were trips to the library each Friday, coming home with a tower of books that I would read all week long and then returning next Friday to do the same. I would buy the books in my favorite series: The Babysitters Club, Sweet Valley Twins, then Sweet Valley High, anything by Christopher Pike (I still go back and re-read one of my favorite books by him-Sati) who was probably my all time favorite author.

Occasionally I would sell some of my books-the least favorite ones-to the used book store in town so I could buy another brand new book-or a bunch of used books depending on the selection. The books I sold back would almost never be from any of my series books as the natural born collector in me couldn’t bare it.

On average I read a book a day in the summer and still read a lot when the dreaded school year returned. Once the excitement of new school supplies wore off and the reminder that I was once again spending the bulk of my time focusing on things that had little to no interest in the school year would drag on. Reading, visiting worlds of imagination and creating ones for myself were always my favorite creations. I almost never read the books assigned in school-dark depressing books that I could not comprehend and always made me sad were ignored-usually with an eye roll or two.

Still I read voraciously until I found work, driving and college. I still read but not as much as when I could easily fill my days with books.

Having children I found myself reading hardly at all-unless you counted board books. It’s been the last few years where I have really made an effort to bring back reading on a daily basis.

Of course I read loads all day but for me, reading an actual book is an activity all to itself. I listen to audiobooks-usually spiritually based ones before bed. Books that have a meditative quality and align me with Source, with peace. I have listened to audio books when working on my art as well and while I am counting these on my book list they feel like something completely different than reading. Even reading on my kindle has a different feel to it and I tend to read different types of books that way. Usually my cozy mystery books-quick reads that are usually a long series of books with fun characters and unusual circumstances fill my digital library.

The books I hold in my hands though? Those are the magical books. Those are the ones that transport me to worlds, make me smile and leave me feeling inspired and uplifted. Those are still my favorite books. Some of my favorite things are when an audio book or a digital book gets added to my physical library because it made me that happy. That always feels like I’ve been given a special gift.

As I am growing as an artist and writer I thought it would be fun to make The Book Club Series here on the blog a weekly share. Some weeks I may not make much progress but at the very least I’m sure I would have one or two new book additions on my TBR list 🙂

The last post I shared dedicated to Book Club was in March. I had a large stack of books sitting on my shelf waiting to be read or finished. If I am honest, I secretly believed I would finish them all in a month making way for new ones.

I didn’t, but thankfully I still added new books anyway.

The following books are ones I purchased with my own money or borrowed from the library. The links provided are affiliate links for Bookshop.org a site that supports local bookstores. If you use the links provided it does not cost you any more money but I earn a small commission. If no link is provided it’s simply because it wasn’t availble.

As a quick update-here’s the list and where I am at with each book:

The Bhagavad Gita: I haven’t started this one yet. I feel I want to finish A Course in Miracles before delving into this work.

A Course in Miracles: I haven’t read much in the book but I was listening to it on audio for a while. I started it from the beginning on the audio and would listen a bit each night before going to sleep. I don’t feel this is a book you just read and are done. It feels like something that I will be forever reading and I am really alright with that.

Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist: I finished this book and really enjoyed it.

Buddhism for Mothers by Sarah Napthali: Another book I am enjoying but haven’t made much progress with.

The Dance by Oriaha Mountain Dreamer: This was a good book as well but I just lost interest at some point. I am sure I will finish it but for now it’s on the sideline

Lessons in Truth by Emilie Cady: Another wonderful book-I even purchased a used copy of her complete works-but I haven’t made much more progress in this as well. I am thinking it might be nice to bring these books to the studio to read a bit before recording my daily energetic attunements or beginning my creative work.

Hiring the Heavens by Jean Slatter: Another book that I am enjoying but haven’t been reading. I am wondering if writing this post will bring me back to some of these books that I am so close to finishing.

Little Stories of Your Life by Laura Pashby:
I finished this book and it is really beautiful and inspirational and has made me really appreciate the art of blogging

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard:
I haven’t started this one and I think it’s because I thought I had finished it on audio! Does that ever happen to you? Turns out I finished another book on writing and haven’t started this one. Ah the problems of readers…

Cool Flowers by Lisa Mason Ziegler
I haven’t finished this one but imagine I will be picking it up towards the end of August or September to prepare my fall sowing of flowers. This year the garden has been so full of flowers that I have pretty much identified my have-to-grows for next year. And I’m sure I’ll find a few dozen more. Flowers are like books-you can never have too many around you.

The Darling Dahlias & The Silver Money Bush by Susan Wittig Albert
This book I finished and also read the next one in the series and have picked up 2 more from the library-I’ll share those below

Alright so that’s an update on all the books I had from last year. I think for this go around I’ll only share the books I am actively reading and the ones I have finished recently so here goes:

Finished:

Amethyst Witch by Barbra Annino: I am really enjoying this series about a family of witches. It’s fun, light and your cozy mystery small towns and quirky residents. This is one I have been reading on my Kindle Paperwhite and have been really enjoying.

Opal Fire by Barbra Annino: Another book in the series and again-an enjoyable cozy mystery read.

Bloodstone by Barbra Annino: Well, you get the idea-I like the series 🙂 I also love the Kindle for this since I can download the next book immediately if I want to keep reading.

The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover by Susan Wittig Albert: A historical fiction series taking place in the small town of Darling in the 1930’s. It’s about a local gardening club and all the mysteries that turn up in their quiet hometown. One of my favorites.

The Darling Dahlias and the Poinsettia Puzzle by Susan Wittig Albert: This is a Christmas book so if it bothers you reading about Christmas in summer you may want to add it to your winter TBR list. I enjoyed it very much, as I do all her stories. And this was one I purchased on Thrift Books. Sometimes if I can’t find her books at my local library I will buy them second hand.

The Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East Volume 1:  This book was one I listened to each night before bed. It felt so peaceful and wonderful and I really enjoyed it. I was disappointed that I couldn’t find the other volumes to listen to as well but I am quite sure I will be purchasing physical copies anyway. For me, these feel like A Course in Miracles-I will be reading and re-reading these throughout my lifetime.

Currently on Loan from the Library:

The Darling Dahlias and the Voodoo Lily by Susan Wittig Albert: Next in the series and available at my local library I stopped in to pick it up with the kids-which led to lots more books-isn’t it wonderful? In fact my 2 oldest each picked out a chapter book and I offered them each a fish (which they have both been asking for) if they finished the books by the time they were due back. My oldest finished hers in 2 days and my son is working on reading the same book my oldest borrowed since he didn’t find his all that interesting. Looks like I will be getting fish this weekend 🙂 I am thinking of getting one for the studio-what do you think? My daughter advised me that I had to finish this book before I got a fish though.

The Darling Dahlias and the Red Hot Poker by Susan Wittig Albert: Since I was requesting books I had requested the next one in the series as well.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer:  I saw this in the kids section and it really looked interesting. I’m not familiar with the book but anything that has magical lands and stories I adore. Plus it’s a series so that’s always a plus for me.

Stuart Little by E.B. White: I mean I saw it and how could I not? We may even have this book at home but when I saw it there on the shelf I just had to check it out and read it again.

TumTum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall by Emily Bearn: I may have been in the children’s section a bit too long. Another new to me book it just looked like a story I would enjoy-similar to The Heartwood Hotel series we used to read with my oldest (I highly recommend).

Well, that is a full Book Club for this week don’t you think? I won’t be writing as much going forward (I think) since I will be updating this weekly. Please do share what you are reading below or books you want to read or how you like to read. I love hearing.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Taking Care and Flowers

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I am sharing a small little post with you today but what I really wanted to share were some photos I took in the garden. I have really been enjoying photographing my flowers and am using them for some sketches/paintings that I hope to share with you. In the meantime, I hope they bring a smile to your face.

I am slowly moving into my hibernation week taking a bit extra care of myself as-in my haste to clear out some weeds-ignored the poison ivy that was growing amidst the dead nettle at the base of the oak tree. As a very clear reminder of the virtue of moving slowly the left side of my face is now covered in poison ivy. It looks worse than it feels (thanks to calamine lotion) still I believe it’s taking it’s toll in other ways.

I am forever trying to find the meaning in my experiences, the lessons buried deep in the seemingly ordinary. I believe that I am being called more and more to focus on my own way of doing things. Of embracing those parts of myself that perhaps I came to believe were flaws.

Like my lack of “hustle” and the need to meander rather than drive.

I have finished a book and started another (not on the list I shared with you in my last book club update) so I hope to have a few more updates to share with you perhaps next week. In the meantime I will drink tea, make art, snuggle my kiddos and spend as much time in the garden as possible.

I hope this week is starting off well for you. That you are able to move at the pace that feels natural and in a way that feels your own. If, like me, you need to take care of yourself I hope you do.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante.

 

Sharing a New Podcast and Pulling in More Creativity

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Today I managed to have a play with a few different mediums and it felt so nice.

I worked on a new story in a new notebook that is dedicated to a brand new project which feels so fun! I cannot wait to share more of it with you.

I did some research in alignment with this same project and was learning a bit about 1930’s radio programs. I also found a fun behind the scenes video that was made in the 1950’s that was very interesting. You can watch it here.

I recorded a new podcast-something I would love to make a weekly or almost weekly endeavor. It’s about 20 minutes long and I share a bit more about my new project as well as some that will be coming up on the horizon. I also chat a little about pulling in more and more creativity into my days in simple and gentle ways.

I worked in some of my mini art journals as part of a class I am taking with Alisa Burke. While I was reviewing my podcast I had fun just adding some paint to paper and “prepping my pages” as Alisa says.

I also did a little puttering in the garden. Cleaning up and putting away some of the seedling trays that had been littering the yard. I also started putting the fencing around my garden but am going to wait for a second opinion (i.e ask my husband when he gets home) since it looks like it may not be quite as sturdy as I had hoped.

I hope you manage a little creative time today-if only 5 minutes. You totally deserve it and I hope you can find some space for it. Wishing you a lovely day!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante