Book a Day keeps the Cobwebs Away or Don't be a Wooden Head

Side Note to this Blog : The University of Coimbra Library - Portugal

I had the priviledge to visit the Biblioteca Joanina Libray in 2016.

At Biblioteca Joanina and  the Mafra Palace Library, both, curiously, located in Portugal, and both built in the 18th century, small bats, about an inch long, act as guards against book-eating insects. The Globe reports on the bat-friendly places:

In an email, Campbell explained that the bats, which are less than inch long, roost during the day behind “elaborate rococo bookcases” and come out at night to hunt insects which otherwise would feast on the libraries’ books. The price of this natural insect control is paid in scat: The bats, Campbell writes, “leave a thin layer of droppings over everything. So each morning the floors have to be thoroughly cleaned…and the furniture has to be covered at night.”

Facts about Bats in the Library

Recently.....

The signs  have all point to .... READING !  Several reminders in the past few weeks have gently nudged me to think about the need for me to read.  Newly retired I have "time on my hands" and find myself when wanting to relax from cleaning, gardening and re-organzing my home... gravitating to TV while surfing the internet ( I have a need to multi task)  It really is Oh so BORING and STUPID.  So, I have come to recognize this is brain numbing. 

Ok,  on to the part about Reading...
My guilt  is now speaking ... Years ago I tried.... I really did  try... to surround my children with books.

Every night they were to read!
They were to pick out a book to take  it to bed. My Son's bedroom closet had boxes with childrens books.  Oh,  but my strong willed Italian/Sicilian children were oh so clever that I WOULD  end up reading to them!  They would all snuggle up on the bunk beds in his room for Mom to read.  It was a special time... however, they got away with not reading!

Nostaligic moment in my blog...
              I would read this very book that belonged to their Dad when he was a child.

Now... I have Grandchildren.... I have encouraged my daughter to have her kids READ books. Get  them off the iPhones...   The Truth Is... that I myself over the years have taken my Grandkids  to the book store as well I have brought them books.  I again have tried.

Now, in all honestly this comes from "me" who seldom reads. 
Oh, I may just surprise myself if I ever made a list of the books I have read over the year.  But it's "Over the years".  I find it difficult to read anything other then educational  and informative books. The last book I purchased several months ago (read only 1/2 of the book so far) was Dovekeepers by  Alice Hoffman.   So....

Today I make a committment to READ each day.  The Goal is to read a book a week.
Practice what I preach

1/4/18 Note Entry:  Yea! Completed reading a book that was started while on a Cruise. "Madwomen Upstairs".  Enjoyed.  Ready to find another book

Putting committment to paper (ok, committing in my blog)  I believe is the first step.

This weeks book is:

Goodreads



Just my thinking (why I need to read this book)

 I am the last 30 of my life. (Hoping to hit at least 90).

As I contiplate the next 30.... I want to stay Mentally Strong. So, I am starting with this book .  the Laugh is I purchased this book 2014 when at Canyon Ranch.  Oh me the procrastinator...

 Intent is 10%, Action is 90%.  Time For Action

Here I go....