Books: Circle of Friends and In An Instant

I had high hopes when the book Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy was chosen for our social club's February book chat. The book received very high reader ratings on Amazon. I even was enjoying it after the first few chapters. But then, it fell apart for me.

So here I was, in the middle of the book, not liking it at all. Normally, I would just stop reading it, and move on. However, this year, I'm the book chat coordinator for my social group, so I felt an obligation to plow through it so I could speak intelligently at our book chat.

As it turns out, those that attended our book chat last night didn't like it either.

Oh well. You like some books. You don't like others. That's just the way it is. Here's the link on my forum to see what others have said about Circle of Friends.

http://www.getorganizednow.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=178479

March's book title is In An Instant by Lee Woodruff. I just ordered it and am awaiting it's arrival. Here is the link that summarizes the book:

http://www.getorganizednow.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=180354

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Mardi Gras, which in French translates to Fat Tuesday, is officially the day before Ash Wednesday. The day is also commonly referred to as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day and can occur anytime between February 3rd and March 9th, depending on when Easter is held that particular year.

Tonight, our family is attending a pancake dinner. Whether you celebrate Fat Tuesday or not, why not have breakfast for dinner tonight? Whether you have children at home or not, this is a nice change of pace to the typical dinner meals.

You may even opt to eat out at a local diner-type restaurant--they usually serve breakfast all day and all night.

Changing things up once in awhile, keeps dinnertime fresh and fun!

Have a Plan for Waiting Time

After I drop my daughter off at school, I've been going to morning workout class at a local fitness center. In the past, it worked out well because drop off time was 8:00am and the class (a 5 minute drive away) started at 8:15am--no waiting time.

The class time recently changed and it now starts at 8:25am, so that leaves at least 20 minutes of sitting in the car waiting for the class to start.

To ensure those 20 minutes waiting are productive, I always have either reading material or a writing project with me.

This morning, during those 20 minutes, I managed to write a rough draft of an article for a magazine. After my workout, I was able to shower, get dressed, and polish up the article in no time at all.

Of course, waiting time could be used as needed--for work reasons, to write a note to a family member, to make out some checks for bills or to simply take some quiet time to think. The key is having a plan for this time, so that you have a notebook, reading material, stationery, pen, etc. with you for whatever you wish to do.

Waiting time can be productive after all!

Ben Franklin's Invention

This weekend, my 5-year old daughter and I went to the Ben Franklin Craft Store in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Upon leaving the store, Amanda said, "Mommy, I know that Ben Franklin guy...he's the one who invented lightening!'"

Too funny!

Facebook -- the Ultimate Waste of Time, or Not?

So, I've been hearing about this thing called Facebook for quite some time now. Each day, I get at least 10-15 'be my friend' requests from both people I know, and people I don't. This weekend, I finally said to myself, 'Self, get with the program and check this thing out.'

In a nutshell, Facebook is a free-access social networking website in which users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people.

A typical 'newsfeed' goes like this...

Maria is just sitting down to work, after an awesome Perkins breakfast with . 34 minutes ago

Sue is happy to be back from New Orleans. It's fun to travel, but better to be back home. about an hour ago

Kathie is thinking this is going to be a great week! about an hour ago

Adriana added music by David Cook to her Songs iLike.

Laurie said, Yep, I'm a fan of his, too. We were sure glad he won American Idol last year!

You get the picture.

So, is it a complete waste of time? In some senses, yes! It's addictive and most of the information you read is completely irrelevant to reaching any goals or doing anything productive.

Am I totally against it? No, it's a nice diversion to use as a reward for doing something productive--as long as the reward is a short 10-15 minutes, and not hours long. It's like a little peek into your friends and family members lives.

You can also use it as a forum for sharing something useful. One of my friends last week posted a crafty project she worked on (which is something I may want to do sometime). Another friend posted a recipe, which turned into a tasty dinner last week--without the need to plow through a recipe book. Yet, another friend posted a web site that I was able to use to promote my business.

If you do decide to join this craze, I have five tips to help ensure you're not 'wasting' your entire day and to also ensure you're staying safe:

1) Limit your Facebook access to once or twice a day for no more than 10-15 minutes at scheduled times. If you go on more than that, and you can't get anything else done during the day, that's one of the reasons why. (Smile) If you find the need to check more often, limit your time there to no more than 1-2 minutes at a time. If you're shooting at all, shoot for no more than 15-30 minutes time TOTAL per day--and that's probably still too much.

2) Never post anything too personal, and you may consider restricting access to your Facebook page to only family and friends, rather than the general public. (Note: Facebook has been compromised in the past, so please take heed not to post anything you'd prefer the general public not to know.)

3) Use Facebook as a relaxing reward after you accomplish your priority work. Don't use it as a substitute for working on your goals.

4) Try to post something useful once in awhile. You'll make the world a better place.

5) Remember, it's all about quality, not quantity. Make your 'network' consist of people you have a genuine interest in; not everyone that comes along that wants to be your 'friend.'

So, what about Twitter? My Space? The same applies.

Latest Book I've Read and the One I'm Reading Now

582 pages later, I was more than satisfied with Barbara Walters memoir. This was probably one of my favorite non-fiction books in awhile. It kept me interested from page 1 to the end.

Walters has interviewed so many famous people over her lifetime. Can you even imagine interviewing a head of state one day, and a murderer the next? She did it, with intelligence and confidence.

It was also intriguing hearing about her childhood and the challenges she faced then, and as she grew up.

I highly recommend this book. If you read it, we have a little book chat going on, on the Get Organized Now! forum. Here is the link:

http://www.getorganizednow.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=38

February's book title is Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. I've already started reading it, and am enjoying it--although I will warn you it's a little tough to keep track of all the characters (keep a notebook by your bedside).