I live in Southern California, with my husband, in a house that is way too small for us, our pets and our hobbies. One problem with the size of this house is it doesn’t hold enough books. For us, books are a priority. All kinds. First edition hardbacks, mass market paperbacks, novels, anthologies, self-help, and professional texts. There are never quite enough shelves to hold them, so they spill over into places they don’t belong. I keep a pair of binoculars and a couple of bird reference books handy to identify feathered visitors, and I pore over knitting books for inspiration, new patterns and yarns. We both use our collection of cookbooks when we have time to indulge in cooking. If there’s a repair to be done, there’s usually a book somewhere that will help. I read books on tarot, spirituality, parapsychology, and watercolor. We should probably both have been librarians. In fact, my favorite job I ever had was in a library, when I was a college student. There have been many jobs since, and all of them paid better, but that’s still my favorite.
I’ve been a writer of one kind or another all my life, ever since I made up a silly song and sang it to my sister at the age of eight. She didn’t believe I’d made it up, and she told our mother I was fibbing. She was likely put off by the fact that I can’t carry a tune. Ah, the sting of the critic!
Many years later, while employed as a technical writer, I wrote my first novel-length manuscript in my spare time, because of a challenge from my husband, who remains to this day my dearest yet toughest editor, and critic. Many years later, I saw my name in print, with the self-publication of my romantic mystery titled Shadows Fall, which is now in its second edition. I completed another mystery, in 2004, titled Snow Angels, which is available as a free download on my website.
Enough about me, for now. I hope to post more reviews soon, but I reserve the right to interrupt the programming with other topics on a regular basis. Feel free to add your comments. Thank you so much for visiting, and please check back soon.
My other blog, Spirit Blooms, explores tarot, spirituality, poetry, art, and sometimes politics. That’s where I post some of my poetry and occasional artwork.
Housekeeping notes:
All the blogs I read aren’t listed in my blog list. Some I read via their syndication (RSS or XML) feeds. Sometimes new blogs show up in my list here, sometimes they go away. It’s nothing personal, just depends on how the blog fits with my content and my reading and commenting patterns or whims.
The comments on Snow Angels are sometimes snipped due to content that may give away the ending of the story (thus the term “spoiler”) to others who haven’t yet read the story.
No junk (sp*m) or abusive comments are tolerated on this blog.
1.
I have so many books too, and sometimes I don’t know what to do with them all..besides read and re-read them. I’ve thought for many years too that I should have been a librarian too.
Comment by J — July 20, 2004 @ 5:33 pm
2.
My books cascade all over my “library.” It’s a real mess I love to explore when the rain cascades against the ceiling and I feel compelled to rearrange the mess.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Comment by Mark — July 21, 2004 @ 4:56 pm
3.
I think this book thing is a problem to lots of people.
I live in a big house(too big actually), and there still isn’t enough room for my books.
Cas
Comment by cassie-b — July 24, 2004 @ 10:49 am
4.
I’m so relieved I’m not the only one with this book accumulation problem. But there are a lot worse things to have too much of, aren’t there?
Thanks so much for your comments. I’m enjoying checking out your weblogs as well.
Comment by Barbara — July 26, 2004 @ 3:46 pm
5.
Reading, one of the best pleasures in life. My family has learned to trade our books in to get more from a local bookstore. This allows other people to read it, people who might not be able to afford the book new. My mom, when she was alive, had been known to come home from the used book store with 7 or 8 grocery bags full of books. Once a bookworm, always a book worm.
BTW, Barbara, I am one of the owners of Grouchy’s Libertopia. I wanted to stop by and thank you for visitings our site. We have added a link to your site on our page. I hope that you and your readers have enjoyed what they see.
Comment by Marcia — July 29, 2004 @ 5:33 pm
6.
About 7000 books in the house.
Most of them read. Eight of them written
Stu
Comment by Stu Savory — March 9, 2005 @ 5:18 am
7.
Enjoyed your website-from the DotL Digest
link-I am a mystery reader- mostly lurker on the DotL digest- The last two years as a gift (from my daughter who is also a mystery buff-)we both enjoyed Malice Domestic- and have plans for 2006 to be there- We both are also avid knitters-
I may be mistaken- (since I am 75 Years young) did I read you had tatted a bookmark-
I took a beginners course in Tatting recently something I always wanted to learn-
It was so much fun -So far bookmarks have been what I have tatted- 5 so far
Back to reading and lurking-knitting and tatting-
Comment by Polly VanHyning — August 1, 2005 @ 9:15 am
8.
Welcome, Polly! Yes, I did—in fact I’ve made several tatted bookmarks over the years. I used to try to sell them, but as you might know handwork isn’t the most appreciated thing except by those who actually do it themselves-and they tend to simply—do it themselves.
I’m sort of obsessed with lace in my handwork these days, fantasizing about an old architectural design—the window over the side entrance of Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland. It incorporates a solar cross, four hearts and fleur de lis. I’d like to figure out how to knit it into a lace shawl. It’s haunting me, and I’ve done a few drawings. Now I’m flirting with how to interpret it via the knitted stitch. I may be way too ambitious for my own good.
I find needlework makes a terrific complement to writing. Both are creative, but so different that each is a mini-vacation from the other and I never feel burned out by either, if I engage in both at least a little each day.
My novel Shadows Fall incorporates needlework (mainly knitting) in a limited way as background. My current work will, too, if not in the first book of the series, then the second. I can’t help this, since needlework has been as big a part of my life as breathing ever since I was a kid. It’s soooo relaxing!
Comment by Barbara W. Klaser — August 2, 2005 @ 1:34 pm
9.
Hello Barbara ~
I took details of this site some time ago at Aeclectic when I was looking for a good journalling software package. I have ordered the Life Journal now
. I was Moongold at Aeclectic. I’m doing some serious journalling at present, both tarot related and otherwise.
I’d like to write poetry, just for myself really, althought friends say the aim should be publication. I doubt that I will ever be that good.
Nice to “see” you again, and all the best.
Kate
Comment by Kate — July 1, 2006 @ 3:50 pm
10.
So nice to hear from you Kate.
Comment by Barbara — July 2, 2006 @ 9:03 am
11.
You’ve done a very commendable job with this site; a web page promoting your work and sharing the fruits of your labor is a great accomplishment. My novels are under another name and I’ve taken down my site after it was hijacked. Grrrr. But one day soon, I’ll return to that fun sort of work and get back on track! Your great homepage is an inspiration to me. n.kateus.
[comment moved by admin]
Comment by N.Kateus — March 4, 2008 @ 4:39 pm
12.
Hi Barbara,
Hope you’ll consider coming to the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, January 19-24, 2009. We have eight workshops for advanced and intermediate level poets. Get all the details at
www.palmbeachpoetryfestival.org Regards, Miles Coon, Director
Comment by Anonymous — July 28, 2008 @ 7:03 pm