Blog June Post 15 - Sharing is Caring

Thanks to @FiFYI also known as the Bun-Toting Librarian for her Monday Meme which she is kindly sharing without knowing it!!

LAYER ONE: THE OUTSIDE

1. What’s your preferred name? Sharon or Shaz, Shaza, Leibs (by my hubby), or Mum.
2. Do you wear glasses? Yes. I got my glasses when I was 18 - just after I got my driver's license.  I am short sighted so it was interesting judging distances when driving.  I also wanted to go back and see the musicals I had seen prior as I'm sure I missed bits because I couldn't see.
3. How would you describe your fashion style? I'd say I'm a dag!  I don't fuss too much about what I wear and currently have more fun coordinating my running gear than my everyday clothes.

LAYER TWO: THE INSIDE

1. What do you fear? Spiders, drowning, anything happening to anyone in my family but really scared of something happening to Miss A.
2. What is your guilty pleasure? Chocolate although I'm not guilty about it!!  I also love Summer Rolls.

LAYER THREE: YOUR THOUGHTS

1. What was your first thought when you woke up today? Why am I doing this - as in getting up at 4.15am to go for a run in the dark at 5.15am and then followed by bootcamp.  It was also raining so dark and rain - yep I'm hardcore.  I can't wait for the marathon to be over so I can have a week of some sleeping in!!!
2. What you think about most? Food LOL  No I also think about .... well food LOL  Miss A would say running and exercise so that is a nice balance!

LAYER FOUR: WHAT’S BETTER?

1. To be loved or respected? Both
2. Dogs or cats? Cats but I do like dogs - although I don't like one's outside of their fences growling at me or going at me.  I also don't like the one's that bark constantly.  But well behaved dogs are beautiful!  And I have 2 cats so am a bit biased.

LAYER FIVE: BELIEF

1. Believe in yourself? I'm learning to.
2. Believe in love? Yes and still am!

LAYER SIX: YOUR TALENTS

1. Do you play a musical instrument? No but I love to sing!!
2. Do you enjoy cooking? No
3. Are you any good at gardening? I can be if I want to.  But I choose not too.  Mowing the lawn is about the extent of my gardening.

LAYER SEVEN: YOUR FAVOURITES

1. Favourite animal? Anything that is cute - I do like mini pigs
   
2. Favourite movie? Anne of Green Gables and The Outsiders
3. Favourite book? The Outsiders.

LAYER EIGHT: AGE

1. How old are you? 38
2. Does age matter? No, you are only as old as you feel  I plan to be active for the rest of my life and that guarantees that I will always feel young - so I hope!

Today's mantra: Be your own superhero

Hills, hills and more hills #blogjune #17

Today's mantra: Love yourself enough to work out harder.

Unfortunately, for me I think I do the opposite - work out hard to love yourself!!

This morning saw winter arrive - 5'C and a 5.30am run.  Predictably this meant that not all of our running group showed up, so three of us headed out to the beach for a very cold run.

Up the beach and there was plans for hill repeats.  With our motivational leader, Shelley MIA, some of our group piked out after one hill - but the dedicated one (me - or stupid one) pushed out 4 more hill repeats as the others headed back down the beach never to be seen again!

I then pushed out another 5k at lunch time and unfortunately, the route I follow at lunch has 6 hills.  I thought I was going slow due to my hill work this morning, but I actually did an alright pace.  Am totally buggered now though and bootcamp tomorrow.

But Love yourself enough to work out harder!!!

Something to finish - this is a bit true for me - except for the last image - but the last image is what I'm working on!!

I won't quit until I'm the person I want to be #blogjune #5

I think I may be not quitting for a long time - today's mantra: I won't quit until I'm the person I want to be.

I'm not sure what person I want to be.  Yes I want to be fit and healthy but I also want to be a great mum, wife and librarian - and maybe athlete!!

I have been discussing my difficulty in learning to love myself a bit over the last few days with various people.  Most agree that they also are not at the point of loving themselves.  Why are we so hard on ourselves?

It should be about being the best person you can be and work towards being all the things I mentioned before - because I don't think you ever reach the point of being who you want to be because we are all a work in progress.  Perhaps in our final days we will accept that if we have tried to be the best we can be, then we were the person we wanted to be.

This discussion is probably more suited after having a few drinks - it's too deep for my mind at the moment and I'm sure I could take it to some interesting places after a couple of glasses of bubbles.  Perhaps I will revisit this post after my half-marathon on Sunday when I am sitting back with some bubbles, listening to some good tunes, soaking up my achievements and spending time with my loving family.  Perhaps then I will be the person I want to be!!!

Are you still not quitting?  Or are you the person you want to be?

Blog December Post 26/Blog12DaysXmas Post 2 - Share the Love of Reading

Today's Destiny Card is Love.

Love is a strong word that is sometimes used too much and sometimes used not enough.

There are many things I love but this is not what this post will be about.

On the second day of Christmas.... I learnt about "reader activism" - thanks to a retweet by @flexnib of the following blog post: Rise up, readers

The article talks about "reader activism."  So how can you become a reader activist?  The article suggests the following:

Write reviews on your favourite bookstore websites or those most often visited. On Amazon, for example, this makes a difference in the way a writer's books appear as "recommendeds". Use GoodReads like the passionate publicist you can now be. Let authors know that you are supporting them - as reader activist Peta Kelly does. Send out links to friends, sharing news of book blogs such as this one - or a particular review or article that's inspired you. Send them far and wide. Buy new, not second hand (no royalty for the author). Don't lend too generously; buy books for others - and for yourself. Most of all, value your vital part in any writer's success - or survival. Time matters as much as money. Use social media. Make your views known, and make them count.

I always have good intentions of writing reviews of the books I've read, but then don't follow through - unless I'm doing reviews for Australian Library Journal (I class that as work not leisure).

I do use GoodReads to record what I've read and what I'd like to read, but only rate books using the star method - no reviews.

I try to let the author know that I've enjoyed their books when I can.  And I use social media to spread the word.

However, I rarely buy new because I use the library and when I do buy new, I certainly share or donate to the library.

So based on their suggestions, would you consider yourself a reader activist?

Other suggestions include:
If somebody lends you a copy of a book she loved, buy a copy to give to another friend.
If you can’t afford to buy a new book, borrow it from your library. If a book you want to read is constantly on hold, ask your library to order another copy. Australian authors receive a small annual payment related to the number of copies of their books held in libraries, so every copy does help.
If an author you enjoy asks you to join her email list, don’t hesitate. Email lists are the best way authors have of communicating with their readers and letting them know of events, media interviews and that next book. You can also let your own friends know there’s a new book coming, making yourself look very knowledgeable in the process! 
Attend literary events featuring authors you’ve enjoyed reading. Invite a friend along. Ask the author a question. She won’t bite – she will be relieved that someone has asked a question.
If you’ve just finished a book you loved, let your online community know about it. Sometimes a passing reference in a Facebook post is all it takes to convince a reader to finally buy that book she keeps hearing about.

I particularly like the "attend literary events" suggestion.  I find it interesting that a number of people don't like to meet the author of their favourite books as it may spoil the illusion - like meeting the actor that played your favourite character and they are nothing like them.  And some don't want to know what makes the author ticks - they just like to read.

Do you like meeting authors of your favourite books?

If you are interested in attending a literary event - the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival is on in March 2013 - I'd love to say hello to my fellow blog readers!!

So in the end this blog post was a bit about love - it is about sharing the love of reading via reader activism!!