Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE books. In fact, so does my husband and by default, my two sons (they never stood a chance ).  In an effort to become “more green” (and save some green), I have been trying to utilize the library more. I don’t think that it has really curbed our buying of books but we are more selective in which ones we buy. I always have such a long list for myself and the boys that there is never a time where there is nothing. Anyway… I was blog surfing this morning (there was some reasons for my meanderings so it was not just for procrastination purposes) and came across the blogs of Terry L. Tyson. I loved his writing style and found myself checking out his blog Bad Words. That was when I found it…the perfect description of my love affair with books…BOOK LUST! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. By the way, while you are checking out his blogs, check out his tag line one each one.  Gotta love those too!

I’ve posted entries in the past for Michelle Ward’s Green Pepper Press Street Team Crusades. Well, she has challenged people again to stretch their wings open their hearts with a “Pay it Forward Challenge”. She challenged people to make a gratitute gesture (think of something you can do for someone that ‘pays forward’ a kindness done to you). Seeing Michelle’s challenge prompted me to finish something I had decided to do almost a year ago.

Last fall I bought the book “Living the Creative Life” by Rice Freeman-Zachery and was immediately enamored with the insight that all the artists provided (not to mention all the great eye-candy to inspire one’s own creativity). I hadn’t even finished the first chapter when I found myself constantly thinking of two childhood friends who encouraged my creative dreams. Although I still am in touch with them, for the past several years we have succumbed to only an annual christmas card for communication. Even though I had no idea if either of these women have continued on their own creative journey, I felt it necessary to buy each of them a copy of the book. My initial intention was to mail the book as soon as I got it (I think it was in October of 2007) but life got in the way. Then I was going to try to get it out to them for Christmas but again life got in the way. I don’t know how many times I looked at those books (and the padded envelopes that at some point I put with them) but they just never found their way into the mail system. When I read Michelle’s challenge earlier this month, I knew the time had come. Within a week, I had notes written to my dear friends Mary and Cathy and had entrusted them to the US postal service. I only hope that they find the book as inspiring as I have.