Kate Collins's Blog, page 35
May 26, 2019
A Memorial Day Message
An inspiring message from the Cozy Chicks on this important day.
May 24, 2019
It's Garden Time
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
Back in April, when the forsythias bloomed, it was time to cut back my roses. The first time I did this (and I mean REALLY cut them back), I was sure I would kill them. But not only are roses beautiful, they're TOUGH. Sure enough, they not only bounced back, they bloomed even better.
I should have planted my snap peas at the same time. It was such a wet spring, I didn't want to to go out because it was COLD and I was afraid the seeds would just rot.
But nature is not to be denied. The perennials came up despite the cold and rain. They're doing remarkably well ... for some reason, the critters have left them away (so far). The daffodils, tulips, and rhododendrons are already done, but the iris, red-hot pokers. I've been trying to get rid of the lily of the valley (which is determined to take over the entire garden), so I ripped a bunch of them up. But then I think I might have pulled up some of my sun-drops, too. (Oops. They'll come back.)
I've got a bumper crop of rhubarb. I asked my Facebook friends what they used rhubarb for and I have a bunch of ideas. But this weekend I'm going to be making rhubarb chutney (the recipe is included in Recipes To Die For: A Victoria Square Cookbook).
Additionally, I'm planning on making some rhubarb muffins. I've got a couple of really good recipes (included in The Best From Swans Nest, a Lotus Bay Cookbook).
I noticed that I had some self-sown lettuce growing, so obviously Mother Nature thinks it's safe to grow it and I planted seeds. I should have enough for a (full) salad in about a month.
Sadly, I've decided to give up my veggie garden. It's not that I don't want to grow veggies, but it's too heartbreaking when critters eat the stuff before it's ripe enough to harvest, and I've had a terrible problem with tomato blight. I'll still be growing herbs and maybe some beans in container pots, but I'm going to turn the veggie garden into another perennial plot. I want to get some different varieties of roses (I already have about seven knock-out roses) and I'm not fond of tea roses (not enough blooms), but I think I will wait until I go to the nursery to make a final decision. Right now, it's a clean slate.
What do you think I should put in my new garden?
Back in April, when the forsythias bloomed, it was time to cut back my roses. The first time I did this (and I mean REALLY cut them back), I was sure I would kill them. But not only are roses beautiful, they're TOUGH. Sure enough, they not only bounced back, they bloomed even better.I should have planted my snap peas at the same time. It was such a wet spring, I didn't want to to go out because it was COLD and I was afraid the seeds would just rot.
But nature is not to be denied. The perennials came up despite the cold and rain. They're doing remarkably well ... for some reason, the critters have left them away (so far). The daffodils, tulips, and rhododendrons are already done, but the iris, red-hot pokers. I've been trying to get rid of the lily of the valley (which is determined to take over the entire garden), so I ripped a bunch of them up. But then I think I might have pulled up some of my sun-drops, too. (Oops. They'll come back.)
I've got a bumper crop of rhubarb. I asked my Facebook friends what they used rhubarb for and I have a bunch of ideas. But this weekend I'm going to be making rhubarb chutney (the recipe is included in Recipes To Die For: A Victoria Square Cookbook).Additionally, I'm planning on making some rhubarb muffins. I've got a couple of really good recipes (included in The Best From Swans Nest, a Lotus Bay Cookbook).
I noticed that I had some self-sown lettuce growing, so obviously Mother Nature thinks it's safe to grow it and I planted seeds. I should have enough for a (full) salad in about a month.Sadly, I've decided to give up my veggie garden. It's not that I don't want to grow veggies, but it's too heartbreaking when critters eat the stuff before it's ripe enough to harvest, and I've had a terrible problem with tomato blight. I'll still be growing herbs and maybe some beans in container pots, but I'm going to turn the veggie garden into another perennial plot. I want to get some different varieties of roses (I already have about seven knock-out roses) and I'm not fond of tea roses (not enough blooms), but I think I will wait until I go to the nursery to make a final decision. Right now, it's a clean slate.
What do you think I should put in my new garden?
May 22, 2019
Rhubarb Anyone?
by Karen Rose Smith
Do you like rhubarb?
Even if you don't think you like rhubarb, you would change your mind if you visited The Rhubarb Festival at the Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse, Pennsylvania, right in the center of beautiful Lancaster County Amish country.
My husband and I were driving through Intercourse last year around this time doing research for my Daisy's Tea Garden mystery series which is set in a fictional town of Willow Creek, between York and Lancaster. We came upon The Rhubarb Festival which was in full swing that weekend. We had such an enjoyable time that we marked our calendars to return this year.
Although there was a slight threat of rain, the sun managed to dominate and I enjoyed driving through the towns of Bird In Hand and Intercourse, trying to soak in the ambiance of the towns and surrounding Amish homesteads. The simplicity of the Amish lifestyle mixed with the beauty of the meticulously-kept yards, the pristine gardens, the horse and buggies, the clothes lines strung from the house to the barn was impressive. It was so easy to become re-energized to begin my next mystery set in this area.
The festival itself offered something for everyone--from horse and buggy rides, to whoopee pie making contests, to center-stage entertainment, to delicious food much of which included rhubarb. After a quick snack of ice cream (no, it wasn't rhubarb flavored!) in homemade waffle cones, we made our rounds to the outside stands and permanent businesses many of which featured local merchandise.
One of my favorite stands was operated by a lady who made and sold clothespin dolls. Her wares included cat and dog dolls, clown dolls, seasonal dolls and, of course, Amish dolls. I included the idea for these as children's treats at a special tea Daisy runs for kids and their parents. This will be included in MURDER WITH CHERRY TARTS, December.I also enjoyed the Kitchen Kettle food store which featured pickles, sauces, salsas, jams and baked goods. Samples were available for tasting. I think I tried each flavored pickle and liked the sweet dill best. We left with a jar of our favorite peach salsa and baked goods.
After we left the festival, we stopped at several more stand-alone establishments which featured Amish quilts and handmade furniture. It was inspiring to appreciate the fine stitching in the quilts and the expert crafting of the furniture pieces. As we took our exit from the Old Philadelphia Pike on to the main highway, it gave me pause to know that another way of life that featured simplicity and hard work existed so close to the urban world we are so accustomed to be a part of.
So now, it's back to work on my next Daisy's Tea Garden mystery where I will attempt to intertwine some of the Amish lifestyle with the mystery and the tea garden setting.
MURDER WITH CUCUMBER SANDWICHES, the third book in the series will be released on May 28, 2019. The book is now available for pre-order.
MURDER WITH CUCUMBER SANDWICHES on Amazon
MURDER WITH CUCUMBER SANDWICHES on Barnes and Noble
They crazy things we buy.
Duffy Brown here!! A little crazy but here.Okay, I did it. Made the impulse purchase that I just couldn’t resist. Not that this is my first Just Have To Have Itpurchase but it’s probably my craziest.
Yep, here he is. Meet Sherlock Bear. I tried to justify it in that yes, I do write mysteries, my license plates on my cars are Sherlok 1 and Sherlok 2, I love Sherlock Holmes and in my bio I state that while other teens wanted to take Brad Pitt to the prom I wanted to take Sherlock Holmes.And then there’s the eternal question of what dead person would you like to have a conversation with. For me it’s Sherlock Holmes of course. Okay, I get that the guy is really a fictional character but to me he was/is not that. Somewhere in my brain I think of him as real. I love this character. Love that he is a bit off the mark, so darn smart and is at peace with who he is. My kind of guy. Definitely my kind of character.So, you see where I’m coming from! I just had to buy Sherlock Bear. Right now he’s in my spare bedroom but I intend to take Sherlock Bear, all seven feet of his handsomeness, on the road with me.I have a Two Dames Mystery weekend in October and Sherlock Bear will be there to greet one and all. What a photo opp, right!!!
So my question to you today is... What impulse buy did you make? Did you regret it? Love it all the more? Or was it one of those What the heck was I thinking purchases? get Tandem Demise hereexcerpt from Tandem Demise...“Do you think he’s dead or just dead drunk?” I asked Fiona as the two of us stood alone on the freight dock with thick night fog swirling around us. We were staring at a guy prone on the pier with a champagne bottle clutched in his arms. Shivering as much from the breeze off Lake Huron as our situation I grabbed Fiona’s hand as we shuffled a little closer. “He’s staring back at us and not in a Hey come have a drink with me kind of way.” “And there’s blood, a lot of it. How doses this keep happening to you?” Fiona wanted to know. “Mackinac’s a little island but guess what, you come across yet another body!” “Hold on a minute, stop right there. Forget the youpart about the bodies. Okay, the first one was mine I’ll give you that, but the last one was definitely a we body.
May 19, 2019
MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
By Mary Kennedy
Are you a morning person or a night owl? And does it really matter? New studies reveal that not only our mood, our productivity but even our health can be affected by work and sleep patterns.
Most of us do find a "happy place" during the day when we're the most productive. Some of us love to greet the dawn with a brisk run, a hot shower or a turn on the exercise bike before leaving for work.
Others find this incomprehensible and can barely stagger to the kitchen for morning coffee before feeling half alive.
Some of us of course, (about 4% ) require very little sleep and manage to be productive and all night long on 3 or 4 hours sleep.
Danielle Steel revealed that she often works through on her first draft of a new book and can work for 22 hours at a stretch without feeling fatigued. She has food brought in to her and feels energized as she becomes more and more engrossed in her story. This strategy (although exhausting) has put her at the top of the best-selling charts again and again.
A new study shows that if you want to determine what time of day is your "downtime" when all systems seem to crash, here's what you do. Take your sleep pattern, say it's 8 hours, from 10 pm to 6 m. Now take the midpoint, that would be 2 am. Advance that 12 hours forward to 2 pm, and that is the time of day when fatigue hits. Try the experiment yourself, I found it to be accurate.
Happy productivity! Mary Kennedy
Are you a morning person or a night owl? And does it really matter? New studies reveal that not only our mood, our productivity but even our health can be affected by work and sleep patterns.Most of us do find a "happy place" during the day when we're the most productive. Some of us love to greet the dawn with a brisk run, a hot shower or a turn on the exercise bike before leaving for work.
Others find this incomprehensible and can barely stagger to the kitchen for morning coffee before feeling half alive.
Some of us of course, (about 4% ) require very little sleep and manage to be productive and all night long on 3 or 4 hours sleep.
Danielle Steel revealed that she often works through on her first draft of a new book and can work for 22 hours at a stretch without feeling fatigued. She has food brought in to her and feels energized as she becomes more and more engrossed in her story. This strategy (although exhausting) has put her at the top of the best-selling charts again and again.
A new study shows that if you want to determine what time of day is your "downtime" when all systems seem to crash, here's what you do. Take your sleep pattern, say it's 8 hours, from 10 pm to 6 m. Now take the midpoint, that would be 2 am. Advance that 12 hours forward to 2 pm, and that is the time of day when fatigue hits. Try the experiment yourself, I found it to be accurate.
Happy productivity! Mary Kennedy
May 17, 2019
More Green For Me
by Lorna Barrett / Lorraine Bartlett / L.L. Bartlett
When Earth Day rolled around last month, I started thinking about how much waste goes into my garbage tote. Mind you, I've been trying to adopt more green ways.
Earlier this year, I decided I needed to cut down on my use of paper towel. It so happens, my mother bought a lot of washcloths at yard sales for our family's cottage. I decided there were way too many stuffed into a drawer and I took them home and washed them to use in my kitchen. (I wrote about it on this post back in January.)
Since then, I figure we're using half the paper towel we used to. (Have not yet trained Mr. L to reach for these washcloths.) We used to go through at least a roll a week...now it's take two weeks and a few days. There are still a few things I use paper towel for, but not just to dry my hands, etc. (That's what the tea towels are for, and boy have I got a lot of them, too.)
But last month I had leftovers to put away and reached for the cling wrap. Then I stopped. Plastic is forever. I need to stop using so much plastic. So instead, I opened my cupboard and looked for a plastic container to put the leftovers in. Yes, it means washing another item, but water can be filtered and used again. Plastic stays in the landfill for hundred (if not thousands) of years.
Of course, there were a LOT of containers without lids. So a few days later, I hauled everything out of the cupboards and matched them up. Wow--I have a lot of them. But it's been two weeks and I haven't used any cling wrap.
And one of the reasons for that is ... wax paper. Okay, it's a lot more fragile, but it will degrade in a landfill. In addition to the wax paper wrapped around tomatoes and other items (with a rubber band around it to keep the air out), I also bought waxed paper bags. I bought a big box and they are smaller than I would like, but they are still very useful.
It's been more than two weeks and I haven't touched the cling wrap. Luckily, I was running low on it and probably won't buy any more.
Next up: going through my linen napkins, washing them, and using them instead of paper napkins. I will look for colored ones at yard sales, because ... you know, spaghetti and curry stains.
What are you doing to go just a little bit greener?
When Earth Day rolled around last month, I started thinking about how much waste goes into my garbage tote. Mind you, I've been trying to adopt more green ways.
Earlier this year, I decided I needed to cut down on my use of paper towel. It so happens, my mother bought a lot of washcloths at yard sales for our family's cottage. I decided there were way too many stuffed into a drawer and I took them home and washed them to use in my kitchen. (I wrote about it on this post back in January.)Since then, I figure we're using half the paper towel we used to. (Have not yet trained Mr. L to reach for these washcloths.) We used to go through at least a roll a week...now it's take two weeks and a few days. There are still a few things I use paper towel for, but not just to dry my hands, etc. (That's what the tea towels are for, and boy have I got a lot of them, too.)
But last month I had leftovers to put away and reached for the cling wrap. Then I stopped. Plastic is forever. I need to stop using so much plastic. So instead, I opened my cupboard and looked for a plastic container to put the leftovers in. Yes, it means washing another item, but water can be filtered and used again. Plastic stays in the landfill for hundred (if not thousands) of years.Of course, there were a LOT of containers without lids. So a few days later, I hauled everything out of the cupboards and matched them up. Wow--I have a lot of them. But it's been two weeks and I haven't used any cling wrap.
And one of the reasons for that is ... wax paper. Okay, it's a lot more fragile, but it will degrade in a landfill. In addition to the wax paper wrapped around tomatoes and other items (with a rubber band around it to keep the air out), I also bought waxed paper bags. I bought a big box and they are smaller than I would like, but they are still very useful.
It's been more than two weeks and I haven't touched the cling wrap. Luckily, I was running low on it and probably won't buy any more.Next up: going through my linen napkins, washing them, and using them instead of paper napkins. I will look for colored ones at yard sales, because ... you know, spaghetti and curry stains.
What are you doing to go just a little bit greener?
May 15, 2019
A Special Offer--Book 2 Daisy's Tea Garden cozy mystery series
by Karen Rose Smith
As a special offer in advance of the publication of my newest Daisy's Tea Garden mystery MURDER WITH CUCUMBER SANDWICHES, Kensington Books has arranged a sale on the second book in the series MURDER WITH CINNAMON SCONES. Today only, Thursday May 16, MURDER WITH CINNAMON SCONES will be a Kindle Daily Deal for $1.99.
Here’s a blurb for MURDER WITH CINNAMON SCONES (which includes a recipe for the scones):
Daisy Swanson and her Aunt Iris run a delightful shop in Pennsylvania’s Amish country with an emphasis on tasty teas and treats—but murder is not so sweet . . .
As local merchants unite to attract tourists for a much anticipated weekend quilting event, business is sure to spill over into eateries like Daisy’s Tea Garden. Gorgeous craftwork is hanging everywhere—but among the quilts, potholders, and placemats, one gallery owner is wrapped up in some dangerous affairs . . .
Reese Masemer had been dating one of Daisy’s employees, Tessa, an artist, though their last interaction was as strained as a cup of loose leaf tea. Now Reese has been found dead near a covered bridge where Tessa’s been practicing her sketches. She’s the obvious suspect, but Daisy’s learning that there were some major secrets in Reese’s background, and several of his relationships were infused with resentment. To save Tessa, she’ll have to find out who’s tainted this quaint little town with murder . . .
MURDER WITH CINNAMON SCONES on Amazon
Set in beautiful Lancaster County Pennsylvania, both books offer a blend of the Amish lifestyle with the ambiance of Daisy's tea garden in nearby Willow Creek.
MURDER WITH CUCUMBER SANDWICHES, the third book in the series will be released on May 28, 2019. The book is now available for pre-order.
MURDER WITH CUCUMBER SANDWICHES on Amazon
MURDER WITH CUCUMBER SANDWICHES on Barnes and Noble
As a special offer in advance of the publication of my newest Daisy's Tea Garden mystery MURDER WITH CUCUMBER SANDWICHES, Kensington Books has arranged a sale on the second book in the series MURDER WITH CINNAMON SCONES. Today only, Thursday May 16, MURDER WITH CINNAMON SCONES will be a Kindle Daily Deal for $1.99.
Here’s a blurb for MURDER WITH CINNAMON SCONES (which includes a recipe for the scones):
Daisy Swanson and her Aunt Iris run a delightful shop in Pennsylvania’s Amish country with an emphasis on tasty teas and treats—but murder is not so sweet . . .
As local merchants unite to attract tourists for a much anticipated weekend quilting event, business is sure to spill over into eateries like Daisy’s Tea Garden. Gorgeous craftwork is hanging everywhere—but among the quilts, potholders, and placemats, one gallery owner is wrapped up in some dangerous affairs . . .
Reese Masemer had been dating one of Daisy’s employees, Tessa, an artist, though their last interaction was as strained as a cup of loose leaf tea. Now Reese has been found dead near a covered bridge where Tessa’s been practicing her sketches. She’s the obvious suspect, but Daisy’s learning that there were some major secrets in Reese’s background, and several of his relationships were infused with resentment. To save Tessa, she’ll have to find out who’s tainted this quaint little town with murder . . .
MURDER WITH CINNAMON SCONES on Amazon
Set in beautiful Lancaster County Pennsylvania, both books offer a blend of the Amish lifestyle with the ambiance of Daisy's tea garden in nearby Willow Creek.MURDER WITH CUCUMBER SANDWICHES, the third book in the series will be released on May 28, 2019. The book is now available for pre-order.
MURDER WITH CUCUMBER SANDWICHES on Amazon
MURDER WITH CUCUMBER SANDWICHES on Barnes and Noble
You bought me what!!!
Hi, Duffy Brown here.
There are unusual gifts that you get and wonder Really?? You know that feeling, the one where you say Thank You!! What a terrific gift, I’ll think of you when ever time I use/see/wear it.And then you think to yourself...What the heck is this!I just got one of these gifts for Mother’s Day. I need to say first off that I’m afraid of heights. In all fairness it’s not the fear of planes but of being up in the air next to a two-thousand foot drop-off. I get really spooked when there is nothing between me and...nothing.
So this Mother’s Day imagine my surprise when my daughter gave me a necklace with a biplane charm. Cute to be sure and should have been one big clue was what was to come because—
You guess it. My daughter, Ann, gave me a ride in a biplane for Mother’s Day. I love them to be sure. Who doesn’t love biplanes. Think Snoopy and the Red Barron. Adorable, right!And biplanes are like a convertible in the sky. And you get to wear a neat helmet giving testimony to true helmet hair.At first I didn’t know what to expect but when you take off and leave the ground behind it is the most amazing experience ever. I reall mean it. Nothing compares.
Okay, I know you’ve probably flown in a jet but this is entirely different. First off no flight attendant is yammering at you about safety and you actually get to think about the flying aspect of going up, up, up.Things get smaller and your world get bigger. It is the most amazing thing ever!!! It is what flying is supposed to be. Flying jets gets you where you need to be. Flying a biplane is becoming one with the sky and the pure joy of not being earth-bound.
If you have never flown in a small plane, taken a balloon ride, ridden in a glider etc DO! It is truly an experience of a lifetime and makes you realize just what the Wright brothers had in mind when they invented the airplane in the first place.Here’s to the unusual gifts that you thought What the heck! They truly are the best gifts ever.
There are unusual gifts that you get and wonder Really?? You know that feeling, the one where you say Thank You!! What a terrific gift, I’ll think of you when ever time I use/see/wear it.And then you think to yourself...What the heck is this!I just got one of these gifts for Mother’s Day. I need to say first off that I’m afraid of heights. In all fairness it’s not the fear of planes but of being up in the air next to a two-thousand foot drop-off. I get really spooked when there is nothing between me and...nothing.
So this Mother’s Day imagine my surprise when my daughter gave me a necklace with a biplane charm. Cute to be sure and should have been one big clue was what was to come because—
You guess it. My daughter, Ann, gave me a ride in a biplane for Mother’s Day. I love them to be sure. Who doesn’t love biplanes. Think Snoopy and the Red Barron. Adorable, right!And biplanes are like a convertible in the sky. And you get to wear a neat helmet giving testimony to true helmet hair.At first I didn’t know what to expect but when you take off and leave the ground behind it is the most amazing experience ever. I reall mean it. Nothing compares.
Okay, I know you’ve probably flown in a jet but this is entirely different. First off no flight attendant is yammering at you about safety and you actually get to think about the flying aspect of going up, up, up.Things get smaller and your world get bigger. It is the most amazing thing ever!!! It is what flying is supposed to be. Flying jets gets you where you need to be. Flying a biplane is becoming one with the sky and the pure joy of not being earth-bound.
If you have never flown in a small plane, taken a balloon ride, ridden in a glider etc DO! It is truly an experience of a lifetime and makes you realize just what the Wright brothers had in mind when they invented the airplane in the first place.Here’s to the unusual gifts that you thought What the heck! They truly are the best gifts ever.May 13, 2019
Random Thoughts and Paying Attention
by Maggie SeftonI'm Back East in my hometown area of Northern Virginia, where it's chilly and grey one day and warm and sunny the next. Having grown up here I'm used to this kind of back-and-forth weather. That's why I pack accordingly.
This past Sunday I spent the afternoon of Mother's Day at my oldest daughter Christine's home in Vienna, Virginia. My two grandsons were traveling out of state, but my two granddaughters, Natale and AnaSofia were there. (Christine used the Italian spelling of both girls' names when they were born). My wonderful, Salt-of-the-Earth Hoosier son-in-law, Tim, was doing his favorite weekend activity---working on one of their cars, their 2001 model Bullitt. He had already dutifully spread both front and back yards with grass seed.
I no longer do any "heavy duty" yard work. Or, climb up on ladders to clean gutters. Nope. I still remember being two steps from the top of my fold-out metal step-ladder one Autumn day, cleaning the dead leaves from the gutters of my Colorado home. I was stretching to reach all the leaves, when my Inner Guide sent a simple block of thought into my head. It said: "Don't do this again." That was it. That was all.
But I paid attention. I've learned over a lifetime to always pay attention to what I call "inner guidance." It knows something I don't know, and----it's always right. Whenever I've ignored the advice, I've made a mistake. Or, something happens that messes up my plans. So, I Pay Attention.
Do any of you Cozy Chicks Blog Readers and Friends relate to this admittedly weird example? I think most of us get little jabs of "inner direction." Some of us ignore it. Others pay attention and adjust their activities accordingly.
I know, I know. . . some of you are probably thinking "Metaphysical Maggie" is out of the closet again. :) Don't worry. She's harmless. Simply weird. Let me know your thoughts on either one of my Facebook pages----Maggie Sefton or Maggie Sefton Author. I'm curious if you've had similar experiences.
May 12, 2019
SPEED READING OR SAVORING EACH WORD?
By Mary Kennedy
A friend of mine, headed to grad school, is taking a speed reading course and I thought it might be an interesting topic for a blog. She's been in the workforce for over 30 years and felt a bit intimidated at heading back to school. (I don't know why, because she's a voracious reader and has a fantastic memory. I'm sure she'll be wildly successful.)
In her case, she'll be learning to speed read non-fiction (textbooks and research material). She told me that the average person reads between 200 and 400 words a minute and that with training, we can all do much better.
Here's the thing. I read mostly fiction and the idea of speed reading just doesn't appeal to me. I like to savor each word, each paragraph. Does that make me unusual? I don't think so. I love books, cherish them and don't want to race through them. When I finish a book, I long for more! I hope there is a sequel. That's why I love to read series.
There is always another release to enjoy. Lorna Barrett's Booktown Mysteries is one of my fave series.
Warren Buffet once said that the secret of his success was that he read 500 pages a day. Wow. Impressive. His goal was to read 200 books a year.
At first it sounded impossible, but let's break down the numbers, The average non-fiction book is about 50,000 words. That's ten million words for 200 books. If you're reading at 400 words a minute, you could achieve your goal of reading 200 books a year in a little over 400 hours.
You'd just have to commit to reading an hour a day for 365 and doubling up on some days.
Does the idea appeal to you? I have mixed feelings, but then, I'm not headed back to grad school.
Happy reading, everyone!
Mary Kennedy
A friend of mine, headed to grad school, is taking a speed reading course and I thought it might be an interesting topic for a blog. She's been in the workforce for over 30 years and felt a bit intimidated at heading back to school. (I don't know why, because she's a voracious reader and has a fantastic memory. I'm sure she'll be wildly successful.)
In her case, she'll be learning to speed read non-fiction (textbooks and research material). She told me that the average person reads between 200 and 400 words a minute and that with training, we can all do much better.
Here's the thing. I read mostly fiction and the idea of speed reading just doesn't appeal to me. I like to savor each word, each paragraph. Does that make me unusual? I don't think so. I love books, cherish them and don't want to race through them. When I finish a book, I long for more! I hope there is a sequel. That's why I love to read series.
There is always another release to enjoy. Lorna Barrett's Booktown Mysteries is one of my fave series.
Warren Buffet once said that the secret of his success was that he read 500 pages a day. Wow. Impressive. His goal was to read 200 books a year.
At first it sounded impossible, but let's break down the numbers, The average non-fiction book is about 50,000 words. That's ten million words for 200 books. If you're reading at 400 words a minute, you could achieve your goal of reading 200 books a year in a little over 400 hours.
You'd just have to commit to reading an hour a day for 365 and doubling up on some days.
Does the idea appeal to you? I have mixed feelings, but then, I'm not headed back to grad school.
Happy reading, everyone!
Mary Kennedy
