Reading, and Helping to Create Readers, Is Important To Me

For this grandma summer begins by taking the kids to enroll in the library's summer reading program.  I participated in my first summer reading program 52 years ago when I was 6.  When my children came along I always enrolled them and then when I was 36 I received one of the biggest blessings of my life ~ a position in the children's department of a wonderful library where I was involved in every aspect of the summer reading program for 18 years. To be able to be one of the people responsible for developing the game pieces, special events, prizes, story times and virtually everything else with our library's summer reading program was just some of the most rewarding times of my life! I enjoyed it immensely. I am so grateful for libraries, and the years I was allowed to work in one, and for grandchildren to whom I gladly pass on the love of reading.  

First Post

Hi Y'all!  I am:

• An empty nester, baby boomer. I will be 60 in 2014, and I am surprised, how did that happen? I feel 30
• mom of adults - 2 boys & 2 girls, and 2 dogs, a black schnauzer - Gracie and blonde 1/2 schnauzer & 1/2 beagle - Zoe
• Grandma to 1 girl, 2 boys and 1 grand-dog beagle, Andy & 1 grand-dog, Reuger, who is 1/4 wolf
• Retired from twenty years as a library employee ... 18 yrs as a children's librarian
• A reader, it is what I do.  I have had a book in my hand from the time I learned to read
• A Mormon, currently not attending because of my illnesses, but wish I could be
• Suffer with agoraphobia, bipolar, anxiety, panic attacks. I don't like it but it is a part of who I am. Other than that I am a pretty darn happy, smart, compassionate, normal person.
• Frugal & financially challenged but I am sure, given the chance, I would make a really good millionaire :)
• Love to watch Harry's Law, Mentalist, 48 Hours, Dateline, Modern Family, Big Bang Theory, CSI, Jeopardy!
• I like to read cozy mysteries, biographies, nonfiction, & novels if they don't have a lot of explicit stuff ... some things I like left to my imagination!
• Overweight (but losing lbs .... some days), hearing impaired,  plain Jane as a mud fence but really healthy other than that pesky mental illness thing :)
• Addicted to Pinterest, Dr Pepper, ice cream, warm cookies
• Happy ... pretty much, content ... mostly, blessed .... awesomely
• I live in Texas, where it is hot, dry & has beautiful sunsets, in a single wide trailer in tornado alley. It will never happen but I really want to live in New Mexico, where I was born, in an Earthship. No, I wasn't born in an Earthship, I would like to live in one....They are a type of "green" earth bermed house.  In case you are not familiar with earthships read about them here  ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthship

and this blog is called At The Morning Glory House because I love Heavenly Blue Morning Glories and have planted them along my fence.  The first year I lived here in my current home my morning glories were beautiful.  The second year the worst summer heat in Texas history burned them up.  This week I planted hundreds of

seeds so give me a month and we will see how they are doing.  If you want to know what it is like to live with agoraphobia, or a panic attacks, or mental illness you can read bits about my experience with that on my previous blog ..... www.incarolsworld.blogspot.com    (why I'm no longer blogging there is because I couldn't get some things to work.  It mostly covers 2 years, off and on, while recovering from a mental breakdown and a hospital stay in the kind of hospital normal people fear going to, but for many of us we don't want to leave...the real world is scary)

      So ... I will share who knows what ... life,  thoughts, maybe a recipe (like I cook anymore), some article I see, whatever goes through this grandma's mind :)

      And here is what I want to share today since it is Memorial Day Weekend and I have a deep admiration for American soldiers.... 

      I am really impressed by these men ...  not for their musical or acting ability ... although I enjoy their talents, but for what they do for soldiers.  Tim McGraw is giving away 25 mortgage-free houses - one for each stop on his upcoming "Brothers of the Sun" tour with Kenny Chesney, to wounded or needy service members.  You can read about that here:
http://www.examiner.com/article/tim-mcgraw-building-homes-for-us-veterans. Kenny Chesney is also well known for his charitable work.  I am sure most celebrities have charitable foundations....these are just the ones I read about in regard to building homes for injured soldiers this week.

        I loved Gary Sinese's show (and sorry to hear CSI:NY has been canceled).  Mr Sinese was awarded the United States of America Presidential Citizens Medal in 2008 for his work with the USO and Operation Iraqi Children. The Presidential Citizens Medal is one of the highest honors the President can confer upon a civilian, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom.   
 http://www.garysinisefoundation.org/about  He is part of the Lt. Dan Band (named after the wounded Vet, Lt. Dan, that he played in the movie Forrest Gump) that plays around the country to raise money for injured veterans. This summer his foundation will build a smart home to meet the needs for an injured veteran in each city they play.  Good job, guys, pretty awesome!

    Thank you for stopping by, come back  ....  I would love to hear from you :)