Dear Reader – Jan 2012

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(click to download handwritten pdf)

Jan 30th, 2012

Dear Reader,

As January comes to a close and I began to review my month for a “wrap up” type post.  I had a wonderful idea!  I decided this month we’d try something different.  It came to me that I would like to write you a letter.  It’s a shame I do not have your mailing address nor the funding to actually send you all a letter via “snail mail”.  So until such a time as postage becomes free or I win the lottery, an internet letter will have to suffice.

I hope you find this a fun experiment and my penmanship not too incredibly abysmal.  I must admit I’ve never had a knack for lovely lettering & it would seem that with age or the intrusion of the internets have only enhanced my lacking. :)  Due to such a circumstance and in fact knowing some of you, dear readers, have no time to try to translate my abysmal scribblings, I will also transcribe my letter to you below.  Feel free to read which ever format you prefer.  What’s important to me is only that you do read (& hopefully enjoy).

On to my notary  spiel =)

Jan was a nice relaxing month for me this year.  As we wound down from the holidays and decompressed back into a normal routine it seems the stress of winter (the winter blues) I always get have alleviated.

The kids have recouped for Christmas break & are both managing fine back in their school schedules.  Both are on honor roll again.  Sis even won her school spelling bee and progressed onto County.  Unfortunately, she did not place @ the county level. I have a sneaking suspicion that the stress of carrying her school over came her and her nerves are what lost her the competition.  All she cared about on the ride home was how upset she was she’d let her school down.  I, of course, kept telling her that next year she could try again & Not to worry, her school would not be disappointed in her.  She did, after all, win the SCHOOL BEE.  None of them could say that much.

Harmony @ her Spelling BeeHarmony @ her Spelling Bee  Harmony @ her Spelling Bee

In other kid news, I’m happy to say we got to have little Karaleigh (my niece) up for the weekend earlier in the month.  I do love her visits, she is such a happy child.  I think she is good for Sis, as well. They are good for each other actually, for as much as Sis gets Kara to read and talk about/like school – Kara gets Sis to “loosen up” and play with makeup & such.  They are definitely good on each other.  I’m always so sad to take her home.  In truth, I’ve cried on more than one occasion driving the drive back home.  An hour seems incredibly long when you are alone in the car and unsure when you will get to see someone again.

Sis and Kara

At one point this month I was set to sit for my new baby niece, and  I was quite excited.  But, Sis came down with tonsillitis so those plans were canceled quite abruptly.  Nipped in the bud.  Thanks Bug.  haha.

Reading wise, because I know the real reason you’re here dear reader, I had a fantastic month!  One of the things I most look forward to during the holiday is just getting through the damned season so I can get back to what I love & that, my friends, is reading!

This month I managed 8 books toward my year goal of 52.  1 of which counts toward my classic challenge and 1 counted toward my Stephen King (Sundays with Stevie) Challenge.  For that I am happy.

I also received several RAKS from my friends KC Hilton & RJ Gonzales this month.  Can I just take a moment to say how wonderful the book community is?!  Without them I am certain I would have nothing “new release” upon my shelves.  I’m such a miser.   Speaking of being miserly in nature, I am much enjoying finding free books for my new kindle.  It’s quite fun hunting & finding new books to download.  I am quite saddened by the prices of most of my favorite authors books however.  Dear Reader, think me crazy if you will but I just can not bring myself to pay more for an ebook than I could get the hard back for.  I can not.

I thank you in kind for bearing with me through this handwritten letter experiment.  I would much enjoy reading whether you found it enjoyable, as I have very much  enjoyed getting out my thoughts to you away from the computer.  Dare I say, you feel more real to me this way.

Much love from my house to yours,
Bunny Cates

ps:
Please don’t forget to watch Justified!  It started back this  month.  Support the shows we love so we don’t lose them!