The guilty pleasure

On Thursdays and Fridays I usually create mental lists of my weekend intentions. These lists typically include the dreaded inevitables: cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping. But I try to reward myself and express my creativity by throwing in a good dose of fun stuff too, like making birthday cards or blogging or sewing. Oh, and usually grading too. But I try to get that out of the way quickly so I can have me time and mom time the rest of the weekend. Okay, honestly, it's mostly me time. We're being honest here.

So I made my mental plans and here's what they looked like: finish grading, skip cleaning (did it on the snow day! Woohoo!), laundry, make as many birthday cards as possible, groceries. And maybe shopping (the fun kind) (if I got everything else done).

Not unachievable, I don't think, but then I got hit with a double-whammy: Clint had to go help his brother unload a moving van (my favorite grocery and work day) PLUS Lauren went to a friend's house (read: no backup babysitter) PLUS it snowed ALL DAY!

So, in defiance, guess what I did? I read. All day. My backside kinda aches from sitting on it so long, but hey, that's the price of laziness, right?

I read Rebel Angels again, by Libba Bray. First of all, don't be alarmed by the romance novel look of the cover. It's not a smutty trashy book. One of my students introduced me to this series a few years ago and I finally got around to reading the first book this summer, I think. (It's called A Great and Terrible Beauty.) Set during the end of the Victorian era in England, it's about a trio of girls in a finishing school who have stumbled on a secret: one of them, Gemma Doyle, has more magical power than any person who has ever lived, and she has to save the magical Realms from the evil that is hunting her, seeking to steal her power and use her as its tool. Sounds fantastical, I know, and it is, but mixed in with the magic is also a love story and lots of secrets about secondary characters--and Gemma too--and period details that bring this exciting time period to life.

I recommend the book.

In fact, I may reward myself for my laziness today by picking up the last book in the trilogy tomorrow when I'm out getting groceries. I'll just have to placate my conscience by making at least January's birthday cards before I sit down to read #3.