Something To Look Back On?

I was talking with my kids the other day about what I used to do for fun when I was their age. I’m not really sure how the conversation came up, but it did and I went with it.

You see, when I was a kid, we played outside all the time. We played kickball in the cul-de-sac, we played back-up dancers (don’t ask), we played “ship” (think Lost in Space but on top of a huge rock in the side yard), we rode bikes, we went exploring.

Today…I don’t see that so much. I see kids watching TV, I see them playing video games, I see them texting (sometimes when they’re sitting next to each other).

And it kind of makes me sad. I think back on my childhood and I smile thinking about the crazy adventures I got into with my friends. I remember staying outside for hours on end (until I literally got frostbite on my toes) after a snowstorm, only to go in for a change of mittens before heading out again. I remember snow angels and snow forts and covering the front yard with footprints.

Heck, my dream of being a writer was born on an afternoon playdate at a friend’s house. And we weren’t watching TV. 

Contrast that against today and I can’t imagine there will be much to look back on… I mean, really, what’s to remember about sitting in a corner, staring at a screen, and pressing buttons?

What’s your take? Am I missing something?  

~Elizabeth

The One Well Read

I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember. I read all types of books but always had my favorites…

You know, the ones you’d return to again and again, the pages getting more and more worn with each passing. When I was a kid, those well-read copies were generally my Little House books (still have them today). I loved Laura Ingalls and everything about her life.

In fact, on my bucket list, is a visit to as many of her houses as I can go (to date, I’ve only been to the one in Mansfield, MO so I hope I don’t die anytime soon).

But I digress.

Anyway, I have a book that I return to again and again as an adult, too. And, like my Little House books, the pages are worn and tattered and yellowed with age. I could buy a new copy, but I don’t want to. There’s a comfort in knowing that’s my book. 

The book–with the actual cover I have–is this one right here…   I absolutely adored A Cry in the Night by Mary Higgins Clark the first time I read it. And I love it just as much with each subsequent read (and there have been many). I’m not sure what it is that pulls me to this story. But I’ll try to explain.

The sense of place in this book is strong, the characters so layered you can’t help but feel as if you’re walking alongside them in the book. And even though I know what happens now, it still packs a wallop.

Oh, and there’s one more thing. It’s this book that made me decide to pilot my writing dream in the direction of mysteries.

So what’s your book? The one you’ve re-read time and time again? And while you’re at it…tell us why.

~Elizabeth

Must-Haves

Friday was a snow day. A BIG snow day. Which got me thinking… 

If you knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you were going to get snowed in, what would be some of your must-haves in the house?

Mine would be all the necessary ingredients to make homemade chocolate chip cookies that would be eaten right from the oven (with a cup of hot cocoa, of course), the kind of book I simply can’t put down, and pizza for dinner.

Your turn…

~Elizabeth