Audiobooks -

Do you listen to audiobooks?  I have tried, really I have tried, but my mind simply wants to wander when I am listening to a book.  I love to read, I read often and when I read I get lost in each book, but trying to sit still and listen to a book is very difficult for me. 

I think the quality of the audiobook makes a big difference.  Just picturing visions of grade school, when the teacher would have students take turns reading aloud still makes me cringe.  The quality of the reader and the recording makes all the difference. 

Having the words on the page or screen in front of me helps when I want to go back and re-read something, when I start to get off track.  Yes, I know I can also rewind with audiobooks, but I have trouble with knowing how far back to rewind, and then I am listening to something I already read – so my mind begins to wander….see how this can be a vicious cycle?

I know that audiobooks are great for commuters who have lots of time stuck in traffic.  Listening to self-help or other nonfiction books while driving is a great way to use time effectively.  I have several friends who listen to books while running or working out.  I have tried, but there is just something about seeing the words that makes a difference to me.  

For those of you who do love audio books, I applaud you, but for me, I will stick to reading and not listening to my books. 

Top Ten Reasons Why I blog

I took a short break from blogging.  Life got busy & hectic, and to be honest blogging simply took a backseat to other priorities.  I am happy to report that I am now feeling ready to jump back in and share my great pearls of wisdom with the world. 

I am not narcissistic enough to believe that my thoughts, no matter how well crafted I think they might be, will have a lasting and meaningful impact upon the world.  There are literally millions of folks blogging their thoughts on the Internet for all to see and adding my voice to the cacophony will not make a substantial difference, but it does make a difference to me. 

There are many reasons why I blog:

·      Blogging gives me a chance to share my views. 

·      Blogging gives me an opportunity to flex my writing muscles, in preparation for those great novels I WILL finish someday.

·      Blogging has enabled me to make some wonderful online friendships

·      Blogging keeps me sane in a crazy and turbulent world.

·      Blogging helps me to focus on my priorities in life.

·      Blogging provides a great excuse to avoid housework 

·      Blogging serves as my personal journal.

·      Blogging helps me to process my feelings; through blogging I can express my frustrations in a healthy way. 

·      Blogging is actually fun – I enjoy the challenge.

·      Blogging lets me leave a small piece of myself out in the universe for all eternity.

Thanks for coming on this blogging journey with me. 

I’m a Winner!

Don’t you just love that feeling when you win something?  As an avid reader and book lover, I am especially excited when I actually “win” one of the Goodreads giveaways.  Winning a FREE book to read, with absolutely no strings attached – how cool is that.  Although there is an expectation that you will write a review once you read the book, I usually write a review for all the books I read anyway so that seems easy enough. 

If you are not signed up on Goodreads yet – you really should think about it.  Basically, Goodreads is like Facebook but specifically about books.  On Goodreads you can not only make friends and share book recommendations, but you get the chance to win FREE books.  Authors provide a copy or copies of their books for the giveaway in hopes that winners will post reviews.  A good review can equal more book sales so this is an important form of marketing for any author.  The best part is that you can choose which books you are interested in winning.  I really enjoy historical fiction, so I can browse giveaways just about historical fiction or I can choose to browse all giveaways. There are also reviews and many ways to interact with books and authors.  

So far I have won over a dozen books through Goodreads in the past few years.  Check it out and start winning yourself.  

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway

I’m still Proud to be a CTRS

 Anyone who holds a professional certification knows that eventually it will be time to renew that certificate, so when I got the email reminder that it was recertification time again I was not overly surprised.  Even though it felt like only minutes, five years had quickly passed since my last renewal.  In the field of recreational therapy, we have a 5-year recertification cycle that requires certified recreational therapy professionals to complete a combination of professional work experience and continuing education or a certification examination to ensure continuing professional competence in the field. 

Even though I have not actively worked in the field of recreational therapy in the last 12 years, being a recreational therapist is a huge part of my life and my identity.  I am extremely proud of my years working as a recreational therapist as well as my years serving in leadership positions in not only my state recreational therapy organization, but also in the American Therapeutic Recreation Association as a member of the board of directions and past president.  Recreational therapy provided me with professional skills that I still use today in my teaching career.  Despite the cost and effort involved, I decided that I really wanted to do what it takes to maintain my certification.  I was so proud to receive my CTRS all those many years ago, and I am still very proud to hold that title. 

I am extremely lucky to have a supportive husband, so when I explained that I wanted to keep my certification and I would need to take a test, and it would cost a few hundred dollars, my hubby was completely supportive. 

I do admit, I was nervous.  Although I had taken the test twice before for recertification, I have not worked in the field for over 10 years and I am getting older, so I wasn’t as confident in my abilities.  I pulled out my old RT textbooks and began studying.  I completed several practice exams, and identified the areas where I needed to focus my studying.  I was amazed at the range of online resources that are now available.  I found quizlets that others had made, I reviewed terminology, and I planned some specific study time. 

The day of the test arrived and I will admit I was nervous.  I have always had confidence in my clinical skills as a recreational therapist, and I worked in a wide variety of settings, but that was a long time ago. I was very worried that my fifty-year-old memory and retention might be a struggle. 

I pushed back my fear and walked into the testing center.  A friendly but professional staff checked me in and showed me to my computer terminal – This was it, time for all that studying to pay off.  I began to review the questions, and while a few challenged my memory, I read through each one and felt confident in my responses, and yet……..when I realized I had come to the last question I felt that lurch in my stomach as I hit the submit button.  Those few seconds felt like an eternity until the computer screen updated to proudly boast that I had passed!

I am officially a CTRS for 5 more years.