The 'Lynnsey/Caleb' Book Club

It's no secret that I love literature: I teach English at GCHS, I make weekly trips to Barnes and Noble (or visits to BarnesandNoble.com), and I've had to start storing my collection of books in weird places all throughout the house (who said a dining room HAS to be specifically for dining?). Caleb, on the other hand, claims to have interests only in "real" things, which obviously do not involve the reading, analysis, or discussion of printed word. He is a mathematical genius, and knows more random facts than a bathroom reader; everyone knows that a person is either an artsy-fartsy intellectual, or a scientific, mathematical whiz -- we are total opposites of one other. Also relevant to this point is the fact that Caleb prefers sports of the manly kind to any novel, short story, or poem, and actually even twitches when required to sit through a film adaptation of a piece of writing (i.e. -- a movie).

HOWEVER, much to my amazement, my generous husband has agreed to participate in a 'Lynnsey/Caleb' book club. After a few tiny spats as to the guidelines and procedures of our book club (okay, there were full out fights -- what can I say, I get heated about literature), we have come to agree on the terms that we will read the same book at the same time, and hold weekly discussions (in which I am not allowed to use the 'big words' that I am so often accused of using to my advantage). Caleb picks a book; I pick a book -- it's as simple as that.

Our current reading list:
1. Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
2. Hard Work by Roy Williams (I specifically said NO autobiographies or informational texts, but he almost cried when I argued that Roy Williams was not a legitimate author)
3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

We're still in the process of getting started on the first book. It's proving to be a bit more tedious that I initially expected. It's an attempted knock-off of Harry Potter without the brilliant literary and historical references of which J.K. is a pro. Amazingly, Caleb has read more of this book than I have. We'll see how long that lasts.

 If you're well-versed in the literary world, you probably noticed that two of the three on the list are adolescent lit; Caleb doesn't know this, but I figured it would be best to hook him with some high-interest reads while also doing some light research for my ninth-graders. What he doesn't know is that I'm preparing him for some intellectually-stimulating Toni Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and William Faulkner.

Overall, I'm so dang impressed with my husband. He hates to read, but is actually taking an active interest in it because he understands how important it is to me. I'm definitely experiencing a win/win situation ... but I guess it means I'll be holing up in front of the LCD much more frequently to watch "the big game(s)."

This post is not only to show you guys how genuinely kind my husband is, but also to influence you to read! Reading a good book will affect you in countless positive ways. Wish us luck on our future literary endeavors (and brag on Caleb, if you get the chance; he really has surpassed my expectations with this one).

Homeowners

As all of you know (and if you don't, why are you even reading this blog?), Caleb and I are now officially first-time homeowners and Hillsville residents. Though moving from my beloved "Cburg" has been quite a difficult transition, we make up for our lack of local recreational options by improving our already fabulous home.

Even if you are our friend or family, there's a good chance that you haven't seen the most recent updates that we've applied to our house. Please don't feel guilty for this; actually, the only people that HAVE seen our house either live right behind us or have only been able to visit once. Therefore, since the purpose of this blog is to keep you guys up-to-date on everything in the Jackson household, we have decided to provide you with a few visual aspects.

First up (Drumroll please) -- Our new ceiling fan. I really wish I had taken a picture of the previous light fixture; it was terribly tacky, and looked like something straight out of the solid gold seventies. People who are not homeowners probably look at this picture and wonder, "What is so special about a ceiling fan?" Well, ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to owning your own home, you want everything to be perfect and you become incredibly particular; you absolutely would not believe how many trips to Lowe's it took before we finally committed. Therefore, I am extremely proud to present you with our new ceiling baby. (Did I really just write a paragraph about a cooling apparatus?)

 Next, we have several new additions to the Jackson living space: specialty curtains, a cute little geometric area rug, and a glimpse of the new flat screen. All of these ultimately contribute to what I refer to as the Jackson Ambience that one is sure to experience upon entering our special room.

 Finally, here is a straight shot of Caleb's most prized possession: the 46" LCD (and my prized Target entertainment center).

Hopefully, this post has provided you with a bit of insight into what we look at every morning and night. We are so incredibly blessed, and thankful that this is what we get to come home to and live in together. Please don't let this be the only time you see it. We're always excited to see you guys pull up in our driveway.