I can never get enough- the small pleasures

There are two things I can't get enough of... the second is books. When I was a little girl I used to read books by the dozen. My grandmother used to give me a monthly allowance to order from the Scholastic catalog and whenever I would go to Florida for some fun in the sun my grandpa would take me to the big Barnes and Nobel and I got to buy like 10 books!

College years kidnapped reading from me. There was the occasional pleasure book but school books dominated my life. Now that I am a working woman, ha! One who rides the subway everyday I enjoy reading Time, Economist and my latest book.

Had a lovely evening with Suzanne on Friday- two girls talking the night away- about what you say...finances?!?! Of late, I have this obsession with learning about investing-and now about estate taxes. It started with Rich Dad, Poor Dad and realizing that financial knowhow is something I lack. Now I'm on to Staying Wealthy from Bloomberg - great case studies in it. My goal is to make $1,000,000 on investments in the next thirty years, that gives me till I am 52 yrs and 9 mos. Think I can do it? Got any good reads to recommend?

So mixed in with the financials I've started another Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra, I sat down and wept. Amazing.

In his online issue Coelho enlightens, "...I decided to keep only 400 books in my library...Of course I still buy books- no electronic device can possibly replace them. But as soon as I finish a book, I let it travel, give it to someone or hand it in at a public library. My intention is not to save forests or be generous; it is just that I believe that a book has a course of its own and should not be condemned to remain immobilized on a shelf."

Coelho's thoughts on books remind me of my philosophy on life- nomads, books, love- people so often hold on so tightly that they smother, smother themselves and smother each other. Be pure, true to the moment and never wait for tomorrow what you could experience today.

I've always wanted a library myself, a small room, tall ceilings, a big comfy couch in the center in front of a beautiful fireplace that I collected all the stones for on the shores of the great lakes...a few small windows that let the sunlight in just perfect. Me and my book, all curled up- maddog by my side loungin on the floor. Perfect.

Last thoughts, "So let our books travel, be touched by other hands and enjoyed by other eyes."