Dear Carolyn,

It might appear that I’ve been strangely absent for a while…because I have. We have gone internetless at home, can you imagine? No, I know you can’t as you guys are the most techy folks I know. We have no home internet, phone or cable. Just call us “21st century retro pioneers”. If any of our hundreds tens of  readers are left out there, give us a shout out to keep this thing a going.

At first, I was excited about it. It saves money (which is the most appealing to us) and it truly has made me less idle with my time. I really am shocked at how often I still would love to just get online and surf around craft sites, look for more knitting patterns, and let my kids play PBS games. It would be handy for things like banking and taxes too. I’m really starting to feel grumbly now that the new has worn off the idea.  It makes us really intentional when we do go somewhere to use wifi, though. And I do have to give the disclaimer that we use my iphone for some of the stuff mentioned above, but it’s not great. I can check work emails and have it as the one and only phone, and that’s the main thing. It’s not great for reading craft blogs and getting knitting patterns, though.

Not having internet (along with the nudging of a dear friend) has made me read LOTS this winter. In fact, I’ve replaced all that “wasted” time online with spending hours with my nose in a book. I’ve read lots of things. I will start with the most fun and trivial, the Twilight series. You heard correctly, I, along with a few friends, am into teenage vampire romance. It is crazy, it kept me up late for several nights during the month of January, and it got me through the darkest time (literally). The best part of it, though, was attending an adult woman’s Twilight birthday party to watch the first movie with a group of crazy women, only one of whom I know. Talk about a third wheel, but I so wanted to see that movie.  So fun and entertaining was that commentary. I do hope you will read these, becase trust me, it would give us conversation for hours upon hours. I am a loner for Team Jacob, but that is neither here nor there.

The best book of this winter was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It was recommended to me and then I realized that one of the authors is Annie Barrows, author of Abby’s favorite series, Ivy and Bean. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. It is written as a series of letters from a writer (and a host of other characters amongst themselves) post world war two on an English Channel Island. I felt like I belonged on that island that had been occupied by the Germans by the time I was a little ways into the book. Although it’s covering a horrendous time in world history, it gives hope and it’s not sad, really. It’s just different and great!

OK, I must go. Our entire family is stricken with the flu and I’m the last one. Just when I need to be taking care of my recovering family. Where is Super Nanny when you need her?

Love always,

Kristy

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