the day is just gorgeous.

Ah. It's one of those days where you want to go lay in the grass, roll around in it, rubbing spring into all of your pores.

Since it's Friday, and since I'm a little tired from *seriously* cleaning the house (we're talking spring-clean, man), I will just do a little summary today.

Projects

• Well, I just finished all the final grading for my classes. So one project I write down that I can immediately cross off (am I the only one who does that?)
• BUDGETING-with summer break comes the summer belt-tightening. Bring on the penny-pinching!
• Writing group: my friend, Natalie, invited me to a writing group meeting on Monday. I think I'm going to go, although it's been a long time since I've been in a writing group (I'm a little nervous, I think!). I hope they like/get/are ok with the book stuff...

Thinking
About travelling. A lot, lately. In my dreams, I can travel the globe whenever the fancy strikes. Lately I've been thinking about real practical ways to save for a hubs-and-nic trip to Europe...maybe next summer??? (she asks hopefully...) Here are some pics I snagged from a random travel blog I was gazing at...

Reading
Of course, I'm still reading too many books at once. But, I'm also now a proud follower of my dear friend Josh's new blog. Super smart and easy to read thoughts about life and faith. Do check it out and join in the conversation~it's sure to expand our thinking all the way around!

new book new book tra la la

Ok.

So, at the beginning of the year, I made a resolution that I knew I would break, and I've broken it.

The resolution was secret. In my heart, I told myself very sternly:

"Nicole, you will only read one book at a time." 

HA! 

Well, I've started a book. Another one. I'm still, of course, working on The Volcano Lover by Susan Sontag and Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose. Both books make me feel smarter just by gazing at the words of these ultra-smart ladies. I try on their intelligent thoughts like a young child traces letters, pretending in order to learn. I'm tracing these writers' smartness, hoping to write just as smartly someday.

But every once in awhile, I just need a bit of fun reading. Something that will suck me in and make me forget that I am reading at all. And since the other night I watched a deep and thoughtful movie about heaven and hell and death and couldn't get to sleep right away...I tapped good old C.S. Lewis for some sci-fi fluff.

I'm always fascinated by the various covers that books glean from all their printings. I know we shouldn't judge them because of it, but I can't help trying to illicit clues from front covers, and inside flaps, and back covers, as to what the book is all about. Because books feel sort of alive, like friends, I want to make sure I choose them carefully. Though, with books that have multiple printings, it's harder to tell. For example, maybe I want to be friends with the last cover here, but the first one is kind of weird to me. Ironically, that's the way my copy looks! So, maybe when we get past looks, we find who we really want to be friends with based on what's inside. 

What about you? Do you judge books by their covers? What are some of your favorites? (books or covers or both!)