Let the Hibernation Begin!!!

 It is thought that hibernation was once a shared characteristic among all mammals, and then we humans lost the ability to hibernate,- but it still might be in our genes.  Steven Swoap

I despise the cold!  For one who has lived in Ohio their entire life, I ask you, "How did this vile contempt for the cold begin?"  I believe it stems from a hypothermia incident while white-water rafting in Wyoming in my early days of teaching.  That incident forever changed my internal heating system, and I now dress in multiple layers from November until late April.  I am considerate in that I don't make everyone bow to my warmth issues, but I tend to come home from school and stay indoors for the rest of the evening.

I've found that the winter does provide one benefit...I read tons during the winter.  Reading is a part of our household.  Our anthem is "READERS ARE LEADERS!"  We have a family reading time from 7-7:30 nightly.  Books are plentiful, along with weekly trips to the library.  My favorite genre is non-fiction, because I can read a chapter or two, marinate, and come back to it.  A side benefit is that non-fiction is a genre my husband and I can share together.

But, the holiday breaks are great for reading fiction.  Once the busiest of the season is over, I lay on the couch with my blanket, coffee, a blazing fireplace, and get totally lost in my book.  This vacation has opened my eyes to the possibilities of reading fiction more.

During the drive down to North Carolina, I was completely absorbed in the book Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix.  Next, my aunt loves mysteries and her shelves were filled with them.  I picked up Honeymoon by James Patterson, read it completely on Christmas Day. (Major rain storm knocked out their tv/cell phone service, and I realized at the end I had already read it.)  She also had a book on Queen Elizabeth/Princess Di comparisons.  While it was pretty dry, that topic continues to fascinate.  I finished that in one day.  The drive home was awful because of no reading material.

What I've noticed about myself is that when I begin reading fiction, nothing else matters except reading that book. I could be organizing my kids' rooms, my room, putting the Christmas decorations away, and more.  But, my winter hibernation has begun.  Tuesday, I made myself a goal.  I needed to get caught up on some emails, and begin some school projects that I'm putting off before I could "have" my reward...READ.  It worked!  I accomplished so much and was able to finish my book.  I'm going to be on the look for some good fiction to read in 2010.  Happy Hibernating!!!