Some mornings I wake up in a funk and that is pretty much my whole day… there have been quite a few of those lately where my heart is heavy, I have no energy, and I am more than happy not to talk to anyone or go anywhere.
And then…
there are days like today.
I woke up early (3 am) that is not unusual these days. Walked about a bit, stood on the deck in the dark… and back to bed at 3:30 am. Up at 5:30 am and for whatever reason… sad, but energized. I completed a load of laundry, sent emails to the library about window plans, talked to a friend on the phone before she went to work, sent out potential cabin plans to another friend, text a message to another friend about meeting up this week, read emails, and drank a lot of COFFEE.
It is days like these that I see that glimmer of the old me fighting through and knowing that Justin would be cheering me on, “Come on Mom!”, he would say, “I know you go this!” I try… every day… for him.
So I mentioned a BIG book. Yes my book club reads a classic every October. I have insisted on this for years because I think it is important that we attempt the greats (and trust me… some are not so great but still fun to discuss). And this year our vote went to…
Gone With The Wind.
Have you read it? Have you tried to read it? Have you seen the movie?
For me… this is a bucket list book. I don’t like reading about war, or about women in large frilly dresses… but my friend Gail swears by this book. SO MUCH that a couple of years ago she gave me a beautiful hard covered copy for my birthday. That I promptly placed high on a shelf with the promise that someday I would read it.
That day has come.
I cracked that baby open yesterday afternoon and entered Scarlett O’Hara’s world. A world of parties and boys and jealousy and plantations – and that is only the first 59 pages! I have until the second Tuesday in October to finish this book. I will… and for fun, our book club is planing to attempt to make the curtain dresses (I LOVE my book club!) and we will dress the era, eat the food – and possibly go on a hayride after because…
why wouldn’t we?
Anyhoo…. that’s what is happening here. The sun is out for the first time in days. I will finish mowing the lawn, run errands, read a little, and get through one more day.
Book Journey 
I LOVED that book when I read it in high school. I should really pick it up again. 🙂
This is a first time around for me and I have never seen the movie – that I will do after I read the book 🙂
Each day is a baby-step. Some days are better than others but somehow, someway you do it. Your writing is a powerful tool to express your feelings and you do this very well.
I have always loved Gone With the Wind and I hope you can lose yourself in all it has to offer!
Hugs to you, always
Thanks Dorothy 🙂
GWTW is my all time, favorite, desert island book!!!!! I read it when I was 13, and I think I’ve read it 1000 times since then. I’ve replaced my copy twice. It’s amazing.
WOW – that’s some big support for the book 😀
Hubby gave me a paperback(red cover with inscribed b-day message) of Gone With the Wind for my birthday the year we got married. It is one of most cherished possessions.
I started to read it about 12 years ago but, somehow never finished. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions but maybe it was the small print and sheer size. Someday I hope to finish it. Hubby read it but said he had problems following the dialect.
I have never seen the movie. One day, my dad, who generally has little interest and/or patience for movies, was suddenly in the mood for this one. He had lots of questions about that time in history and hubby was roped into answering them and watching with him 🙂
I will probably do a group invite to the book club afterwards for anyone who wants to come and see the movie.
I have my MOTHER’S grey board copy of GWTW. It has to be my second favorite book of all time! And, outside of Casablanca is my favorite movie. Not only GWTW, there is Scarlett, Rhett Butler’s People and Ruth’s Journey, all proudly read and nestling my well loved book. I do have an e copy of a bio of Margaret Mitchell buried in that TBR piles teetering over there on my ebook shelf….someday….
Hmmm….where is that GWTW…..
LOL…. I cleary need to up my game. 😉
I read it years ago and enjoyed it though I suspect I would find it a little more melodramatic now. While obviously the war is a big part of the book it focuses more on what’s going on in the home front than what’s happening with the fighting. I hope you enjoy it!
I like that it is more about the home than the war… the whole war would have lost me by page 200 😀
I read this book when I was about 15 years old, it took me a month to read it off and on.. After reading it I saw the movie ONCE, that was enough.
LOL – I love the difference in thoughts here. 😀 I was at my aunts house yesterday and she was saying how she watches is every time it is on tv. Holy smokes. I have a feeling a one time viewing will be enough for me as well 😀
It is a whopper of a book, but I read it since I now live in Atlanta. It was an amazing story and once I put it down, I took an Atlanta tour of battles found here. It gave me an understanding of the South and the people — and why everyone from outside their region is call “Yankee”! Enjoy.
Oh I bet that was cool to see the battle areas!
I haven’t read the book and don’t even think I’ve seen the movie all the way through.
I know how much you love the Harry Potter series, a series I’ve never read. But I saw that there’s a HP Read Along and I decided to join. I’m not sure I’m excited about it, but with so many people loving the series, I thought I should see what all the hype is about. And no, I haven’t seen the movies either.
I am so glad you joined! I hosted a HP readalong last November over the winter and so glad I did… a lot of people participated. I cant pick up the books now or watch the movies as they were my son and my “thing” but someday I hope to again.
I read Gone with the Wind in high school. It will be interesting to see what you think of things as a grownup instead of a teen!
I bet the beautiful hardcover is going to be a bit easier to read than the gigantic paperback I lugged around. 🙂
I missed a lot f the greats as a kid – it seems our schools did not make the classics a mandatory read and the only one I remember reading in school was The Hobbit and that was because I took a class on Tolkien.
I read it more than once as a teenager…and LOVED it! I didn’t see the movie for years afterwards, and I didn’t really like it, since it was the old style film, with none of today’s technical improvements.
But I loved seeing my favorite characters, like Rhett Butler, and, of course, Scarlett, despite her annoying selfishness.
I have a copy of the book that I bought a couple of years ago, along with a few others that I have decided I must reread at some point.
Enjoy!
Oh, and I have a copy of Ruth’s Journey, about “Mammy,” which I hope to read soon.
I have Ruths Journey in audio but have not listened yet because I had not read GWTW
Thanks Laurel 🙂
You’re lucky, Sheila, to be reading the book before you see the movie. I doubt if many people do that. The character of Scarlett is so much richer in the book, and so much more happens to her. Plus it will be nice to see the characters of Scarlett and Rhett as someone other than Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable, who have become so synonymous with the roles.
I always try t read the book first and knowing that someday I would attempt this one I have avoided the movie. 🙂
I haven’t read GWTW either. But I have a teacher friend who read it as a teenager, and in college and then not long ago as an “old lady” she says. She loved it all 3 times and says it spoke to her in different ways each time. I’m sure that is right. We all have different views of the same thing depending on our circumstances at the time.
That is so interesting – I am almost sad that I have waited this long to read and the younger me will never have thoughts about it.
I wish I was reading Gone With the Wind for the first time. Great characters, I found it hard to put down and read it constantly until it was finished and then I was sad because it was finished! Time stood still when I read that book–I loved it and I think you will love it too.
I hope it does the same for me 🙂
GWTW is on my list after seeing the movie in one sitting. I say one sitting because when AMC aired it, they showed it in two parts but I recorded it and watched it back to back. I was intrigued and I am not a fan of war in movies or in print. I recently finished a huge book, Atlas Shrugged (1200+ pages) and it felt like such an accomplishment to finally mark that one off the list. Good luck!
OOH Atlas Shrugged…. not sure I will ever get to that one 🙂
Atlas Shrugged was redone as a 2 volume “new age” movie a few years back, and is now on DVD. The book was pretty good. I loved the Fountainhead better, especially after I saw the movie with Patricia Neal and Gary Cooper
I loved that book! I think I read it twice in high school. And our entire English class saw the movie…and I think I saw the movie again at a famous theatre in Atlanta! I hope you love it! I will never read it again but it was one of those books I just got lost in! Like Marjorie Morningstar…have you ever read that! Loved that big book, too!
I have not read Marjorie Morningstar…. hmmmm 🙂
Oh, I love GWTW – movie and book. Who couldn’t fall for Rhett Butler? Good luck. It is a long one, but here’s hoping you get caught up in the story. Have you seen the movie?
I have not seen the movie… holding out until after I read the book 😀
I’m glad you’re having a good one today and good for you for tackling this one! I loved it when I read it years ago, but didn’t love the movie adaptation. Will look forward to hearing what you think! I think it will definitely be nice to read it with a group.
It will make for a fun discussion no matter where we land on our thoughts on the book. Classics always do 😀
It is a good book, and there’s so much more to it than the movie, you can really see why it was such a bestseller of the time. I remember saving my babysitting money to buy a copy!
Love that you saved for this one!
Excellent book choice. I loved the movie too, but the book is so much better.
The book almost always is 😀
you have a task and a half ahead of you with this one. I see you haven’t watched the movie, but do you think you can read without visulising Clarke Gable and Vivian Leigh swanning around the place?
I can read it without visualizing them because they are both starts I have never really watched. Even now I can not picture what Scarlett looks like in the movie. 🙂
A few years ago, one of my book clubs picked this as our classic too. I was—hesitant to say the least. I didn’t want to read it. I thought it a romance in disguise. But read it I did! And I was very glad to have done so. Lots of discussion points in there. And not a bad story either. I listened to it on audio—53+ hours of book!! Have fun with that!
Its one of the books I want to be able to say I have read 😀 I don’t think I could do this one on audio – kudos to you for doing it! 😛
I’ve always wanted to read that book but I never have. I haven’t even seen the movie!
I think you need to read it…. with me… now 😀
last year saw a play in the theater and it was GREAT! 🙂 but haven’t read the book
OOH I bet a play of this would be awesome!
I read this first in high school (and still have my copy) and loved it. I’ve read it a couple of times in the 37 years since. Enjoy the movie too.
This does not surprise me Nise 😀
I love love love GWTW! I would marry it if I could! Can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
Elaine! ^5…..me too!