Whenever I read a book and I get super into it, as anyone who's ever lived with me can attest to. I cry, I laugh out loud, and get angry right along with the characters in each book and as I do I always want to talk to someone about what I'm feeling. That person usually ends up being my hubby since he's around all the time. He supportingly (word??) waits for me to finish explaining what is so crazy about this particular part in this particular book. Then when I'm finished he gives me that little 'Your crazy' smile and says, "It's not real..."
"It's not real..." Three little words that crushed whatever fairyland I'm in that day and bring my literary world to a screaming halt. Sadly those have been the words I usually hear from anyone I've ever dated along with why not read something that's about some one's real life, something that's worth something. That got me thinking about why are books important...and I couldn't really say why they are. I know that reading with kids in one of the most important things ever but as for a 'why', as in a tangible result, something to show for it, I couldn't put my finger on anything. I just knew in my little heart that all the books I've read since I was in elementary (that's when I remember reading on my own) have somehow shaped my life and made me who I am today.
Okay, so this is going to seem really dorkey, or maybe it's not and I'm just 
a little insecure, but I was watching my new favorite show (yes not a book, but still falls into the category of fiction so I'm counting it), "Castle." Let me give you a quick synopsis, it's about a fiction novelist (Castle) who gets called into help the NYPD solve a copy-cat murder based on his novels. This puts him in contact with the young attractive detective on the case whom he ends up deciding to make the main character in his next series. It's funny and full of romantic tension. Anywho, so the point? Well, in last weeks episode, Castle and the detective are trying to solve a case involving rich HS kids that seem like their on the straight and narrow when all along their doing and dealing drugs and in the end, killing. Castle has this amazing daughter who is ever parents dream kid, early to bed, early to rise, always finishes homework on time, cleans the house, responsible...the list goes on and on. So, during the midst of this investigation Castle begins to wonder if he's daughter is as good as he thinks she is so he asks her straight up if she's ever done drugs. She assures him that she hasn't and that she doesn't have those kinds of friends and he makes sure that she knows she can tell him anything, honesty is the best policy. In the meantime she's been bugging him to let her go on this Washington DC trip and he keeps saying no because he's not going, but eventually decided to let her. Then one morning she wakes up her dad crying saying that she has something to tell him (and I'm like 'oh no!! she is doing drugs! no kid is safe it seems!!'). She ends up admitting that she wasn't completely honest with him and tells him about a horrible night when she was rushing to catch the subway and didn't have money to get on the train so she hopped the turn mill and caught her train anyway. The next day she payed for two rides on the train and didn't ride and Castle realizes what a good kid he has. So onto the end, Castle ends up solving the case and going on his kids trip to DC and I had a huge epiphany.
a little insecure, but I was watching my new favorite show (yes not a book, but still falls into the category of fiction so I'm counting it), "Castle." Let me give you a quick synopsis, it's about a fiction novelist (Castle) who gets called into help the NYPD solve a copy-cat murder based on his novels. This puts him in contact with the young attractive detective on the case whom he ends up deciding to make the main character in his next series. It's funny and full of romantic tension. Anywho, so the point? Well, in last weeks episode, Castle and the detective are trying to solve a case involving rich HS kids that seem like their on the straight and narrow when all along their doing and dealing drugs and in the end, killing. Castle has this amazing daughter who is ever parents dream kid, early to bed, early to rise, always finishes homework on time, cleans the house, responsible...the list goes on and on. So, during the midst of this investigation Castle begins to wonder if he's daughter is as good as he thinks she is so he asks her straight up if she's ever done drugs. She assures him that she hasn't and that she doesn't have those kinds of friends and he makes sure that she knows she can tell him anything, honesty is the best policy. In the meantime she's been bugging him to let her go on this Washington DC trip and he keeps saying no because he's not going, but eventually decided to let her. Then one morning she wakes up her dad crying saying that she has something to tell him (and I'm like 'oh no!! she is doing drugs! no kid is safe it seems!!'). She ends up admitting that she wasn't completely honest with him and tells him about a horrible night when she was rushing to catch the subway and didn't have money to get on the train so she hopped the turn mill and caught her train anyway. The next day she payed for two rides on the train and didn't ride and Castle realizes what a good kid he has. So onto the end, Castle ends up solving the case and going on his kids trip to DC and I had a huge epiphany. That's how you keep them safe. I'm not a parent yet so I'm sure I don't completely understand the fear a parent feels about that kid making the right choices away from home. But with the dream of parenthood in the future I worry that maybe I won't teach them the right things and that they'll be just like me having to do everything the hard way. So when watching this show and the interaction between this dad and his daughter I realized that that's how you keep them safe. You chaperon the field trips and dances and whatever else there is. You get to know their friends and make your house the place everyone wants to be and make it possible for your kids to have that open and honest relationship with you no matter what it is. I'm sure it won't be that cut and dry but it's was a huge lesson learned for me and realization smacking me right in the face. I'm so grateful that I work were I do and that Nate is so set on having our own business where we can set our own hours. That we have the control of our time not some boss guy sitting in an sky-rise somewhere who has no idea that I even exist only that the job is getting done. And I'm grateful that I belong to a church that teaches the importance of family. The funny thing is that I got all of this from a silly fictional show on TV of all places and I know that I've learned so many other important lessons from reading the books that I have. It's nice to finally have an example of that.
Now for a real life book that is awesome! Everyone should read if they are at all concerned about their retirement. It's called "Simple Wealth, Inevitable Wealth" by Nick Murray. Nick Murray is known as the financial advisor to financial advisors, so he's been around the block a time or two. He lays out with boldness and wit and humor the only way to have enough money to one day retire with money to live off of and leave to our kids and their kids. We all know that social security (or CPP in Canada) won't be around when were old and tired of working (hopefully that will be on our time table and not ages) so really our retirement nest-egg is up to us to acquire. This book is the perfect tool to get you started on your way! Read it, ponder it and then do it and if you have any questions, please just ask, I mean, can you really afford to not ask? Happy reading!! 
To be the kitchen area...all tiled up. Time for cabinets!
The front door during the framing stage...
...the front door with drywall, paint, and a tile floor!! Yeah baby! We did that!
