Today was a very good day. I think my television stayed off for almost the entire day, which is a good thing. It’s days like today that remind me that I watch the darn thing too much. This is sad because despite the fact that I tell myself I do it to relax, I don’t find watching television all that relaxing.

What I did find relaxing today was taking a blanket outdoors and laying in the yard reading a books. It was quite peaceful and enjoyable. Since I laid out in the backyard inside the area that’s fenced in, I also took Precious out with me. So my little kitty cat got to run around exploring her outdoor kingdom while I’d read. or she’d lay down on one of the flat stones in the shade. It was really quite cute.

Every now and then, Precious would decided she needed my affection. So she’d zoom over to me and meow at me. I’d set down my book (after all, paying attention to an affectionate cat is better than any book I’ve ever read), and pet her for a bit. After a few seconds, she’d decide that all was well with her world, and she’d zoom off to do her own thing. Thus freed up, I’d pick up my book and read another five or six pages before Little Miss Adventurous would decide to repeat the process. It was quite cute, really.

My book of choice was “Break Up or Break Through.” I think I only have the current chapter to go plus two others. It’s been a pretty good book. Or at least it’s served my purposes. I think that under other circumstances, I’d find it way too much like other “self-help” books: insipid and with little real value. But at the same time, it’s been good for me, because the author is trying to talk about self-exploration, personal growth, and healing. As these are all things that I know I need to work on and have an idea of how to go about it, I’m finding the book helpful just in the sense that I can use parts of it as a “personal checklist.” I already understand the things she’s talking about, and can actually do them on a practical level. So her book is just helping to remind me of the tools I already have and am already familiar with.