Reading, Church, and Sleep

I finished reading A Christmas Carol the other day, which I am rather pleased about. I liked the story, but I also enjoy the way Dickens writes. It is fluid, with information, but not so much as to make eyeballs want to pop out on their own. Okay, so maybe that is an exaggeration, but there are some books I have a hard time getting into because they carry on and on about things that are particularly unimportant to me. I imagine everything, even with only slight detail, so think about what that does to my brain, if I am left dragging through a great many nuances that clog my imagination. Again, I embellish a bit, but you get the point. I think it is a talent for a writer to be able to keep the attention of the reader, as well as moving the storyline along at a perfect paces, in order that the story unfurl comfortably.

Well, now that I have gone into all of that, I will mention that I started to watch the most recent version with Jim Carrey, starring as Scrooge, in the cartoon. I was telling Jay that, while it follows the story well, it seemed rather shallow to me. Listen to me, I sound like a snob! That being said, I think that many people have a voice to lend a character, but it is true skill to be able to portray the essence of the person from the book and bring them alive. I believe I am at risk of becoming one of those people who can 'enjoy' and be 'entertained by' movies that have been books first, but really prefer the original, but that is okay.

With all of this getting into reading with my new Nook, I rathe appreciate developing that aspect of who I am. I have always figured I have my whole life to live to who I aspire to be, while day to day I am the foundation of that person, I can build a little here or there to the overall self.

Well, with Nativity to celebrate in the morning, I ought to be in bed already, but I am especially liking the quiet and just being home. We were out most of the day, starting last evening! We are all looking forward to celebrating the feast and sharing the meal afterward with our church family. There will be food galore, meats and sweets, singing, merrymaking and general Christmas hoopla, which I think I underestimate how much time we will actually spend there. The liturgy begins at 10 and will end somewhere near 12-ish, then we will all file into the parish hall to pray, eat, hug, and such, the likes of which will probably set us coming home no earlier than 3. Just when I think I am getting out of the door, I'll see someone I haven't wished well yet and spend another small chunk of time catching up with them, as Kat runs around with her friends.

Well, I am off to bed, if I know what's good for me, but I hope to share more about books in the future, including, but not limited to, First Fruits of Prayer: A Forty Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew, by Frederica Mathews-Green, which I am looking forward to, and Cranford, which the miniseries was based on.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!!!