# The Root Of It All



## SweetPea (Oct 27, 2008)

I was curious as to how everyone here developed their passion for reading.

I grew up without a television at home until I was 13 or so.  Books were my source of entertainment and escape.  So much so, in fact, that I was punished as a child from reading much like some parents take away TV/XBox/PS3 time.  I know it sounds funny, who would punish a child by taking away a book!  But reading really was such a source of pleasure for me, it was quite an effective punishment!  I found ways around it, though.  I would sneak a book into the waistband of my clothes when I went to the bathroom.  And I would store books in my locker so I could read in class.  Then there was the day I went behind the librarian's counter at my school's library (yes, I spent my free time in the library) to check out my own book, and there was a big note on my card to see Mrs. Jackson...who very gently told me that my mother had called her, and I was not to check out any more books until she called again to say I had served my punishment!

Luckily, I have found a partner in life that loves to read almost as much as I do, and I have expanded my horizons by reading books that he has suggested.  It doesn't work the other way, though...he's reading tastes are very much carved in stone!


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## Guest (Oct 31, 2008)

Have you been reading my life........lol.

Except I was hooked on reading apparently from birth. I had a young mother, but she did that right. Enrolled me in the Dr. Seuss Book Club for my 5th birthday. The ABC Book is still one of my favorites and I can recite the text from memory. (Big A, Little a, What begins with A? Aunt Annie's Alligator A a A....) 

In the 2nd grade, my teacher introduced us to Laura Ingalls Wilder. She (Laura) has been one of my best friends since.

I even failed Algebra the first time I took it, because reading was more interesting than boring math.

I also have a Life Partner who loves reading as much as I do. He introduced me to Douglas Adams. I loved them both since. We do share most of the same taste in reading material (Stephen King, Terry Pratchett, and Neil Gaiman), but he still can not understand my need to read "Uterus" books periodically (Amy Tan, Jane Austin, or the Green Gables books).


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## SweetPea (Oct 27, 2008)

LuckyRainbow said:


> I also have a Life Partner who loves reading as much as I do. He introduced me to Douglas Adams. I loved them both since. We do share most of the same taste in reading material (Stephen King, Terry Pratchett, and Neil Gaiman), but he still can not understand my need to read "Uterus" books periodically (Amy Tan, Jane Austin, or the Green Gables books).


"Uterus" books...I love that!!!

I have my Laura Ingalls Wilder and Anne of Green Gables series sitting on my shelf, waiting for my little girl to be ready for me to introduce her. She's only 7 months now, so it's going to be a few years!


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## Khabita (Oct 28, 2008)

Both of my parents were readers. I can remember so many evenings when we'd all be sitting in the living room -- me, my mom, my dad, and my sister -- reading, rather than watching TV. My sister was a horse fanatic, so she read The Black Stallion books, Hobby Horse Hill, Flicka, etc. My mom liked family sagas, and my dad read non-fiction, mostly about WWII. Me? I read just about everything.

I am eternally grateful to my late parents for introducing me to the pleasures of reading, for taking me to the library, and for encouraging me to read anything and everything.


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## SweetPea (Oct 27, 2008)

The rabbit hole actually goes deeper...

I have an Aunt that works for the public library in her parish.  She rotated one Saturday a month on her schedule.  She would pick me up on the appropriate Friday nights so that I could go to work with on her Saturday mornings.  I would re-shelve books, stamp the "Property of..." logo and insert the pocket with the card in the newly acquired books, and spend hours curled up in a chair with one book or another.  Years later she is obtaining her MLIS degree.  Her final semester of graduate school is my first semester for the same degree, and we have a class together!

I have since graduated, but unfortunately there are no job openings in the public library system in my general vicinity at this time.  I may or may not get the chance to actually work in a library; regardless I thoroughly enjoyed taking classes filled with people of all ages and backgrounds that all shared a deep love of reading.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I have this memory of not being able to read at all, then, at some point in the first grade it just clicked. I started reading all of the books I could get my hands on. I was particularly fond of the Sunday comics, and read those every week in the Chicago Sun-Times. In second grade, I remember reading the small stack of required books before anyone else, and I got to pick a prize... I chose the book _Runaway Ralph_, about a little mouse and his motorcycle. I have had a library card as long as I can remember.

I see _Runaway Ralph_ is available for the Kindle....

http://www.amazon.com/Runaway-Ralph/dp/B00188V7Z0/ref=ed_oe_k


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## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

LuckyRainbow said:


> but he still can not understand my need to read "Uterus" books periodically (Amy Tan, Jane Austin, or the Green Gables books).


*LMAO..."uterus" books!

My love of reading came as an escape from a miserable childhood. I was allowed to escape even if it was only for a couple of hours. I read mostly the series that young girls read at the time and learned many things from them, especially since I didn't have my mom living with us.

Thankfully our daughter takes after me and loves reading just as much as I do )

BTW pidgeon...The Ralph books are our daughter's favorite. *


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## RovingSoul (Oct 27, 2008)

Well, I distinctly recall hating to learn to read. I had a book about a donkey who turns into a rock or something, and I was supposed to read it to my parents. And I couldn't read. And I hated it. Every night, my mother forced me to sit down and struggle through another couple of pages. After that book, I can't remember another incident of hating books. I do remember reading the Hobbit, and then the Lord of the Rings books. At the age of five. So I must have been three or something at the time of the donkey book.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I can't remember not being able to read, though clearly there must have been a time.  : )  My parents were readers, we always had stacks of books around the house....  We would go to the library and even as a young child, I would carry out stacks of books--maybe 20?  The librarian asked one time if I would read all of those, and my father said, "yes she will."  (Of course, some I read in school under the desk.  I really needed my Kindle then!)

Betsy


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## Guest (Nov 3, 2008)

Right there with you Betsy. I remember when I was in either 5th or 6th grade and there was a read-a-thon for MS. I easily raised the most money with the fewest sponsors. Every summer our library had a reading program, I attained the highest "prize" level within a couple of weeks while others took all summer.


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## colleen (Oct 29, 2008)

Unlike most of you, I really only discovered reading for pleasure in my late teens - early twenties.  I hated when we had to read books for school (although I remember enjoying The Hound of The Baskervilles - must go find that on feedbooks.com!).

My older sister was the avid reader in the family (her nose constantly in a book).  I was more interested in playing outside with friends than spending the summer in the house like she did.  I remember seeing her reading Gone With The Wind for the second time (she was maybe 12 or so), and saying "You're reading that AGAIN"  I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to read a book twice!  Especially not a great big thick one like that.  (In honor of my big sis, one of the first books I downloaded onto my Kindle was Gone With The Wind - she'll be so proud of me!)

My dad used to love to read Dr. Seuss books to us.  If I close my eyes I can still hear him "Scrambled Eggs Super Dee Dooper Dee Booper ...  Special deluxe a la Peter T. Hooper".  Guess I preferred being read to!

Now I adore reading.  As I mentioned in another post, I have to read a ton for school now (nursing student), and it is SO hard to focus on that technical reading.  I must have absolute silence (or my iPod playing classical music or similar).  But give me a good book and I can read anywhere, with any amount of noise in the background.


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## quiltlvr (Oct 28, 2008)

I come from a large family, all readers btw. I remember once when I was in the 3rd grade I was reading in the pantry. I guess my mom noticed the light coming from under the door so she opened it & asked what I was doing in there. I told her it was the only place I could get some peace & quiet. She closed the door & I continued reading. We only had 1 bathroom so that wasn't an option. I wonder if that's why I have never been a bathroom reader?
Lisa


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## jah (Oct 28, 2008)

I have alway love reading, ever since I was a kid.  I think I get my love of reading from my mom.
jodi


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## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

As I said in another post, I am a mystery buff.  I got started on mysteries as a boy, reading Tom Swift and Encyclopedia Brown.  From there, I moved to my dad's Perry Mason books and then to Agatha Christie.  As an adult, I have added many, many mystery (and epionage and action/adventure) authors to my list of favorites and currently own books by more than 70 authors.


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## quiltlvr (Oct 28, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Love that your mom let you stay in there!
> 
> Betsy


Yeah, I guess she could relate!


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## patrisha w. (Oct 28, 2008)

I grew up without a television and learned to read very early in my life. Books were my refuge in a very difficult home situation. I was encouraged by my father who, to a large extent was self-educated since he left school when he was about 13 in order to work down the coal mines . {This was in England} Every birthday and Christmas my father bought me a book token and I spent a considerable time in the local bookstores planning my purchases!


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Both of my parents loved reading, so maybe it was in my genes to love it too.  I remember going to the library in elementary school and reading Nancy Drew and lots of biographies (they must've been a series, they all had the same color covers - orange or yellow maybe?)  As I got a little older I read all kinds of stuff - lots of it off my parents' bookshelf, some of it probably inappropriate for my age.  But I just loved reading.  
I still love the mysteries - not as many biographies these days.  Both my girls are readers now too (one has a Kindle, we share an account) - the older one always loved reading, loved being read to & reading to herself when she got old enough.  The younger one didn't care much for being read to as a little one, but once she could read for herself she read a lot too.  And thankfully my husband enjoys reading too - we don't always enjoy the same things but some authors we both enjoy.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

My Mom likes to remind me that, on my 7th birthday, I wanted all my friends to come over and for us to all bring books and to READ..!!

It was my idea of fun.

I was a very exciting little boy.


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## quiltlvr (Oct 28, 2008)

Harvey said:


> My Mom likes to remind me that, on my 7th birthday, I wanted all my friends to come over and for us to all bring books and to READ..!!
> 
> It was my idea of fun.
> 
> I was a very exciting little boy.


So, how'd that go over w/ the other kids? My son wanted to go to Meteor Crater for his birthday. 
Lisa


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## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

quiltlvr said:


> So, how'd that go over w/ the other kids? My son wanted to go to Meteor Crater for his birthday.
> Lisa


*LOL, I hope you live near it *


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## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

Harvey said:


> My Mom likes to remind me that, on my 7th birthday, I wanted all my friends to come over and for us to all bring books and to READ..!!
> 
> It was my idea of fun.
> 
> I was a very exciting little boy.


*Were your friends just as excited *


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## quiltlvr (Oct 28, 2008)

chynared21 said:


> *LOL, I hope you live near it *


Yeah, it's only a couple of hours away. Big hole in the ground, but we thought it was pretty cool!


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## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

quiltlvr said:


> Yeah, it's only a couple of hours away. Big hole in the ground, but we thought it was pretty cool!


*LMAO...funny you should say that. My hubby wanted to make a family vacation out of it...I told him it was a big hole and showed him a picture online  But, it does sound like fun for a birthday party!*


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Where is this crater?

If you come to NH, make sure to schedule time to see the glacial erratic, which is essentially a big rock. LOL...great tourist attraction.

L


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

NH is home to many erratics almost as old as that rock. Not quite as intelligent, either. Concord is the best place to see them.


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## annelb (Nov 8, 2008)

SweetPea, that is so sad that books were removed as punishment. I am glad it did not dampen your enthusiasm for reading. 

Pat the Bunny was the first book I can remember. Funny, my favorite early childhood books are still read now 50 years later: Cat in the Hat, If I Ran the Circus, Curious George.  

Everyone in my family enjoyed reading. My father belonged to the Book of the Month club.


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2008)

quiltlvr said:


> So, how'd that go over w/ the other kids? My son wanted to go to Meteor Crater for his birthday.
> Lisa


On one of my last vacations with my Mom and my Aunt, I was driving and I suggested we see the Meteor Crater on the way to the Grand Canyon.

My Mom says, I don't want to stop to see somehole in the ground!"

"Mom, what do you think the grand Canyon is?"

I still didn't get to see the crater. 

I remember learning to read in the first grade. It was hard at first but once I got it I remember thinking, "What's the deal with Jane, Dick, Spot and that stupid red ball?

I was so happy when third grade rolled around and we started reading stories that made sense. I eventually found my niche1 with science fiction and read it almost exclusively for years.

Much later on, while in the Navy, a shipmate introduced me to a little book called "Carrie". I was hooked.

Paper back by the way are a sailor's best friend when deployed at sea. I've read many a book as the chow line wound it's way down off the hanger deck to the galley. They also fit in the left rear pocket of my pants perfectly.

These days I have a very relaxed job that allows me plenty of reading time and I use it as much as I can.


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## Kirstin (Oct 29, 2008)

Teninx said:


> NH is home to many erratics almost as old as that rock. Not quite as intelligent, either. Concord is the best place to see them.


whew! he isn't talking about me - I'm not in Concord!


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## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Where is this crater?
> 
> If you come to NH, make sure to schedule time to see the glacial erratic, which is essentially a big rock. LOL...great tourist attraction.
> 
> L


*It's in AZ. Funny about the Grand Canyon...I've flown from NY to Vegas 5 times and each time we fly near the GC. I've always been on the wrong side of the plane to see it!!!

Hey, I'd make a 7 or 8 hour trip to see a big rock  Speaking of big rocks...DH and I were lucky enough to see The Old Man in The Mountain a few years before his collapse ) Such a beautiful area, not to mention all the other huge rocks that travelled in by way of glaciers. The "Old Man" is one of my favorite thimbles ))*


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## Kirstin (Oct 29, 2008)

chynared21 said:


> *It's in AZ. Funny about the Grand Canyon...I've flown from NY to Vegas 5 times and each time we fly near the GC. I've always been on the wrong side of the plane to see it!!!
> 
> Hey, I'd make a 7 or 8 hour trip to see a big rock  Speaking of big rocks...DH and I were lucky enough to see The Old Man in The Mountain a few years before his collapse ) Such a beautiful area, not to mention all the other huge rocks that travelled in by way of glaciers. The "Old Man" is one of my favorite thimbles ))*


I live here and didn't get up to see the Old Man until about one month before his collapse. So glad I went but I only had a 3 optical zoom so my photos are fuzzy - and very far away.


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## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

I just find our stories of how we came to love reading so interesting - similar discussion on this board named "Lifelong love of reading or new adventure".  It's so awesome to find that others have loved reading for as long as they can remember just like I do.... and welcome to those of you who have discovered reading recently!!!  
    Harvey's idea for his birthday party sounds so much like me I can't believe it.  No wonder everyone considered me a book nerd.... I still am..... and proud of it!!  My husband isn't a reader but he totally appreciates the fact that I'm never bored... never whine about wanting him to take me places.... so he's free to pursue the activities that he enjoys.  He doesn't ever have to "entertain me"..... I'm busy being "lost" in a book.  That's why I named my Kindle MaKK (Magik Karpet Kindle) because books have always been able to "transport" me anywhere I wanted to go.
    In high school we had a 100 book reading list to choose our book report books from.  Kids who hated reading would choose the very shortest books on the list.  I always chose the longest books because when a book is well written, I want it to last as long as possible.  Book nerd  Certifiable!!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Remember the summer reading clubs the public libraries would put on? They'd have list of books and if you read X number you'd win various prizes. I'd usually go through the whole entire list PLUS I'd be reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys at the same time (books like _those_ were never on the list). I remember the poor kids who struggled to get through 3 books just to win a lollipop.

L


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## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

Now I am laughing, Leslie!!  I almost brought up the summer reading programs earlier, but didn't want it to sound like I was bragging.... but I always read the whole reading list and then some too!  Too funny!!  And, no... no Nancy Drew or Bobbsey Twins at the library.  I actually ended up working in the Children's Dept of a public library for a few years (30 yrs ago) and our octogenarian librarian who was a dear - but from another era - used to argue with me endlessly because kids were all requesting Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books because the TV shows were so popular.  But, she refused to have those books in the library and considered them somehow sub-literature.  I argued that they certainly hadn't stunted or harmed my love of reading any.... and they certainly weren't "literary trash" as she believed.  I lost the argument and a lot of kids were discouraged from reading.  Thank goodness, our library now includes Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and kids are still enjoying them.... and adults are re-reading those childhood favorites.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

PraiseGod13 said:


> Now I am laughing, Leslie!! I almost brought up the summer reading programs earlier, but didn't want it to sound like I was bragging.... but I always read the whole reading list and then some too! Too funny!! And, no... no Nancy Drew or Bobbsey Twins at the library. I actually ended up working in the Children's Dept of a public library for a few years (30 yrs ago) and our octogenarian librarian who was a dear - but from another era - used to argue with me endlessly because kids were all requesting Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books because the TV shows were so popular. But, she refused to have those books in the library and considered them somehow sub-literature. I argued that they certainly hadn't stunted or harmed my love of reading any.... and they certainly weren't "literary trash" as she believed. I lost the argument and a lot of kids were discouraged from reading. Thank goodness, our library now includes Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and kids are still enjoying them.... and adults are re-reading those childhood favorites.


Over on that other thread, I told you about biking to the library. That particular library also didn't have Nancy Drew or any of those books...sigh. But when I was 11, my parents bought a summer home in NH. The library in THAT town did have a great collection of Nancy Drews...and they had all the old ones, from the 30s and 40s, not the crummy re-written ones that started appearing in the 60s. I was in heaven. I read and re-read their entire collection every summer for about 4 years. LOL.

I have never understood the argument that a child should only read certain types of books. If a kid is reading, it's good. My daughter reads a lot of manga and comic books. I just say, reading is reading.

L


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## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

That was my argument with "Marian" the octogenarian librarian..... encourage a child to read what they're interested in, and they'll be readers for the rest of their lives.  We've all gone through times when our choice of books has changed.... but we're still reading and loving it.  I enjoy a wide range of books and believe it's because I've learned to enjoy the "variety" of reading.  That's also why many of us read more than one book at a time.  Sometimes you're in the mood for something deep and serious.... sometimes you need something light-hearted to lift you up.  Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books make me laugh out loud.  Would I want them to be the only thing I read.... absolutely not!!  Sometimes I want to get lost in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series with hundreds of characters and tens of thousands of pages.  Read what you enjoy..... just read!!  By the way.... researchers are thinking that those who keep their minds busy/active might help to keep Alzheimer's away from their doorstep...... so read for your health!!!


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2008)

On the subject of reading lists. On the first day of Senior English in High School, our teacher handed out the suggested reading list. She told us that book reports would be due at a rate of 3 per quarter (6/semester). As seniors she expected us to complete these with only minimal due dates, the end of each quarter. I quickly looked over the list and realized that I had read over half of the books. (I went on a Victorian era/American author kick two summers before.) After class I asked the teacher if I had to re-read these books before doing the reports. She replied that if I could convince her that I had read them with my reports, I did not have to re-read them. By the next Monday, I turned in all of the reports for the year. She gave me the weirdest look, but when they were returned after grading I had receive an "A" and much respect from the teacher.


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## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

Way to go, LuckyRainbow!!  I was so happy to see that the classics that I read and loved in high school (which was a very long time ago) are available to download for free @ feedbooks.com and other sites like Project Gutenberg.  I had them on my wish list before I got my Kindle and was thrilled to find out from the discussion pages that I could get them for free.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I don't know...the "classics" they made us read in high school have turned me off of certain authors forever. In ninth grade we read "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. The teacher would give assignments like, "Read 3 pages tonight." It took forever to get through the book and since then, I've never touched another book by Dickens. Maybe I am missing a whole world of great literature but that's the way it is.

L


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## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

I was never able to read the "classics" a few assigned pages at a time.  Breaks the continuity of how they were written so you'd miss how they "flowed".  I'd always have to keep reading beyond the assigned pages and I guess that allowed me to enjoy the books more.  I usually read the whole book and then would go back and skim the assigned pages so I could discuss where we were in the book for class. There really are some great ones out there... but maybe they're just not your style either.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I did the exact same thing...read ahead then skim for class. The whole process made a book tedious, though. Just took all the joy out of it.

Oh well, those days are long long gone. Now I read what I want to read! Even my guilty pleasure books.  

L


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## quiltlvr (Oct 28, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Where is this crater?
> 
> If you come to NH, make sure to schedule time to see the glacial erratic, which is essentially a big rock. LOL...great tourist attraction.
> 
> L


It's about 35 miles east of Flagstaff. Here's the link:http://www.meteorcrater.com/index.php Yeah, I'd stop to see a big rock! I'm kind of a science/geology nerd. LOL!


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## quiltlvr (Oct 28, 2008)

Vampyre said:


> On one of my last vacations with my Mom and my Aunt, I was driving and I suggested we see the Meteor Crater on the way to the Grand Canyon.
> 
> My Mom says, I don't want to stop to see somehole in the ground!"
> 
> ...


At least the GC is a prettier hole in the ground. Maybe next time for the crater. 
"Carrie" was my first King book, it hooked me too.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

quiltlvr said:


> It's about 35 miles east of Flagstaff. Here's the link:http://www.meteorcrater.com/index.php Yeah, I'd stop to see a big rock! I'm kind of a science/geology nerd. LOL!


Well, if you're ever in the neighborhood...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_Boulder

I've actually been there quite a few times. LOL


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## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

Kirstin said:


> I live here and didn't get up to see the Old Man until about one month before his collapse. So glad I went but I only had a 3 optical zoom so my photos are fuzzy - and very far away.


*Funny how we don't go and see the sights we live near ;-p I know there's a lot of history where I live but I still haven't discovered them all...and it dates back to the 1600s around here.*


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

chynared21 said:


> *It's in AZ. Funny about the Grand Canyon...I've flown from NY to Vegas 5 times and each time we fly near the GC. I've always been on the wrong side of the plane to see it!!!
> 
> *


*

Every trip I have made from TX to CA and back I have... been on wrong side of plane, in an aisle seat, at night, or complete cloud cover... I may never get to see it unless we decide to make the drive there!*


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

I had a first grade reading book where one of the main characters had the same name as me. They then came out with a series; so on library day I had ants in my pants. Most kids couldn't wait for "gym" day; for me it was library day.

*However*, the real love for reading came from my 8Th grade English teacher: my introduction to the classics and poetry...she just made it so interesting. When I hit my mid to late twenties I sent her a thank you letter stating that she single-handedly changed my life. I never found out if she received the letter...I surely hope so. It's amazing how one person can so profoundly affect (effect) another. I doubt she ever thought she did anything extraordinary; other than just doing her job... yet to me, it was so much more.


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## Yollo (Nov 10, 2008)

RovingSoul said:


> Well, I distinctly recall hating to learn to read. I had a book about a donkey who turns into a rock or something, and I was supposed to read it to my parents. And I couldn't read. And I hated it. Every night, my mother forced me to sit down and struggle through another couple of pages. After that book, I can't remember another incident of hating books. I do remember reading the Hobbit, and then the Lord of the Rings books. At the age of five. So I must have been three or something at the time of the donkey book.


I THINK I'VE READ THIS BOOK! The one about a donkey who turned into a rock? I think it was called Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, and I LOVED that book as a kid. Loved it loved it loved it. My sister and I used to get into fights over it.I need to go see if i can find a copy...


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