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There is such a thing as happily ever after – The Critter Room: a microcosm of a perfect world

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In a previous post I shared about a special community of lovers, one that revolved around a foster dad, a homeless pregnant cat dubbed Janine and her three kittens, Egon, Ray and Peter (known as the Ghostbuster kittens). I wrote about how this community pulled together in the wake of the loss of sweet Peter at only four days old. I shared about the generosity and daring of a man who spends so much time caring for God’s creatures.

640 ghostbusters cropped

Yesterday was adoption day for the Ghostbusters.

It was a storybook ending, the one many of us had hoped and prayed for. It proved yet again there is such a thing as “happily ever after.”

Many joyful tears were shed when the following graphic appeared on the live kitten cam broadcast:

adoption status

Peter had been included among the adopted and here’s why:

“Janine, Ray, & Egon are being adopted together and Peter’s adoption fee was donated by an anonymous viewer in California. Peter’s tag will be mailed to them. Janine’s adoption fee was donated by a viewer in Vancouver, BC.
Happy tears all around!” from a post by Foster Dad John on The Critter Room

It showed me there can indeed be a perfect world.

The Critter Room community is a microcosm of a perfect world. This does not mean that things don’t go wrong. The Critter Room cam is after all an unedited slice of real life and nature will take her course. But when things do go wrong, the love, thoughtfulness and generosity of the community rights those wrongs.

We can’t get back what we lost. But we can be healed, even transformed. We can move on, taking our fresh tears and loving memories with us, into a new reality of renewed hope. We can share that hope outside of The Critter Room; we can rock our world.

Little communities such as The Critter Room show that if we as a people can unite in love and caring for the least of these, our bigger world will be a better place. That caring comes one at a time: one kitten, one mama, one family, one community.

from https://www.facebook.com/TheCritterRoom
from https://www.facebook.com/TheCritterRoom

Caring begins with the one and multiplies like a stone thrown into a pond, creating a ripple effect. That ripple effect is evident in this community from the friendship shown in the chat room, to the beautiful fan art, to the generous donations made to shelters, to the adopters willing to take on multiple fosters and finally, to the numerous new foster moms and dads who have taken in their own families in honor of what is done in The Critter Room.

What one will you care for today? Warning: this could rock your world!

Now a trip down memory lane thanks to videos provided by BrookIvy2 on Youtube:

Ray Traps Himself

“Sometimes when you hold a kitten, it’s hard to put them down. Really, they won’t leave!”

Ghostbusters Wrap-up

Congratulations and many thanks to CatlessNoMore, the adopter (the “hoomin”) of the Ghostbusters!

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My unexpected miracle healing (part two): openness to God’s way

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Did you know that blessings multiply? If you are familiar with the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes then you know that when Jesus blessed the five loaves and two fishes, they multiplied enough to feed five thousand people.

Beginning with St. Blaise

from http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=28
from http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=28

This is how I would characterize my miracle healing. It began with a visit to church on the feast of St. Blaise where I received a blessing on my throat (see previous post for more on St, Blaise).

I entered the line out of habit. The wait was long because the priest chose to do the blessings himself. Fr. Stephen LaBaire, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Worcester takes his liturgical responsibilities seriously, loving every ritual with fidelity and reverence. Each throat blessed received his utmost attention.

Desire for healing?

As I waited, I wondered why I was there. Did I believe in healing? Did I even want a healing? You may ask why someone might not desire a healing but when you get accustomed to being a certain way, change is hard to imagine. I was used to my voice being gone. I had accepted it.

Still, I remained in line, deciding it couldn’t hurt. I left the door open for possibilities, for anything God wished to give me.

Unfolding of a blessing

After receiving the blessing, I left the church in tears. What could possibly come of this? A few days later, the blessing began to unfold.

It began with an emotional healing.

Loss not private

When I initially lost my voice, I thought I could mourn in private. I could resign from music ministry at my parish and that would be the end of it. I was wrong. My singing was not a private, individual affair. I had shared it with a community and my loss impacted people. There were the other musicians who had to pick up the slack when I resigned. And there were the people who had enjoyed my singing. I should have been grateful for the many kind inquiries and offers of concern but instead I found it to be an intrusion. I didn’t want to accept my loss and thus I pushed music away from me. The inquiries and offers of concern pushed it right back at me. I couldn’t get away from my pain.

Thomas and his loss

It made me think of Thomas. Poor doubting Thomas. He was the one disciple who was not there when Jesus appeared to the apostles after the resurrection. Filled with joy to overflowing, they told Thomas they had seen the Lord and he would not believe. Hidden in a locked room out of fear, Thomas hid from his pain as well. It hurt too much to face it; thus he pushed away any semblance of hope that Jesus had risen. Just as I had pushed away any connection, any reminder of my music: it hurt too much. Healing through the wounds Thomas demanded to touch Jesus’ wounds. It was the only way he would believe.

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio

A beautiful homily given by a newly ordained priest celebrating his first mass described what Jesus did for Thomas in response to his demands:

“‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Bring your hand and put it into my side. Hide yourself in me. Hide yourself from all that troubles you, from all you doubt, from all you fear. Hide yourself in a love more penetrating than a brush fire, more overwhelming than a deluge. Hide yourself in a love that will remake you entirely. Do not be afraid.’ Jesus invites Thomas to literally enter into his wounds of love, to pass so deeply into the reality of love incarnate as to move within it. To physically put himself into our Lord’s resurrected body, unconquered by everything that would seek to destroy love, to put to death all that smothered God’s life within him. To touch resurrection, to touch eternity. To hide himself in Christ’s love forever. But not to hide Christ’s love from the world. Not to remain behind locked doors. Not to continue in sadness and fear. Jesus fills Thomas with a love so transforming that he can proclaim without fear, without doubt, ‘My Lord and My God.’” Rev. Patrick E. Reidy, C.S.C., Basilica of the Sacred Heart, University of Notre Dame, April 27, 2014

Transformation through healing

Jesus transformed Thomas; he changed him from a man filled with fear, sadness and bitterness to a man who proclaimed his love for Jesus boldly throughout the world. He healed Thomas and Thomas embraced him. He healed me in the same way. Once at war with myself over the loss of my voice, I learned again to love music, to re-embrace my gift and to learn to use it in a new way.

Openness to God’s way

In the next post I will tell you how Jesus healed me. Like the loaves and fishes, it was a blessing that multiplied over and over. Remember when Jesus told the disciples to lower the net for another catch even though they had worked hard all night and caught nothing? The net was filled to overflowing.

That’s what happens when you leave the door open, just a bit, and let God have his way.

Rev. Patrick Reidy C.S.C.
Rev. Patrick Reidy C.S.C.

I highly recommend listening to the entire homily given by Fr. Reidy. You can download the video from iTunes; about 27 minutes in, you can hear his homily.

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My unexpected miracle healing (part one)

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In the last post I wrote about my dear friend and the inner healing she received from God as she copes with Ménière’s disease.

I would now like to share my own story of healing from God, a healing I consider miraculous.

sue with classical guitar croppedSome of you may know that I was a professional singer and songwriter, focusing on songs about my faith. For many years I recorded CDs and appeared on EWTN and CatholicTV. I was blessed with the opportunity to perform at World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto. I served for thirty-seven years in various capacities of music ministry in my home parish.

I poured my heart and soul into my music. Only my faith and my family meant more.

Four years ago, only a few months after my mother died I noticed that my voice was becoming weak. It always seemed to fail when I was performing in front of a crowd. Sometimes the clear, strong sound I was accustomed to would sail out of my throat; at other times this weak and wobbly noise would come out instead. I never knew when it would happen and I cringed at the sound of it.

My voice had been rock-solid; now it was erratic.
Once totally at home in front of people, I became terrified of singing in public.

I had to put a halt to my music career. I stopped doing live performances and resigned from music ministry at my parish.

It was a difficult loss to accept and the grieving process was not unlike mourning the death of my mother.

Four years later I can claim a healing.

It was completely unexpected and not something I asked for.

from http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=28
from http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=28

It began with having my throat blessed by the priest after mass in honor of the feast of St. Blaise. St. Blaise is the patron saint of ailments of the throat; legend has it that he cured a boy who got a fishbone caught in his throat.

from www.itmonline.org
from http://www.itmonline.org

The priest takes two candles crossed together and places them on the throat while reciting a short prayer.

The line was long since the priest insisted on doing the blessings himself. It gave me time to reflect. Did I want a healing? Did I believe I could be healed? I nearly stepped out of line but decided to stay. After my throat was blessed I left the church in tears.

I had no idea what would come of it. It turned out to be far more than I ever expected.

Consider this scripture where Jesus says “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38 (NIV).

Consider too the story of the handful of loaves and fishes feeding five thousand from Matthew 14:13-21.

These two scripture passages set the stage for the healing I was about to receive because I left myself open to what God wanted to give.

Stay tuned …

miracle of the loaves and fishes
miracle of the loaves and fishes

Click to Tweet & Share: My unexpected miracle healing (part one) http://wp.me/p2D9hg-Du

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Healing versus a cure: There is definitely a difference!

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I believe in healing. Not a just a cure but a healing.

Doctors provide cures; that’s their job. They note your symptoms, attempt a diagnosis and then offer treatment. It can all be rather clinical and impersonal. I don’t blame doctors; they are not trained to be counselors (though a treatment of the whole person is certainly the ideal). Medicine does offer some amazing cures. But does a cure guarantee a healing?

Just what is the difference?

The ultimate physician

from pastorblog.cumcdebary.org
from pastorblog.cumcdebary.org

Jesus was a healer. He also called himself a physician (see Luke 4:23). And he desired mercy. When he healed the sick, he did not just cure the ailment.

Take the paralytic on the mat in Luke, chapter 5. He is lowered down through the ceiling by his friends so that he can see Jesus.

What is the first thing Jesus does for him? Does he tell the man to “pick up his mat and walk?” Eventually.

But first he attends to his soul by forgiving his sins.

He discerns that the man’s deeper suffering was interior.

The man was already healed by the time he was cured.

One woman’s story of healing

I have a dear friend who suffers from a disease of the inner ear known as Ménière’s. It makes her dizzy and nauseous; this makes any kind of movement difficult. Walking, riding in a car, just moving her head: this all contributes to the symptoms. It has left a once vibrant woman homebound. And yet, the other day, she told me she was healed. It began several years ago at a healing service. She had the disease but didn’t ask for a cure. Rather, she left herself open to whatever God wished to grant her. She ended up on her knees crying copious tears.

She still has the disease, but she is healed.

Staying connected to life

Like the paralytic my friend is healed from within. She accepts her fate and lives with it. Despite her physical pain each day has a purpose. She makes a plan and tries to accomplish something whether it is cooking (which she enjoys), changing the bed sheets, doing laundry or general cleanup. She stays connected with her friends and goes out to lunch with them even though she is nauseous and her walking labored because of the dizziness.

My friend is still quite physically ill. How did she become healed from within?

Staying connected to God

My friend makes a point of spending ample time with God. She sits in her rocking chair, closes her eyes and meditates for long periods of time. She prays the Rosary and watches the morning mass on TV. She listens to religious music while falling asleep.

She immerses herself in God, filling her head and heart with good things, just as St. Paul in spelled out in Philipians 4:8: ” … whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

She told me a cure would be most welcome. But she assured me she is healed.

Healing the whole person

suffering and the nature of healingI am reading a fascinating book called Suffering and the Nature of Healing. It is written by Daniel Hinshaw, M.D. He writes from the point of view of a physician but also as an Orthodox Christian. He is focused on the incarnation of Christ and Christ as the Great Physician. It’s where a lot of the ideas in this post came from. His overall thrust is the care of the Total Person: physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual. Dr. Hinshaw maintains that modern medicine usually stresses the physical, forgetting about the other three.

There is a disconnect between the physical symptoms and the person experiencing those symptoms.

The ideal physician

Dr. Hinshaw’s book describes the ideal for physicians in the treatment of their patients: that of imitating Christ, the Great Physician.

Jesus’ intent in his healings was always about the whole person; he was intimate with that person.

Over and over again he reached out to individuals, touching them, using primitive healing techniques (such as the mud for the blind man’s eyes), lifting up Peter’s sick mother-in-law by the hand, calling out the woman who touched his cloak for healing to present herself. He wept at the grave of Lazarus, his good friend before raising him from the dead, keenly aware of the grief around him.

Jesus reaches out to the whole person, not the parts. He also reaches out to the community surrounding that person.

from praycatholic.wordpress.com
from praycatholic.wordpress.com

Personal healing

Jesus never forgets who we really are. He longs to show his mercy and bestow his healing if we would but ask.

My friend with Ménière’s knows that and now I know it too. And not just because I know my friend’s story: I now have one as well.

In my next post, I will share about my personal healing. It’s nothing short of miraculous especially because of the way it happened. I am so full of gratitude and wonder over my healing that often when I pass a church, I stop, go inside and say thank you to God over and over.

But that’s for next time.

How do you feel about your doctor? Does he or she know your story? Have you offered it?

Have you experienced a healing from God?

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Christós Anésti! Christ is Risen! Happy Easter

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To all of you, a blessed and happy Easter. Here are some scenes from last night’s Easter Vigil at St. Luke the Evangelist in Westboro, MA, my home parish.

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A simple prayer reflection for Good Friday

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This is from my latest column on Catholicmom.com. It is taken from the Mary, Queen of Peace Meditation Guide & Sung Rosary booklet.

5th-sorrowful-betania-II-for-web-294x400
photo taken at Betania II, Medway, MA – from the Mary, Queen of Peace Meditation Guide & Sung Rosary

Much has been said by wiser minds on all that took place on Good Friday. As I cannot add anything to enhance these insights, I thought instead to offer you a simple meditation on the crucifix as a way of honoring and learning from our Lord’s great suffering for us.

Gazing upon the crucifix, begin by reciting or chanting “Lord, have mercy” five times (you can chant the phrase by just singing the same note for each word). Each time it is recited, focus on a wound on Christ’s body.

For example, recite “Lord, have mercy” and meditate on Christ’s feet. Recite it again and focus on the left hand. Recite it a third time and meditate on the right hand. Recite it again and gaze on the wound in his side. Then recite it a fifth time and focus on the head.

Repeat this cycle eight times, thus reciting or chanting the prayer forty times in total.

In my meditations I found, for example, that as I focused on the nail marks in His feet, I thought about where those feet had traveled. I studied the wounded hands and wondered whom they had healed. I thought about his heart, pierced and yet so full of love. I thought about the head and the emotional and mental agony he went through, and yet also marveled at all the wisdom and knowledge that resided in that head. I recalled his teachings, exhortations, and words of comfort.

These are just some of the places where this meditation can take you. May the Spirit of the Living Lord guide you as you gaze upon his wounds and contemplate his love.

For a further Good Friday meditation in video and song, click here.

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A room of one’s own: what if your “room” could be portable?

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What happens when you get the urge to create?

  • Do you retreat to a music studio to write a song?
  • Do you go to your specially designated study to write?
  • Do you paint your latest masterpiece in a light-filled studio?
  • Do you shut the door when you enter your room?

Why do secret hideaway places draw us like magnets?

I wanted a room of my own when I first discovered Louisa May Alcott as a kid. There was an illustration of Louisa in her special room where it was quiet and she could think. When she had finished writing her latest poem or story, she could indulge in her other favorite passion, running, by racing out the door to her room that led outside.

drawing by Flora Smith from The Story of Louisa May Alcott by Joan Howard
drawing by Flora Smith from The Story of Louisa May Alcott by Joan Howard

Getting away from the noise

Louisa’s family was noisy; quiet and privacy were hard to come by. Journals were a community affair with the parents writing notes in the margins. Louisa’s father Bronson often encouraged the children to read from their journals during the evening meal. Louisa was criticized by her father for writing too much about herself.

No wonder then that Louisa spent much of her life seeking out rooms of her own.

Finding a separate space

I used to think that a separate space away from everyone was necessary in order to create. A busy household with younger children makes finding quiet time difficult. It’s even more difficult when your home is too small to afford a separate space.

This was when I began to learn that any space could be a room of my own.
The physical space was not the key; it was the rituals you established that created that space.

512 louisa writing in the appletree
illustration by Flora Smith, from The Story of Louisa May Alcott by Joan Howard

With that kind of mindset, a room of one’s own can be portable.

You might think it’s a waste of time to explore tools and work routines.

It is time well-invested. In the end, it saves time.

Why?

It took me hours, days, weeks, even months to figure out what worked for me. I searched diligently for those t00ls, those routines that would catapult me away from the world into my creative “zone” in an instant.

Now I snap into my “zone” with no effort at all, wherever I happen to be, so long as I have my tools (which for me are the Nook and my iPhone – see previous post) and routines.

My room is portable.

I can set up anywhere, anytime, in quiet spaces and noisy ones too. The rituals and tools I use act as a trip wire, sending me into my head for a delicious time of writing.

ADDENDUM: I just found this post about other writers and their own “rooms” – check it out at www.penheaven.co.uk/blog/getting-down-to-writing/

What tools do you use to create? What are your rituals that help you to create?
Where is your room?

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A gift from my sister: It’s never too late to live your passion

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My older sister is a wonderful painter so I commissioned her to paint the Be As One bridge. Isn’t it beautiful?

http://christinehoylehoude.fineartstudioonline.com/
http://christinehoylehoude.fineartstudioonline.com/

My sister has ties to this bridge just as I do. She wrote the following on her website:

“The Wellesley College Bridge is iconic to me as is Wellesley College.  My family and I have a rich history there.  It all started with my mother who attended Wellesley College many years ago.  My husband and I were married there followed by my son Jeff and Amanda, who were married right out on the lawn near to this bridge.  There are photographs of us on the bridge with Azaleas and Dogwood blooming on our wedding day.  My sister captured this image on a beautiful Spring day while she was out in her kayak.”

Christine is like me, acting on her passion after raising a family and helping to run a successful business. In her retirement she is making up for lost time, just like I am with my reading and writing. On her website she writes,

“So now I am becoming the artist I always wanted to be and feel so inspired by it every day!  It is NEVER too late to start and make that change to be who you really are.”

I couldn’t agree more!

Visit Chris’ website at http://christinehoylehoude.fineartstudioonline.com to see the rest of her paintings and to order your print.

 What is your passion? How are you living it? Are you like Christine and me, living your passion after your kids have grown? Share your stories.

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Writing a Book on a Nook – collecting all the pieces together in a compact package

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As this blog is about collecting and connecting all the pieces of a life together into one flow, I realized I needed to add another interest to this blog: technology. I love technology and have ever since I started on my first Mac back in the 1980’s. I’m a PC person now but I have the iPhone, 2 iPods and a Barnes & Noble Nook. I was holding my iPod when I heard Steve Jobs passed away and I shed a tear.

nookA great example

As a practical example of collecting pieces together, the Nook is my favorite example. You won’t believe what I require of my Nook and how it delivers!

Why I love the Nook

I have had a Nook for a few years and I love it. The backlighting and adjustable size of type and line spacing is perfect for my failing eyesight. It’s so convenient having most of my favorite books in one tablet that I can put in my pocketbook and take anywhere. As I have gotten into writing I began to long for the capability to write and save files on it.

With last year’s upgrade, I am not only writing on it, I am writing books on it. And I have all my research on it too.

Write a book on a Nook?

nook1How can that be done? Better yet, why would anyone want to do that?

In my dreams I had several things I wanted a tablet to do for me. Rather than invest a large sum in an iPad (which is rather heavy to carry around), the Nook provided a very affordable alternative along with its lesser  size and weight.

I probably spent around $350 total including the tablet, cover, keyboard and apps.

What do I ask my Nook to do?

  • Provide a word processor that saves Word files so I can write as much as I want and edit too.
  • Provide a means of transferring files easily back and forth between the Nook and my computer.
  • Have every piece of research I have done on the Nook.
  • Give me a light-weight, smaller tablet that I can easily take with me to the library.

How can a Nook do all this, you say?

You’d be surprised …

It begins with the right apps.

office suite professional 7Office Suite Professional 7 provides me with a paired-down Microsoft Word version of a word processor. It is easy to use and gives me the perfect place to jot down notes as I read, journal or actually write chapters for my books. I balked at first at the $14.99 price tag as that seemed high for an app, but it was worth every cent.

ES File ExplorerAnother “must” app is the ES File Explorer. It allows for the easy organization, management and the transfer of files to and from my laptop. Since the Nook has Wi-Fi capability, I can back up files to DropBox on my computer through ES File Explorer (and also from Office Suite Professional 7).

A blue tooth keyboard is a must.

nook with keyboardI bought the Poetic KeyBook Bluetooth Keyboard Case and while it’s small, once you get used to its size, it works very well. The blue tooth connection is easy and the fact that the keyboard is wireless means I can have the keyboard in my lap and the Nook on a tabletop if I want to. This is especially helpful when I visit the library.

The Nook’s capacity to hold a mini SD card (plus knowing how to make PDF files) is the trick to holding all of my research.

I scanned numerous pages out of books into PDF files so that I can have all my notes in one place. When I go to the library, all I need to do is bring my Nook to have all my research available at the press of a button.

The Nook doesn’t weigh much nor does it have a large footprint.

That makes transporting it a breeze. This was important to me as I often travel from Central Massachusetts to Cambridge and the libraries at Harvard University to do my research. This requires travel on the subway and a certain amount of walking. It is much easier to get there without a heavy laptop in a bag banging against my body as I walk!

I can pull out the Nook literally anywhere, sit down and write.

It’s my electronic notebook. Because I’ve learned to associate writing with the Nook, it puts me in the “zone”; I can immediately fixate on the job at hand. Only one app can be open at a time proving to be just enough of a deterrent from checking email and Facebook. I have my iPhone nearby if I want to get at an online dictionary quickly or check out a fact or theory on Google.

A great reminder

The Nook is a wonderful physical reminder of how wonderful life can be when have all the pieces are gathered together into one place and work in harmony.

Now if I could just live my life like that all the time, I’d be all set! It’s a work in progress.

Have any of you used a Nook, Kindle, iPad or other tablet in this way?

Let’s swap stories.

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Writing a Book on a Nook – collecting all the pieces together in a compact package

Published on by susanwbailey3 Comments

As this blog is about collecting and connecting all the pieces of a life together into one flow, I realized I needed to add another interest to this blog: technology. I love technology and have ever since I started on my first Mac back in the 1980’s. I’m a PC person now but I have the iPhone, 2 iPods and a Barnes & Noble Nook. I was holding my iPod when I heard Steve Jobs passed away and I shed a tear.

nookA great example

As a practical example of collecting pieces together, the Nook is my favorite example. You won’t believe what I require of my Nook and how it delivers!

Why I love the Nook

I have had a Nook for a few years and I love it. The backlighting and adjustable size of type and line spacing is perfect for my failing eyesight. It’s so convenient having most of my favorite books in one tablet that I can put in my pocketbook and take anywhere. As I have gotten into writing I began to long for the capability to write and save files on it.

With last year’s upgrade, I am not only writing on it, I am writing books on it. And I have all my research on it too.

Write a book on a Nook?

nook1How can that be done? Better yet, why would anyone want to do that?

In my dreams I had several things I wanted a tablet to do for me. Rather than invest a large sum in an iPad (which is rather heavy to carry around), the Nook provided a very affordable alternative along with its lesser  size and weight.

I probably spent around $350 total including the tablet, cover, keyboard and apps.

What do I ask my Nook to do?

  • Provide a word processor that saves Word files so I can write as much as I want and edit too.
  • Provide a means of transferring files easily back and forth between the Nook and my computer.
  • Have every piece of research I have done on the Nook.
  • Give me a light-weight, smaller tablet that I can easily take with me to the library.

How can a Nook do all this, you say?

You’d be surprised …

It begins with the right apps.

office suite professional 7Office Suite Professional 7 provides me with a paired-down Microsoft Word version of a word processor. It is easy to use and gives me the perfect place to jot down notes as I read, journal or actually write chapters for my books. I balked at first at the $14.99 price tag as that seemed high for an app, but it was worth every cent.

ES File ExplorerAnother “must” app is the ES File Explorer. It allows for the easy organization, management and the transfer of files to and from my laptop. Since the Nook has Wi-Fi capability, I can back up files to DropBox on my computer through ES File Explorer (and also from Office Suite Professional 7).

A blue tooth keyboard is a must.

nook with keyboardI bought the Poetic KeyBook Bluetooth Keyboard Case and while it’s small, once you get used to its size, it works very well. The blue tooth connection is easy and the fact that the keyboard is wireless means I can have the keyboard in my lap and the Nook on a tabletop if I want to. This is especially helpful when I visit the library.

The Nook’s capacity to hold a mini SD card (plus knowing how to make PDF files) is the trick to holding all of my research.

I scanned numerous pages out of books into PDF files so that I can have all my notes in one place. When I go to the library, all I need to do is bring my Nook to have all my research available at the press of a button.

The Nook doesn’t weigh much nor does it have a large footprint.

That makes transporting it a breeze. This was important to me as I often travel from Central Massachusetts to Cambridge and the libraries at Harvard University to do my research. This requires travel on the subway and a certain amount of walking. It is much easier to get there without a heavy laptop in a bag banging against my body as I walk!

I can pull out the Nook literally anywhere, sit down and write.

It’s my electronic notebook. Because I’ve learned to associate writing with the Nook, it puts me in the “zone”; I can immediately fixate on the job at hand. Only one app can be open at a time proving to be just enough of a deterrent from checking email and Facebook. I have my iPhone nearby if I want to get at an online dictionary quickly or check out a fact or theory on Google.

A great reminder

The Nook is a wonderful physical reminder of how wonderful life can be when have all the pieces are gathered together into one place and work in harmony.

Now if I could just live my life like that all the time, I’d be all set! It’s a work in progress.

Have any of you used a Nook, Kindle, iPad or other tablet in this way?

Let’s swap stories.

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