Today I escaped to Massachusetts and was part of a Christmas Wedding.

Today i treated myself to TWO snooze buttons and then i turned OFF my alarm and let myself enjoy an extra hour of uninterrupted sleep.

When i awoke, feeling as though i could have maybe slept till noon, but knowing i would regret it for wasting my day, i decided it was time to start my day.  What better way then a Caramel Java Crunch coffee from The Coffee Lodge along with a toasted fluffy Whole Wheat bagel with lite cream cheese and tomatoes...YUM!!!!

As I drove into town to grab my yummy breakfast, my sister text me and needed me to work for her.  Since her "work" for today involved sitting in the back of a freezing grocery store for two hours to “monitor” a client while he worked in produce,  I knew I would need a nice warm sweater and a good book.

This was short notice, and since i was already in town and would not have time to go home and grab neither a book nor  a sweater, I decided i should treat myself to a new book and maybe pop in to my mom's house for a warm sweater.  However, i was lucky enough that, stuffed between my seat and the cold metal back of my small little red ford pickup truck, was actually one of my FAVOURITE sweaters that i thought the dryer had eaten.  Now that i had my warm sweater, all i needed was a good book.

Now, what some of you may not know, which to be honest, if you know me at all, you should know this, or else you really don't know me at all, I love Christmas.  Since I LOVE Christmas, for the last month I have been to Walmart and the bookstore reading the backs of many books based on Christmas.  But one had continued to jump out at me, so i drove quickly over to Walmart (cause books are 30% off) and picked up The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo.

I wrapped myself in my warm sweater and grabbed my book and nestled in next to a stack of potatoes and  some bananas and opened my book.  It was time to get way from the produce, away from the fruit flies, and away from the workplace drama and escape into the new world in which Patterson and DiLallo had created.  Next thing I knew, two hours had flown by and i was halfway done the book. 

I was part of the Summerhill family.  I was another daughter who was a part of this Christmas Wedding.  Or at least that is the way i felt while i was sitting in the back of the freezing cold grocery store nestled between produce. 

Somehow, I had lost myself and found myself in the middle of Massachusetts with Gaby and her children, ready to plan this mystery wedding. 

Isn't that such a great feeling, getting lost in a book???  So lost that it almost feels as though someone is waking you up from a really great dream when they interrupt you from reading???

Well anyways, once reality set back in and i got back in my little red rebel pick up truck and drove to my mom's house I couldn't help but think that i couldn't wait till I had a chance to start reading again.

Now, isn't that the best feeling???  Being excited to read???

That is the most amazing thing about books.  They take you to places you have never been,  they introduce you to people you have never met, and they give you the power to learn things, and know things you otherwise wouldn't.

I took a break from the book and treated my mom to some all you can eat Sushi for dinner at Hana before racing home, turning on my small Christmas tree (the big one goes up this weekend) and lighting some candles while nestling into my big couch right beside my big warm dog and escaping back to Massachusetts.

Next thing i know, the book is done.  Cover to Cover within four hours or less.  They only thing depressing about this situation, is the story is now over. 

However, one thing stuck with me through the whole story.  It was something the character Marty had said to a group of students about reading. He said "Nowhere will you meet more interesting people than in a book.  I've met a lot of people,  i have read a lot of books...".  I agree with him completely.

So the point of this post, if you haven't already figured it out, is READ, READ and READ some more. Never stop reading because even when life feels as though it is forcing you down, you can grab a book, escape your life, and join the life of the characters and you will soon notice that your life slowly comes back up, if only for those few hours you let yourself escape in a really great book.