Day 9

Summer moves pretty fast. We’ve already had some great things to do and had some wonderful experiences. But sometimes pulling back and just relaxing is as important as being creative. It’s that….. just sitting and enjoying the beauty around you that recharges you for the next wonderful experience. So today, we are going to find a great place and just explore with our minds. Grab a book and check out our lists below of the best places to read a book. Make sure to check out the reviews at the bottom. The chapter book is one of my favorites.

Five Places to Read a Book

On Top of the Roof – When I was a kid, my dad was very involved in amateur radio. We had a climbable radio antenna right next to the porch, which in kid language is stairs to the roof. I loved climbing up and just sitting on the roof in the evenings. We rarely used our air conditioner in South Texas, for some strange reason, so the outside world was the same temperature as our indoor world. Somehow, elevation make the world feel different though. Seeing things from a higher perspective changes how one feels and makes it the number one place to read.

A. Pumpkin crawling down from the same roof that I hung out on when I was a kid. Notice the Ham tower is still there.

Refrigerator Box – Do they still have these? Often when a new appliance was purchased, my brother and I would marker it up and transform it into something spectacular. I remember one time a long box which arrived in our living room ended up as a submarine.  My dad turned an ordinary cardboard gift wrapping tube into an extraordinary periscope which was inserted into our submarine. When A. was little, my brother and I went back home to install a dishwasher for my parents and a whole new generation was introduced to cardboard box transformations.I mean think about it. We were doing cardboard box transformers before they ever came out with the cartoons. I loved the way it felt like instantly you were transported to another place or time. Therefore boxes come in on our count at number two.

A. Pumpkin and I all squished in a dishwasher box having fun.

Under the Couch – Reclining couches still offer one of the easiest and fastest transformations to a secluded getaway for book reading. Once in the reclining position, simply add blankets to create a cool, dark area where you and a flashlight can enjoy your faraway land. I always liked lots of pillows and a snack. Number three on the list is a definite favorite for others, as I still see babysitters use this method to ignite imagination.

Car rides – We traveled to see my grandparents at least twice a month when I was younger. A four hour trip one way gave me lots of time in the sunshine in the back seat to enjoy my far away worlds. Feeling the sunshine all over made it one of my favorite ways to read a book. I should mention that old trucks are amazing as well. In south Texas, someone, whether at our house or my grandparents, always had an old truck somewhere. I think it was the musty, oil on tools smell inside the cab that made them so wonderful. Whether the truck was running or not, they still come in at number four.

My dad had an old truck just like this. Same color and everything. I remember the pick up bed was the best part. Such sweet memories.

On a Porch Swing – Both my grandparents had the most amazing porch swings. Something about a swing makes the world feel so different. I would sit there with just one toe touching the ground keeping the swing moving just slightly while engaged in another world.

My grandmothers had two different kinds of swings. One was like this and the other had a glider. I’m not sure if anyone even remembers them but they were great!

This one is very similar to the one my grandmother had. We had tons of fun on that old glider.

Those are some of my favorite places, but here are a few more for you to try.  CLICK HERE for list.