Time just keeps “March”ing on, doesn’t it? Hard to believe we are moving into the end of the first quarter of 2015 – and creeping up on the 6 month anniversary of my wedding/birthday!
So far #marriedlife2015 is just grand. We both work crazy hours at our job, which means we have random days off during the week and every other weekend off together. We try to make the most of our time off. In January, we had a daytrip to LaCrosse, WI where we met Chris’s friend from high school who is moving from Madison to Rhode Island in a few months. We visited the Dahl Automotive Museum and Pearl Street Brewery, Buzzard Billy’s and the Starllte Lounge and then drove to the Ponderosa for movie time by the fireplace.
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Two weeks later we drove to Madison to see them before Tien moved mid-February. We weren’t able to make the going away party, so had our own time with them, which was very fun. Chris and I got there early and enjoyed a Restaurant Week restaurant, a Mustard Museum, and then we enjoyed a pub meal before retreating to their bar for darts and drinks. Saturday we walked on State Street, went to the Madison Modern Museum of Art and then visited my old “haunts” – Ella’s Deli and Few Street! Was quite a blast from the past. My old stomping grounds revolved around a 4 year old, so they weren’t too exciting, but it was a great reminiscence. We also had a delicious Vietnamese meal before we travelled back to Rochester. It was a great weekend. Next time we go there it will be to drop Chris off for his road trip to Rhode Island / New Hampshire with Tony! Less than a month away!
Mom, Marissa, Gracie and I had a little daytrip to the Cities for Mom’s birthday in early February. We went to Marissa’s apartment and said hello to the kitties, and then went to an art open house at Pam Weisdorf’s home Afterwards we had a delicious hibachi meal and avoided all malls. It was a nice little road trip!
In January, Chris’s new little granddaughter was born – Emilee Ashlyn. What fun to hold a baby! And what fun to witness Chris’s discomfort at the same. He says he’s afraid he’ll drop her. She is a little peanut, but growing every day, as babies are supposed to do. We took her big sister, Kaydee, to Soccer World one bitterly cold morning and played during their open gym time. That was a hoot. Fun to be inside, warm, and running around on fake grass.
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January and February means there is basketball almost every day of the week if you want. It was fun to watch Rees, Gracie and Trajan play basketball. And fun to witness Gunnar sign with SDSU for his collegiate football career. And I made it to section wrestling to see Trevor wrestle a few! Phew, there is an abundance of sports in the winter!
February also means SocialICE – a yearly festival of the cold! They moved it back a few weeks, so it coincided with Marissa’s birthday weekend. They were hoping that it would be warmer, but it just wasn’t to be. Chris and I went for about 45 minutes on Thursday night and it was sooo cold (-5). Hot drinks were not hot, cold drinks were freezing – literally. Chris had a beersicle. We eventually moved inside for a cocktail at the Doggery. Saturday we went back during the daylight with the kids, because the ice sculptures are really fun to see, but it got cold and windy and crowded fast, so we didn’t last long. We celebrated Marissa’s birthday with the family tradition of pizza and ice cream cake! Delicious…
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And the Oscars 2015 happened, as well! I haven’t seen all the movies up for Best Picture, including the winner, but I did see a few. I already loved The Grand Budapest Hotel and Boyhood. I thought TheImitation Game was ok and American Sniper was very hard to watch. I haven’t seen Birdman (the winner), Whiplash (looks painful), Selma or the Theory of Everything. I have seen a few movies in the theatre in 2015 – Into the Woods (Rees’s “worst movie ever,” but I loved it!), The Imitation Game (just OK, not super-great), Paddington (sooooooo fun… used to LOVE Paddington!), and Still Alice (the book is SO much better – this is a watered down version, but with a great performance).
At home we’ve watched The Long Way Round series (documentary about a motorcycle trip around the world! Love it! Ewan McGregor, so fun), The One I Love, The Wolf of Wall Street, They Came Together, The Hundred Foot Journey (nice little movie – I read the book!), The Edge of Tomorrow, and 84 Charing Cross Road (such a sweet story about this eccentric woman – so fun! Very true to the book!).
And speaking of books, we had book club last week. We read The Perfume Collector and had great fun planning our French food theme! Lots of fromage, French Onion dip, potatoes au gratin, quiche and croissants. Topped off by French silk pie! What was the book about? Hmmm… It happened in France in the 50s and was about gifts and independence and the role of our senses. I read it in December, so had trouble with the details but we had a good discussion anyway!
Other books I’ve read in 2015 include: The Beautiful Daughters (see review here – it is released soon!), Yes Please (audiobook read by the author, Amy Poehler! Loved it!), The Supreme Macaroni Company (Adriana’s book continuing with Valentine’s life in NYC), and Apple of My Eye (sooooo good! Helene Hanff is quite the character and brings NYC in the 70s to life! Loved it!)
I can’t decide what to read next… so I’m catching up on magazines. Looking forward to diving into that next good book, though!
Would love to hear what you’re reading, what you’re watching, what you’re doing, while waiting for spring weather to arrive! Comment below!
No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. ~Hal Borland
If you know me, you know I love authors. I love to listen to them talk about their books, about their writing process, about their view the world, about the books the love to read. I’m also loyal to authors. If I like a book, I will continue to follow that author to see what they will come up with next.
If you know me, you also know I’ve been in a reading slump – planning a wedding and getting married takes a lot of brain power and time! So when Nicole Baart, (an author I’ve followed since I read her book The Moment Between in 2009) posted on Facebook that she was looking for members of a “street team” for her newest book, The Beautiful Daughters, I applied! The opportunity to read an Advanced Reader’s Copy, offer it for a giveaway, and then to receive a copy of the book when it is published on April 28, 2015 – I love stuff like that! I was tickled to be chosen for her Street Team and for The Beautiful Daughters to be the first book I read in 2015. Bonus: She sent her favorite chocolates, book marks, signed book plates, and homemade soap made receipt of the package even sweeter!
Below is the description of the book from the Digital Catalog at Atria Publishing (a branch of Simon and Schuster), the tentative cover design, and a little info about Nicole Baart, the author.
Below that is my review and details on how you can get your hands on my ARC!!
The Beautiful Daughters –
The Beautiful Daughters by Nicole Baart
From the author of Sleeping in Eden, described as “intense and absorbing from the very first page” (Heather Gudenkauf, author of The Weight of Silence), comes a gripping new novel about two former best friends and the secrets they can’t escape.
Adrienne Vogt and Harper Penny were closer than sisters, until the day a tragedy blew their seemingly idyllic world apart. Afraid that they got away with murder and unable to accept who they had lost—and what they had done—Harper and Adri exiled themselves from small-town Blackhawk, Iowa, and from each other. Adri ran thousands of miles away to Africa while Harper ventured down a more destructive path closer to home.
Now, five years later, both are convinced that nothing could ever coax them out of the worlds in which they’ve been living. But unexpected news from home soon pulls Adri and Harper back together, and the two cannot avoid facing their memories and guilt head-on. As they are pulled back into the tangle of their fractured relationships and the mystery of Piperhall, the sprawling estate where their lives first began to unravel, secrets and lies behind the tragic accident are laid bare. The former best friends are forced to come to terms with their shared past and search for the beauty in each other while mending the brokenness in themselves.
Nicole Baart’s lush and lyrical writing has been called “sparkling” (Publishers Weekly), “taut and engrossing” (Booklist), and “evocative and beautiful” (Romantic Times). The Beautiful Daughters is another exquisitely rendered, haunting story that will stay with readers long after the last page.
Nicole Baart is the mother of four children from four different countries. The cofounder of a non-profit organization, One Body One Hope, she lives in a small town in Iowa. She is the author of seven previous novels, including, most recently, Sleeping in Eden. Find out more at NicoleBaart.com.
My review:
I really enjoyed this book. I love books with rich character development. I love beautiful descriptions. This book has all that, plus a suspenseful plot with insight into how tragedy affects people. The book also tackles sensitive topics, but I don’t want to spoil the suspense.
Some of the passages that I re-read and bent the pages for include:
Regarding Adri’s father, Sam:
“Her father was one such daydreamer, the kind of man who spoke volumes in silences and heard God whisper in the song of distant stars keeping watch over the land that he plowed.”
Regarding Adri’s fiance’, David:
“In his personal life he was sensible and composed, able to take up and set aside the mantle of a playboy as easily as donning a coat. To laugh and joke and drink until his imposing mother slipped into the room, a quiet and watchful revenant whose presence instantly sobered and reined in her son.”
Regarding The Five:
“Jackson was hand in hand with Nora, a new girlfriend who didn’t quite fit. Harper couldn’t help resenting her. When Nora was around, they were quick to pair up, but when it was just the five of them, they were a unit. A fist clenched tight.”
This book is about young adults who meet at a small college in Blackhawk, Iowa. Adri and her brother Will grew up on a farm in Blackhawk, and David grew up at Piperhall, a mansion down the road. Along with Harper and Jackson, The Five become fast friends and spend most of their out-of-school time playing grown-up at Piperhall and when Harper suggests a trip to commemorate their college graduation and mark endings and new beginnings, they are unaware of the tragic event that will happen and change their lives forever. They scatter – Adri to Africa and Harper into dark relationships – and are called home five years later when the matriarch of Piperhall dies.
This is a page-turner and I’m so thankful it was the first book I read in 2015!
Now, to get your hands on my Advanced Readers Copy, please COMMENT BELOW with the FIRST BOOK YOU READ OR ARE READING in 2015! If you share this blog post on Facebook or Twitter (and share the link), you will get extra entries!
I like to end each year by looking back and thinking about the big things and the little things, summing it up and tucking it away to be recalled in the future. 2014 was a big year. Here is a sad attempt to summarize its awesomeness. (Lots of links you can click on if you want more info or fun videos! Anything underlined is a link.)
Movie chat!
I saw some movies in the theatre. In no particular order, I saw Inside Llewelyn Davis, Her, The Lego Movie, The Great Beauty*, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Saving Mr. Banks, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Divergent, 12 Years a Slave, Belle, Neighbors, Chef, The Fault in Our Stars, A Million Ways to Die in the West, The November Man, Boyhood, Unbroken, Wild, The Hunger Games: The Mockingjay Part 1, Dumb and Dumber To, St. Vincent, and Gone Girl. (*Rochester Int’l Film Fest)
Some were seen alone, some with girlfriends, some with family, some with Chris. Some felt like they were MADE FOR ME (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Boyhood, Chef, St. Vincent); others not so much, but I love a movie in the theatre, no matter what. (Thankful for that Mayo discount and living within walking distance to a theatre!)
Netflix DVD watching also happened, including The Salt of Life, 20 Feet from Stardom, Austenland, Iron Man 1, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, 10 Years, August Osage County, Blazing Saddles, What’s Up, Doc?, Here Comes the Boom, Love Is All You Need, My Life Without Me, The Tiger and the Snow.
None of them stand out as wonderful, except 20 Feet from Stardom – that was fun. I blogged about that around Oscar time last year. Some were sent back without being watched – life was just too busy to sit on the couch in 2014!
Great seats for our first show!The stage and Proscenium
Comedians – Lorna Landvik at her Party in the Rec Room at Bryant Lake Bowl in January with John and Deadra, Mike Birbiglia at the Pantages with Marissa (on a whim, due to horrific driving conditions keeping me in the Cities longer – so glad we went! Thankful we weren’t later arrivers!!)
Plays – in Minneapolis Jenny and Chris and I saw Peter and the Starcatcher, and it didn’t disappoint the second time! We hung out after and listened to the actors talk about their magical performances night after night… So fun.
Authors – only one in 2014! Allison McGhee, a Minnesota author. I still haven’t read any of her books, but she was fascinating to listen to! I do love to listen to and meet authors!
And speaking of books – you can click the BOOKS I READ IN 2014 page on my blog to see the list of books that I did accomplish in 2014. I didn’t meet my reading goal (again, not a lot of time to sit around and read in 2014!) but I changed my goal and hopefully set a realistic goal for #marriedlife2015.
Heading in to the first show of our trip!
And speaking of plays, can’t forget Broadway! I had TWO trips to NYC in 2014! The first was in early January – a girl’s weekend with my sister-in-law/great friend, Koni. We ran through airports to catch planes, celebrated the arrival of our luggage, we braved their elements (12 degrees, which was 30 degrees warmer than we left) and were the only ones to show up for the cupcake walking tour of the Lower East Side. We ate delicious meals, we SHOPPED, we saw THREE Broadway shows (Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder – the Tony winner of 2014! – Cinderella, and Matilda!), we saw people singing in their underwear at 54 Below (the Skivvies – click to see a video!), we celebrated when our flight home was cancelled, as it meant we had a bonus day to see our 3rd show, hang around the Superbowl celebrations in Times Square, and enjoy more Cake Boss treats. Read ALL about it here.
One of everything! Yes, please!Also in 2014:
Also in 2014:
Birthdays were celebrated – at wineries, at the Lake, at restaurants.
I went to as many kids’ sporting events as my schedule would allow.
I continue to love my job, crazy schedule and all. Coming up on my 3rd anniversary on January 30.
Someone drove through our Target exit doors, right after Chris and I walked out. Quite freaky!
Choir continues to bring joy and happiness to me and all who participate – can’t wait to start up again!
Marissa met a man that she enjoys immensely, so that’s fun for mama. She continues in graduate school, hoping for an early spring graduation.
Cosmo Girls continued to meet monthly – a solid crew of amazing women that I am thankful for!
Cosmo Girls at RAC 2014
And then of course, last but not certainly not least,
we got engaged in July and married in October 2014!
The ring arrived!
Proof that he is the ONE? When we were discussing the hows and whens and wheres of getting married, he said, “Can we get married in New York City?” Um, yes! Most people think it was my idea, but it was his idea, which is why I love him so. He knows how to make this girl happy. I’m very lucky!
July to October was spent hammering out details, planning, organizing, and celebrating. Chris moved in with me in July and that adjustment has been surprisingly smooth (further proof that he is the ONE!). I had a wonderful, abbreviated Ferragosto week at the lake, which was almost like a Bachelorette week. So much celebrating and planning and laughing!
It was great fun to plan the week in NYC for family and friends. Everyone was so joyful and lovely. The blog detailing the events of Wedding Week 2014 can be read here: #woohoowedo2014. I’ll end this never-ending blog with the ceremony that Chris and I worked on in the hopes that we would have time in the chapel for more than just vows – and we did.
2014 was sure filled with blessings! Looking forward to #marriedlife2015! More adventures await!
LOVE Sculpture!
-NYC Wedding Ceremony October 1, 2014-
OPENING PRAYER – Dad COMMITMENT TO THE COUPLE / RING WARMING SCRIPTURE READING – Koni POEM – Deadra READING (If time before vows) – Robert Fulgham VOWS CLOSING PRAYER – Dana
OPENING PRAYER – Dad – He did his own prayer 🙂
Dear God, for the joy of this occasion we thank You. For the friends and family who are here today to witness this joy, we thank You. For the significance of this wedding day we thank You. For this important moment in an ever growing relationship we thank You. For Your presence here and now and for Your presence at all times, we thank You. In His holy name. Amen.
COMMITMENT TO THE COUPLE / RING WARMING – Beth
Your very presence here, in this city, in this building, shows how much you love and support Chris and Danette and their life together. Will you promise to continue to surround this couple in love, offering them the joys of your friendship? Will you support this couple in their relationship, at times of conflict, offering them the strength of your wisest counsel and the comfort of your thoughtful concern? At times of joy will you celebrate with them,nourishing their love of one another?
(Hope for enthusiastic “WE WILL” from all!) And they said “WOOHOO WE DO!”
During this ceremony, Chris and Danette will exchange rings. These rings are a strong and visible sign of their love and commitment to one another. Chris and Danette ask that you, very important and loved members of their lives, hold their rings in your hands for a moment and warm them with your love. Say a silent prayer or make a wish for Chris and Danette and their future together.
SCRIPTURE READING – Koni
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge,it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror;then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully,even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
POEM – Deadra
i carry your heart with me ~ e.e. cummings ~
i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate, my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)
VOWS – Jimmy
Benediction – CLOSING PRAYER – Dana
The wedding is not over – it has just begun. Marriage is not something said and done, but a promise, whose fulfillment is acted out over time.
So for Chris and Danette, we simply pray that the promises of marriage have a long and complete fulfillment; that their love is nurtured and shared by their families and friends; and that the seasons be joyous along the way. In God’s name we pray. Amen.
READING Union ~ Robert Fulghum ~ Read by Marissa at Starbucks
You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point,you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed,you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included“someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.
The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”
Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another. Shortly you shall say afew words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.
It is a pleasure to walk outside at night and feel the warm summer air! Aside from all of the rain we had this week and last, we have had good June weather so far! It’s also a pleasure to have some weekends off to enjoy the summertime! But, as I’ve said before, I don’t usually let a little thing like work slow me down…
Here’s what has been bringing me smiles from the past few weeks:
Movies
Saw “A Million Ways to Die in the West” with Chris – I’m not a Family Guy watcher or a Seth McFarland groupie, but this was fun. It’s a Western with modern language, with shocking humor and interesting characters.
I saw “The Fault In Our Stars” by myself on opening night. Well, not by myself, but with a theatre filled with Tweens and Teens, swooning and sobbing. I wish I hadn’t gone that night, because I felt more like an observer of the theatre than a movie-watcher. I thought the book was so much better (no surprise) because I liked the parents so much better in the book, I liked their relationships so much better in the book, and the movie felt watered down and immature. \
Tonight I saw “Chef,” which I think is my favorite movie of the year! I’ll have to think back for sure (“Grand Budapest Hotel” was this year, too… hmm) but it was so fun! A fun story about having passion for your work and doing what you love, about fathers and sons, and about Cuban sandwiches! I almost danced throughout the movie, because the soundtrack was incredible (and is now purchased!), and I had tears spring to my eyes twice, just because of happy emotions! Loved it!
Books!
There have been a few rainy days, so I’ve been reading on my Kindle and catching up on Oprah Magazine. I finished a smutty book while on the dock, “Bettie Page presents: The Librarian,” and then returned to the world of Pride & Prejudice with “Georgiana Darcy’s Diary.” Ah, there is something about that book and those characters. Good stuff. Now I”m working on “Wild” and almost finished with listening to “Whistling Past the Graveyard.”
Road Trips and Adventures!
For Jenny’s birthday, we had lunch at Trempeleau Hotel and went for a tasting at Elmaro Winery. It was a beautiful Sunday and the winery was in a beautiful setting, so we sat outside and enjoyed live music, a fruit and nut plate, and some delicious wine.
Chris and I went to the cabin for his June vacation. We had two great weather days, one washout day, and one very windy day. There was reading, DVDs (Breakfast Club, War Games, The Upside of Anger, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and good cabin food. There were a creche (I think) of White Pelicans who must have stopped there for the summer, and they were amazing to watch and learn about! Who needs TV when you can watch pelicans? And as always, the sunsets were spectacular.
One of the days we drove to Northfield to have dinner with Deadra for her birthday! It was fun to explore Northfield and we had a delicious dinner in a Tavern there along the river. The day started out breezy, cloudy and cool, but it ended up clear and calmer.
When I got home from the lake, I joined some peeps at the rooftop of the Tap House for Sunday Night Trivia! We rocked (mainly one guy rocked) and got one free round of drinks and 3rd place overall. I love trivia. And the weather was perfect for a night on the rooftop!
Trempeleau Hotel for lunch
Celebrating Jenny’s birthday at Elmaro Winery
Selfie at the end of the dock… a couple beautiful days!
The pelicans brought hours of entertainment!
Always a spectacular sunset at the lake…
Birthday dinner with Deadra in Northfield!
Gotta love words in cement!
Rooftop cocktails and trivia – I’ll have what she’s having!
Looking forward to celebrating the first day of summer at an International festival in Rochester and then I’ll travel to Rushford to see Mom and Dad and hopefully some Rushford friends! I’m counting on a campfire to celebrate the shortest night of the year!
Chris has a Summer Solstice birthday, but he gets t work. I’ll bake him a cake for when he’s done with this 7 day stretch!
In the name of Procrastination, I’ve been wanting to blog all week. It’s Palindrome Week, after all.
4.10.14 – 4.19.14. I love stuff like that.
I’m finally giving in, with the hope that getting a blog off my chest will allow me to actually write a paper on “Larry.”
So here, we go. Things that make me happy, with a PALINDROME twist! And there are random photos from the past 4-6 weeks in a slide show at the end of the post, if you have patience and can get there!
I am working on my clinical social work license, so I am taking a class to get more clinical content hours. It meets the first Friday of the month for 9 hours. I have three papers due by the first Friday of May and then it will be done. It is interesting and learning is always fun – but papers? Not so much. Oh well. Soon it will be behind me.
Driving to class was harrowing in April. Gross. I’m ready for the winter driving to be behind me, as well.
I worked a lot of overnights in March – 8 to be exact. I worked 5 in one week as an experiment. I think it worked for me – it’s nice to stay in the “up late, sleep all day” routine, so that transitioning back doesn’t have to happen as often. We’re short-staffed right now (after LeeAnn left), so the schedule is crazy. And it’s crazy spring time, so I think I will have to practice a lot of self-care on work days and on days off. Ah.
I finished listening to The Goldfinch. It was looooong but a good read. Theo Decker (“Potter”) has his life changed forever while at a museum with his mother at around age 11.
I finished Divergent just before seeing the movie, and now am almost done with Insurgent. I hope for answers in the 3rd book. I’m not as pulled in as a certain 12 year old I know. She loves the relationship. She said she’d loan me Allegiant but I needed to know that it would “hurt me.” She cried for quite a while when she finished.
I did a review of My Wish List: A Novel, which you can read more about here. I can’t wait to see the movie!
I’m reading The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog for my class, and it is interesting and terrifying. I put down Mo’ Meta Blues until I get through that Divergent series! Can’t stop now!
My Kindle and nook apps are filled with books that need to be read… I can’t wait for this class to be over!
12 Years a Slave – Certainly not a ‘feel good’ movie, but very powerful.
Divergent – I liked the movie a lot, much more than the book. I thought the changes they made were meaningful and the movie just flew by!
The Grand Budapest Hotel – This movie was made for me! Whimsical, magical, and unpredictable! I had a smile on my face throughout the entire thing!
The Great Beauty – The opening film of the Rochester International Film Festival and the 2014 Best Foreign Film Oscar winner. It was long, riotous, and a little obtuse. I read an article about it the next day which helped me understand it a bit more, but it was a joy to watch, so that’s fun, even if it was hard to understand.
Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3 – For some reason I had the urge to watch these movies, so I got them on DVD from Netflix. They were pretty fun, but I’m kinda done with the superhero movies for a while.
Chris and I had a Thursday night off so I was looking for something to do. And lo, and behold, there is Trivia Mafia in town! So we invited Kristine and Mike to join us for some beverages and trivia at Big Brad’s! I love trivia and we held our own!
We had a grown-up slumber party at Beth’s – margaritas, pizza, and girl talk! So much fun – and so needed!
Of course, there was Peter and the Starcatcher – you can read about that fun night here!
We had a work happy hour to say goodbye to LeeAnn! She relocated to the Cities and we miss her much!
St. Patrick’s Day was a hoot. Chris and I went to Dooley’s and parked in a booth and enjoyed bagpipes, funny costumes, good food and good company! We had to start early since I had to work very early the next day.
We also had a great night at Boomers, listening to the Jukes of Hazzard. Marie’s guy is drummer in the band and it was fun singing along and watching the clientele at Boomers. *YO, BOTTOMS UP! (U.S. MOTTO, BOY.)
Another recent weekend off (they feel so few and far between!), we saw The Grand Budapest Hotel with Jenny and Tammy and then met Kristine at the Loop for dinner! It turned into a Girl’s Night Out + Chris! He could hang with us and it was a lot of fun. Good conversation with good friends.
Cosmo Girls was a blast. We met at the Rochester Art Center and enjoyed a guided tour (two guides/curators!) and the art project they had set up for us afterwards. We laughed a lot, got a lot of good pictures, and learned a lot! We had so much fun together.
One of those precious Saturdays off I got to watch Rees play basketball and eat at his choice – the food court at the mall!
I hosted another Book Party – the theme was Books Into Movies and we drank Bridget Jones’ Daiquiries (strawberries and champagne!) and we talked about books and laughed a lot! This is going to happen again (and again and again…).
Girl time with a pedi is always the best. Ah.
On April Fool’s Day, I made a Screwy Lewie – so delicious! And such fond memories of childhood slumber parties – mine and Marissa’s.
Spring has finally shown its pretty head (every now and then) and we’ve enjoyed long walks outside and our first dinner and drink on a patio. Looking forward to more time outside with the nicer weather!
I took Gracie to B&N to shop for books for her birthday. It was fun to peruse the book shelves and talk about what kinds of books she likes to read. She’s growing up so…
The “blood moon” from the lunar eclipse was this week and we were able to see it. Small adventures in the middle of the night are pretty fun!
There’s a new coffee shop in Rushford and before choir (yay choir!) Mom and I went there to get a sandwich and coffee to go! It was delicious and I can’t wait to go again for a leisurely coffee with friends!
And now, because April is Poetry Month, here are some Palindrome poems I found online:
Poetry Is: (Palindrome)
Poetry
Words flowing
from the heart
written down
freely.
Freely
written down
from the heart
Words flowing
Poetry.
SMILE
day brighter
load lighter
SMILE
lighter load
brighter day
There is less difficulty—indeed, no logical difficulty at all—in
imagining two portions of the universe, say two galaxies, in which
time goes one way in one galaxy and the opposite way in the
other. . . . Intelligent beings in each galaxy would regard their own
time as “forward” and time in the other galaxy as “backward.”
—Martin Gardner, in Scientific American
Somewhere now she takes off the dress I am
putting on. It is evening in the antiworld
where she lives. She is forty-five years away
from her death, the hole which spit her out
into pain, impossible at first, later easing,
going, gone. She has unlearned much by now.
Her skin is firming, her memory sharpens,
her hair has grown glossy. She sees without glasses,
she falls in love easily. Her husband has lost his
shuffle, they laugh together. Their money shrinks,
Evidently WordPress dropped some plugins, which makes me pretty sad. It used to be so easy to find related articles and links to Wiki or IMDB for the things I was writing about, but now it isn’t automatic. 😦 I guess they want me to “Go Premium,” but I won’t be doing that anytime soon, as I already “bought” my domain name. I’ll either work a little harder for more links on my blog or I won’t. 🙂
Not much else going on here… a great grown-up slumber party last night means I’m exhausted tonight. I work overnights Monday and Tuesday, so I’d better try to bank some sleep. I know that Monday I’ll be enjoying my current book – and getting ready for my next blog tour book! Two weeks!
It gets a little old to start every blog post off with “Where did the last month go?” but here I am, once again, thinking the same thing! So I’ll recap my month in the only way I know how – by listing the highlights and the things that have made me happy since I last blogged! With pictures!
There were some games:
The Superbowl happened – I worked but made it to the party before halftime. Not much of a game, but the pool on the score always makes it entertaining when those final seconds tick down each quarter.
Got to a few of Trajan’s basketball games. His season is over now, but I look forward to watching him in the years to come!
Went to one of Gracie’s Rochester tournament games. Her season is over now, too, but again, many years ahead!
There were epic weekends:
SocialICE 2014 was a lot of fun! We warmed up with cocktails and Trivial Pursuit questions at my house, enjoyed some warm and cold beverages at the ice bar, went underground to The Doggery, and sang some karaoke at the Viking Lounge! The next day we went to Newt’s too late for brunch, but it was good nonetheless.
Marissa’s Birthday 2014 was also a lot of fun! The drive to Minneapolis was treacherous, so it took a long time to get there, but I made it with plenty of time to spare before the Jeremy Messersmith concert at First Ave! First we ate at Kieran’s, a favorite pub, and then we were at First Ave right after the doors opened – which meant we were there a LONG time before the main event!
Jeremy Messersmith is just such a good songwriter… I love that you can understand every word he sings and that his songs always have a little twist in them. So clever and fun. After the concert, we went dancing at a club where the average age was likely 25. Very much not my ‘scene’ but it was a fun night. Saturday we laid low and read and watched TV. I had decided not to face those roads again, so we worked on getting tickets to Mike Birbiglia, a great comedian! He was sold out, but we found tickets and we went!
Mike Birbiglia at the Pantages was amazing! It was nonstop laughter about “earlies and late-ies,” the uninhabitable city Minneapolis is, as evidenced by its skyways, and swearing in front of Muppets. Funny stuff. Afterwards we celebrated National Margarita Day with “made at the table” guac and fancy margaritas at Rosa Mexicano!
There was an early Valentine’s Date:
Chris and I both worked on Valentine’s Day and that weekend, so we planned to celebrate on Wednesday 2/12, so it was perfect that I won tickets to Jim Brickman in concert for his”Love Tour” for that night! Beforehand we went to Chester’s for a delicious dinner, and the concert was very fun! He has a good sense of humor and a good ‘tell’ that shows he’s done. Chris brought me the most beautiful roses and a box of chocolates. It was a good date.
The next night, the Cosmo Girls went to a local nursing home and made Valentine’s with and for the residents. It was a fun time, followed by a pot of tea at Press Coffee House.
There were books and discussions:
I had my first class of the semester, requiring a ton o’ reading, online discussions, and case study papers. Psychopathology will be good for me, good for my job, but it confirms my dislike for professional reading in large quantities. Ugh. I was nervous, as it’s been a LONG time since I was in school, but it will be good.
I had lunch with Cindy at India Garden, and that always involves mega book discussions. Planning the next book party is underway!
The ED book group discussion was held at Tonic last week – we discussed Winter Garden, which had been in my TBR pile for years! I always felt like it should be read in the winter, and I’m glad it was. It was a good book about mothers and daughters, forgiveness and understanding. And it had a secondary story which took place in Russia, so it was timely with the Winter Olympics! Next up is Divergent! We’re going to the movie together.
There was a brief visit with Sarah and her kiddos in the warmth of their home. That also means that books were discussed. Look forward to another visit!
I’m still listening to The Goldfinch and just started reading Questlove’s book Mo’ Meta Blues. Next TBR is a book for a book tour – I can’t wait! Details to follow…
There were movies and award shows:
The night before the Oscars, Jenny and I watched 20 Feet from Stardom, the documentary about back up singers. We also went to see The Lego Movie, which was a lot of fun! I loved the ‘meta’ of it and loved the voices. Maybe it’ll be Oscar nominated next year!
I love watching the Oscar’s every year. I blogged about the nominations when they came out and you can read that here. 20 Feet from Stardom was not a favorite to win the Best Documentary category, but it won! That was so fun… I loved the acceptance speech and that Darlene Love sang her heart out during it! Other things I loved were
Ellen’s selfie
Cate Blanchet and Lupita Nyong’o acceptance speeches
Pizza for everyone!
Spike Jonze winning for best screenplay for Her – the movie about relationships and intimacy. A great discussion piece!
All of the songs performed live
Following along on Twitter all night – until it broke for a while! Crazy selfie retweeting overload!
The jokes following John Travolta’s major introduction fail.
I’m sure there’s more, but for now, that’s it.
I’m sure that’s an overload. I either need to blog more often or remember that people probably only read one paragraph before moving on! If you made it to the end, I’d love to hear from you. What made you happy in February? It was a brutally cold month with horrible weather where I live, so you gotta look for the good to stay sane!
Here’s a list of things that have made me happy since Christmas –
Christmas with the family on the Ponderosa. A snowfall, a bonfire, good food and laughs with family. Bliss.
“Phantom of the Opera” at the Orpheum with Marissa and my mom (and Mo’s friend, Tricia). The music didn’t disappoint, the set was beautiful, and the chandelier dropping made me jump! Good stuff…
Lots of Laughs (LOL) with Land O’ Lakes (LOL) at their Christmas party at Goonie’s Comedy Club!
New Year’s Day movie watching with Jenny and Chris – The Secret Life of Walter Mitty at the Wehrenberg (loved it!), and take-out Chinese and Don Jonvia my new AppleTV (also making me happy – thanks Chris!).
The day-after-New-Year’s-Day movie watching with Marie – Saving Mr. Banks – a tear-jerker, for sure!
A “Grand Getaway” to Minneapolis (and St. Paul) – the Minnesota History Center for Speakeasy Saturday, a double-date with Deadra and John to see Lorna Landvik at her Party in the Rec Room at the Bryant Lake Bowl, followed by a retro-bar crawl to Nye’s and Honey and brunch at Ike’s. Good stuff. I’m a lucky gal. 🙂
Celebrating Chris Riggle’s birthday with her today! Pizza and brownies… nothing fancy but it was sure delicious! It was fun to catch up!
I made my Goodreads goal for 2013 – 32 books read. I set my goal for this year at 36 and am optimistic that I can make it. 🙂 I’ll continue with Audible for a little while longer, but I’m collecting enough that I have a few banked up to read! Below is a list of the books I read in 2013 – looking forward to hitting more in my TBR pile in 2014!
Looking forward to spending more time reflecting on what my theme for 2014 will be… do you set New Year’s Resolutions or goals?
A few months ago I had the idea that I wanted to get together the various random people I know that love to talk about books and reading. Not to talk about one book in particular, but to talk about why we became people who love to read and discuss books! I thought I would look for some book-related food and drink, book and reading related games, and we would have a grand ol’ time.
Well. A grand ol’ time was had! Oh my. I’m still on a little high.
Long ago I decided that I was not going to let the pressure of hosting a perfect party keep me from hosting parties,. It makes for a more relaxed evening to know that you don’t have to be a Martha in the kitchen to have a successful party. I ended up stocking up on frozen Trader Joe’s appetizers, buying a lot of wine and some fruit, and putting out cheese and crackers. I picked a small Italian theme, because I had a book to giveaway, and that book was set in Italy. I looked through the “Tequila Mockingbird” cocktail book Iclick the title for the blog about how lovely and perfect this book is!) for inspiration and decided to make the “Gone with the Wine” sangria (red wine, peach schnapps, peaches and oranges) and get the fixings for “Scarlett O’Hara’s” (Southern Comfort and cranberry juice) as well. My house is usually relatively clean, so I simply dusted and put away the dishes, prepared the punch, decorated with books, and took a nap. That’s my kind of prep.
Books with recipes in them!
My TBR pile moved from my bedside table!
Some of my favorite authors and books I’m currently reading!
Books to give away!
The guests arrived promptly and enjoyed the “Gone with the Wine,” and we promptly began discussing the following questions while devouring yummy tapas-like appetizers:
What was the first book you remember reading/being read?
What is your favorite book of all time?
Which book has left the most lasting impression on you?
Which book have you read most frequently?
What books are on your bedside table at the moment?
Name one book/author that you really can’t stand?
What type of books do you like reading most?
If you were given $30 to spend on a book today, what book would you buy?
Where’s your favorite place to read?
Which character in a book do you think is most like you?
Which character in a book would you most like to be?
What book do you plan to read next?
Which literary character would you most like to have a ‘significant relationship’ with?
These discussion questions took a good few hours and we never digressed to talking about family or work or anything but books books books!
Then we played Bookish Pictionary with a white board and bestseller book titles! It was fast-paced and fun – even to those who freaked out about having to draw!
There were a few online games we played via my iPad – like this one, which is matching the people who marry or almost marry in famous books, this one which is first lines of famous novels, and this one, which was hilarious – top 80 words found in Harlequin romance novel titles! Who knew that Surgeon would be way up there???
Everyone brought a small exchange gift – a jar of Book Worms, favorite classic novels or a favorite book, Well Red wine from Trader Joe’s… creative and fun!
And then everyone got to take home a book from a box of books that I won from TLC Book Tours! Yay books!
Being silly – for the TLC Facebook page!
And posing nicely… Ah.
I cannot wait to start planning the next Superbowl for Book Lovers or Bookish Affair or whatever it becomes dubbed! I will be on the lookout for more book giveaways, bookish trinkets for exchange, and bookish games and recipes!
Do you have any ideas for future bookish gatherings?
Walkie Talkie Book Club 