Booking It - Round 2

 You guys, I am way overdue to tell you about what I've been reading lately. Let's get to it. See Round 1 here.

Tuesdays with Morrie- Mitch Albom Oh my. What a book. Tuesdays with Morrie tells the story of a student and a college professor. In college, Mitch, the student, often visited with his professor, Morrie. After graduation, he promised to keep in touch, but sadly did not. When Mitch learns that his professor is slowly passing away, he makes a point to visit Morrie once again. One visit turns into weekly visits and Morrie gives his student one last class - How to Live. This is not a book to read while also catching bits and pieces of the Olympics (I tried). This is not a book to read in short chunks here and there. This is not a book to read every night before bed. This is not a book to read while being distracted by anyone. This is a book to read, preferably in two long sittings, with no distractions, while soaking in every word. The story line itself is wonderful enough, but the way that Albom writes is incredible. It's some of the most beautiful writing I have ever read. Everyone needs to read this book...and take notes. Just talking about it makes me want to read it again.

Some of my favorite quotes:

"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. You have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it."

"You have to find what's good and true and beautiful in your life as it is now. Looking back makes you competitive. And age is not a competitive issue."

"If you're trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down at you anyhow. And if you're trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone."

Wild - Cheryl Strayed I'm sure most of you have at least heard of this book, so I won't tell you too much about it. It's a great read, though. I was on the waiting list at the library forever and when I finally got my hands on this, they gave me the large print edition of course. :) Cheryl's story is incredible. I had a very hard time putting the book down at the end of each night. There were some parts of the book I could have done without, but overall I appreciated her honest, detailed account of her journey to come to peace with her life. It almost made me want to go buy a pair of hiking boots - well...almost.

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak I had heard so many good things about this book, but apparently it just wasn't the right time for me to read it. Reading this book got me in a bit of a reading rut. I picked it up, started reading, and had to try really hard to keep going. I kept pushing myself to try to continue, because like I said, I had heard so many good things about it! I tried for a couple weeks and just couldn't get into it. I'm not sure why. The writing was wonderful, so maybe I'll give it another shot at another time.






The Lord of Opium - Nancy Farmer This is the sequel to a book I mentioned last time, The House of the Scorpion. I really enjoyed the continuing story of Matt and his quest to make his country a better place. Again, he was faced with ethical battles and gained a new challenge - rebuilding the way an entire civilization has operated for many years. It was a little slower read than the first book, but was also different enough to keep me interested. I'm really hoping she turns this into a trilogy!

Fearless - Eric Blehm This book tells the story of Navy SEAL Adam Brown. Brown was part of SEAL team SIX - the well-known unit that took down Osama bin Laden, but this book goes so much deeper into the life of a true hero. It tells the story of a man who was always adventurous and brave, from the day he was born. After high school, he got caught up in drugs and his life began to look hopeless. This tribute to Adam tells the story of the true darkness his addiction caused, the struggle to overcome, and a new focused life after he committed his life to Christ and joined the Navy. Adam was an unlikely candidate for the SEALs, but his incredible courage helped him overcome many weaknesses. In 2010, Adam died overseas, but he was ready. He was never afraid to step in front of danger to protect others and knew that no matter what happened on this Earth, nothing could take away his Spirit. He left behind an incredible legacy for his wife, children, and many others to be encouraged by.

Hello!

Okay, so I am way overdue for a blog post, but before I go and make up a whole bunch of excuses, I'll just be genuinely honest - I'm terrible at keeping up a blog. Tonight, though, I thought I'd drop in. Yes, I am still alive. No, my life is not exciting enough to keep you reading several posts a week. But hey, I'm drinking raspberry tea in celebration of spring-that's-almost-summer (even though it's pretty much the exact same thing as winter down here in Florida) and somehow it gave me the tiniest jolt of motivation.

Things have been good here in Florida since I last posted something of substance. We've had a lot of rain lately, but the temperature has been consistently just-about-perfect. We're trying to enjoy the weather, and the fact that we don't need air conditioning or heat, before the hot, humid summer works its way into our lives again.

Keagan finished Introductory Flight School (IFS), which ended in a solo flight. It was awesome for him to get back in the air again. Now, he is in the midst of Advanced Preflight Indoctrination (API), studying like crazy. He does get a little more down time than he did in Virginia, but he is still working very hard and I am very proud.

I've been volunteering at the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society a few days a week and love every day of it. I finished my Bookkeeping and Administrative Assistant classes last week, and will take a certification exam next week. I've also had a whole bunch of job interviews...but I don't really want to go down that road right now. :)

We've both been enjoying a good amount of time together and also enjoy getting more involved with our Lifegroup at church (making new friends!).

Zulu suddenly decided that she likes learning (but most likely just the new treats we got her...) and has learned a bunch of new tricks. She also has become a lot more enjoyable to walk, thanks to our new walking collar. Seriously. It's the best puppy investment so far.

Our friend Petra came down from Minnesota to visit us for a week. We loved having company (and a guest room!) and enjoyed visiting the Pensacola lighthouse, Fort Pickens, a few different beaches, eating fish, and lots of catching up. If only we could keep her here... :)

I had a birthday, and enjoyed sweet messages, as well as some thoughtful gifts. Birthdays are okay sometimes. I treated myself, and bought a keyboard. Of course I had to let my mom know right away so she could send me my favorite piano books in the mail. Moms truly are the best.

Oh, and we are still talking about the HIMYM finale at least twice a week....

:) Happy Weekend!!