I've started and stopped this blog post several times in my head. I wanted to start off by saying all of these nice things about myself, or saying "Most of you think I am....." or "Most of you know that I am..." but all of that sounds like I'm trying to defend myself for what I'm about to say, so in the spirit of vulnerability, transparency, and honesty, I won't defend myself.
I have never despised anyone as much as I despise this person. At the current moment I am not able to get away from them, so I am "stuck" with trying to navigate bitchy waters. Although I have always been kind to its face, I have vented to family and friends. If we believe that everything happens for a reason, everyone is in our lives for a reason, then I want to take this chance to publicly thank IT.
I am intuitive enough to feel that it wants to defeat me, wants me to see that it is winning, it will prevail, but it is not. I win. I will always win. And you know why? Because I refuse to be unkind to you. I refuse to yell at you, or even get angry. I gave you a Christmas present, I hugged you, I texted you and called you. I smiled at you and asked how your family was. I didn't do it to be kind to you. I did it to defeat you.
I'm a three time All-American and two time Hall of Famer athlete (inside joke - I whip these fun facts out every time I'm faced with adversity, as if they're magic talismans). But in this case if I dive down a few levels I think these achievements actually ARE helpful, because they point to my deeper mettle and strength. I'm competitive. I love challenges. I love goals. I love slamming the basketball in my opponent's face and screaming "NOSLIW" ("Wilson" now imprinted on their foreheads). And it's not just about having a winning score at the end of the game. It's about defeating MEAN, cheating, unfair opponents (Mount Mercy, 1982).
So YOU, IT, are my Mount Mercy, and I rise to the challenge. Why? Because at the end of all of this I will be stronger. I will be more conscious, more equipped to deal with every day life challenges, more expanded. If I were to snake down to where you operate, it would make me more like that, and you bet I have no interest in that whatsoever! So even though I'm cheating by not being 100%-fold-my-hands-together-and-sending-you-love-vibes-and-unicorn-wishes, I will continue to use you as my heavy weights at the gym. You are my supreme Workout to give me Spiritual Muscle. I just got done running for an hour on the treadmill with "Shake it Off" on an endless loop. I'm getting in shape - I'm coming for YOU. Everything that I do is focused on this situation and how to heal it - how to do every single step with 100% Love and Integrity.
It doesn't matter what YOU do - you're just a reflection of everything inside of me. That's why I don't need to name you. There are a billion ITs out there. Heck - I'm an IT sometimes. I say mean things. I consciously try to hurt someone's feelings by being snarky. But I'm interested in becoming 100% Me, 100% Love, 100% Soul Incarnate here in my body, so to do that, it takes aggressive Spiritual Warrior energy, and that I have a plethora of.
It's not easy. It's never easy. To defeat Mount Mercy in 1982 I shot thousands of free throws, ran thousands of plays, ran thousands of miles, just for that 40 minutes. The nuns booed us. Steph stole the ball and made a basket. The people waved plastic noodles at us, trying to distract us. I calmly swooshed in two free throws. We won.
I already know I have won. And you can, too. We are stronger than we know. But it takes deep commitment to going down really really deep. I know IT. I have tuned into it's energy. It is sad, scared, insecure, greedy, and maybe mentally ill. And I really do want it to be happy, and feel loved, or I would be a horrible, awful hypocrite. So I dance on. Using this person as the most difficult challenge I've faced in a long time. When I feel peace instead of anger, when I feel like hugging instead of slugging, I know I've done it. I've won. And then, man, is there going to be a celebration. Much like the National Championships of 1982.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Dropping Deep - Magic Monday Post
I know you don't know me very well, but ever since I was little, whenever times would get tough I would withdraw into myself. For the first 55 years of my life I hadn't really examined why I did that, but during the last three months I've made some pretty astonishing discoveries. I am faced with impending loss of someone very close to me. We all experience profound loss in many different ways - a child leaving home, a chronic illness, aging, loss of a job, divorce, menopause. So what do we do when we're anticipating it, thinking about it, in the middle of it, or on the other side of it?
For the past three months I've felt myself shutting down. I could barely get out of my pajamas (Hubby: hey, let's go to Barnes and Noble, and no, you can't go in your pajamas - true story). I didn't want to do my cabi work, I didn't want to leave the house, text friends, exercise. Nothing. In San Diego for my work conference I ran into my beautiful friend Patrice. As we were talking I felt myself light up. I had a thought: why in the world am I shutting down, anticipating how I will be feeling and how my loss will impact me? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WILL FEEL. So why not change the story?
I could feel something like a huge anchor inside of me sinking down, deep into the earth, and I felt myself open up. Why not make this my most successful cabi season ever? Why not create my youtube videos, book my speaking engagements, Essential Closet clients? Why not let everyone know that I am feeling vulnerable and tender at this time and ask for their help?
So that's exactly what I did. When we withdraw we are like a flower pulling its roots nearly all the way out of the ground and covering its little bloom. It may still stay alive, but it won't have all the sunlight or nourishment it needs to thrive. I don't want to just SURVIVE. I want to THRIVE.
This is what I believe: when we are asleep, we do the same things over and over again. We let life just happen as if we can't do anything about it. Everything is just..... inevitable. I don't believe that. So if I want to fully live what I preach I need to pull back and see the bigger picture. What gifts are coming out of this time? How will this strengthen me? How will this soften me? How will this help me on my journey to 100% Soul?
Already just having this realization is huge for me. I tend to live a spontaneous life, full of curves, twirls, detours, and zig zags. Because I want more Bigger Picture, Deep Life moments, that is what I'm focusing on. I sit cross-legged, my eyes closed, palms open facing up on my knees, and breathe deeply, imagining pure sunlight flooding my body as I remain open to the possibilities. I am dropping deep into my life.
For the past three months I've felt myself shutting down. I could barely get out of my pajamas (Hubby: hey, let's go to Barnes and Noble, and no, you can't go in your pajamas - true story). I didn't want to do my cabi work, I didn't want to leave the house, text friends, exercise. Nothing. In San Diego for my work conference I ran into my beautiful friend Patrice. As we were talking I felt myself light up. I had a thought: why in the world am I shutting down, anticipating how I will be feeling and how my loss will impact me? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WILL FEEL. So why not change the story?
I could feel something like a huge anchor inside of me sinking down, deep into the earth, and I felt myself open up. Why not make this my most successful cabi season ever? Why not create my youtube videos, book my speaking engagements, Essential Closet clients? Why not let everyone know that I am feeling vulnerable and tender at this time and ask for their help?
So that's exactly what I did. When we withdraw we are like a flower pulling its roots nearly all the way out of the ground and covering its little bloom. It may still stay alive, but it won't have all the sunlight or nourishment it needs to thrive. I don't want to just SURVIVE. I want to THRIVE.
This is what I believe: when we are asleep, we do the same things over and over again. We let life just happen as if we can't do anything about it. Everything is just..... inevitable. I don't believe that. So if I want to fully live what I preach I need to pull back and see the bigger picture. What gifts are coming out of this time? How will this strengthen me? How will this soften me? How will this help me on my journey to 100% Soul?
Already just having this realization is huge for me. I tend to live a spontaneous life, full of curves, twirls, detours, and zig zags. Because I want more Bigger Picture, Deep Life moments, that is what I'm focusing on. I sit cross-legged, my eyes closed, palms open facing up on my knees, and breathe deeply, imagining pure sunlight flooding my body as I remain open to the possibilities. I am dropping deep into my life.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
It's Supposed to be Wordy Wednesday - oh well
Par for the course, I'm a day late. But I really want to start my first ever Wordy Wednesday with a bang, even if it's Thursday. I love projects and goals, so I went onto goodreads (love it - check it out!) and looked for a list of the top books written by women, and found one! I hand wrote all of the books into my planner, then highlighted the books I've already read and don't want to re-read, then looked at how many were left. These were the books I was going to either read for the first time, or re-read. All in 2016. With my modified list, I came up with 40 books to read/re-read. That's do-able for a year, isn't it?
Except I started mid-December. I wanted to make sure I'd have the best shot at achieving my goal. My first book? "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. I really loved it. At this point I don't really want to get into the details of those first books I read, but I found out something VERY interesting about myself that I hadn't realized before - I don't mind "old books" (written in the 1800's), as long as they still have a moving plot line, and not too many details about walking down a garden lane. With that in mind, I have no interest in re-reading any Jane Austen (she had several on the list). I know, I know - everyone LOVES Jane Austen, and I love the movies, but the written word? Once is enough.
Okay, I lied - another one of those early December books was "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin. I LOVED IT!!!!! It was dreamy, and sensuous, and captured the time, and dealt with issues I personally find timely, mainly how do I fit into the world, and who am I. I know - small things.
So without further ado, here's the top 100 Lists Written by Women (according to voters on Goodreads)
1. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee - read
2. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen - read
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - read
4. Harry Potter - JK Rowling - read
5. Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank - read
6. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte - read
7. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott (currently re-reading, in case you were wondering)
8. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley - read
9. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood - read
10. The Help - Kathryn Stockett - read
11. Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell - read (may re-read - I haven't decided)
12. The Secret Garden - Frances Burnett (JUST re-read, and it is MAGICAL!!!!!)
13. The Bell Jar - Sylvia - will re-read
14. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins - read
15. The Color Purple - Alice Walker - read in 1978, and my bro-in-law was impressed :)
16. Persuasion - Jane Austen - read
17. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen - read (see what I mean about a lot of her books?)
18. And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie - read
19. The Giver - Lois Lowry - read (several times)
20. The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton - JUST finished reading - SUPERB (I love to mix adult fiction with children's books, young teen, non-fiction, and self-help - always have - always will)
21. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith - read
22. A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf - read (this was pretty good, but I've come to understand that I'm not a big VW fan)
23. A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle - read but will re-read
24. Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf - read - uhm..... not so much
25. Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier - will be reading for the first time!
26. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - read - THIS BOOK MADE ME WEEP SEVERAL TIMES - it's beautiful
27. Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder - re-read as part of my Christmas binge reading
28. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou - read - beautiful
29. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston - read
30. Emma - Jane Austen - read (ANOTHER ONE!!!)
31. Harry Potter #1 - JK Rowling - read (how this is different from #4 I don't know, but since I've read the entire series, it doesn't matter - I've read it)
32. Black Beauty - Anne Sewell - read
33. Divergent - Veronica Roth - read (see? Young Adult - I read what my youngest son reads so we can discuss)
34. Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan - read
35. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold - read (interesting story - I got this to listen to on tape, after my sister recommended it - frankly, the subject matter didn't interest me in the least. Well, Alysha Bresenhan (sp) is the narrator, and her voice would make you want to listen to anything! I had gotten close to the end of the book, listening only when I was driving, but it go so riveting that I couldn't stand it anymore - I had nowhere to drive! So I ran out to Barnes and Noble and bought the book so I could finish the last few chapters - stupid, I know, but really says something about the awesomeness of this book)
36. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver - read (I love BK)
37. Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery - re-read (Christmas binge) ANOTHER magical book! I've decided I AM Anne!
38. The Awakening - Kate Chopin - read
39. Beloved - Toni Morrison - read
40. Fried Green Tomatoes - Fannie Flagg - read
41. Emily Dickinson: Poems - will re-read
42. The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende - read
43. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers - read (Christmas binge) - LOVED IT! Her description of the human condition is breathtaking
44. To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf - read, but barely made it, limping through to the end
45. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - read - oh YES!!!!! She is magnificent!
46. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd - read - another magical read
47. The Tale of Peter Rabbit - Beatrix Potter - will re-read
48. The Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams - read - I read this every summer - it is 'my' book
49. Mary Poppins #1 - P.L. Travers - will re-read
50. The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison - read - she is a beautiful writer, but admittedly writes about tough stuff. But still - please read her...
51. The Mists of Avalon #1 - Marion Zimmer Bradley - read - I love EVERYTHING King Arthur
52. Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood - read - she is amazing. Just amazing.
53. Little House in the Big Woods - Laura Ingalls Wilder - will re-read
54. The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova - will be reading for the first time
55. Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie - I'm not sure if I've read this or not - I used to read a lot of her when I was in high school, so I'll just go ahead and re-read it
56. The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck - again, not sure if I've read it, can't remember, so will re-read it. IF I figure out that I HAVE read it, I can make the decision to keep going or go onto something else, okay? Are we just making up rules as we go along? Yeah, pretty much.
57. Possession - A.S. Byatt - will be reading for the first time
58. A Good Man is Hard to Find - Flannery O'Connor - re-read
59. My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult - read - I know she's a literary staple, but I'd never ready any of her books! This one was tough, but still a really good read. I may read more of her. I haven't decided.
60. The Red Tent - Anita Diamant - read - yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!
61. Goodnight Moon - Margaret Wise Brown - read conservatively a billion times :)
62. Chocolat - Joanne Harris - read - LOVE!
63. The Lottery - Shirley Jackson - re-read
64. Wolf Hall - Hillary Mantel - read - I do so adore historical fiction, especially around Henry 8th's time - past life, maybe?
65. Are you There, God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume - will re-read
66. The Dispossessed - Ursula Le Guin - will be reading
67. Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison - read
68. Middlemarch - George Eliot - read, slogged through, actually, in college
69. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruem - read - I also love reading about the 1940's - this was exactly when my dad would've been the same age as the main characters
70. Girl, Interrupted - Susanne Kaysen - saw the movie, but will read for the first time
71. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke - will be reading - it's a REALLY big book - I hope I don't get carpal tunnel holding it - I'm not even joking...
72. Out of Africa - Karen Blixen - who HASN'T seen the movie? And that music? Ahhhhh.... okay - I haven't read it, so I'll be reading this one
73. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern - will be reading for the first time - has anyone heard of this one? I haven't...
74. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - Mary Ann Shaffer - read - World War 2? YES, PLEASE!!!
75. The Second Sex - Simone de Beauvoir - will be reading - I'm a little nervous - just because of the title...
76. Silent Spring - Rachel Carson - cannot WAIT to read this one!!!!
77. Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice - read - I've read them ALL! I love books about vampires - read Dracula when I was 12 - I know, I'm weird
78. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe - read last winter - this book depressed the heck out of me, but I know it's an important literary book. But still...
79. The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jane M. Auel - read back in 1982, right after I graduated from college - it's great! I read the whole series
80. The Talented Mr. Ripley - Patricia Highsmith - I marked this as read, but I probably didn't read it. Wasn't it a movie with Matt Damon in it?
81. Cranford - Elizabeth Gaskell - read. Kind of. That 1800 book I couldn't understand.
82. A Little Princess - Frances Hodson Burnett - will be re-reading
83. Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen - read (just one more JA?????)
84. I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith - I thought I'd read it. I thought I recognized the book cover. I don't remember the plot at all. So I'll try to get it from the library and start it, just in case I've already read it.
85. The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton - will be reading for the first time
86. Silas Marner - George Eliot - read
87. The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood - read
88. Edna in the Desert - Maddy Lederman - read - how this got onto the top 100 I have NO idea - it was not good at all. I mean, in my opinion.
89. Orlando - Virginia Woolf - I loved the movie with Tilda Swinton, but I don't think I've READ the book so I'll do it.
90. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons - read - ew
91. Bring up the Bodies - Hilary Mantel - will be reading - happens after "Wolf Hall"
92. My Antonia - Willa Cather - read this summer - I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!! Love love super love
93. White Teeth - Zadie Smith - will be reading. I know I should've read it, but something about the title makes me shiver. I'll read it, though - promise
94. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn - read - disturbing, but really good
95. The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy - read - I did not like this book.
96. Heidi - Johanna Spyri - everyone knows the movies, but I don't think I've read the book, or it's been a long long time, so I'll re-read it. Or read it for the first time. Whatever.
97. The Scarlet Pimpernel - Emmuska Orczy - read/re-read - not sure if I read it in high school English - Miss Olson had us read some pretty spectacular things.
98. The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton - I think I've read this, but it's another library check-out in case I have.
99. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark - another movie, but I'm quite certain I haven't read the book.
100. The Accidental Tourist - Anne Tyler - read - I LOVE Anne Tyler - just bought her latest and will sneak that into my alternative pile.
SO THERE WE GO!!! Next we'll start discussing my current read. Please let me know which of these you've read, and what you've thought of them. Challenge my mild apathy toward Jane Austen, ask about why I need the plot to move, why I seem to permanently prefer magically-themed books. I just know that I'm excited to read the rest of these books. But you know I've never really done anything by the book, so I've also got a side list of current books (some are written by boys!) that I'll be digging through, as well. I'll keep you posted on that one, as well. Happy reading, my lovely bibliophiles!
Except I started mid-December. I wanted to make sure I'd have the best shot at achieving my goal. My first book? "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. I really loved it. At this point I don't really want to get into the details of those first books I read, but I found out something VERY interesting about myself that I hadn't realized before - I don't mind "old books" (written in the 1800's), as long as they still have a moving plot line, and not too many details about walking down a garden lane. With that in mind, I have no interest in re-reading any Jane Austen (she had several on the list). I know, I know - everyone LOVES Jane Austen, and I love the movies, but the written word? Once is enough.
Okay, I lied - another one of those early December books was "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin. I LOVED IT!!!!! It was dreamy, and sensuous, and captured the time, and dealt with issues I personally find timely, mainly how do I fit into the world, and who am I. I know - small things.
So without further ado, here's the top 100 Lists Written by Women (according to voters on Goodreads)
1. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee - read
2. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen - read
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - read
4. Harry Potter - JK Rowling - read
5. Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank - read
6. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte - read
7. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott (currently re-reading, in case you were wondering)
8. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley - read
9. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood - read
10. The Help - Kathryn Stockett - read
11. Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell - read (may re-read - I haven't decided)
12. The Secret Garden - Frances Burnett (JUST re-read, and it is MAGICAL!!!!!)
13. The Bell Jar - Sylvia - will re-read
14. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins - read
15. The Color Purple - Alice Walker - read in 1978, and my bro-in-law was impressed :)
16. Persuasion - Jane Austen - read
17. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen - read (see what I mean about a lot of her books?)
18. And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie - read
19. The Giver - Lois Lowry - read (several times)
20. The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton - JUST finished reading - SUPERB (I love to mix adult fiction with children's books, young teen, non-fiction, and self-help - always have - always will)
21. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith - read
22. A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf - read (this was pretty good, but I've come to understand that I'm not a big VW fan)
23. A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle - read but will re-read
24. Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf - read - uhm..... not so much
25. Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier - will be reading for the first time!
26. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - read - THIS BOOK MADE ME WEEP SEVERAL TIMES - it's beautiful
27. Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder - re-read as part of my Christmas binge reading
28. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou - read - beautiful
29. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston - read
30. Emma - Jane Austen - read (ANOTHER ONE!!!)
31. Harry Potter #1 - JK Rowling - read (how this is different from #4 I don't know, but since I've read the entire series, it doesn't matter - I've read it)
32. Black Beauty - Anne Sewell - read
33. Divergent - Veronica Roth - read (see? Young Adult - I read what my youngest son reads so we can discuss)
34. Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan - read
35. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold - read (interesting story - I got this to listen to on tape, after my sister recommended it - frankly, the subject matter didn't interest me in the least. Well, Alysha Bresenhan (sp) is the narrator, and her voice would make you want to listen to anything! I had gotten close to the end of the book, listening only when I was driving, but it go so riveting that I couldn't stand it anymore - I had nowhere to drive! So I ran out to Barnes and Noble and bought the book so I could finish the last few chapters - stupid, I know, but really says something about the awesomeness of this book)
36. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver - read (I love BK)
37. Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery - re-read (Christmas binge) ANOTHER magical book! I've decided I AM Anne!
38. The Awakening - Kate Chopin - read
39. Beloved - Toni Morrison - read
40. Fried Green Tomatoes - Fannie Flagg - read
41. Emily Dickinson: Poems - will re-read
42. The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende - read
43. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers - read (Christmas binge) - LOVED IT! Her description of the human condition is breathtaking
44. To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf - read, but barely made it, limping through to the end
45. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - read - oh YES!!!!! She is magnificent!
46. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd - read - another magical read
47. The Tale of Peter Rabbit - Beatrix Potter - will re-read
48. The Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams - read - I read this every summer - it is 'my' book
49. Mary Poppins #1 - P.L. Travers - will re-read
50. The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison - read - she is a beautiful writer, but admittedly writes about tough stuff. But still - please read her...
51. The Mists of Avalon #1 - Marion Zimmer Bradley - read - I love EVERYTHING King Arthur
52. Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood - read - she is amazing. Just amazing.
53. Little House in the Big Woods - Laura Ingalls Wilder - will re-read
54. The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova - will be reading for the first time
55. Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie - I'm not sure if I've read this or not - I used to read a lot of her when I was in high school, so I'll just go ahead and re-read it
56. The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck - again, not sure if I've read it, can't remember, so will re-read it. IF I figure out that I HAVE read it, I can make the decision to keep going or go onto something else, okay? Are we just making up rules as we go along? Yeah, pretty much.
57. Possession - A.S. Byatt - will be reading for the first time
58. A Good Man is Hard to Find - Flannery O'Connor - re-read
59. My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult - read - I know she's a literary staple, but I'd never ready any of her books! This one was tough, but still a really good read. I may read more of her. I haven't decided.
60. The Red Tent - Anita Diamant - read - yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!
61. Goodnight Moon - Margaret Wise Brown - read conservatively a billion times :)
62. Chocolat - Joanne Harris - read - LOVE!
63. The Lottery - Shirley Jackson - re-read
64. Wolf Hall - Hillary Mantel - read - I do so adore historical fiction, especially around Henry 8th's time - past life, maybe?
65. Are you There, God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume - will re-read
66. The Dispossessed - Ursula Le Guin - will be reading
67. Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison - read
68. Middlemarch - George Eliot - read, slogged through, actually, in college
69. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruem - read - I also love reading about the 1940's - this was exactly when my dad would've been the same age as the main characters
70. Girl, Interrupted - Susanne Kaysen - saw the movie, but will read for the first time
71. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke - will be reading - it's a REALLY big book - I hope I don't get carpal tunnel holding it - I'm not even joking...
72. Out of Africa - Karen Blixen - who HASN'T seen the movie? And that music? Ahhhhh.... okay - I haven't read it, so I'll be reading this one
73. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern - will be reading for the first time - has anyone heard of this one? I haven't...
74. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - Mary Ann Shaffer - read - World War 2? YES, PLEASE!!!
75. The Second Sex - Simone de Beauvoir - will be reading - I'm a little nervous - just because of the title...
76. Silent Spring - Rachel Carson - cannot WAIT to read this one!!!!
77. Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice - read - I've read them ALL! I love books about vampires - read Dracula when I was 12 - I know, I'm weird
78. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe - read last winter - this book depressed the heck out of me, but I know it's an important literary book. But still...
79. The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jane M. Auel - read back in 1982, right after I graduated from college - it's great! I read the whole series
80. The Talented Mr. Ripley - Patricia Highsmith - I marked this as read, but I probably didn't read it. Wasn't it a movie with Matt Damon in it?
81. Cranford - Elizabeth Gaskell - read. Kind of. That 1800 book I couldn't understand.
82. A Little Princess - Frances Hodson Burnett - will be re-reading
83. Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen - read (just one more JA?????)
84. I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith - I thought I'd read it. I thought I recognized the book cover. I don't remember the plot at all. So I'll try to get it from the library and start it, just in case I've already read it.
85. The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton - will be reading for the first time
86. Silas Marner - George Eliot - read
87. The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood - read
88. Edna in the Desert - Maddy Lederman - read - how this got onto the top 100 I have NO idea - it was not good at all. I mean, in my opinion.
89. Orlando - Virginia Woolf - I loved the movie with Tilda Swinton, but I don't think I've READ the book so I'll do it.
90. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons - read - ew
91. Bring up the Bodies - Hilary Mantel - will be reading - happens after "Wolf Hall"
92. My Antonia - Willa Cather - read this summer - I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!! Love love super love
93. White Teeth - Zadie Smith - will be reading. I know I should've read it, but something about the title makes me shiver. I'll read it, though - promise
94. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn - read - disturbing, but really good
95. The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy - read - I did not like this book.
96. Heidi - Johanna Spyri - everyone knows the movies, but I don't think I've read the book, or it's been a long long time, so I'll re-read it. Or read it for the first time. Whatever.
97. The Scarlet Pimpernel - Emmuska Orczy - read/re-read - not sure if I read it in high school English - Miss Olson had us read some pretty spectacular things.
98. The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton - I think I've read this, but it's another library check-out in case I have.
99. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark - another movie, but I'm quite certain I haven't read the book.
100. The Accidental Tourist - Anne Tyler - read - I LOVE Anne Tyler - just bought her latest and will sneak that into my alternative pile.
SO THERE WE GO!!! Next we'll start discussing my current read. Please let me know which of these you've read, and what you've thought of them. Challenge my mild apathy toward Jane Austen, ask about why I need the plot to move, why I seem to permanently prefer magically-themed books. I just know that I'm excited to read the rest of these books. But you know I've never really done anything by the book, so I've also got a side list of current books (some are written by boys!) that I'll be digging through, as well. I'll keep you posted on that one, as well. Happy reading, my lovely bibliophiles!
Friday, January 1, 2016
Foodie Friday (or "What's for Supper?")
So here we are, January 1st, and I find myself already in that "are we wearing our pajamas again today?" mode. It's hard to explain - I'm thinking it's the angle of the sun and all that, but this time I'm dedicated to shaking loose from the winter doldrums, and I've got a plan. Food.
But not just any food. A weekly menu. So I grab the cookbook I made a few years back, of all of my favorite recipes (along with pictures and stories, but that's a story for another day), a piece of paper, and pen, and get to work.
Hmmmm... Carolina Soup and Caesar Salad? Yes, please! Indian Skillet Black-Eyed Peas and Quinoa with Spinach? Of course! Curry Noodles, stir fry chicken tenders, and roasted vegetables? BINGO! Can you smell that? That's the vegetables that have just finished roasting.
There's something about cooking and baking that have always soothed me. I was restless yesterday, so put on my headphones, blasted some Black-Eyed Peas (ironic, isn't it?), and cut up the vegetables for roasting. Today's batch includes coarsely chopped red, yellow, green, and orange peppers, one onion cut into quarters then pulled apart, a shake out of the minced garlic jar, one sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes, one bunch of asparagus cut into halves, one head of cauliflower cut into small florets, and one small head of broccoli, cut into small florets. Oh - and three zucchini cut in half, then cut into quarters. I drizzled olive oil over it all, then sprinkled it with some sea salt and freshly ground pepper, mixed it all together with my hands (the most fun part!), then roasted it all in a 450 degree oven for a half hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
The nice thing about roasted vegetables is that I can use the leftovers tomorrow in a frittata (just cut the vegetables up a little more), then if there's still some left, layer them in a pan of burritos with some black beans, salsa, and brown rice.
Not only can we be healthy, we can get some culinary therapy while we're at it. I'm in. How about you? I'm off to boil the gluten-free corn noodles for the curry noodles. YUM!!!!!
But not just any food. A weekly menu. So I grab the cookbook I made a few years back, of all of my favorite recipes (along with pictures and stories, but that's a story for another day), a piece of paper, and pen, and get to work.
Hmmmm... Carolina Soup and Caesar Salad? Yes, please! Indian Skillet Black-Eyed Peas and Quinoa with Spinach? Of course! Curry Noodles, stir fry chicken tenders, and roasted vegetables? BINGO! Can you smell that? That's the vegetables that have just finished roasting.
There's something about cooking and baking that have always soothed me. I was restless yesterday, so put on my headphones, blasted some Black-Eyed Peas (ironic, isn't it?), and cut up the vegetables for roasting. Today's batch includes coarsely chopped red, yellow, green, and orange peppers, one onion cut into quarters then pulled apart, a shake out of the minced garlic jar, one sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes, one bunch of asparagus cut into halves, one head of cauliflower cut into small florets, and one small head of broccoli, cut into small florets. Oh - and three zucchini cut in half, then cut into quarters. I drizzled olive oil over it all, then sprinkled it with some sea salt and freshly ground pepper, mixed it all together with my hands (the most fun part!), then roasted it all in a 450 degree oven for a half hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
The nice thing about roasted vegetables is that I can use the leftovers tomorrow in a frittata (just cut the vegetables up a little more), then if there's still some left, layer them in a pan of burritos with some black beans, salsa, and brown rice.
Not only can we be healthy, we can get some culinary therapy while we're at it. I'm in. How about you? I'm off to boil the gluten-free corn noodles for the curry noodles. YUM!!!!!
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