5 on Friday

And here we go...

O     N     E

And cousin watch is officially over!  We all drove down to DC last Thursday, and Anne Douglas was born Friday morning.  To say we are smitten would be a gross understatement.

But really, isn't she just beautiful?

T     W     O

We are enjoying a crazy mild winter up here.  I say enjoy this week, but we have actually been sad about it too.  There has been SO little snow this year!  

But around the end of February, I always start to lose my patience with winter and long for spring.  This is not a good thing, because usually we have snow on the ground for most of March and sometimes into April.

But this year, we have warm days.  Yesterday was 58 degrees...crazy!  And it looks like we are done with freezing temps and will stay in the 40's or higher from here on out.

Time to get out and enjoy all of the parks we've missed this winter!

T     H     R     E     E

I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, but in two weeks, we will be heading home to Mississippi for two weeks.  SO EXCITED.  Spring in Mississippi is my favorite.  Bech's little brother is getting married (and we just love his fiance!).

But let's all be real for a moment.  You know this is what I'm thinking about the most:

Let's just say, I'm pretty sure there will be snow cones in heaven.

F     O     U     R

I'm still doing 21 day fix.  I took my week of maintenance and then hopped back on for another round.  Of course, I didn't follow it at all while in DC, so I'm going to add in another week.

I'm a little nervous about how to follow it while I'm in Mississippi for two weeks.  I think the exercise part should be okay.  I've got grandparents that can help watch kids while I do that.  But the eating is harder.  I have already decided that for the rehearsal dinner and wedding, I'm not going to obsess over the eating plan.  But it will be hard to say no to some southern favorites!

I asked my challenge group for tips on how to do the fix while traveling, and they suggested:  get the exercise in first thing; make sure your breakfast and snacks work with the plan; for lunch and dinner, just try to do the best you can; salads are a great choice because, even if they have some unhealthy toppings, you are at least filling up on greens.

So any other beachbody people out there with tips on traveling and clean eating?

F     I     V     E

A couple of nights ago, as I was tucking Jack in, this was his prayer:  

"Dear God, hm, I forget what I like about you. Can you imagine if you couldn't remember something you said it to me, and you said it again. Thanks for my scooby doo Legos. Did you know it's almost spring? Thanks for making it almost spring. And thanks for making ninjago Legos. When I'm like 89 or something or 6, I want to play with those. Can you make my mom say yes? Can you imagine if your mom said you could have ninjago Legos? Can you, God? I can imagine that. Amen."

Let me just say again, four is such a fun age!  This little wild man is the perfect mix of crazy energy, sweet snuddles, and countless questions.  That's not to say I don't have moments where I scream, "You're going to make me go insane!" (for the record, I had cleaned up legos the night before and he then pulled them out again!  I'm going to end up needing therapy over the legos.).  But those moments are mostly overshadowed by the joy that Jack brings daily.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Book List, Part 3

Alright, I'm going to finish up my book recommendations today.  You can check out my popular fiction and non-fiction lists here.

So this last set is my fiction list.  These aren't "popular reading," although some of these might be fairly popular, and usually I am going to list an author or a series as opposed to a single book.

Also, you might notice that there is a lot of young adult or high school reading on here.  What can I say?  In his introduction to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lewis wrote, "Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again," and I must admit that I often live by that quote.  If a book is on this list, that means I have read it multiple times, and I often started reading it while a child or teenager.

Perks of Being a Wallflower

My best friend in high school bought this book when it first came out and then lent it to me.  This book just feels like 11th and 12th grade to me.  My group of friends read this book, talked about this book, quoted this book.  Nothing against The Catcher in the Rye, but this book was much more a coming of age anthem to me.

In the book, Charlie (the main character) is given a book list from his high school teacher.  I read through that list in 11th grade (well I had already read about half, so I finished it up).  Here they are:  To Kill a Mockingbird, This Side of Paradise, A Separate Peace, Peter Pan, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, On the Road, Naked Lunch, Walden, Hamlet, The Stranger, and The Fountainhead.  I would suggest that entire list (maybe leave out Naked Lunch) to anyone wanting to read more, especially of the classics.

Look, if you are looking for book suggestions and you aren't a teenager, I honestly don't know how good this book will be to you.  It might be like The Great Gatsby.  When I try to reread that book, it just doesn't feel as wonderful as it did when I was 16.  Perhaps Perks is like that.  Perhaps it's only magical when you are young (and because I read it then, when I reread it, it's still magical to me). 

 But it's worth a shot, right?

Atlas Shrugged & The Fountainhead

Oh goodness, I feel like I'm opening up Pandora's box with this one.  Look, I'm not saying I agree with Ayn Rand on anything/everything.  I am just saying that she is an incredible story teller.  

Give these two books a chance.  I have read Atlas Shrugged probably four times.  After the first time, I just started skipping pages anytime she went on a political or philosophical rant.  Perhaps that would make her sad, but I don't really care.  Both books are really beautiful and amazing stories, and both feature pretty incredible female heroines (which isn't often the case with most books in the classical cannon).

Agatha Christie

My love for the great dame of mystery writing began in junior high, thanks to And Then There Were None.  I didn't read too much of her after that, until I got to college.  And now, I read every Agatha book in the library of wherever we live, wait until I've at least halfway forgotten who the murder is, and then reread the book again.

If you don't like mysteries, I guess Agatha Christie isn't for you.  But if you do, Agatha was the best mystery writer...ever.  Okay, maybe that's not 100% agreed on, but she's at least top 5.  One of my favorite things about her is the lack of gore, language, and sex in her books.  I also love how I can rarely figure out who did it, but at the same time, the answers aren't a crazy stretch either.  And of course, her two main characters, Miss Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot, are just wonderful.

Chaim Potok

In high school, I often chose my books off of the AP reading list.  I went through many phases: the Beatniks, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Vonnegut.  But my absolute favorite is Potok.

Chaim Potok is a Jewish author, and most of his books have to do with Hassidic Jews.  Not only are these books incredibly interesting because of the history you learn, but they are also incredibly beautiful.  His writing is just wonderful.  I would suggest starting with The Promise, My Name is Asher Lev, or Davita's Harp.

Harry Potter

I know, this seems like it should fit in the "popular reading" list.  But I think that Harry Potter will last.  I know I'm ripping of Alan Rickman here, but I do believe I will still reread these books when I'm 80.  I think Rowling has done an incredible job creating this series.

I'm going to be honest.  I reread this series often.  Like every two years or so.  And I am never disappointed.  I LOVE that Jack is so into Harry, because it gives me yet another excuse to reread the series.

Madeleine L'Engle

I feel like most people have just read A Wrinkle in Time, which is an incredible book.  But L'Engle has so many other incredible books which should be read too!

A Wrinkle in Time is the beginning of her time quintet, which includes A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet (my favorite in the series), Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time.  This is a great series.

But my favorite of her books are the Vicky Austin books.  These lack the fantasy aspect of the time quintet and instead focus more on the teenage years of Vicky.  Her family lived in New England, and I have to blame so much of my love for New England (and desire to take family camping trips) on the Austin family! My favorite in the Austin series is Troubling a Star.

L'Engle also wrote a book about her Faith called Walking on Water that I am currently making my way through.  Seriously, her books will blow you away.

Anne of Green Gables series

Oh, Anne girl.  There may be no series that can top this one for me.  I know, lots of people have read the first book, maybe even the second.  But the whole series is just perfect, and I would highly suggest it.  Rilla of Ingleside is a strong contender for my favorite book in the series, and it's the very last of eight!

So much of who I am and what I love has been shaped by this series.  I think I started reading them in 3rd grade.  I then proceeded to ask my parents to call me Anne for a year (and of course, Anne with an e!).  And I have a son named Gilbert, which is no coincidence.  Anne is just amazing, not because she's perfect, but because of her love for beauty and for her eternal optimism.  And now that I have children, books like Anne's House of Dreams and Anne of Ingleside take on a whole new meaning.

If you have never read this series (or have only read the first book or two), do yourself a favor and finish it.  You won't be sorry.

Chronicles of Narnia

Well, who's surprised with this one?  

My dad started reading Narnia to me when I was a little girl.  Honestly, I don't think anything else he (and maybe anyone) has done has shaped me so profoundly as this.  

A mother once wrote to Lewis, concerned that her son loved Aslan more than Jesus.  He responded, "[He] can't really love Aslan more than Jesus, even if he feels that's what he is doing.  For the things he loves Aslan for doing or saying are simply the things Jesus really did and said.  So that when Laurence thinks he is loving Aslan, he is really loving Jesus; and perhaps loving Him more than he ever did before."

I grew up falling in love with Narnia and with Aslan.  And that love has shaped my faith more than other weightier and more serious books ever can or will.

As I look over this list I've just made, I'm reminded of how much I love words and quotes.  I used to fill notebooks up with quotes and lyrics and poem stanzas that I love.  And all of these books and writers are filled with beautiful, life giving words.

And if this list inspires you to read anything on it, please let me know!

5 on...Sunday?

Y'all, third post THIS WEEK.  Crazy, right?  I don't know what inspired this increase in blog activity.  But you know what's going to keep it up?  5 on Friday Sunday!  Because there are few things I love more than making a list.

 O     N     E

I haven't updated on the 21 day fix.  Well round 1 is done!  I am currently doing a week of maintenance, then I'm going to start it back up again.

I am officially a fan of the fix.  It is super hard and intense, but you can see immediate results.  I still need to be able to have some cheat meals, but overall, both Bech and I really like clean eating.  I struggle with the protein aspect, because we don't normally eat tons of protein.  But I loved eating more fruits and veggies.

I ended up losing 6 pounds.  I was hoping for more, but I cheated the last two weekends of the fix.  And, I know that I gained a bunch of muscle.  

I didn't do my measurements before I started (because I'm dumb and forgetful), but I did them a week in.  So after a week of maintenance, I retook my measurements...12 inches lost!  

T     W     O

One thing I am enjoying a lot about the fix is the exercising.  I don't normally like exercising at all.  But I am actually enjoying all of Autumn's videos.  Her motto is "You can do anything for 60 seconds," and I love it.  Sometimes, I feel like there is no way I can do another burpee, and then I think, it's only 60 seconds (then a 15 second break)...I can do 60 seconds.

But it has made me realize what my favorite type of exercise is--Pilates.  I love yoga, but I want a little more intensity than the normal yoga workout provides.  Pilates is a great answer to that.  It's a little faster paced and there is a little more strength training, but it's not as hardcore as Autumn's cardio workouts.

I'm about to do another round of the fix, but I am thinking after that I might do 60 days of Beachbody's Piyo workout.  Any one have any experience with it?

T     H     R     E     E

Y'all, Bachelor this season is almost done.  I don't watch a ton of TV, but I do NOT miss this show.  I usually try to resist, but then get sucked in by Pinterest Told Me To's recaps.  But this year I started watching right from the beginning because I love Bachelor Ben.

Any other Bachelor watchers out there?

F     O     U     R

We are officially on Baby Watch 2016.  My sister is due at the end of this month with a little girl, Anne Douglas.  I have been making tentative plans for the next couple of weeks because we plan on hoping in the car and heading down to DC as soon as Katy tells us she's in labor!

Gil has no idea what's going on, but Jack is pretty pumped to be getting a baby niece.  I have been watching two little girls during the week (one 4 months and one 6 months) and Jack just loves them.  He asked me the other day if we could buy Vivian (the 4 month old).  Um, pretty sure her parents might have something to say about that!  But he can claim Anne Douglas as his.

F     I     V     E

Bech's little brother is getting married the first weekend of April, and the boys and I are headed down South at the end of March.  CAN NOT WAIT.  I love springtime in Mississippi.  And it is always fun to leave the cold north for a Mississippi spring.

I will have just wrapped up my second round of the fix, so I'm not going to go too crazy.  But you better believe I will have a couple of snow cones while I'm home.  Plus, I NEED some Sakura Bana sushi!

So there you go...five random thoughts/topics from my head.  I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

Book List, Part 2

Alright, Part 2 of my book list.  I am going to work on non-fiction next, because it will be a little easier.  I don't read a ton of non-fiction.  I actually struggle to get through non-fiction books (whereas I can tear through some fiction).   So here we go:

Bread and Wine

I had this book sitting on my kindle for months and decided not to read it.  I knew that I would want to hold this book in my hands, and I was right.  I loved it.  I would describe this as a book of snippets about faith, family, community, and food.  And interspersed throughout the book are recipes.  Can it get better?

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

This is one of the only non fiction books that I have read a second time.  When we moved to Malawi in 2008, Bech had just read this book and Alice Water's The Art of Simple Food.  He started getting really into local, organic food and also into cooking.  When we moved back to the States, all I wanted to do was buy food at Kroger.  We actually had separate food budgets because he wanted to shop at the local coop.

Somehow I picked up his copy of this book and read it.  And, whoa, it changed a lot of my views.  Even if you aren't necessarily looking to change how you source or cook your food, I will still suggest it.  Barbara Kingsolver, her husband, and her two daughters move to West Virginia and commit to spend a year eating only local and in season food.  Each chapter is divided up by the month.  It doesn't feel super preachy; it reads much more like a story.  But you still end up learning a lot (and wanting to cook lots of new food!).  Plus, there's a little Vermont shout out in it!

Mere Christianity

Any surprise here?  If you know me at all (or have read my blog at all), you know that I love me some C. S. Lewis.  So I could just put any and all Lewis.  But I'm going to give you my two favorites.

Mere Christianity is an apologetic, or a defense of the faith.  What makes it stand out is two things.  First, Lewis became a Christian later in life.  He has such an interesting perspective on faith.  Second, Lewis is so clever!  This book is where he introduced his liar, lunatic, Lord argument, which is one of my favorites.

The Four Loves

Bech and I actually led a study on this book while in college.  I haven't read it in it's entirety in a couple of years and really need to.  It goes through the four types of love, and I think it's really an insightful look into love and human behaviour.  Bech and I still reference points from this book often.

Again, you will not be disappointed in any Lewis books!

Orthodoxy

G. K. Chesterton is yet another of my favorites, and this book may be my absolute favorite non-fiction book.  Chesterton is brilliant and absolutely hilarious.  I fell in love with this book in college and still re read it often (I am currently doing so on my kindle--free book for the win!).  

Orthodoxy is another book of Christian apologetics but with a slightly different bent than Lewis' Mere Christianity.  Lewis is fairly rational in his arguments.  Chesterton appeals to the faerie world a lot.  I know that sounds like a strange description, so you'll just have to read it to know what I mean.

My favorite quote from the book:

“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”

A Severe Mercy

This is a fun book to have on the list, because, although it is a non fiction, true story, it reads like fiction.  A Severe Mercy is the love story of Sheldon and Davy.  Sheldon writes the story after Davy has died (he says that on the first page--I didn't ruin it for you!).  Warning, you will sob, like shoulders shaking, tears streaming down your face sobbing.  But, it will be worth it.

Alright, there's my list for non-fiction.  You'll probably laugh at the difference in length between this and my final (fiction) list.  I just am not a huge non-fiction fan!

Book List, Part 1

I've had a couple of people lately ask me for book lists.  I am flattered, but I'm not completely sure why.  I suppose the only answer is that I read...a lot.  I read at least one book, often two, a week.  Sometimes that number is closer to three.

If you are amazed at that amount and wonder how I have time, I have two tips.  First of all, I have the kindle app on my phone so that I can read wherever, whenever.  I read for at least 20 minutes every night on my phone.  I am lucky because I share a kindle account with my family.  They buy books they want to read, and then I read them.  It works great for me.  But if you don't want to spend a bunch of money to be able to read on your phone, either read the classics (often they are free to download, like Anna Karenina) or check out ebooks from your library (just ask how at the front desks...librarians are incredibly helpful!).  I use both of those methods often.

My other tip is to read multiple books at once.  I would say, no more than three.  But I always have a book going on my kindle app and a physical book that I am reading.  That way I can sit in my kids room and read the physical book and then work on the kindle book later that day.

So back to my list.  I decided to break my suggested reading list up into three sections: fiction, non-fiction, and popular fiction.  And today, I'm going to start with popular fiction.  I think of this category as the "book club" group.  These books probably aren't going to win a Pulitzer or be remembered 50 years from now.  But, they are fun, entertaining, and engaging reads that I would recommend to others!  Also, this list is, by necessity, ever changing, unlike my two others.  So what I recommend today might be totally different a year or two from now, just based on what I'm reading.

Liane Moriarty

When I worked in the UVM library, I would always put aside interesting looking books while checking them back in.  This is how I came across What Alice Forgot.  Since then, I have read all six of her books.  She is a wonderful writer.  Her books are really interesting.  They aren't mysteries, but they keep you wanting to know more.  Plus, she deals with some pretty big issues, especially in her latest Little Big Lies.  My least favorite is The Hypnotist's Love Story, but honestly, they are all good books.

The Flavia de Luce series

Alan Bradley is a British man living in Canada who writes about a precocious preteen chemist/detective, Flavia de Luce.  Flavia lives in the countryside of England in the early 1950's and she is a HOOT.  These books are absolutely delightful.  And what's more fun than reading these books is listening to them.  The woman who reads the audio versions does a great job.  (Check out a free trial on Audible or see if your library has them on cd).  I would suggest this series even if you aren't a mystery fan.

Elin Hildebrand

I hesitated adding this name to the list.  Listen, her books can be pretty cheesy.  But the books are all set on Nantucket and some even center around food.  These are quintessential summer or beach reads.  Don't expect anything deep.  Do expect to enjoy them.

Louise Penny

Louise Penny is a Montreal native who writes the Armand Gamache mystery series.  Y'all, I never buy books.  I borrow or check them out.  I pre-order her books.  That's how good she is.  Now, if you aren't a mystery fan, then skip this.  But if you love mysteries, I strongly suggest Penny.

The Book Thief

This one has been out for a couple of years, but if you haven't read it, you should.  I love books that have to deal with World War 2 and the Holocaust, and this one is incredible.  Warning, it is not a happy book.  

And, they made a movie of this book a couple of years ago and I thought they did an amazing job!  Read the book first, though.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

This one has also been out for several years, but it's one of the first I read on my kindle.  It deals with WWII, but its about a British island that was occupied.  This is a much happier WWII read.

The Little Paris Bookshop

Why is it books are almost always better set in Europe?  This books is a little longer and was harder to get into.  But it is so good.  I really enjoyed the writing.  

All the Light We Cannot See

Another great WW2 book.  The book switches in time and in stories a lot, which kept me interested.  Plus, it's just a beautiful book.  Warning, it isn't the saddest book I've ever read, but it's definitely not the happiest either.

Me Before You

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon with this pick, but I really did love it.  Plus, there is a movie coming out, and Will Traynor is played by Finnick (from the Hunger Games movies).  Again, not necessarily the happiest of choices, but I loved it.  I haven't read the sequel, but I'm on the waitlist at my library for it.

So there you go.  No Pulitzer prize winners, but good, entertaining reads.  Again, check out your library for these books!  It's free, and if you hate the book, you didn't waste money.  If the book you want is checked out, you can get on the waitlist.  If your library doesn't have the book, they can use Interlibrary Loan to get the book from another library or they might even be willing to purchase the book (although your library should have all of these titles).  I'll be back soon with the rest of the lists!