The One with the Book List: Never Let Me Go

     My first experience reading The Giver was in 8th grade English and it quickly became my favorite book. With it still being one of my favorites I was excited to see a book paired with it on the list. Never Let Me Go was written in a very conversational way which did not lend many quotes and that was somewhat disappointing. I like for a book to be quotable. It was, however, easy to picture myself near the pond on the Halisham campus or sneaking along the narrow lanes of the seaside town Norfolk. 

     I am finding that it is hard to read these books for what they are and not be so intentional in looking for similarities to the books they are paired with. Although the ideas in Never Let Me Go were thought provoking and it was a neat read, it is not a new favorite. 

The One with Lent: Easter

Weekends are basically what I live for and Easter weekend was no exception because it was an extra day long. The days were spent sitting in the sun, eating delicious food, watching movies, snuggling with my favorite cuddle buddies, coloring with my goddaughter, and... wait for it... going to church.


After an invite from my cousin and his family to join them at church Sunday morning I told myself that I would go if I happened to wake up by 8:00 a.m. My eyes naturally opened at approximately 7:59 a.m., so I took that as a sign of Divine Intervention and got myself out of bed. I arrived to church early, although not early enough to get a good parking spot, and as my best friend drove by I could hear her cackles through the open car windows. 

After parting ways with my friend and her family at the Cry Room I slipped into a pew with my family. I received play by play information throughout songs, prayers, kneelings, and communion. I opted out of receiving a blessing during communion; I figured actually being at church was good enough for the morning. It was nice to be at church on Easter Sunday and to see so many adored faces.


Every morning is Easter morning!

The One with the Book List: Swamplandia!

There exists a list of recommended books to read based on books you liked as a kid. I picked up an armful of these books a few weeks ago (thanks Half Price Books- Olathe) and the first one to be marked off the list is Swamplandia! This books was paired as similar to A Wrinkle in Time which I read in Mrs. Beatty's elementary school class and totally enjoyed.

The characters, family dynamics, and plot were all very captivating. Although the story would have been so much less rivoting without the series of detailed events, I sometimes found myself wishing to get to the end. Part of that was simple curiosity and anxiety to see how the story ended. What I loved most about the book was the visual language in which it was written. For example, someone was eating a "roast beef sandwich that was hemorrhaging horseradish." At one point in the story I thought a quote was describing me, "I could sleep into the deep yolk of any afternoon, wear my dirty pajamas to the pit, stow away on the library boat and read murder mysteries until four in the morning." The language added so much to the story and now I feel like I have actually visited Swamplandia! and witnessed the alligator-wrestling shows. 

Swamplandia! was a pleasurable read, but I am excited to get started on the next recommended book.

"The beginning of the end can feel a lot like the middle when you are living in it."

The One with Lent: Passover and a Blood Moon

     The last couple weeks of Lent have been unchurched. It has not necessarily been a conscious decision NOT to go, but it also has not been a conscious decision TO go. Although I like to be disciplined in my practices, I have found that the unexpected and organic happenings in my life tend to be the most spiritual.

     I had just swallowed some melatonin to aid my sleep last night when I remembered the total lunar eclipse that was scheduled to occur in the wee hours of the morning.  I said a small and silent prayer that I would hear my parents as they roused and layered in preparation to stand out front and look at the darkened sky. A tiny miracle happened in that I did in fact hear them. I immediately jumped out of bed, that’s quite a feat at any hour of the day, knowing that if I did not get up at that exact moment I would allow myself to fall back to sleep and miss the eclipse.

     Throwing a sweater on over my jammies, I burst outside where my parents and I searched the clouded sky for any signs of the moon. Slowly, the clouds uncovered the eclipsed moon and we just stood there, heads craned upward with binoculars stuck to our faces, starring at the awesome wonder that is God’s handiwork.

                  

     I am still chuckling that the Blood Moon happened the night that Passover began.

                  

     Shalom.

The One with Lent (and My Birthday): Week Four

     As suspected, I did not make it to church for week four of Lent. I desperately wanted to count my church time as the few minutes when Louis C.K. commented on churchy things during his opening monologue on SNL, but for Christ's sake, I did not.

     Week four consisted largely of birthday meals and desserts. Edamame, creme brulee, pad Thai, mango sticky rice, turkey burgers, homemade peanut butter hummus, Twinkie cake, and homemade Nutella gelato...Massages, mimosas, Mules basketball, and Maverick's hockey filled the actual day.

     The feasts for the week were scrumptious and the company was delightful. 


     It is difficult to be disciplined in a practice of which you cannot feel or taste the benefits. I can feel the benefits of being disciplined in practicing yoga. I can taste the benefits of a successful baking endeavor. But going to church- I cannot feel or taste those benefits. Yoga can continue, baking can continue, but church disciplines may be discontinued- even through Lent.