Book: Looking for Anne of Green Gables

I've been trying to read more non-fiction lately, so I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled across this book at the library. 

This is a book about the famous author L. M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Moon, and countless short stories. A Canadian icon, I loved learning more about the author and her beloved heroine. 

The book starts out detailing Montgomery's young life. The author outlines unique situations that would have gone on to inspire the character of Anne. As the book progresses, more interesting facts come to light, including the identity of the model who inspired Anne's red hair, and snippets from Montgomery's journals as she grew up and began work on the novel. 

My favourite aspect of this book is discovering how much Montgomery drew on her own life experiences to shape the character of Anne, and in some instances, Diana. It makes me feel drawn to Anne even more, and closer to Montgomery. 

I highly recommend this book to Anne fans of all varieties. Keep in mind that it is non-fiction, and it may seem a bit dry to some readers. It is an easy read, and even includes photos of Montgomery, her family, and other important ephemera. It's a fascinating book, and worth the time and effort you put into it. 

Book: The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing

A few weeks ago, I finished reading The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing. 

It was a quick read, making it a good summertime book. As it opened, I was caught up in the world of a young girl who is sad about losing her childhood vacation home {it also might have been their real home, it was hard to follow along}. As the book went on, I found myself more and more interested in the life of the heroine. 

However, halfway through, things went a bit...off. There was randomly one chapter about nothing in particular. After that, the main character started doing things that didn't seem true to her character. It got really boring watching her make terrible choices, and the book stopped moving forward. Finally, the last chapter seemed to provide a sense of completion, of a satisfying ending. And yet, nope. I found the ending to be jarring, and there was no true ending, or satisfaction of endings wrapped up. 

Some people might say that it's like life; there isn't always closure, and people make bad decisions. But I felt like the ending didn't match the story that had been established. Overall, I wouldn't really recommend it. I found it on several reading lists on Pinterest, so clearly some people think it's worth reading. If you find it at the library, sure, check it out and bring it to read by the pool. But don't feel like you need to go search it out. 

Book: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

A few years ago, this book {and subsequent movie} was extremely popular. At the time, I was around 8 years old, much to young for the demographic the book was aimed for. Now, many years later, I read it without all the excitement and hubbub, and I'm glad it worked out that way; there was nothing to influence me before I read it, or sway my opinion afterwards. 

I watched the movie a few months ago, because I was curious. I'd even forgotten that it was a book. From there, I figured I might as well read it. So I did. 

I loved reading this book. I dove right in, and loved everything about it. The writing style is descriptive without being flowery, the characters are developed and interesting, and the setting is somewhere I'm not familiar with {the South, years 1920-1990ish}. Some of the minor characters tended to blend together for me, but for the most part, each character stood on their own. 

What appealed to me the most was the themes of love, friendship, and female connection that ran throughout the novel. Perhaps it's because most of my female friends have moved all over the world that I connect so strongly with a novel about having your closest friends around you. I would love it if all my closest friends lived within blocks of me, and we could get together on a whim. Unfortunately, that's not the case. So I lived vicariously through the characters in the novel. 

After I finished reading, I looked up some reviews online. While there were some positive reviews, there were many negative ones. Reasons ranged from dislike for "chick-lit" to anger over issues of alcoholism and child abuse. Yes, this is a serious read. I don''t enjoy reading about child abuse {I can't think of anyone who does}, I recognize that life is complicated and not everyone has perfect, loving parents. 

Overall, I would recommend this book. Be aware that it's not all rainbows and sunshine. It is a book about women who are trying to figure out who they are. It is a book about friendship, love, and family ties.

Work Stuff

Sometimes, it just seems easier to put off work all week. It suddenly doesn't seem so easy when everything is due at once. Which is Saturdays now, because they changed my work week. 

Once I manage to get everything done, though, I instantly feel as though I can do anything. So then I set about trying to accomplish too many things on a Saturday night, and that never goes so well. But hey, now I can rest easy until Monday. 

In other news (but not really, since it still pertains to work and what I do with my time), I've been thinking more and more about my future, and what I want to do. As it turns out, I don't like thinking about the future.

San Francisco

So, we went somewhere. Last weekend my cousin got married, so we headed down to northern California. It was wonderful, and I can't wait to see all of the pictures. 

After the wedding, Luke and I took a {very} short vacation to San Francisco. Here are a few of the pictures I took there. Part of me wished I'd taken more, because it was just so lovely. The other part is glad I just enjoyed the brief time I had there. 

Highlights of our trip included walking through Chinatown, walking along Pier 39 and enjoying the view, riding on the famous trolleys, having a sundae from Ghirardelli's, shopping downtown, and riding on BART.

We had a great time, and would love to go back some day. 

Chinatown 

                                                              Chinatown Gate

Ghirardelli Square

Sea Lions on Pier 39 

Taking a Trip...

So, I finally did this...

... and we are going to here...

... and while I'm a bit stressed about where to go and what to see, I'm looking forward to a mini-vacation. 

Too Much TV Can Make You Want to Change Your Life

Maybe I've been watching too much Grey's Anatomy, but the idea of working in the medical field is starting to seem like a pretty interesting idea. I am actually considering it. If you heart stopped while reading that, too bad. I don't know how to work a defibrillator. 

Someone Woke Up in Project Mode

I got so much done today! I've been wanting to get started with spring cleaning, and I finally got things going. Here's what I got done...

1. Pulled all the blankets, sheets, and mattress pad off the bed. 
2. Washed the sheets and pillows
3. Cleaned the bathroom
4. Washed blankets
5. Reorganized some kitchen cupboards
6. Cleaned out the fridge
7. Cleaned out the sink
8. Washed the mattress pad

I still need to go to the grocery store, hang some pictures, make the bed, and design some fliers for church. But it's been a pretty good day.

How I'm Taking Care of Myself

I set a new year's resolution to become more active and to lose a certain amount of weight. Well, after almost 3 months of going to the gym, I have not seen much of a change. So I'm going to start switching things up a bit. Here are my new goals: 

-on days when I go to the gym, I'll be doing interval training, rather than keeping a steady pace the whole time {I use the elliptical}

-on non-gym days, I'll work on strength training and stretching. {I love this website for the wide variety of workouts} 

-ideally, I would some some yoga every day, but that isn't always possible. So I'm aiming for at least 4 days a week {I practice at home, with instruction from here} 

- I found a place online that will calculate your daily recommended nutrients. I know it will take some careful calculating, but I hope to get better about actually eating healthy, instead of just within a certain amount of calories {you can calculate your own nutrition needs here}

I know that change doesn't come overnight. But I was hoping to be a bit further along than I currently am. So hopefully this will make a difference. 

P.S. I know there are a lot of links in this post. It's not sponsored or anything, I just wanted to share the sites that I like using. 

All Caught Up {I Think}

Despite the fact that it's April, I'm in my furry vest, with a blanket, and hot chocolate, trying to stay warm. 

Utah springs aren't much of springs at all.

Almost Caught Up...

Okay, other things to catch up with...

I came home from my trip. I had two-ish days, and then we were off to visit with Luke's family for a weekend. We had a great time, and got to celebrate two birthdays. I had made plans to sort-of get some projects done while we were there, but instead I just enjoyed relaxing with family. Luke and his dad fixed our car, so that's something. 

When we got back Sunday night, I was exhausted. Travelling can sure take a lot out of you, even if you're only going short distances. At least our car is working now. Did I mention that before? A few weeks ago our car stopped working. But it's fixed now. 

Now that our travelling is done for a while, I get to go back to real life. That means the gym. And last week was the worst. Normally I don't mind going. Sometimes I'm even excited. But not lately. 

Along with our upstairs neighbors, we're starting a garden! I'm really looking forward to having fresh vegetables right outside my door. And I'm also excited that I won't have to do all the work myself.

Perhaps these recaps are only interesting to me. Sorry folks. Maybe someday I'll have interesting things to say. But probably not. Writing about my real life is the easiest thing to write about.