Books # 3,4,and 5

This week I read a lot of books. One was The Silent Girl. One was Son of Hamas, and one was Heart of the Country. The Silent Girl was a thriller about  two detectives finding out who killed this woman. It takes place in Chinatown in Boston. The two detectives are Rizzoli and Isles  from the t.v. show. It is a pretty good story with a few twists at the end. The present day murder connects to one from the past and so there is that dimension.
Son of Hamas was a Biography of Mosab Hassan Yousef, a Palestinian who  became a Christian. He writes this book with an American and tells about Islam and the Jihad and his changing beliefs. This was gripping because it was about real people and a true story of a man who changed his mind about the way life should be. Some of his experiences were awful. Some were joyful. It helped me to understand events in the middle east a bit more and be thankful that I live in America.
And finally Heart of the Country was an easy read if for no other reason than it was written in Large print! This romance contains two prodigal son stories and is about two sisters and two brothers who chose two very different paths.
Today I will go to the library and get something new, if the roads get cleared and if I can get out my driveway without shoveling!

Saturday

Saturday makes me think of a song
Saturday in the park I think it was the Fourth of July.
Or even  Today is Saturday.  Today is Saturday is a song and children's book with pictures by Eric Carle.
I am sad today because Cathy is moving out. She is getting her own apartment so that they can keep the house in Florida and Jim her husband can come and visit her more.
So I am job hunting and praying the Lord will provide.

The week in progress

This week I read two books and watched several movies and watched many episodes of Scandal. We also had snow and I was very apathetic. I actually paid two sixth graders to shovel for me. I still am apathetic actually. the reason is this: the easiest thing is just to sit and watch t.v. because that requires that you actually do nothing.
Hopefully this attitude check will change soon.

Attitude Check

Lately I have had the I don't care feeling.
 I don't care about going outside.
 I don't care about seeing friends.
I don't care about doing things that require exercise.
 I believe the word I am searching for is Apathetic.
 I am Apathetic to every thing must be because it is January
.It is cold outside and can't make choices about what to do next.

Books # 2

This week I read a mystery called Gilt Trip by Laura Childs. It was about a Scrap book store owner who solves a mystery of who killed Jerry Earl. It takes place in New Orleans and the author often describes what the characters wear. It was an average read. I should have just stopped and gone to the end to see who did it. But I didn't; I read it all to the end. There are some good recipes at the end and a few scrapbooking techniques to try too.

Learning

YOU are never too young to learn to use a hammer. Yesterday 60 third fourth and fifth graders along with about 20 adults got together at Kramer Cafeteria and made bird feeders out of wood, wire mesh, rope, and of course nails. One of the students said to me, this is great I have never done this before. She was right! Making things like this with this tool is not something 8 to 10 year olds often do in school.

I recently learned that kids aren't the only ones who need to learn new things. I learned how to open the garage without the garage door opener working. You just pull a rope. I wondered what that thing hanging was!

When I traveled back from Washington, D.C. I learned some interesting things about art history. As a result my interest was drawn into discovering more. I discovered that the story of art travels much the same path as a child learning to draw. It begins with flat forms in limited colors and then develops perspective as they view the world in different schema.

Taking Control

Recently I felt like my life is no longer mine to control. I don't if you have ever experienced this feeling but, I have, often, in the last few years.  Several years ago I discovered I could not walk in to the ocean and maintain balance. then I discovered I could no longer walk on a hill without slipping. Then when I had a prescription problem and a different medical issue again I felt helpless.
So What could I  do to take control? I asked myself.
To begin with I called doctors and told them of the problems. They were busy but kind and helped to figure out one of them. Then I began to look at the things I need to do to regain better health. I planned to make some changes in some of the areas of my life.
New year resolutions
1. Eat more fruit and vegetables.
2. Eat less bread, rice and potatoes.
3. Exercise every day at least 20 minutes, an hour if possible.
4. Have a quiet time daily. God is waiting for me to come to chat with  him and he never says, I am too tired or no you can't come over. He also answers my texts, phone calls and e-mails
5. Pray for those who need prayer.
6. Learn more about Art history.
7. Be accountable.
8. Save money by not eating out so much.
9. Do more of the things I enjoy!
10. read a book every week and add a Friday book notes if I can think of something to say.
11. Finish that novel I started last year.
That is enough for today.

Books

              This week I read 4 books. None were too intellectual, all were fun and gripping. The first three were the Hunger Games books. The movies were pretty true to the books but the books were more detailed. And you can follow them  more easily. The third book isn't a movie yet and it will be interesting how they write that as  a script and whether or not they remain true to the story line.  May the odds be ever in your favor.



The fourth book was by Lee Childs and it was a thriller with a good ending and for once it wasn't too scary. Now I am reading a fifth one but it is a new week and some friends came by with another.

I also watched the movie Argo and it was scary but good. For my professional interest is watched  a movie called Chalk about teaching. It sort of reminded me of Up the Down Staircase.

So the first two weeks of the year were profitable!

Is it 2014 yet?

Hello world! I have not forgotten to blog.
 I just didn't feel like a writer this fall and August. A lot of things happened though and I have the photos to prove it.


Here are the pictures that I couldn't figure out how to put into the blog.

 Katie got Married on April 6, 2013. It was a wonderful wedding!

On the Fourth of July we waore mustaches.

Jonathan and Lauren got engaged.

 

I made some new Chinese friends.

Nancy got Baptized.

You can see deer in the back yard.

Last Year and the New Year!

Ok So this year has already arrived and I did a lot of stuff but I did not blog!!! I sort of forgot long about August.
Here is the list from last year and soon I will start the list for next year.

1.  Pray more often and more effectively~ This needs to be on 2014. In fact I just bought a book called Becoming a Woman of Prayer
2. Maybe that means buy or keep a prayer journal. +.
3.  Look for the silver lining. Not really measurable.
4. Do a good deed once a week. ( Make a list of them so I have 52.). Well this is a measurable objective but I didn't do it.
5. Decorate the walls in the living room. Started but not finished
6. Redo the computer room and my bedroom. Not done
7. Call my friends don't just text or e-mail. And arrange lunch dates to chat and everything! I did this
8. Call my sisters weekly. Well, I think I probably called Thea about 30 times and maybe Rachel 10. Does this count.
9. Work on managing my finances. Yes!
10. Keep to the budget. Yes! 
11. Crochet 3 baby afghans. Yes
12. Get a head start on Christmas, like buy or write stuff down as I see needs.NO
13. Go to Florida to see Cathy, Bill, Sue and others. No
14. Walk daily even if it is just up or down the hill. NO But I did join the rec center to make me walk more.
15.  Go to California to see my sister and her family~ Yes
16. Go to Paul Jr.'s wedding~ where is that going to be? Yes
17.  Start a going to China savings account to go to China in 2 years. Yes
18.  Read a book a week and report on it every Friday. NO
19.  Go to see Aunt Mearlene in Wilmington, North Carolina. NO
20.  Include more fruit and vegetables in my daily diet. YEs
21. Make a new friend or two. Yes
22. Continue to study Spanish or Chinese. NO this became too hard to teach myself and I was unmotivated.
23. Be accountable. Yes to myself.
24. Work in the Sunday school department at OBF.  Yes
25. Study the Bible and able to answer questions. Yes
26. Sing Karaoke with Katie and friends.
27. Go Katie's wedding and have fun there! Yes
28. Volunteer at the Middle School with Suzette  Yes
29. Go on 4 hikes with Katie and Dustin, one each season. NO
30. Go to Curves at least 3 times a week. Yes when there was a curves and now I go to the rec center when I feel motivated.