Winter to spring...
Of course it snowed today. Saw about 3-4 inches on my trash bins when I left for work. Tomorrow is my birthday, so I guess Mother Nature decided to send a little gift. She got me the same gift last year as well :P How nice.
Mother Nature. We need to have a little *chat*.
Ah well, most of the snow is gone and it's not too bad out now, temperature-wise. It was actually colder last night, although that was probably because the wind was so intense. Brrrr! Went swimming last night; meant to go tonight as well but got caught up in a book, which I finished. More later.
As I said, tomorrow is my birthday. I made 37 new experiences, with the last being last Sunday. Mom and I went to a charming winery in the Medina area for Theresa's bridal shower. It's a cute little place, and not too far off. Tried another kind of wine (so perhaps 38?) and enjoyed a good time with a laid-back group of good friends. I think the funniest moment- there was a game where we all selected an envelope, each which has a cut out picture of a man. All but one had a celebrity; the one had a picture of the groomsman to be, Joel. Everyone, including Joel, was given an envelope. Soooo... guess who got the picture of the groom? Yeah- that was the hardest I'd laughed all week.
I am so fortunate to have such a good family and so many good friends. That makes what I may have to do -- what I will probably have to do -- so much harder.
As I said, don't plan to count experiences this year. Too much in flux and too overwhelmed. If things don't change this year could actually be WORSE than last year.
On a brighter note, dad came through his surgery OK. Better than OK, even. He called me the next day, and he sounded great. He even went home a day early. Kelly and I plan to visit Sunday afternoon, keep him company.
Tomorrow and Monday- lots of cleaning and lots and lots of phone calls. Sigh.
The Book Mouse's Book Report:
14 A House in the Sky, by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett. This meets the reading a travel memoir category in the Book Riot Challenge. Wow. This was tough to read emotionally, but it is incredibly well-written. Amanda, as a young adult, squirreled away money from working in restaurants and bars to raise funds to travel. Half of this story covers her growing up in a rather dysfunctional household to taking the plunge and start traveling to the places she had seen in travel magazines and National Geographic, her escapes when things became difficult. She saved up money and would travel for months, going to Europe, South America, Australia and finally Africa. Later, she would become a freelance photographer and writer. The second half of the book goes into her capture by Somali jihadists, along with her once-boyfriend Nigel. Amanda and Nigel were held prisoner for about a year and a half. What she and Nigel had to go through sent shivers down my spine. The descriptions of her being starved, of her torture and her rapes are not gratuitous but what is there chills the blood. Their eventual release and their reactions made me tear up. I can't imagine going through what they did. The story and background were well-told. However, as well as an engaging and insightful memoir, I do hope it also is studied by would-be world travelers as to what *not* to do when thinking of embarking on a journey to another country.
Mother Nature. We need to have a little *chat*.
Ah well, most of the snow is gone and it's not too bad out now, temperature-wise. It was actually colder last night, although that was probably because the wind was so intense. Brrrr! Went swimming last night; meant to go tonight as well but got caught up in a book, which I finished. More later.
As I said, tomorrow is my birthday. I made 37 new experiences, with the last being last Sunday. Mom and I went to a charming winery in the Medina area for Theresa's bridal shower. It's a cute little place, and not too far off. Tried another kind of wine (so perhaps 38?) and enjoyed a good time with a laid-back group of good friends. I think the funniest moment- there was a game where we all selected an envelope, each which has a cut out picture of a man. All but one had a celebrity; the one had a picture of the groomsman to be, Joel. Everyone, including Joel, was given an envelope. Soooo... guess who got the picture of the groom? Yeah- that was the hardest I'd laughed all week.
I am so fortunate to have such a good family and so many good friends. That makes what I may have to do -- what I will probably have to do -- so much harder.
As I said, don't plan to count experiences this year. Too much in flux and too overwhelmed. If things don't change this year could actually be WORSE than last year.
On a brighter note, dad came through his surgery OK. Better than OK, even. He called me the next day, and he sounded great. He even went home a day early. Kelly and I plan to visit Sunday afternoon, keep him company.
Tomorrow and Monday- lots of cleaning and lots and lots of phone calls. Sigh.
The Book Mouse's Book Report:
14 A House in the Sky, by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett. This meets the reading a travel memoir category in the Book Riot Challenge. Wow. This was tough to read emotionally, but it is incredibly well-written. Amanda, as a young adult, squirreled away money from working in restaurants and bars to raise funds to travel. Half of this story covers her growing up in a rather dysfunctional household to taking the plunge and start traveling to the places she had seen in travel magazines and National Geographic, her escapes when things became difficult. She saved up money and would travel for months, going to Europe, South America, Australia and finally Africa. Later, she would become a freelance photographer and writer. The second half of the book goes into her capture by Somali jihadists, along with her once-boyfriend Nigel. Amanda and Nigel were held prisoner for about a year and a half. What she and Nigel had to go through sent shivers down my spine. The descriptions of her being starved, of her torture and her rapes are not gratuitous but what is there chills the blood. Their eventual release and their reactions made me tear up. I can't imagine going through what they did. The story and background were well-told. However, as well as an engaging and insightful memoir, I do hope it also is studied by would-be world travelers as to what *not* to do when thinking of embarking on a journey to another country.