“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn Reading has been one of my dearest joys for most of my life. As a young girl, the highlight of my summers was going to the public library to participate in summer reading. I read so much one summer that I even got to be on "Reading Rainbow" to review the book "Peters Chair". As an adult, reading often takes a back burner when my life gets busy. So, this year, I added a goal to my list to read 26 books. That works out to be 2 a month during the school year and 4 a month during June and July. A reasonable goal! So here is a quick update on how my reading has gone so far this year. (Reviews are from my Good reads account!) Book #1: Ready Player 1 Fun, fast paced, and filled with the 80s—a great way to spend break. After seeing the movie, I thought I new what the book would bring--boy was I wrong. This fast paced adventure follows Wade Watts and the other Gunters as they search for the Easter eggs in the oasis that will give them control of the virtual world that runs society in the future. My favorite part of this book was all the 80s references--it was like my childhood came back to life in the future! Fun Young Lit read--highly recommend to reluctant gamer readers and all those obsessed with the 80s. Book #2: Morning, Night! Little Pep Talks for Me & You Ok, after seeing Hamilton, I started stalking Lin-Manuel Miranda on Twitter. He is obsessed with tweeting and most of my favorites are his gmorning and gnight poems. When I saw this collection on the library website, I was sold. Upbeat, encouraging, and filled with energy, this collection of poems by Lin Manuel Miranda were a bright spot in a cold winter. The encouragement and symmetry of each set of poems made me realize that there is always good as we start and end our days--even if it is hard to find. Book #3: The Gown An easy read, the story of three strong women emerges against the backdrop of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress. I was fascinated with the process of the dress being made and touched by the strength of Ann, Miriam and their friendship. The modern story of the granddaughter was a little far fetched, but the feel good nature of the story was fun just the same. Highly recommend to all of those who like to watch the Crown--this story will make your heart smile. Book #4: Dumplin'
A fun, easy read. Willowdean has made peace with her plus size self--or has she? This is the main theme of this novel. She struggles to stay true to her self love as she navigates high school dramas including dating, friendships growing apart, and the small town beauty pageant that obsesses her mother. Filled with comical stories and true moments, this is a fun read that makes one ask, "who am I and is that ok?"
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“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”-Picasso This month's life book projects went slower between traveling and going out on lots of adventures. Thank goodness I chose to give myself space--2 to 4 projects each month was the goal and I hit it.
The first project this month was Celebration bird by Tamara Laporte! I did this lesson as a family activity with Luke and the Boys--it was fun to welcome them into my world of painting by teaching them how to use the many, many different types of mediums I have learned to use in the past few months. My second project this month was Weaving Mother Earth. I wasn't sure I wanted to make a basket, but it was actually really fun and soothing. I think I will definitely come back to this lesson this summer when I have more time on my hands and natural materials can come into my art work. Jaxon really liked my basked and asked to keep it--now it sits by his bead with his pencil collection! Double win! My final project this month was Reaching for the Stars. Painting and drawing faces has been a big challenge for me--I am worried that I am not talented enough to pull it off. So, I suspended this fear and tried. Although not in love with the final picture, it is SO much better than the first face I painted in January. I was excited to see my progress and glad to realize that growth will come with practice. "I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds." Psalm 9:1 This months gratitude journal did not come as easy as January--time got away from me and I focused on too many things at the same time. There is still so much to be grateful for--here is setting the goal to catch up in March to be to 250 items.
"I am what I am an’ I’m not ashamed"-Hagrid Tonight's date mixed lots of my favorite things: 1)Luke 2)Friends 3)Beer 4)Dancing 5)Calzones and 6)90's music. What more could a girl ask for? Oh wait! It was all Harry Potter themed too! We bought tickets to the Harry Potter Beer Fest at the Church Dance Club not knowing what to expect. We tasted some great beers (my favorite was a sweet potato beer) and danced the night away to my favorite college tunes. The best part? It was over by 9:00 so this old lady could go to bed! #Amazing Night
PS--The hubby was there too, but I loved this picture a lot :) Double date night was at risk when a big snow storm hit on Friday night at rush hour. Did it stop us? No way! We spent more than an hour trying to get to the Soiled Dove Underground and are so glad we did.
We saw "The Three Amigos"--Roger Clyne, Jim Dalton, and Johnny Hickman play their live show and it was a hoot! They took turns praising each other, playing each others tunes, and taking shots from the audience. By the end, Hickman could hardly stand! They had fun, we had fun, and I'm glad we didn't let the storm stop us from enjoying a night out with the Krumpys! "Ooooh, I love Nashville! It seems like everywhere you walk, there's great music coming out of every wall."-Imelda May A weekend away. Throughout our marriage, this has probably become my favorite tradition. When we were first married, all we could afford was a night away to the mountains. Now, we pick fun places to travel--Vegas, Cancun, and now Nashville.
Our weekend was filled with lots of fun adventures. Here are just a few: -Live music is EVERYWHERE. From the lobby of the airport to Broadway to the Grand Old Opry, we heard lots of talented performers sing. Best part? No covers meant getting to try out lots of great venues. My favorite was bootleggers, a small bar on Broadway. -The Ryman Auditorium had such a rich sense of history and music. Seeing all the concert posters and memorabilia made the place feel sacred--thus why it is known as the Mother Church of Country music. Next time we come through we will definitely need to see a show here! -Comfort food is at its finest in Nashville. Warm biscuits, savory BBQ, smoked meats, and cold beer were at every corner. It was delicious and shockingly affordable. My favorite meal was definitely breakfast at Puckketts Grocery--a BBQ brisket omelet! -Country music is part of my soul. This was made clear as we listened to a variety of music at a multitude of bars and during our visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame. My favorite exhibit was about Austin in the 70's and the outlaw country that was created there. It was also amazing to see all the big 80's dresses on display that fill my memories of childhood watching CMT with my Aunt Roxy and sister Jean. -The Hatch Show Act is the coolest tour I've been on. We learned all about the famous prints that have been generated in the shop with a stunning collection of vintage type and authentic press machines. Computers have not taken over--this is still a hand produced art form. I loved getting to make our own prints too! Even though I had a killer cold, we had a great time. I can't wait to go back in either a spring or fall to enjoy the weather and see more sights. Nashville is a great city! “Pilgrims travel to Jerusalem to see the Holy Land, and the foundations of their faith. People go to Washington, D.C. to see the workings of government, and the foundation of our country. And fans flock to Nashville to see the foundation of country music, the Grand Ole Opry.”-Brad Paisley Going to the Grand Old Opry has been a dream of mine for years! As a small child, I remember turning on the Opry on Saturday night and seeing all the live performers sing their hearts out. When I made my list, I added this right away and for my 40th birthday Luke decided to make this dream come true.
We rode the Uber over to the opry and spent some time checking out the Gaylord Opryland hotel before the show. It was magnificant--such beautiful gardens and fun people watching. The Opry show tonight featured performers new and old. We saw four Opry member: Steve Warner, Jeannie Seely, Riders in the Sky and Connie Smith. The highlight for me was seeing Carly Pearce and Michael Ray (newly engaged) sing "When you say nothing at all" on stage. This was our wedding song and it was perfectly timed. (See the video here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/jYP3ZXnxNLYWdck66). We also got to see Mitchell Tenpenny play his Opry debut with a touching tribute to his dad. Just like my childhood memories, this show reached both young and old with its great mix of performers. We enjoyed the night--we sang along, laughed at the hosts, met a neat family from Mississippi and celebrated country music! I can't wait to come back and see the Opry--next time we will try to see them play the Ryman Auditorium where it originated! "One day a week should be set aside for field trips." -Frank McCourt One of my favorite parts of being a teacher at STEM is taking students on field experiences. This year I have taken my own class on 6! But as a mom, I haven't gotten to enjoy the role of chaperone on field trips since it takes writing sub plans! Alas, my chance has finally appeared this year as I have a student teacher and Jaxon goes to my school! Score!
Today we visited the Colorado State Capital and learned how laws are made in our state. Our representative, Faith Winters, has a son in Jaxon's class and she made this day super special. In addition to the traditional tour of the building (which is amazing), the kids got to pass a law on the state capitol pet. They also got to visit the senate floor! What a fun way to learn that our votes matter! "Hello out there, we're on the air, it's 'Hockey Night' tonight. Tension grows, the whistle blows, and the puck goes down the ice."-Stompin' Tom Conners This week's date night was Blake's choice and he picked hockey! The Avs had been advertising family four packs, so we bought one that gave us GREAT seats on the bottom level. The Avs didn't play very well, but we had a great time hanging out as a family! Dad was in hockey heaven and I loved singing and dancing with the kids! Go Avs!
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AuthorAlmost 40 and tired of the treadmill, I am going to LIVE each day as a new adventure while finishing todo items on my life list. Mom, wife, teacher, geek! Archives
May 2020
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