Still Reading...

Found some very good books in May!

1. The Mislaid Magician - Patricia Wrede & Caroline Stevermer - This is the 3rd book in the Sorcery & Cecelia series. Still lots of fun mixing Austen England and more magic. I particularly enjoyed the trouble the young kids get into while sticking their toe into magic.

2. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins - READ THIS! Wow, I seriously could not put this book down! Most of you know by now that I love stories with social commentary and this has plenty of that. It's set in North America after most of the human race is gone. All that's left is 12 districts, which the Capital reminds how awful war is by having the "hunger games" broadcast live on television once a year. Can't wait for book two!!

3. Aftershocks - William Lavendar - Set in San Francisco around the 1906 earthquake, this book was a good mix of history and storytelling. It follows a young woman who wants to be a doctor (unheard of at that time) and her experiences during that time period. Enjoyable!

4. 3 Willows - Ann Brashares - All you fans of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants... rejoice! There's a new sisterhood. Jo, Ama, and Polly are friends that are drifting apart and finding each other at the same time. Just as good as her other books... and I hear more are coming.

5. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow - Jessica Day George - And all you fans of Shannon Hale books... here's another BYU grad who has been picked up by Bloomsbury Press to tell more fairy tales. This one is based on the Norse tale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon. I really enjoyed her style!

I also had the chance to read my cousin Bethany's novel-in-progress! Really enjoyed her storytelling. Hooray for writers!

Getting Creative

I left work early on Friday and went and sat in the park.

Yep. It was that good at work. Because of too many issues to numerate here (not that I'd even want to) I found myself at 1 pm sitting at my desk in my cube staring at my computer unable to accomplish a single thing.

So I took an hour off and went and sat in the park.

The weather was gorgeous. Warm but not hot with just a hint of breeze. The fresh air was sooo good. And I could see grass and trees and flowers and ducks (did I mention there's a pond?).

And I asked myself a question, "If I could be doing anything I wanted right now what would it be?" And I let my mind wander. It came up with all kinds of good things. It's surprising how much a brain can function in sunshine and air (without flourescents and recirculation).

I started to get a picture in my mind of all the ideas I'd just had written on brightly colored post-it notes and put up on my bedroom wall.

So I did it.

Here were the tools.

Here is the end result.

Actually, here is the beginning result. My goal is to get all these creative ideas out in the open so that they'll tickle my brain and help me move in more creative, joyful, happifying directions.

At any rate, the colors look really cool.

Cha Cha Rumba Salsa

Oh yeah. More dancing. LATIN dancing. Good stuff.

Have I mentioned yet how much I love my ballroom dance class?

And right now I'm watching the first episode of So You Think You Can Dance! And in my house we DANCE during the commercials.

Oh! Commercial.... here I go...

Tango Foxtrot Waltz

That's what I did tonight!

I had my first private ballroom dance class tonight and we went through the basics of the Tango, Foxtrot, and Waltz. (Sigh of contentment!)

This is my counteraction to my job. If I've got to stick with my current job for the time being, then I need to do something to counterbalance. So I DANCE! And it was pretty perfect timing tonight with the season finale of Dancing with the Stars. (By the way, Cheryl Burke teaches at my studio!)

Excuse me now while I waltz off to bed... and dream of Thursday's lesson...

We Love the Mother Ship

Yes, that is what my children titled their Mother's Day celebration to me last night. When dinner was prepared, I was escorted down the stairs, past this sign:


To a darkened dining room lit by a lava lamp and glow necklaces. We had alien balloon heads joining us at the dining table, and the servers were out of this world.



OK, I know it was a goal of mine to raise creative children... but this dinner... and this dessert...


... takes the cake!

I'm a lucky mom.

Mom

Today I want to list a few of the reasons why I have the world's most amazing mom...

She created lots of traditions for our family that tied us together. From gingerbread houses, to camping trips, to letting us play Jingle Bells and watch Star Wars together... she took the time to create special experiences for us as a family.

She taught me to be a life-long learner and explorer. Her own fascination with people, cultures, science, art and more has carried over to me. And she's a great traveling companion!

She taught me to try new things and use my talents. She was always there for my shows, recitals, events, and competitions, cheering me on. (Now she does the same for my children!)

She taught me to just hold on tight and enjoy the ride. The ups and downs are part of the adventure... and the best part is that we can take this ride together.

Happy Mother's Day to my very amazing mom!

What? It's May?

I feel like I blinked and April happened. I seriously can't believe that 1/3 of the year has passed by.

At least I got a little reading in this last month. Somehow I managed to read these books:

1. Blood Red Horse - K.M. Grant - Apparently the first in a trilogy to come. Another historical novel... this one set during the crusades. Anyone who loves horses in the least bit will really like this book.

2. Chalice - Robin McKinley - A new book by one of my favorite authors. This fairy-tale style story is very well done. I love the energy behind the story's conflict - a young woman chosen to be the Chalice who only knows beekeeping and a young man chosen to be Master who can't touch another person or he'll burn them. Got you interested, huh?

3. Peeled - Joan Bauer - Loved this one! A high school journalist sets out to discover who's behind the "haunting" of a local abandoned house. Of course, she ends up taking on the town newspaper and a mega-developer in the process.

4. Maze of Bones - Rick Riordan - Book One in The 39 Clues - My kids and I are reading this series (I think I mentioned it before) and LOVED the first book. Mysteries are always good because they make you think. This one keeps you fully entertained with the action and humor too. And don't tell the kids... they're learning history in the process!