A Favorite Author

I read The Secret Life of Bee's awhile back and it is one of my all-time favorite books. I loved Sue Monk Kidd's writing style and was enthralled with the book almost from the beginning. I say almost because the first part is difficult to read. Then it gets much better. I won't spoil it by sharing more.

Later I came across some of my Mom's books and found Firstlight, The Early Inspirational Writings of Sue Monk Kidd. I'm thinking it's her early work, so it may not be as incredible as The Secret Life of Bee's, but I was still intrigued. So I'm reading this book and progressively enjoying it more and more...so much so that I've been dog-earing pages I want to reference later. I never do that. And several times I've thought about how I'll definitely read this book again at some point. And I rarely say that.

I'll share a few parts that were especially touching...

God doesn't answer prayer as we expect. Sometimes when we pray for a certain virtue - like patience -God does not necessarily send it to us in a package ready for instant use. We are much more likely to be put in a situation where we are given the opportunity to develop that virtue.

When a suffering is shared, its weight is divided. And when a joy is shared, the delight is ultiplied. We need each other.

I slip out into a star-filled summer night. Alone I look up and pretend the stars appear only once every hundred years. And tonight is the night! I begin to see the grandeur of th eheavens, the sky feweled with countless twinkling lanterns. In the timeless constellations, I see God's signature. In the night wind, I feel a touch. In the whisper of leaves, I hear a song. Just like that, my soul wakes up! Once more, for me, the universe is crammed with God.

Celtic Pub

We had a good time at Llywelyns Pub last night for dinner. The environment was fun, although I thought the music was a little loud, but Dave liked it. I loved that we were in a lively bar environment with NO cigarettes. Several of the windows near our table had Irish dittis on them. This was my favorite:

When we drink we get drunk.
When we get drunk we fall asleep.
When we fall asleep we commit no sin.
When we commit no sin we go to heaven.
So let's get drunk and go to heaven.

A Kid's Haven

We went here for dinner tonight. It is a nice alternative to Rain Forest Cafe, T-Rex Cafe or Chuck E Cheese. They have large screens in the dining area playing an animated show for kids that was cute, and a game room that was Drew's favorite area.  Despite the game room distraction he sat with us at the table and ate a respectable dinner while watching the show.  Dave and I agreed our meals were okay, but the adult food isn't the attraction.  

On the website I was surprised to see this is the first location.  It seems like an ideal restaurant to franchise.

   

Swimming Lessons

Drew had his third swimming lesson this morning at Lifetime Fitness. Having them there works out well because we go early and I workout while Drew is in the childcare. The first two times he cried the entire 30 minutes. Today he cried only 15 or 20 minutes, which I consider a big improvement. Hopefully next week will be even better.

A Good Book

The last book I read was a difficult read, but good. His Mother's Son is about a woman with a 6-year-old son. It touches on some fears many mothers have about wanting their child to grow up healthy and happy. But this book takes that to a new level.

An Amazing Evening

Dave and I went to the most wonderful venue for a night out while in Arizona. The complimentary valet parking was the first nice touch. Then we walked through the entrance gates into Lons at the Hermosa to a lovely outdoor dining oasis. The fountain, the trees with lights, the bon fire....it all added to the ambiance of this wonderful get away. We ordered a bottle of our favorite wine and enjoyed the premises, which included a wine cellar with a table for 12 for private parties, and the beautifully manicured grounds of the inn. Before we were even called for our table, I had decided this was my most amazing dining experience to date. At the end of the meal in this incredible outdoor oasis, we both agreed we can't wait to go back.

Some of my favorite pictures lately