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I’d not really heard much about The Hypnotist’s Love Story before I read it, but it is by Liane Moriaty, who I’ve really enjoyed throughout the summer and fall! I read this during a few really busy weeks of my life, so the fact that it took me 3 weeks to get through it just doesn’t fit with my reading pattern through the rest of 2015. I don’t think this was so much due to the plot line as much as my own personal plot line.
The story follows the life of Ellen, who is a hypnotist and has gone out on a few dates with Patrick. On one of their first few dates, he lets Ellen in on a secret the changes the course of their relationship… at least for awhile. I don’t want to give away what the twist actually is, but it’s crazy and leads to quite a bit of suspense throughout the story.
The first 40% sort of dragged for me (again, I think due to my own life?) but then picked up after that, and the last 30% flew by.
I had a few quotes from the book that stood out to me that I wanted to share as well!
“Its very awkwardness and awfulness made it somehow essentially human. It was one of those rare, poignant, pure moments that encapsulated everything that was wonderful and tragic about life.”
“He was a selfish, pompous, egocentric, nasty man. She did not want to be married to him, but she did not want him to marry someone else. She did not want him, but she wanted him to want her.” <- this seems like a common feeling at the end of relationships…
I gave The Hypnotist’s Love Story a 3 on goodreads, but would’ve given it maybe 3.25-3.5 if I could’ve. I enjoyed the suspense that was part of this book, and it kept me guessing, so that was helpful. I’m glad that I read the book (I don’t regret the time it took to read), but it definitely wasn’t my favorite book by the author…
If you’re looking for more book suggestions or book reviews, click here!
Happy Friday! This week I’m wearing OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark, which is one of my favorite nail polish colors!
The color is so deep and rich with a bit of shine to it- just gorgeous!
Here are a few random things from my week:
This past we had a wind advisory for almost 24 hours, with wind gusts up to 60 mph. I woke up at 4:30 in the morning because it sounded like someone was trying to break into my house! The wind was shaking my front door really badly- it was pretty scary!
This weekend I had probably the most delicious peppermint mocha I’ve ever had- and my red cup didn’t leak this time either! I’m not sure what was different about it, but it was delicious!
This week as I was sitting at my desk at work holding a small bottle of syrup, I laughed and realized I was turning a bit into Buddy the Elf! hahaha. To be fair, I had brought waffles to work, so the syrup made sense (I wasn’t putting it on pasta!), but still… it made me laugh…
My kitten shoes made another appearance at work this week 🙂 They make me laugh so hard…
I listen to anywhere from 6-8 hours of podcasts on average each week- I love them! I’ve been thinking about doing an entire post on them since I listen to so many now! I’ve found a lot of podcasts from After Buzz TV which has been fun!
Now it’s your turn to share! What is one random fact from your week?
Happy Thursday! I can’t believe that we’re not only about to enter the 20’s of November, but we’re also a week from Thanksgiving. WHAT? How is that even possible?
Here’s what I’m thankful for today:
I’m thankful for an excellent run this weekend. I just ran for fun this weekend, and ended up going a mile and a half more than I was planning just because it was fun. I’m thankful for that.
I’m thankful for the massage I got last weekend. I’ve needed a massage since Rock’n’Roll St. Louis a month ago, but with scheduling and such I haven’t been able to do that. I have been working hard to avoid a migraine the past week and a half, so to get some nasty knots worked out was a big relief.
I’m thankful for reading. I try to end my days with at least 10-15 minutes of reading to just slow down and do something enjoyable, and I’m so thankful for these moments to give back to myself a bit. Reading takes us to all sorts of different places and situations, and I love that!
I’m thankful for seasonal foods! From September-January I try to enjoy something seasonal most days, which brings a smile to my face! I start my day with pumpkin or peppermint coffee, which feels like an excellent way to start the day 🙂
I’m thankful that it’s light when I leave for work. I know that it won’t be this way for much longer, but I’m thankful to at least get to be outside in a little bit of sunlight each day.
Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for today?
After finishing Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, I immediately put What Alice Forgot on my holds list at the library, knowing that I wanted to read more by the author. I’d heard excellent things about What Alice Forgot, and it didn’t disappoint. The story follows Alice, who believes that she is 29, pregnant, and totally in love with her husband… except she’s not any of these things.
She’s actually 39, has multiple children, and has a strained marriage… but she doesn’t remember anything from the last 10 years after an accident at the gym. The story follows her journey as she tries to piece back the last 10 years of her life as she takes on a different perspective to her current life. The entire time I was reading, I asked myself “how will she reconcile the past and the things she values with the present?”. The book explored marriage, infertility, relational developments and stressors, and the little things that make life what it truly is.
Here are a few quotes:
“But maybe every life looked wonderful if all you saw was the photo albums.”
“I’d be at work where people respected my opinions, said Nick. And then, I’d come home and it was like I was the village idiot.”
“The house was literally perfect now. Instead of being thrilling, that suddenly seemed depressing.”
This book made me think from start to finish. I thought about how often we dream about having things “just so”, and yet, when we get our dreams, we find out that what we had is what we wanted all along. I felt deeply for the characters from very early on in the story, which I love when it comes to novels! I wondered how I would live my life today if I woke up knowing only what I knew 10 years ago- the idea of living through different lens’ in life is interesting to me.
I gave the book a 4 out of 5 on goodreads, but in the comments said I would’ve given it a 4.5 if I could’ve!
I would definitely encourage you to add What Alice Forgot to your “to read” shelf (are you on goodreads yet?)!
Are you looking for more book reviews or book recommendations? Click here!
I’m officially in my off season for running, which feels excellent. After having a long run most weekends since February, I’m excited to have a few months that are a little more free flowing when it comes to running. I have some fun 5ks that I’ve signed up for the next couple months, so that’ll add to some of the fun.
With that in mind, I headed out on Saturday for a 5k run. I’ve felt particularly stiff and tight all week, which made the start of the run difficult. By 1.75 miles I was feeling pretty over it- my body wasn’t flowing. Somewhere around mile 2.7, however, I felt that “click” happen, and everything fell into place. The flow hit and I immediately smiled. I neared home as I hit 3.1 miles, and decided that I was feeling so good that I didn’t want to stop! I ended up running 4.5 miles, the last two with a huge smile on my face!
It was 29 degrees when I headed out, but with the sun shining and no wind, it felt like a beautiful day to run. I really think that more people would like running if they hit higher mileage and had the chance to let their bodies really fall into a groove.
I got in from my run and felt overwhelmingly grateful as I stretched and did my planks. I feel thankful that I can run and have a great time doing something I love.
I’m keeping my fitness up right now because I’m running the Santa Hustle 5k in December (Disclaimer: I received a free bib to the race through my partnership as a BibRave Pro Ambassador). If you’re wanting to sign up for a fun Christmas race (5k or half marathon), I’d encourage you to check this race out! For $7 off the race, use code BIBRAVESH at check out!
I’m looking forward to a fun off season with a few months of running for fun!
Happy Friday to each of you! I can’t believe how fast November is going, and how quickly Thanksgiving is now (I love holidays!). This week for nail polish I chose sinful colors “Nirvana” with OPI’s “You Pink Too Much” on top!
side note: I can’t believe my potted plants are still blooming!
This gray is between chinchilly and Smokin’ Hot, and while it’s beautiful on its own, I really love the light pink glitter on top, and wear it that way almost every time.
Here are a few random facts for the week:
- This week I wore a pair of shoes that I’ve owned since May for the first time. I don’t wear flats during the summer, as I’m either in flip flops, sandals, or running shoes, so now that the weather is finally cooling down, I pulled them out for the conference I went to on Saturday, and I fell in love. Aren’t these such a fun color?
2. I’ve had a plum almost every day for lunch during the week since September, and when I realized that it was likely going to be the last week that they were going to be sold, I stocked up big time, and have been eating them slowly since then (they’ve held up wonderfully and still taste delicious!). However, the time has come to an end, and this week I ate my last few plums. It was a good run.
3. After complaining on last week’s friday post that I hadn’t gotten a red Starbucks cup yet, I finally got one and was so excited… until I was carrying it into work and it started to leak down my hand. I’ve gotten two leaky starbucks cups in the last week and a half, so I’m not sure what’s up! So, I got this beautiful red cup, and then didn’t get to use it anyways:(
4. This week I’ve been eating chili and pumpkin corn bread (Trader Joe’s brand) for dinner, and to me it feels like a perfect fall and winter meal, with a seasonal twist. I love it!
5. Disclaimer: I’m receiving a free bib for the santa hustle through my partnership with BibRave. I’m going to be running the Santa Hustle 5k this year, and I’m really excited! If you want to join in the fun, use the following code: BIBRAVESH for $7 off!
Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one random fact from your week?
Happy Thursday! Here’s what I’m thankful for today:
I’m thankful for the chance to have dinner with my college roommate! I haven’t seen my college roommate for 14 months (we live in different states), so I was really excited to be able to connect with her earlier this week for dinner. It’s sometimes hard to believe that we used to spend so many hours every day together (we even traveled to three different countries together!), and I miss her greatly.
I’m thankful for beautiful roses that are still blooming in my yard! I absolutely cannot believe that it’s the second week of November and I am still cutting fresh flowers weekly for my living room. I am so delighted by this little thing, and am thankful for this fresh pop of color that brings a smile to my face each time I come home.
I’m thankful for the chance to attend two conferences. Over the past 8 days I’ve had the chance to attend two different conferences, and for that I am thankful. For my license I need to get a certain number of continuing education hours each year, and while these conferences got me more than half way to that number, I also learned a great deal of information as well. I’m thankful for the chance to attend these conferences and for the ability to learn.
I’m thankful for cozy meals. This week for dinners I’ve had chili and pumpkin corn bread, and it’s been delicious and cozy! I’m thankful for foods that help warm us up and add comfort on chilly days.
I’m thankful for great weather on Sunday so I could rake! This is the first fall I’ve been in my house, so I had no idea what the leaves situation would be. I ended up raking up 9 full sheet loads of leaves this past Sunday (and got a big blister on my hand to boot), and while I don’t love raking, I was thankful for a good excuse to be outside for two hours on Sunday. It was in the 50s and sunny, and absolute fantastic fall weather. I am thankful.
Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for this week?
Today is Veteran’s Day, so I wanted to pause to say a big thank you to all the Veterans out there, as well as all their families. I walked through my brother’s first deployment this year, and while I have yet to talk much about it on the blog, it shaped my experience this year. I’ve faced fear differently than I really ever have this year, and I’ve seen a deep level of sacrifice. To say thank you to those who put themselves in harm’s way seems utterly insufficient.
Here’s what I posted last Veteran’s Day:
The military is something near and dear to my heart, as a large percentage of the males in my family have in some way been involved in it, and most of them have gone to war. This is a post I wrote back in 2012, and I thought I’d re-post it today:
We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. ~Cynthia Ozick
Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die. ~G.K. Chesterton
Today is Veteran’s Day, and I couldn’t let the day go by without posting about it. Growing up my parents talked often of the sacrifice of the military. Both grandpas were in the military (I have all the Letters from War from one of them), my Uncle put in a full 20 years, and most importantly my little brother is now in the military. I was raised to understand the sacrifice that they and their families gave. I have to say that when my brother left for basic training, I definitely cried. I was So. Proud. of him, but as my baby brother, I was scared for him and my family. I realized that in many ways we were giving him up to something bigger than our family. It’s unpredictable, scary, and involves great sacrifice from those men and women and their families. It’s easy to take these men and women for granted when we don’t see them putting their lives on hold or on the line. So on this day especially, I challenge you to think about the great sacrifice that thousands of men and women have made for you throughout the years. I challenge you to pray for them and their families. I challenge you to be thankful for their service.
Here are a few ways to show you care:
- Send a USO Care Package to a solider
- Find a way to volunteer with USO
- Adopt a military family for Christmas
- Volunteer with The Soldiers Project to help provide free counseling services to soldiers and their loved ones
- Volunteer at a local VA
- When you see a soldier, say a simple “thank you for your service” and smile
- Give support and encouragement to the families of deployed soldiers (<- on a personal note, this one is HUGE. I so appreciate the friends who checked in to see how he was doing, committed to praying for peace for us and safety for him, and for the hours they sat with me as I worried or cried or processed what was happening. That alone made a big difference).
- If you are at a restaurant or gas station, offer to pay for the soldier’s food or gas as a way of saying thank you for their service
- Download the Charity Miles App to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.
- Donate to the Christmas Can Cure Project through Wounded Warriors
And, from the bottom of my heart, to all soldiers and their loved ones- thank you for your courage and sacrifice. I know that a thank you doesn’t make it easier or bring your solider home. But please know that their/your sacrifice is deeply appreciated. Freedom isn’t free…
Does anyone else feel like it has been a busy past few weeks? I’ll be honest- I’m busier than I’d prefer to be. Most days I work about eleven to twelve hours (the day I teach I work almost 14 hours). I’m missing some of the unforced rhythms that come with rest and stillness.
It’s easy to get swept up into the busyness and chaos, and it’s easy to run around as a victim to our schedules. I fight desperately hard against that mindset, so even when I’m busy, I make active choices. I make a choice to keep my mind and my heart still and at peace even when life is busy.
This year I’ve had the phrase “you will find rest for your soul” (part of a verse from Matthew 11:28-30) on my mind daily, and try to repeat the phrase as I breath in and out deeply. In the middle of the chaos I’m learning to find a deep “soul rest” for myself, where I can rest and be still.
In the middle of the chaos, I can let me mind race and my thoughts tumble out of control as I allow myself to worry. I forget that I have a responsibility to own my thoughts. So I breathe deeply, say a prayer for true peace and shalom, and ground myself in the truth that it is well. I find rest.
When the chaos of life happens, I try to make space, even if it’s just a few moments at a time, to breathe and to be. I close the door of my office and close my eyes. Shalom.
When I go from one thing to the next until evening, I light a candle, turn off the lights, and read for even a few moments. be still.
When things are happening all around me that are outside of my control, I breathe and look down at my wrist. IT IS WELL.
I’ve been challenging myself throughout 2015 to ground myself in shalom, in being still for just a moment, and belief in it being well – grounding myself in my faith. I’ve challenged myself to be active in my thoughts and my internal world as I check things off my to do list and accomplish my responsibilities through the day.
Would you care to join me on this journey? Shalom. Peace. Find rest. Be Still- It is well.
*I wrote this post back in August of 2015, and am now just posting it. I’ve added a bit more onto it now, as I’m about to schedule the post.
I’ve written twice before about “freedom from stuff”- last June right after I listened to a podcast called freedom from stuff, as well as this past December when I updated all of you on how this quest had gone for myself in 2014. Since just moved a few weeks ago, I thought I’d update you all a bit on my ongoing quest!
Moving is interesting, because it gives people a chance to touch almost every single one of their possessions as they pack. This is precisely what made me nervous about moving. I attach sentimental or practical value to things, and that makes it difficult to get rid of things. As soon as June hit and I realized that there was a strong likelihood that I would be moving, I decided to make it my goal to throw away a bag of things (separate from my normal trash output- that didn’t count!) and donate at least a bag of things every week. Most weeks I did two-three bags, which felt great. In order to help keep me motivated, I kept a list of everything I was tossing and donated, and surprisingly this kept me excited about the prospect.
I felt really great about everything that I had gotten rid of until I moved into my new place and had a room and a half filled with boxes, as well as the kitchen being mostly full. And then a friend who was helping me move said “Oh my gosh- how do you have so much stuff?!”. YIKES.
Packing chaos at my old apartment. Yeah- in the front and center is a disposable camera that I found… I have no idea why I would’ve even had it…
Now that I’m in the unpacking process, I’m following my own advice that I gave back in December and am keeping a donate bag going. Now that I’m touching everything again on this end, I’m trying to be extra critical about whether or not I REALLY need or even want the item in hand.
The fact is that a lot of my stuff has been sitting in boxes for weeks (Update from this week: I still have 14 boxes that aren’t unpacked. Yes. 14. They’ve been packed since June, which was five months ago, and I don’t necessarily have plans to unpack them soon), and it stresses me out.
That’s right. I’ve finally reached the point where my stuff is beginning to stress me out. I’m so thankful for the things that I have that I love, use regularly, and add something to my life. I’m starting to realize that not everything I own fits those categories, and it’s something I’ve been thinking often about. I don’t necessarily have answers, although I do know that I’ve gotten rid of A LOT in the five months of “moving time” that has occurred, but I still have a lot I don’t know what to do with, so for now it just sits in a room…
I want to be authentic and say that I’m not where I want to be when it comes to my material possessions, and that frustrates me, but I’m making progress, and I want to acknowledge that too.
