A book, a puzzle and a girls' night out

So, last week I finished reading Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer. As Publisher Weekly puts it:

"Using mostly secondary historical texts and some contemporary primary sources, Krakauer compellingly details the history of the Mormon church from its early 19th-century creation by Joseph Smith (whom Krakauer describes as a convicted con man) to its violent journey from upstate New York to the Midwest and finally Utah, where, after the 1890 renunciation of the church's holy doctrine sanctioning multiple marriages, it transformed itself into one of the world's fastest-growing religions."

This book was phenomenal. I feel it is a must-read for anyone interested in religion, specifically the Mormon church. The book was very well-written, very fluid, and kept me engaged the entire time. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

I LOVE doing crossword puzzles. I always have. One of the strongest memories I have of my grandfather (my dad's dad) is him sitting at our kitchen table and doing a crossword puzzle. My dad carried on the tradition for a while, though he is currently enamored with Sudoku (I can't get into it). Whenever I have a long flight, I'll do puzzles to pass the time.

So, you're probably wondering why I have 'Finish a crossword puzzle' on my to-do list this year. Well, I always do them, but I rarely finish them! And since I moved back to the US from England, I don't have any long flights to do them on, and, if I have any spare time, I usually spend it with family and friends or reading a good book. BUT, every Monday night, Cam and I go to his grandparents' house for dinner and every Monday night I do a crossword puzzle while Mimi gets dinner ready (she won't let me help in the kitchen - and not because of my lack of skill, but because it is her way of relaxing). More often than not, Cam's mom helps me do the puzzles, but we always finish them! It's a wonderful tradition that I hold dear to my heart, so, my 'Finish a crossword puzzle' this year includes much more than the satisfaction of accomplishing a small goal. It has brought me closer to Cam's family AND made me more knowledgeable.

And finally, I had a wonderful Girls' Night Out last Friday.



There is a full post about it on A Different Bird, but needless to say (after you see the photos), I had a wonderful time!