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!

3 down, 106 to go

I am very happy to report that I have already crossed three items off of my list. First, I had a Jane Austen Day with one of my best friends, Julie. We spent nearly two days watching films, including the 5-hour, 1996 A&E version of Pride & Prejudice (wonderful!), the 2007 BBC version of Persuasion (so good!) and the 2006 Masterpiece Theatre version of Jane Eyre (not a Jane Austen-inspired film, but it was fabulous!).

And I finished reading Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China. This book was amazing and is now one of my top five favorite books of all time. Written by Jung Chang, it tells the story of herself, her mother and her grandmother during 20th Century China.

I think Publisher Weekly said it best: Bursting with drama, heartbreak and horror, this extraordinary family portrait mirrors China's century of turbulence. Chang's grandmother, Yu-fang, had her feet bound at age two and in 1924 was sold as a concubine to Beijing's police chief. Yu-fang escaped slavery in a brothel by fleeing her "husband" with her infant daughter, Bao Qin, Chang's mother-to-be. Growing up during Japan's brutal occupation, free-spirited Bao Qin chose the man she would marry, a Communist Party official slavishly devoted to the revolution. In 1949, while he drove 1000 miles in a jeep to the southwestern province where they would do Mao's spadework, Bao Qin walked alongside the vehicle, sick and pregnant (she lost the child). Chang, born in 1952, saw her mother put into a detention camp in the Cultural Revolution and later "rehabilitated." Her father was denounced and publicly humiliated; his mind snapped, and he died a broken man in 1975. Working as a "barefoot doctor" with no training, Chang saw the oppressive, inhuman side of communism. She left China in 1978 and is now director of Chinese studies at London University. Her meticulous, transparent prose radiates an inner strength.

I think you should read this book. Now.

And finally, I made a bacon, avocado and lettuce sandwich (with a lot of trimmings!). It is Cam's recipe and it was simply marvelous. You can find the recipe here on my new recipe blog: A Cooking Bird.

Bring on 2009

In 2008, I attempted to do 108 new things in a year. Well, I did 45. Not bad but not great, and this year I hope to accomplish even more. And I also hope to document my progress more. I did a very poor job of taking photos as evidence of my endeavors. So, as a general rule I shall take more photos of day-to-day items/events.

Some of these are items I moved over from 'The 108 in 2008' list, some are completely new and some are slightly modified versions of last year's goals. Cam suggested I organize the lists into different categories and I really like the layout. I'll cross items off the sidebars as they happen. And as always, your encouragement is most appreciated.

Just for Fun (17)
- Have a Jane Austen Day that includes watching the entire 1995 A&E version of Pride and Prejudice.
- Go on a picnic.
- Read outside.
- Watch a sunrise.
- Watch a sunset.
- Buy a cookie cake for no reason at all (and of course share with friends).
- Send an overseas friend snail mail.
- Finish a crossword puzzle.
- Finish a jigsaw puzzle.
- Send my nana a card.
- Spend a whole (non-sick) day lounging around the house with movies, books, etc.
- Go out on a boat.
- Become SCUBA certified.
- Win a radio station contest.
- Have afternoon tea with my mom and sisters.
- Beat my dad at gin rummy.
- Go shooting.

Travels & Destinations (15)
- Go on a vacation.
- Tour one of North Georgia's vineyards & wineries.
- Go back to my college town for a visit, see Meaghan and meet her new son.
- Visit a park I have never been to before.
- Got to a state I have never visited.
- Visit a new foreign destination.
- Go to a fair.
- Go to an art museum.
- Stay at a nice bed and breakfast.
- Take an unplanned trip.
- Visit my high school alma mater.
- Go to the beach.
- Go camping.
- Visit a historical site.
- Visit Savannah.
- Visit Washington D.C.

Food & Cooking or 'The Making of a Domestic Goddess' (16)
- Cook at least once a week (starting now!).
- Take a cooking class.
- Make homemade pizza.
- Make homemade ice cream.
- Have a fajita night.
- Have a bacon, avocado, lettuce sandwich.
- Make biscuits from scratch.
- Bake a cake from scratch.
- Make homemade bread.
- Make S’mores.
- Cook and serve a four-course meal.
- Cook mama's recipe for pulled pork.
- Contribute at least one dish to Thanksgiving dinner.
- Make homemade lasagna.
- Cook Cam his favorite meal of country fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, fried okra and pecan pie.
- Fix a meal for either my family or Cam's family.

Go Out on the Town (12)
- Go see Cirque du Soleil.
- Have a girls' night out.
- Visit the New World of Coca-Cola.
- Visit the Georgia Aquarium.
- Try a new restaurant in Marietta.
- Eat at Bacchanalia - consistently considered one of Atlanta's best restaurants.
- Eat at Crepe Revolution.
- Be a tourist in my own town, including taking lots of photos.
- See Bodies: The Exhibition.
- See a play.
- Try a new type of cuisine.

Be a Bookworm (17)
- Read The Shack by William P. Young.
- Read Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller.
- Read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neiffenegger.
- Read The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer in its entirety.
- Read Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel by Gregory Maguire.
-Read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
- Read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.
- Read Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer.
- Read Persuasion by Jane Austen.
- Read Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche.
- Read Wild Swans : Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang.
- Read The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.
- Read The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller.
- Read Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott.
- Read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.
- Read American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman.
- Read Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

Let's Get Physical! (11)
- Get back to a size 4 and maintain it.
- Stick to the BeachBody Slim in Six and post about my experience.
- Run a race.
- Learn to rollerblade
- Go bike riding.
- Go fishing.
- Participate in a team sport.
- Go skydiving (this will depend on funds).
- Go horseback riding.
- Do 100 consecutive push-ups.
- Go on a hike.

Be Creative (16)
- Create a tangible scrapbook.
- Create a handmade card and send it.
- Decorate my office.
- Write a short story.
- Knit a scarf.
- Knit an item for Nola.
- Design and create new seasonal headers for my other blog, A Different Bird.
- Draw a picture and frame it.
- Design stationary.
- Finish knitting Ava's baby blanket.
- Send out Christmas cards with a personal note in each.
- Get published under my name.
- Document a “day in my life” with photos.
- Throw a party.
- Plan & implement an entire date day.
- Create a series of graphic prints and have them framed.

Benefit Others (5)
- Baby-sit my niece, Ava.
- Baby-sit my niece, Nola.
- Leave a server a 100% tip.
- Volunteer for a worthy cause.
- Donate blood.