A Reading Life (8)

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A Reading Life...hosted by Michelle at The True Book Addict, and also inspired by Lisa at Lit and Life--Life: It Goes On...is a meme where we get to talk about other stuff we're doing in our lives along with reading!

I've been fighting a sinus infection the last three weeks or so and I'm slowly starting to feel human again! Yay!

Listening to:

I started the "You Are Not So Smart" podcast hosted by David McRaney. I recently read his book of the same name a couple of months ago. His podcast interviews various psychologists and other experts relating to cognitive biases, etc. Fascinating stuff!

Books Finished:

1. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.
2. Paleofantasy: What Evolution Really Tells Us About Sex, Diet, and How We Live by Marlene Zuk.
3. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson.
4. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling.
6. Princesses Behaving Badly: Real Stories From History Without the Fairy-tale Endings by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie.

Reading:

1. Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids by Eline Snil.
2. Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Saw There by Lewis Carroll.
3. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain.
4. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Coming Up:

I'm starting a 12-week programming class on Tuesday! I've been dabbling a bit here and there over the last few month but this will be the first time I'm getting into something more concrete. I'm excited!

Watching:

I haven't been watching too much. Still on Dexter. I won't finish that series up for awhile. My regular shows have come back on: Bones, New Girl, The Mindy Project. And my friend is trying to get me into Big Bang Theory, so I've started the first season on that.

Making:

Recipe and image source

I made chicken noodle soup the other night and it was delicious! I also tried out a new cocktail recipe: Red Velvet Cupcake cocktails! I found it on Pinterest and it contained really simple ingredients. Yay! Lots of times the recipe calls for a lot of expensive and unavailable liqueurs that I just can't find in my area. So it's fun to find ones that are yummy and simple :)

Grateful For:

My son Gabe. He makes me laugh! Just this week while driving home from preschool he tells me: Even though my great-great-great-great-great grandparents are dead I still love them and miss them.

It was so cute. He then proceeded to tell me how he missed everyone who has died. He's got a big heart.

I'm also grateful for amazing people who are willing to stand up against the norm and to speak out for the equality and rights of others. I'm thinking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and all those who have stood up in the face of horrific opposition to help those who can't help themselves.

And did you know that it was actually a woman named Claudette Colvin who refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama? She was dragged from the bus and kicked and yelled at by police officers and taken to jail. She was only 15. She was too young, poor, and pregnant to be considered an ideal poster child for the movement, unfortunately. But I want to remember her and her bravery, even though most do not know anything about her.

So many do not have legal access to basic human rights. I hope we can remember that and do what we can to change that all over the world.

Looking Forward To:

Still planning Gabe's birthday in a few weeks. I've been searching Pinterest to find simple and no fuss ideas for a Minecraft party. I found a pretty simple Creeper cake that I think I can manage!

Pictures:

We got Gabe some Magformers for Christmas and his dad helped him.

Shadow and Frodo snuggling :)

Wolfy is a shnuggler