I felt so busy throughout this week, but when I stopped to think about everything I did, I realized the list mostly consisted of entertainment....

I watched "The Great Gatsby" with Mike, Chrissy, and Jacque on Monday night after a pool party at the home of one of our church leaders. To be honest, I LOVE the book, but cannot, in good conscience, recommend the movie. It was so looooooooooooooooooooooong and drawn out. Not only is the book 3,000,000 times better, you could probably read it just as fast. Consider yourself warned.

I finished "Year of Wonders," which is a novel about a small town in rural England that is afflicted with the plague. The residents decide to quarantine themselves from the neighboring towns, and several folks turn a little bit kooky in their hopeless and desperate isolation (a la "Lord of the Flies").

I went to Welfare Square and helped bag bread in the bakery, which I guarantee was more fun than it sounds, thanks to fun folks who were there.

I watched "Australia" with my cousin Caprice. Hell-o Hugh Jackman! Everyone kept saying the movie was really long (which it was), but it was interesting. It made me wonder how I would fare in the Australian outback. If you haven't seen it, you might want to add it to your list.

I read an amazing book called "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." It was a real page-turner, so it only took me a day to read it. The style of the writer was definitely fascinating. Also, the subject matter was emotionally intense. I'm not kidding when I say I couldn't put it down.

I watched "Gone With the Wind" in preparation for my upcoming trip to Atlanta. I thought it would be great to brush up on my history of the Old South so that I can appreciate the things I see when I'm there. The Margaret Mitchell House is definitely on the list.

Well, that's all for now. Until next time.... ciao.

INSPIRATIONAL?

FOR THE CAUSE...

My friend Betsey organized a team for Relay for Life, which is a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. The idea is that someone from each team walks all night long from 6 p.m. until noon the next day as a demonstration that we will not give up on the fight against cancer. Let's just say that it turned out to be an interesting night...

Here are some highlights (in order of occurrence):

Josh belts out some karaoke (and likes it).

Tyler and Mike set up some tents.

In the process, Mike discovers that we possess a perfect lightning rod for the impending thunderstorm.

Josh and Betsey start quacking.

Mike, Elizabeth, and I act really natural while Josh snaps our photo.

(Yes, this photo is blurry/cheesy, but is the only evidence that I was there...)

Elizabeth and Kate bundle up.

Mike loses his head.

Betsey blows away.

'Twas a fun-filled night, despite the lack of sleep. The weather provided an adventure for us all... not only was it raining/lightning part of the night, but the wind at the mouth of the canyon wasn't exactly soothing. Let's just say that the event started out with nearly 500 people, and ended EARLY with only about 100 remaining.

Yes, other folks quit when their tents started blowing down the hill, but our team held out strong all night. I will do it again next year (hoping for better weather, of course).

BON APPETIT!

I just finished Julia Child's autobiography, My Life in France, which was delightful, to say the least! Julia and her husband, Paul, were both very passionate people, and this book made me feel like they truly lived life to its fullest. I loved reading about their relationship with each other, and the different ways they were able to support one other through various periods of time. Although I know practically nothing about cooking and wine, it was fun to learn a little about the technicalities of the cooking process that Julia worked so hard to perfect for her cookbooks. Also, the novel was filled with a smattering of Paul's photographs, which were impressive, to say the least. If you're looking for a good read, I highly recommend this. The book will make any reasonable human want to go to Paris.

I was fascinated to hear about Julia's intensity and focus in life. She might have been hard to be friends with, due to a highly dominating personality (just speculating), but here is a photo of the two of us, taken a few summers ago at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. I would love to go back and spend more time dissecting the replica of her kitchen sometime soon...

But in the meantime, bon appetit!

OUT OF WORDS...

I cannot figure out how to post a youtube video into my blog, but I know it can be done... tips on this for future reference, anyone?

Anyway, I cannot hear enough of this song lately, so I thought I would share a link for your enjoyment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY4tBjIwDJ8

And let it be written that I WILL marry a man who can serenade me with a guitar. And if he can dance like Jason, then that's not shabby, either....

BROWN PAPER PACKAGES TIED UP WITH STRINGS

These are a few of my favorite things...

1) This lovely little pen from Paper Source. I feel so classy/feminine when I pull it out. I'm already on my third...

2) Miss Vickie's Sea Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips. I've developed a bad habit of purchasing these with my veggie sandwich almost daily.

3) MAC Lustreglass in lusterwhite (not the color below, thanks). Nothing like some diamonds on your lips...

4) ALDO shoe insoles. I basically cannot believe I ever survived without these... they have saved many a pair of flats from peril.

5) Tiffany Cushion Earrings. These very versatile hoops that were well worth the wait. Plus, they match my cushion ring.

6) Writing lists. Really, it's therapeutic.

THAT'S AMORE

Yesterday was Pi Day, for those of you who were not already aware. To celebrate, I drove down to Pizzeria 712 with K8, where we met up with our friend, Kristan, for some big pizza pie. I fell in love with the margherita pizza, mostly because the crust was PERFECT. In my opinion, crust makes or breaks a pizza. I also appreciated the atmosphere... some Brian Kershisnik pieces adorned the walls, the furniture/size/lighting were fitting for a pizza place, etc.


*As I side note, I wanted to post a picture of this event, but when I pulled out my camera, one of the chefs promptly began making fun of us for "making memories," at which point I put my camera away.

HAPPY PI DAY!