It's the most wonderful time...

I love this time of year. The feel, the lights, the smells, the sounds. Even as a little girl who didn't celebrate Christmas, I always loved when my (Jewish) parents put up our Hanukkah bush. It was a fun way to stay involved in the season, even if our holiday came and went in early December. I loved sitting on the floor with my family, carefully unwrapping each ornament and smiling at the memories each trinket brought to mind.

We eventually stop setting it up because the new dog would take things off of it and run around the house. And there it sat, lonely in a bag and a box in the cold attic for at least 4 years. Until Dan and I moved back east and for the last time I sat on the ground with my mom, unwrapping ornaments, and discussing which ones I was allowed to take for our growing ornament collection. Ever year, Dan and I have gotten a bigger bush (and eventually a tree when it doesn't have to be carried 2 flights of stairs) to accommodate our growing collection of ornaments and memories. I thought I would share some of my favorite ornaments with you!

I love this rocket ship. I don't care that that it's slightly broken and has to hang weird.

You have no idea how excited I was to find a true Hanukkah ornament!

Ornament I made in pre-school!

Pretty self-explanatory. Sock with dreidels.

Newest addition: From my family's precious pup!

Dan got this from his mother...she finds the coolest ornaments!

An ode to our last name.

Passions

pas·sion

: a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something

Brewing beer
Caring for children
Playing guitar
Photography

These are just some of the passions that I see in the people around me. Delight is contageous! I can't help but smile when my husband starts talking about hops and grains. Not because I care about brewing beer, but because it's uplifting to be around people who are happy. Truly. There is a shitload of reasearch out in the world that supports that very concept. Pick up any book about happiness.

It's when Dan leaves the room that I start thinking again. Wow, he truly loves beer and the whole process involved. Is there anything I feel that way about?

Now, there are things that I wish I was passionate about:

• Running marathons
• Fashion
• Cooking

But my knees would explode, I have no idea how to dress myself, and I'm scared of the stove. Bottom line? I don't LIKE those things. But I figure that these are actual legitimate passions, better than anything I could come up with.

"I have an idea of who I wish I were,

and that obscures my understanding

of who I actually am."

-Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project

"I felt like the things that other people

enjoyed were more valuable,

or more cultured...more, well, legitimate."

-Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project

Preach it, girl. I shouldn't feel guilty because I don't like to run marathons. Ok, I feel a little guilty, but I will never ever be the kind of person that enjoys running. I can choose what I do, but I can't choose what I like to do. Big distinction. Big revelation. Thanks, Gretch.

Still, I'm not sure that I actually have a passion. I have a couple of hobbies that I enjoy and a few causes that I think are important. But I haven't found my true passion yet. I have hope, though.

Two Year Review

My husband and I had our 2 year anniversary a couple weeks ago! It is truly hard to believe that so much time has passed. It seems like just yesterday I was driving cross-country to Oklahoma to live with my boyfriend. I was 22 years old then.

Now I am 26 (and a half). I feel like a completely different person from that scared little girl in the car. So much has happened since then. Most of it in our second year of marriage! For the first time in my life, I feel like an adult. I am an Aunt. I have held 3 newborn babies. I have changed a diaper. We have bought a car. I have had serious thoughts about living in a house. I have had serious thoughts of being pregnant and starting a family. While these events aren't specific to all women in their mid-20s, they are specific and significant to me. According to me, I am an adult now. At last.

What I mean by that is I did not enjoy my teens or early 20s. At a time when most kids are figuring themselves out, going to parties, shrugging off mistakes, I was lost. I never really knew how to be that age, as odd as that sounds. I was awkward, couldn't figure out how to make new friends, had a rare form of OCD, and had absolutely no fashion sense. ("Mom, why can't I have these super baggy black pants with studs and giant pockets that drag on the floor?" "Hey look, this shirt is reversible!" ) I wanted to fit in, more than anything in the whole world, had absolutely no idea how to do that, and stuck out like a sore thumb (or just blended into the background? I was never too sure which). I always felt like I was living in the wrong decade. That instead of turning 13, I should have just jumped to 26. Because that was my magic number. I knew what I would want at that age. I would want a husband. I would want to be a soccer mom. I would want to have other friends that were moms. I would want to join the PTA. Why couldn't I just be 26 now?

The answer? Because I had to go through everything I went through to get here. I get it now. I finally understand. If any one thing in high school went differently, I wouldn't be where I am. That cliche is completely accurate. Wishing things went differently is pointless. For one thing, I love the friends and memories that I have from that time. I met my husband through one of these friends and I am eternally greatful. It can be fun to look back. But it is way more important to look forward.

I did not have these thoughts at our one year anniversary. There was still more that I needed to learn at that time. There is more that I need to learn still. But I do know one thing: If I am still in the area for my RHS Class of 2005 reunion, I will walk into that place with my eyes looking forward and a big smile on my face.

Bring it on, Marriage: Year 3




Years 0, 1, 2

I analyzed my blog and found...

So I did a quick tally in my"Posts" section, wanting to see what kind of posts had created the most traffic. These were my top 5 posts, in order:

5.) Quarter Century Crisis --43 views
4.) On Writing --44 views
3.) One Year Review --45 views
2.) Sex, Happiness, Gymmnastics --55 views (Probs because I tricked you with "sex" in the title)
1.) Twenty Six --56 views


Now on one hand, I'm a little sad that my book reviews haven't generated much traffic. But I get it. Someone who doesn't like to read isn't going to care what my summer reading list is or that I couldn't finish Anna Karenina. If this were someone elses blog, I would be waiting for the personal entries. Or better yet, a personal entry with pictures. I love reading about the lives of people I know. I guess I assumed no one else would feel that way, but to my surprise, that doesn't seem to be the case! So thank you so much for having an interest in my life, it truly means a lot to me.

So maybe I'll change my format a bit, slide some book info into a post where I talk about how I got my eyebrows pierced, or something to that effect. (If my mom is reading this, she is thinking "Oh, no, not again").

I find writing in a public forum to be therapeutic in a way, so even if you stop listening, I will still be here sharing. And I hope you don't stop listening! I have a lot to say :)

An Epic Tale

Before I chat about the series I finished a few months ago, I want to set up the scene a little bit. These books have an unfair reputation of being "uncool." They were written in the 50s by an English author, whose voice I find very similar to other classics that came out of English writers, such as Jane Austen. It is completely my loss that I don't enjoy reading books that were written that way. Do you know what I mean? I know that is stupidly vague. Here is an example:

“Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!"

A cold voice answered: 'Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye."

A sword rang as it was drawn. "Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may."

"Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!"

I am ashamed to say that I am a bit dense when it comes to these types of novels. I was never able to get even halfway through Pride & Prejudice, even though I love the plot of the story (thanks to the movie). Same with Anna Karenina. Or anything written by Shakespeare.  I feel like it's sacrilegious for me to call myself a reader and lover of books and not love the classics...but there it is. 

Those who have read them will know right away what series I am referring to after reading the quote...I'm talking about the Lord of the Rings series.

I watched the movies first. If you are going to read the books, I highly recommend that you watch the movies first. It really helps put the many strange names and places into perspective. And the movies were AMAZING. Seriously. Watch them. You will have such respect for Peter Jackson in addition to J. R. R. Tolkien and the worlds they created together. The way he uses technology and special effects is nothing if not inspiring. 

In summary, I think you should read Lord of the Rings if you like any of these things:

1.) An epic story (One story split into 3 books...4 if you include The Hobbit)

2.) The Harry Potter Series (Another epic fantasy series)

3.) Fantasy  (I actually don't generally like the Fantasy genre, so going off those other 2 points alone is enough!)

So watch the movies. Read the books. Listen to the books on audio DVDs. You won't be disappointed.

Harry

Stone. Chamber. Prisoner. Goblet. Order. Prince. Hallows

 

We all know them. We all love them We have all (secretly or not) wanted to be sorted into houses. We are Generation HP.

 

These movies are always circulating through various TV channels. I have watched more than a few Harry Potter Weekends on ABC Family. When I learned that I would get the chance to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, I started thinking about the books. In general, I feel that rereading books is a waste of time (I know many people disagree) so I hadn't opened a book in the Harry Potter series since the 7th book came out several summers ago. I reasoned that even though I know the basic plots and endings, a lot of story and detail are left out of the movies. And since I rescued the series from my husband's childhood room, I had them all at my fingertips. Ready, Set, GO!

 

The most common thought I had while reading was that J. K. Rowling's imagination is SPECTACULAR. The universe, the detail, and the character development are all so in-depth that it is easy to imagine a world where this really does exist and I think that's why kids are drawn to the series. I mean seriously, who truly hasn't wondered what house they would be sorted into? (I think Hufflepuff for me.) I'm not going to recap the books since even people who haven't read them know what they are about, but I thought I would list some of the best quotes from each one.

 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

 

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.

 

It takes much bravery to stand up to our enemies but we need as much bravery to stand up to our friends.

 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

 

It is our choices, Harry, that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities.

 

Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain.

 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

 

You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no...anything. There's no chance at all of recovery. You'll just exist. As an empty shell. And your soul is gone forever...lost.

 

You think the dead we loved ever tryly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?

 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

 

We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.

 

It was like trying to keep water in his cupped hands; the details were trickling away as fast as he tried to hold onto them.

 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

 

Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.

 

We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to at on. That's who we really are.

 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

 

Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress? All of them realize that, one day, amongst their many victims, there is sure to be one who rises against them and strikes back!

 

It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.

 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 

Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on Earth should that mean that it is not real?

 

It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it.

 

 

 



Always impressive

Chicago

I went to a book club meeting yesterday to discuss our latest book, The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. When I picked it up from the library, I was looking forward to reading it as I had never even heard of it and probably wouldn't have picked it off the shelf even if I had, because I rarely read non-fiction. Not because I don't like to read about true events, I just never know which events are worth reading about.

In the interest of seeing if any of you would be interested in this book, I'm going to throw out some key words:

Chicago. World's Fair. Architecture. Serial Killer.

This book is about the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, how it came to be, how it was built, what came out of it. And an additional story about a serial killer who lived and worked within walking distance from the fair and how he took advantage of all the tourism by killing many of the tourists.

It was definitely an interesting read...but knowing what I know, I still wouldn't have picked it off the shelf. For one thing, it was very architecture-heavy. I skimmed over a lot of the too-detailed descriptions and jargon involved in designing and re-designing,  the executing and re-executing, the building and re-building of the many structures involved in the Fair. But if that kind of stuff interests you, then you will LOVE this book.

Also, I wish the stories intertwined more. Obviously history can't be re-written, but it would have been way more interesting if the killer's story somehow intertwined with the magic of the Fair. But the two plots are seperate which meant I was less invested in going back and forth between the two stories.

It would have been amazing to see the Fair, though. Huge and beautiful. So many inventions came out of that fair, totally changing the course of history. I'm not going to mention them here because it's more interesting to read them in the context of that time period.

Or go see the movie due out in the next few years, rumored to be starring Leonardo DiCaprio!

Twenty Six

When I was a teenager, I had a theory about turning 26. In my mind, 26 was the ultimate age to be because it's the youngest age to be old and the oldest age to be young. I was really hoping to find an old diary entry that stated my 26 Theory, but I guess I never wrote it down. So today, I've been thinking about 16 year old Sam and wondering if she would be happy with the person she turned out to be at 26. I am pretty confident that she would be thrilled, as I am the happiest I have ever been and I am so excited to see what changes occur in the coming year. While I never saw myself as a military wife, I know that I was meant for this role and while the crazy last minute changes and switches are frustrating, my life has never been more exciting. So thank you to everyone involved in my life at this point, you all had a hand in helping me reach a happy 26!

And now, here are some people who share my birthday:

Poncho Villa
Richard Scarry
Kenny G
Mark Wahlberg
Chuck Klosterman

Book Fair!

My local library had a book fair this weekend and I was so thrilled that I found out about it! As I have mentioned before I love book stores but I hate spending money on these expensive books that I'm most likely only going to read once. And I love libraries, but it sucks to have a time limit on books, plus having to to wait for a checked out book to come back. So book fairs are the best of both worlds! Super cheap books. There were people with gigantic shopping bags full of books. I can't buy anything that I don't know I will like...not exactly a risk taker. But I managed to walk away with 4 books for a grand total of $2.50.

I mean seriously, does it get any better?

Here are my purchases:

This was the first book that I stumbled across.
I know that I have strayed a bit from my original
intention of reading through Oprah's book list,
but I try to find them at book stores. Generally,
I buy them for cheap, read them, then end up
donating them back to a library at some point.
The gift that keeps on giving. I have never heard
of this book before, so hopefully it's good.





I was particularly excited to have spotted this book
next, as I had actually planned on buying it. I read
this book at camp a long time ago and I remember
loving it, even though I don't actually remember what
the story is about. I love that about books, that the
feelings about a book last longer than the memories
of the book itself. Sort of like muscle memory.






I never had any interest in reading this book,
though I remember it being at the top of the
bestseller list for a long time. I figured that
it must be good and for $.50, I figured it
was completely worth it.








Now don't laugh, or scoff, or gasp, or roll your eyes.
I know that this book is completely outdated at this
point and that there are many later additions. I know that
I am not pregnant at this point. But I knew I would eventually
buy this book when I did become pregnant, so I figured I
should buy it now for 2 quarters instead of later for $20+.
I stared at it for a while, not sure if I should actually go through
with it, until I saw the sweet inscription on the inside cover. A
woman gave this book to another woman and wrote about how
excited she was that they would be "sharing something so miraculous together."I just thought this would be worth saving.


I wish I could have stayed in the room longer to look at everything more closely, but at this point, I was sneezing my brains out because of all the dust in these old books. I think I made out pretty well. And I have 2 boxes filled of books in the back of my car that I need to donate to the library for the next book sale!

Spring is not "Springing"

I have to say, I am loving 2013 so far. I finally took the GREs and got a decent score. I've lost close to 10 lbs. And I can officially run for 10 whole minutes without walking! That last one may not sound impressive, but for someone who couldn't run for 30 seconds, that's a pretty big deal. My next goal is to run a whole mile. And then to run a whole mile in less then 11:57 (which was my lowest time in high school). If only my gym teachers could see me now...I'm also looking forward to a lot of traveling this year as well as making a lot of choices and decisions about my life. This is the Year of Sam.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
I have actually been wanting to read this book since I saw my friend Jenna reading it back in sleepaway camp. I have no idea why that book stuck with me all these years, but when I saw that they were making a movie out of it, I knew it was finally time to read it. I still haven't seen the movie yet, but I've heard that it's beautiful.
This book is split into two parts. I have to say, I didn't quite care for the beginning part. Everyone knows that the book is about a shipwreck, a boy, and a tiger, but none of that happened until the second part of the book. The first half is all about Pi's life before the wreck, which I did like reading about, but there was a lot of zoology and religion talk and at times, it was hard to get through. It really was interesting, but I thought the whole book would be about the wreck, so I wasn't expecting to read about religion. But now that I'm telling all of you about it, you will be expecting it when you start the book! And I do recommend it. Or at least see the movie! It is a fantastic story.

                                                                            

Crash and Burn by Michael Hassan
I can't remember the last time I was this excited about reading a book. The day this book hit the shelves, I had Barnes n Noble put it on hold for me. Why, you ask, was I so excited to read this particular book? Because I know the author! And that made it so much more fun. Also a little nerve wracking, because you don't want to hate a book that was written by someone you know. Fortunately, that was not the case. It is a Young Adult book, which I was excited about because it is still one of my favorite categories. And it was a thick book! I LOVE a good, thick book because it means tons of character and plot development. Some of my favorite books were gigantic reads (Atlas Shrugged, I Know This Much Is True, the Harry Potter series).
So if you love big books and you love young adult fiction, then I recommend you read this book. It is told from an 18 year old boy point of view, reminiscent of Catcher In The Rye, except not annoying. It's about the relationship and intertwined lives of two teenage boys and how it all led up to a school shooting (I promise I didn't just ruin the ending!) It's funny, suspenseful, and interesting and I recommend you pick it up at your local bookstore!

Favorites

I've been catching up on the latest books from some of my favorite authors. I find it so thrilling to see a new book on the shelf that I know I will love from beginning to end. (Any of you experience the same thrill??) I highly recommend all of the following books! Read them! Buy them! Download them! Request them from your nearest library!

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
This author always writes about the most interesting issues. Her books always have some legal issue involved, but I wouldn't consider them court dramas. The issues are always super interesting and this one is definitely unique. It has to do with a father who takes care of wolves, who basically gave up his family to study and take care of them. His daughter lives with him, but his son lives in Thailand and his ex-wife has remarried. He gets into an accident and ends up in a coma. His kids haven't seen each other in years, and both have different ideas about how to take care of their father and the wolves. It's a really cool story and has a lot of interesting information about wolves. It still isn't better than my favorite book by her, though...possibly my favorite book of all time, which is The Pact. Forget Lone Wolf. Read The Pact, instead.

The Witness by Nora Roberts

I love Nora Roberts. Many of you know that she is my number one favorite author of all time, so I may be a bit biased when I say that all of her books are amazing...but The Witness may be one of my favorites. It was such an interesting story and I finished it in less than a week! It's about a girl who witnesses a murder when she was a teenager, then changes her name, cuts all ties with everyone, and lives on the move for 12 years. She settles down in a little town, hoping to keep to herself and keep herself protected. But being a loner and secretive in a small town rarely works out and she ends up drawing people to her. Against her better judgement, she gets involved with the town chief, who quickly realizes she is hiding from something and desperately wants her to let him in, so he can protect her. The book has suspense, romance, humor, intrigue...if you want proof that Nora Roberts' books aren't trashy romance novels, read this one!! 

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

If I had one word to describe Kate Morton, it would be "twists." She is the queen of the amazing plot twist. All of her books have had an epic twist that changes the whole way the reader had read the book thus far...to the point where you almost want to read it again with your new knowledge. If you are looking for a new author in your lives, someone different and interesting, pick this author. This book is about a daughter who witness a tragic event when she was a teenager and never tells anyone about it. The book goes back and forth between her childhood, present day (she is in her 60s), and back when her mother was a teenager. Read this book and then read The Forgotten Garden, which is my favorite book from her. 

  

The words and wisdom of Mitch Albom

Mitch Albom has written some of the most thought-provoking books that I have ever read (and probably will ever read.) He shared his treasured moments with an old and valued friend and mentor in Tuesdays With Morrie. He discussed about the importance of each individual person and how their afterlife is affected in The Five People You Meet In Heaven. He wrote about getting to spend more time with a lost loved one in For One More Day. And then he shared his thoughts on the importance of time and how it all began in The Time Keeper. In this blog post I will talk about each of them, including what I learned from them, quotes that I liked, and which ones were my favorite. If anything comes from writing this blog post, I hope that I can convince at least one of you to read at least one of these books. I promise you won't be disappointed!

The Five People You Meet In Heaven
Probably my favorite book out of the four. Yes, even before Tuesdays With Morrie. If you haven't been introduced to a Mitch album book as of now, I would urge you to read this one first. The concept is simple: “There are five people you meet in heaven. Each of us was in your life for a reason. You may not have known the reason at the time, and that is what heaven is for. For understanding your life on earth. This is the greatest gift God can give you: to understand what happened in your life. To have it explained. It is the peace you have been searching for.” Kind of like having 5 ghosts of Christmas Past. It is incredible to think of how many people you may have influenced without realizing it. In case you need more convincing, here are a couple more awesome quotes:

“Death doesn't just take someone, it misses someone else, and in the small distance between being taken and being missed, lives are changed.” 

“Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really losing it. You're just passing it on to someone else.” 

“The only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we are alone.” 

Seriously. Read this book.

Tuesdays With Morrie
This was the first book I ever read...not sure when, probably back in high school. This book is nonfiction, about a relationship between the author and his dying mentor, Morrie. They meet every Tuesday and Morrie talks to Mitch about everything he has learned in his life, advice for him for the future, how it feels to be dying, everything a person would want to hear from a mentor. I wish I had a relationship with one of my teachers the way Mitch had with Morrie. If you read this, so will you.

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others,  devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

"Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too-even when you're in the dark. Even when you're falling."

Read this one, too.

For One More Day
This book is short. If you're looking for a book to read in a day or less, this is your winner. This book shares an idea that everyone hopes will happen to them. That when life gets you down to the point where you don't want to be a part of it anymore, someone that you have loved and lost will come back to you and remind you of what you have to live for. I found this to be harder to believe than The Five People You Meet In Heaven for some reason, even though both have to do with being visited by people from the dead. It still has some good morals.

“One day spent with someone you love can change everything.” 

“When you're rotten about yourself, you become rotten to everyone else, even those
you love.”

"...You can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back.”

The Time Keeper
This is his most recent book, it came out last year. I was so excited to read a new book by Mitch Albom...but it's my least favorite. It has to do with the man who invented time and he gets punished and then has to help these two people: One who wants to extend his life as long as possible and another who wants to end her too early. I can tell you the moral right now: Appreciate life for what it is and what your life may have to offer the world. Blah blah blah. I will provide you with quotes, in case you're interested in the book, anyway. I'm sure plenty of people disagree with my opinion.

“As mankind grew obsessed with its hours, the sorrow of lost time became a permanent hole in the human heart. People fretted over missed chances, over inefficient days; they worried constantly about how long they would live, because counting life’s moments had led, inevitably, to counting them down. Soon, in every nation and in every language, time became the most precious commodity.” 

“The length of your days does not belong to you.” 

“It is never too late or too soon, the old man had said. It is when it is supposed to be.” 



Moral of this blog post: Explore Mitch Albom. You won't be disappointed!