Good Reads

Shadows of Lancaster County is an amazing book with multiple mysteries, lacking even a smidgen of superfluous filler.  Incredibly dense and exciting, I hung on Clark's every word. Within the first couple chapters the protagonist was held at gunpoint and chased around her house for heirloom rubies she knew nothing about.  Meanwhile her brother disappears and she has to return home and stay with Amish friends she grew up with so she can find him. This is my new gold standard for Christian mysteries.

I've also been reading a lot of wedding books to get in the mood for my impending nuptials.

 

I just started Revenge Wears Prada, but I thoroughly enjoyed Murder of a Wedding Belle and Buried in Buttercream.  In the latter, Savannah suffers through two ruined weddings and still finds her wedding planner's murderer.  One of the cutest things was that all her visiting siblings were named after various towns in Georgia, such as Alma, Atlanta, Jesup, Marietta, Macon, Vidalia and Waycross.  I wonder if you'd have to be from Georgia to have recognized this.

 

And I finished another Haley Randolf mystery last week which was a particularly fun read.  I can also recommend the Carter House Girls series, but it's way more appropriate for the teenage/early twenties crowd.  I just started reading the Fountainhead.  My mom is trying to read 100 books this year.  I'm giving her a run for her money.  

The Vineyard

There is nothing on during the summer so I'm forced to watch things like "The Vineyard."  I was looking forward to a fix since I've missed my opportunity to visit two summers in a row.  The show is pretty boring, but I guess it's better than nothing.  With such a beautiful and interesting backdrop I would think this would be an easy show to make.  Every book and movie I've watched that takes place there has been so good, so imagine my disappointment that reality tv missed every possible opportunity to capture what is so fun and enticing about this place.

PLATC A to Z

I have never done one of these, but I saw this one on another blog and thought it was cute so here goes . . .

A. Attached or single? Attached
B. Best friend? CW, my fiance
C. Cake or pie? Funny Cake, a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch dessert and technically a pie, so I guess both. 
D. Day of choice? Sundays, but only those when I'm not working.
E. Essential item? engagement ring
F. Favorite color? grass green 
G. Gummy bears or worms? worms, preferably sour
H. Home town? Augusta, Georgia
I. Favorite indulgence? cookies
J. January or July? July. I'll take warm or even scorching hot any day over cold.  I loath layers.
K. Kids? Hope to have one or two in the next five years.  Praying for them.
L. Life isn't complete without? family and friends that are like family
M. Marriage date? October 20, 2013
N. Number of brothers/sisters? one older sister aka my other best friend
O. Oranges or apples? apples, but ask me another day and you might get a different answer
P. Phobias? public restrooms, large spaces, guns, knives, nyc rats
Q. Quotes? Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that ever known.  - The Great Gatsby
R. Reasons to smile? warm weather, love, good food, a loyal friend
S. Season of choice? summer
T. Tag 5 people. Pass
U. Unknown fact about me? I was awarded the title of most dramatic after a lead role in our second grade play, the Traveler's Lantern.  Not much has changed.
V. Vegetable? potato, mashed or fried
W. Worst habit? Always saying yes.  I would live a much happier life if I told people no more often.  I spent so much of my youth and young adult life volunteering and helping others, that I neglected myself.
X. X-Ray or ultrasound? Ultrasound?  I'm not great with technology.
Y. Your favorite food? french fries, McDonald's style or Indian if we're talking cuisine
Z. Zodiac sign? I'm on the cusp of Aquarius and Pisces.  According to my tenth grade Spanish teacher, this means that I'm highly intelligent.

A Perfect Date

On Saturday night, my sweet fiance accompanied me to Central Park to see Mariah Carey perform alongside the New York Philharmonic even though, unlike me, he's not a huge fan of either.  The night turned out to be so much more amazing than I had anticipated. First she performed My All (always a classic) and then she did the unthinkable. She sang "Looking In." When I was 14 I fell in love with that song but I never thought I would see her perform it live.

Despite it being the worst vocal performance I have ever seen from her, it was the most special performance I have ever witnessed and I was beyond honored to experience it.  She has meant so much to me over the past 23 years.  Listening to this song as an adult I just praise God to have had such a wonderful role model. I've never had to experience so much of the pain and insecurity she has because anytime anyone tried to tell make me feel ugly, or like I shouldn't even exist in the first place, I was like whatever, the most beautiful and talented singer songwriter in the universe is just like me.  After a break she came back and sang Beautiful and finished off with Hero.  Hearing my fiance actually sing along to Hero was just the icing on the cake.   The music was incredible and there were even fireworks at the end.

Best City Ever

Independence Weekend

I had a lot more time off this past weekend than usual and I definitely tried to maximize it.  I got in a little gym time, that was immediately undone by an Arnold Palmer and tasty sides like white corn pudding at Hill Country Barbeque.

Hill Country Barbeque

As if, mac & cheese, white corn pudding, and green bean casserole weren't unhealthy enough, we decided to make a caramel cake. It turned out great though.  I know I am a greedy monster because despite my cake I was green with envy that my sister took these cake pops in for who coworkers instead of sending them overnight mail to me.

We watched Jack Reacher which was surprisingly good to me. Typically, I am not a big Tom Cruise person.    I finished a book and got way more sleep than usual so overall the weekend was a huge success.