So I had this idea to read 5 "classic" novels. I wanted either a classic book or a famous author. I just wanted some classics under my belt so if the titles or authors came up in conversation I could participate. I wanted to be just a little more intelligent. Expanding the mind is good, right?
So my first book of choice was Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." I've heard a lot of people, articles and even songs mention Jack and I know "On the Road" was one of his more popular books. Plus I saw that it would eventually be made into a movie and I always enjoy reading a book and then seeing it on the big screen. Jack had his moments but for the most part the book was a chore to finish. I did it though. One down, four to go.
I took a one-book-break from the classic idea and read from one of my favorite authors, Bill Bryson. (If you haven't read A Walk in the Woods, do so.) This time around I read The Lost Continent. It was a nice change of pace after Kerouac. I read my second classic, Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." This book was absolutely amazing and it's now my favorite book. Enough said. Two down, three to go.
I was coming off such a high after reading Pride and Prejudice (I finished the book in one week, that's good for me) so I dove head first into my third classic, "Catch-22." Uggghhhh! I've spent months now trying to flip through these pages. I've managed to read 85 pages of this book. I still don't really know what is going on or what the point is. And could there be any more characters? I took the book with me on my trip to Indiana. I thought three to four hours on a plane would surely give me a lot of time to really dive into this book. No. Instead I read like one or two chapters and could barely keep my eyes open.
I had dinner with my college roommate, Lindsay. She kindly asked why in the world I was wasting my time reading books I didn't like. Good question. While I was in Indiana I asked a few people if they were interested in taking "Catch-22" off my hands. No one wanted the book. After a week of pondering over whether or not I should read something I'm not interested I decided that I wasn't going to waste any more time on Catch-22. So the next day at the airport I rummaged through the bookstore at Midway. I wanted a fast read, something enjoyable that excited me and where I didn't have to remember 18 characters. (That's a guess by the way.) I chose Tracey Graves' "On the Island." The book is about a teacher who was hired to tutor a sixteen-year-old Chicago student over the summer… in the Maldives. Well little miss teacher and teenager never make it to the Maldives and instead they are stranded on an island together for about 4 years. Teenboy- turns into a man. You get the point. I couldn't put the book down. I read the entire plane ride (I hardly ever do that). I read 200 pages by the time my plane landed. I even read a chapter while I was trotting down the moving walkway. This morning I woke up, read a little, read a little at the dentist and by the time lunch rolled around I couldn't handle it and I just sat down and finished the book. There was no fancy writing, no intense characters or dialog I couldn't follow. There were no words I had to look up in the dictionary. It was set in modern day and not World War II era. And it did not make me a wee bit smarter.
So what do you think? Should I (or yourself) read books for entertainment? Or should we read them to broaden our horizons and maybe teach us a few things? Or should we do both? Do you suffer through books just because they are classics or everyone else has read them? If you're not into a book or you think it's boring do you still try to finish it or do you toss it on your bookshelf and tell yourself you'll finish it one day… even though you know that is not happening. I'd like to know your scoop on picking out titles and thumbing through the pages. Let me know.
For now… I probably will not read Catch-22. I read enough to at least know what the catch is, the setting of the book and that Yossarian is the main character. That's enough for now. I might continue on this kick of reading chic-lit novels for the time being… and then I'll try to fit in another classic…hopefully I can make it through one of Hemingway's novels. He's next on my list. (I hear he has a few short reads.)
Skipping,
Aubrie
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
10.30.2013
1.13.2013
2013 GOALS
Readjust in a resolute manner.
Resolutions are tricky mainly because we RARELY complete a resolution. I do not do resolutions anymore. Instead I look at my life and I see what I can adjust to make my life a little happier, healthier with more wisdom and spiritual growth. I create goals and try to accomplish them. January is a time to readjust what you've been doing (if you need to) and to pick out goals for the next year to accomplish in a resolute manner. (Definition of resolute is simply "marked by firm determination.")
What I did last year is I posted twelve goals for myself to accomplish in 2012. I ventured back to that blog post to see how I did. I didn't do half bad, of course some of the "goals" were not to hard to accomplish. For instance number one on my list last year was to turn thirty. Good job, Aubrie! I turned thirty with out even breaking a sweat. Number two on my list definitely made me sweat, even if it was in water. (You still sweat when you are in water by the way.) I joined a masters swim team and I have been swimming for almost a year now.
I failed at a couple of goals as well. I did not finish another triathlon or aqua bike. I'm not really sure If I drove better this year either. I am STILL reading "Crazy Love," it's been on my night stand for a year. (It's heart wrenching and hard to read.) Number nine's "Rafting" could have been better, I only took the blow-up kayak out once. And I still need to venture down a few highways to check off number ten.
I am fairly happy with how the last two goals turned out. I have been published in 1859 every issue this year (and they moved to six issues a year.) Plus I was published in Portland Monthly and I had an image featured on the front cover of The Gorge Magazine. All in all I'll copy a famous saying in that "you win some and you loose some."
Sooo... for 2013 I thought I would keep my goal list, of course bumping it up to thirteen goals this year. However, instead of thinking of thirteen brand new goals I am going to move the "failed" goals from 2012 over to the new list and I want to still accomplish them. It's good to set goals, it's even better to accomplish what I've set out before me.
Here we go- 2013 BABY! (The first four are from 2012 and the last nine are my new goals.)
1. Aqua Bike (from 2012): Triathlons might be a thing of the past. I hate running. I do enjoy swimming and biking, hence an aqua bike. Yes, they do exist.
2. Rafting (from 2012): I feel like taking my blow-up kayak out one time did not really count. Let's up the ante and go for three times this summer!!
3. Roads (from 2012): I did not drive across the two highways I wanted to mark off on my map, so they are back. Highway 228-20 from Sweet Home to Black Butte Ranch and highway 126 from Springfield to Belknap Springs area.
4. Drive Better (from 2012): Driving better really has a root problem. The root of the problem is I am a procrastinator and I am always running late. When I am running late I think that driving like a bat out of hell will some how magically give me back those precious minutes I lost doing whatever it was that made me late. So really, I need to work on being on time and then I will be the worlds best driver... okay and I probably shouldn't follow to close, pause at stop signs or put my make-up on while driving.
5. Editorial/Magazines: The prime goal for 2013 is to get into as many magazines as possible and really work hard on my editorial portfolio. I still want to be in every issue of 1859 and I now want to be in every issue of The Gorge Magazine plus have at least two or three assignments in Portland Monthly. I am really trying to get into Touring and Tasting, Mix and Sip NW!
6. Food Photography: Food photography falls on the heels of the previous goal. I think food/drink photography is huge for editorial and I really want to improve on my food photography skills. I am currently reading Plate to Pixel (mini goal- finish the book) and I might look into taking a class as well.
7. Read: I want to read at least five "classic" novels. Right now I am reading Jack Kuraoc's "On the Road." Once I am finished with that book I want to read Catch 22, Pride and Prejudice, one of Hemingway's books and the fifth book I am not sure yet... I'm thinking about Huck Finn or rereading The Great Gatsby. Along with the classic list I want to finish reading books I have started and not finished; including "Crazy Love" (from 2012's list) plus "Storytellers" and "Hot Shoe Diaries."
8. Geo Cache: Dave and I like to drive, we like to hike and we have a GPS dealy-thing. (It's Dave's, I clearly don't know what it is called.) So I figured we should try geo caching.
9. Country Line Dance & Two Step: I'm a country girl- I should know how to line dance. David even said he would take the classes with me. Hopefully next time we venture out to Dukes we'll be able to hit up the dance floor.
10. Nationals: US Master Swimming Nationals is this May and it just happens to be at my old stomping ground, eh, pool. IUPUI was where all my big swim meets were held and I would love to go back and swim in the pool as an out-of-shape adult swimmer. A lot of things have to happen to accomplish this goal. First I need to make the cut times, second I need to train for the meet (or vise-versa train for the cut times), third I need to be able to afford to fly into Indy. We shall see. (An additional swimming goal is to go to practice at least four times a week, every week.)
11. Yoga: I like yoga. I have a yoga instructor and I get private lessons from her. She has me working on what we call my "magic three" poses that I need to do pretty much every day. So... I want to do yoga every day, even if it's just for ten minutes.
12. Writing: I like writing. I'm not good at it. I need to practice, so I probably should write more. I want to be able to write better blog posts for my photography blog and I want to be able to write up little "love stories" for my couples and intertwine that with their wedding albums. I randomly started writing an awful novel for like, I don't know, teenagers or something. Still- it's fun and and its good practice so I need to continue writing it. I also would like to take some writing classes to polish up the old writing skills.
13. Spiritual Life: As a Christian I am always trying to deepen my walk with God. I have a few simple things I want to work on this year to keep my faith growing. First- I am reading through "My Utmost for His Highest." It's a daily devotional read, every day it just has a verse and a couple of paragraphs to read and think/pray about. Speaking of prayer- I always need to up my prayer time. The last thing will be difficult with David's schedule but I would like to join a small group within our church at Branches. (And of course I am continuing another year, my fourth year, volunteering at Pregnancy Resource Center.)
Resolutions are tricky mainly because we RARELY complete a resolution. I do not do resolutions anymore. Instead I look at my life and I see what I can adjust to make my life a little happier, healthier with more wisdom and spiritual growth. I create goals and try to accomplish them. January is a time to readjust what you've been doing (if you need to) and to pick out goals for the next year to accomplish in a resolute manner. (Definition of resolute is simply "marked by firm determination.")
What I did last year is I posted twelve goals for myself to accomplish in 2012. I ventured back to that blog post to see how I did. I didn't do half bad, of course some of the "goals" were not to hard to accomplish. For instance number one on my list last year was to turn thirty. Good job, Aubrie! I turned thirty with out even breaking a sweat. Number two on my list definitely made me sweat, even if it was in water. (You still sweat when you are in water by the way.) I joined a masters swim team and I have been swimming for almost a year now.
I failed at a couple of goals as well. I did not finish another triathlon or aqua bike. I'm not really sure If I drove better this year either. I am STILL reading "Crazy Love," it's been on my night stand for a year. (It's heart wrenching and hard to read.) Number nine's "Rafting" could have been better, I only took the blow-up kayak out once. And I still need to venture down a few highways to check off number ten.
I am fairly happy with how the last two goals turned out. I have been published in 1859 every issue this year (and they moved to six issues a year.) Plus I was published in Portland Monthly and I had an image featured on the front cover of The Gorge Magazine. All in all I'll copy a famous saying in that "you win some and you loose some."
Sooo... for 2013 I thought I would keep my goal list, of course bumping it up to thirteen goals this year. However, instead of thinking of thirteen brand new goals I am going to move the "failed" goals from 2012 over to the new list and I want to still accomplish them. It's good to set goals, it's even better to accomplish what I've set out before me.
Here we go- 2013 BABY! (The first four are from 2012 and the last nine are my new goals.)
1. Aqua Bike (from 2012): Triathlons might be a thing of the past. I hate running. I do enjoy swimming and biking, hence an aqua bike. Yes, they do exist.
2. Rafting (from 2012): I feel like taking my blow-up kayak out one time did not really count. Let's up the ante and go for three times this summer!!
3. Roads (from 2012): I did not drive across the two highways I wanted to mark off on my map, so they are back. Highway 228-20 from Sweet Home to Black Butte Ranch and highway 126 from Springfield to Belknap Springs area.
4. Drive Better (from 2012): Driving better really has a root problem. The root of the problem is I am a procrastinator and I am always running late. When I am running late I think that driving like a bat out of hell will some how magically give me back those precious minutes I lost doing whatever it was that made me late. So really, I need to work on being on time and then I will be the worlds best driver... okay and I probably shouldn't follow to close, pause at stop signs or put my make-up on while driving.
5. Editorial/Magazines: The prime goal for 2013 is to get into as many magazines as possible and really work hard on my editorial portfolio. I still want to be in every issue of 1859 and I now want to be in every issue of The Gorge Magazine plus have at least two or three assignments in Portland Monthly. I am really trying to get into Touring and Tasting, Mix and Sip NW!
6. Food Photography: Food photography falls on the heels of the previous goal. I think food/drink photography is huge for editorial and I really want to improve on my food photography skills. I am currently reading Plate to Pixel (mini goal- finish the book) and I might look into taking a class as well.
7. Read: I want to read at least five "classic" novels. Right now I am reading Jack Kuraoc's "On the Road." Once I am finished with that book I want to read Catch 22, Pride and Prejudice, one of Hemingway's books and the fifth book I am not sure yet... I'm thinking about Huck Finn or rereading The Great Gatsby. Along with the classic list I want to finish reading books I have started and not finished; including "Crazy Love" (from 2012's list) plus "Storytellers" and "Hot Shoe Diaries."
8. Geo Cache: Dave and I like to drive, we like to hike and we have a GPS dealy-thing. (It's Dave's, I clearly don't know what it is called.) So I figured we should try geo caching.
9. Country Line Dance & Two Step: I'm a country girl- I should know how to line dance. David even said he would take the classes with me. Hopefully next time we venture out to Dukes we'll be able to hit up the dance floor.
10. Nationals: US Master Swimming Nationals is this May and it just happens to be at my old stomping ground, eh, pool. IUPUI was where all my big swim meets were held and I would love to go back and swim in the pool as an out-of-shape adult swimmer. A lot of things have to happen to accomplish this goal. First I need to make the cut times, second I need to train for the meet (or vise-versa train for the cut times), third I need to be able to afford to fly into Indy. We shall see. (An additional swimming goal is to go to practice at least four times a week, every week.)
11. Yoga: I like yoga. I have a yoga instructor and I get private lessons from her. She has me working on what we call my "magic three" poses that I need to do pretty much every day. So... I want to do yoga every day, even if it's just for ten minutes.
12. Writing: I like writing. I'm not good at it. I need to practice, so I probably should write more. I want to be able to write better blog posts for my photography blog and I want to be able to write up little "love stories" for my couples and intertwine that with their wedding albums. I randomly started writing an awful novel for like, I don't know, teenagers or something. Still- it's fun and and its good practice so I need to continue writing it. I also would like to take some writing classes to polish up the old writing skills.
13. Spiritual Life: As a Christian I am always trying to deepen my walk with God. I have a few simple things I want to work on this year to keep my faith growing. First- I am reading through "My Utmost for His Highest." It's a daily devotional read, every day it just has a verse and a couple of paragraphs to read and think/pray about. Speaking of prayer- I always need to up my prayer time. The last thing will be difficult with David's schedule but I would like to join a small group within our church at Branches. (And of course I am continuing another year, my fourth year, volunteering at Pregnancy Resource Center.)
10.29.2012
Classics.
I love bookstores. There is something so simple and quaint and peaceful about them- even the enormous Powells' bookstore in down town Portland. If you slip away into a small corner of the massive store it can feel like a seaside bookshop. (If you are not familiar with Powells it is the largest independent bookstore in the world and takes up an entire city block.)
Honestly, I probably like bookstores more than reading. I find that walking through a bookstore and picking out the best front covers can be very inspiring. There is a famous saying, everyone knows it, "don't judge a book by it's cover." Unfortunately I do not adhere to this guideline. In fact I have been known to not purchase books that were recommended to me because I thought the cover was ugly. I HATE when I want to buy a book that has been made into a movie and the actors' faces have replaced the original art work. I love covers and it's one of my random photography-bucket-list items, to have one of my photos as a book cover.
These are all just random side notes by the way. Let me back up.
David was out of town so I decided to watch a matinee, "Perks of Being a Wallflower." I won't give away the movie, I will recommend it- I thought it was good. The movie sparked an interest to visit a bookstore and I just happened to be in walking distance of a mini Powells bookstore- the Cedar Hills Powells. I walked to the store with the idea of buying Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." During the previews I learned that this classic book was about to hit the big screen. I really like reading books that will eventually be movies. I enjoy not only comparing the two side by side (which is better the book or the movie? ...it's always the book...) but I also get a kick out of seeing how one type of artist visually communicates words that were written by a completely different kind of artist. I think we should make all books into movies... of course I think you have to read the book first.
As I typed in Jack's name I realized I didn't know how to correctly spell it. He's a famous, classic author with well-known books, I should know how to spell his name. Thankfully I have a little thing called Google on my iPhone. (What did we do before technology?) I walked down the literature isle slowly, gazing over the book covers and mentally noting which ones would be readable and which ones will never enter my bookshelf. I came to K and found the book I was looking for. It reminded me of a New Years Eve resolution I "mentioned" a year or two ago. I can't actually remember if it was last year or the year before. I put "mentioned" in quotes because it literally was one of those resolutions I just threw out there and never actually put it down as "this is my resolution for 2012." The goal was to read five classic novels. The novels that everyone else seems to have read, or at least the pretend to have read it. On my list I definitely wanted to read Catch-22 and then anything written by Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway and Jack Kerouac. My fifth read was still up in the air- I thought about rereading The Great Gatsby or something by Mark Twain. Obviously I didn't give it a lot of thought because this resolution never stuck.
I had "On the Road" in my hands when a craving to read other classics came over me. I thought about how much TV I watched and that it would be a smart switch to replace the tube with a book. I also thought about how nice it would be to actually know what people are talking about when they mention a Catch-22 (ya, ya, I get the idea) or to agree or disagree when someone says Hemingway was the greatest author. Pride and Prejudice is one of my all time favorite movies and I can't believe I've never read the true version from Jane Austen's hand. So I went around the bookstore and I started to pick up all of these classic novels.
I decided on three to start; "On the Road" by Kerouac, "Pride and Prejudice" by Austen and "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller. I did look at Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea" but I didn't buy it. It's a short book, that surprised me. (PS. If you look up photos of Hemingway when he was younger I think you'll find the author to be very handsome.)
The cashier asked why I purchased the special edition of Pride and Prejudice (a Norton Critical Edition). He asked if it was for school. I told him I knew there were cheaper versions (like really cheap for three bucks) but I wanted this version because it had footnotes explaining words I did not know. For instance on the very first page the word Michaelmas is used, I thought it was a person's name but the footnotes explained to me that it generally means "autumn." I paid the extra five dollars for knowledge... plus it will save me time, I won't have to bust out google on my phone. ;) The cashier explained that this edition puts the book in three volumes as opposed to one long novel. According to the lovely cashier the three volume version is how Jane Austen wrote the book.
When the cashier asked if it was for school an unexpected excitement entered my mind. School? It sounds exciting? It only took 7 years for the thought of taking classes to excite me again. I have been thinking about taking a class here and there- like a writing class or a food photography class. Don't worry my bachelors degree is more than enough for my occupation and I am completely happy with my career choice, so I will not be going back to school full time. For now I'll see if a small class is in my near future and I'll get to work on reading my classics.
What is your favorite classic novel? Author?
Skipping,
Aubrie
Honestly, I probably like bookstores more than reading. I find that walking through a bookstore and picking out the best front covers can be very inspiring. There is a famous saying, everyone knows it, "don't judge a book by it's cover." Unfortunately I do not adhere to this guideline. In fact I have been known to not purchase books that were recommended to me because I thought the cover was ugly. I HATE when I want to buy a book that has been made into a movie and the actors' faces have replaced the original art work. I love covers and it's one of my random photography-bucket-list items, to have one of my photos as a book cover.
These are all just random side notes by the way. Let me back up.
David was out of town so I decided to watch a matinee, "Perks of Being a Wallflower." I won't give away the movie, I will recommend it- I thought it was good. The movie sparked an interest to visit a bookstore and I just happened to be in walking distance of a mini Powells bookstore- the Cedar Hills Powells. I walked to the store with the idea of buying Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." During the previews I learned that this classic book was about to hit the big screen. I really like reading books that will eventually be movies. I enjoy not only comparing the two side by side (which is better the book or the movie? ...it's always the book...) but I also get a kick out of seeing how one type of artist visually communicates words that were written by a completely different kind of artist. I think we should make all books into movies... of course I think you have to read the book first.
As I typed in Jack's name I realized I didn't know how to correctly spell it. He's a famous, classic author with well-known books, I should know how to spell his name. Thankfully I have a little thing called Google on my iPhone. (What did we do before technology?) I walked down the literature isle slowly, gazing over the book covers and mentally noting which ones would be readable and which ones will never enter my bookshelf. I came to K and found the book I was looking for. It reminded me of a New Years Eve resolution I "mentioned" a year or two ago. I can't actually remember if it was last year or the year before. I put "mentioned" in quotes because it literally was one of those resolutions I just threw out there and never actually put it down as "this is my resolution for 2012." The goal was to read five classic novels. The novels that everyone else seems to have read, or at least the pretend to have read it. On my list I definitely wanted to read Catch-22 and then anything written by Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway and Jack Kerouac. My fifth read was still up in the air- I thought about rereading The Great Gatsby or something by Mark Twain. Obviously I didn't give it a lot of thought because this resolution never stuck.
I had "On the Road" in my hands when a craving to read other classics came over me. I thought about how much TV I watched and that it would be a smart switch to replace the tube with a book. I also thought about how nice it would be to actually know what people are talking about when they mention a Catch-22 (ya, ya, I get the idea) or to agree or disagree when someone says Hemingway was the greatest author. Pride and Prejudice is one of my all time favorite movies and I can't believe I've never read the true version from Jane Austen's hand. So I went around the bookstore and I started to pick up all of these classic novels.
I decided on three to start; "On the Road" by Kerouac, "Pride and Prejudice" by Austen and "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller. I did look at Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea" but I didn't buy it. It's a short book, that surprised me. (PS. If you look up photos of Hemingway when he was younger I think you'll find the author to be very handsome.)
The cashier asked why I purchased the special edition of Pride and Prejudice (a Norton Critical Edition). He asked if it was for school. I told him I knew there were cheaper versions (like really cheap for three bucks) but I wanted this version because it had footnotes explaining words I did not know. For instance on the very first page the word Michaelmas is used, I thought it was a person's name but the footnotes explained to me that it generally means "autumn." I paid the extra five dollars for knowledge... plus it will save me time, I won't have to bust out google on my phone. ;) The cashier explained that this edition puts the book in three volumes as opposed to one long novel. According to the lovely cashier the three volume version is how Jane Austen wrote the book.
When the cashier asked if it was for school an unexpected excitement entered my mind. School? It sounds exciting? It only took 7 years for the thought of taking classes to excite me again. I have been thinking about taking a class here and there- like a writing class or a food photography class. Don't worry my bachelors degree is more than enough for my occupation and I am completely happy with my career choice, so I will not be going back to school full time. For now I'll see if a small class is in my near future and I'll get to work on reading my classics.
What is your favorite classic novel? Author?
Skipping,
Aubrie
4.06.2012
Food. Books. Movies. Clothes. Wine. Aqua-Bike. Photography.
Let's talk about everything... everything that is cliche. Nothing too deep on this post today. Just a lot of things I've seen, heard, read, tasted or want to try. You know, the basics... food, clothes, movies, music, books and of course my two "basics" photography and wine. This is definitely a "For Fun" kinda-post.
Food:
So for awhile there David and I were trying the 17-day diet... first time around we had success and the last two times we've tried again we did not accomplish anything. Since I was watching what I was eating I really didn't get to cook anything too exciting. I don't need to make fried chicken with a thick cream sauce... but when you limit dairy, grains, etc. it makes for some boring meals to create. I've hit a little "mood" where I want to cook some new dishes and maybe even bake a few treats.
So I have a few things I'm going to try at some point this week/weekend...
Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese... click here for a picture and recipe
Asparagus and Chicken Fricassee... click here for a picture and recipe
Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes... click here for a picture and recipe
I have all the ingredients for everything above... I'll let you know how they all turn out. I made my own version of Oatmeal Cookies the other day. They actually turned out awesome... I cut the oats in half and put coconut and dried cranberries in the mix. Yum. Click here for a picture and recipe.
Books:
I just finished reading "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. Great read! He is such a funny writer. The book was about him and his friend hiking the Appalachian Trail. (The AT is just like the Pacific Crest Trail but on the East side of the country). You learn a lot about America reading the book as well. If you are into hiking/travel/adventure/outdoors kind of books you'll definitely enjoy this one. I can't wait to pick up another book by Bryson.
I am totally switching gears and I just started reading "Crazy Love." My sister gave me the book for Christmas. The back of the book reads...
"Have you ever wondered if we're missing it? It's crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing-love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs and try not to cuss. Whether you've verbalized it yet or not... we all know something's wrong. Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn't working harder at a list of do's and dont's- it's falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, you will never be the same."
It's going to be a "hard" read... if ya know what I mean.
Movies:
So movies have been a little difficult lately. I've actually watched a few that really did not excite me at all. "Drive" was fairly gory and not what I expected. "Tintin" was actually kind of boring to me. "Rum Diary" was not all that great either. A little while back I watched "Moneyball" and I really enjoyed that movie. (David not as much, but I don't think he gets/likes baseball as much as I do.) We just rented "How to Train your Dragon." That movie was very cute and entertaining... safe for the whole family lol. I would recommend it. Cheap theatre night we watched "This Means War." It was actually very funny, we laughed out loud a handful of times. And the other day we saw "Hunger Games." I did not read the book... so from just a movie point of view I thought it was good. It wasn't like the best movie I've ever seen or anything... but I judge movies purely on an entertaining value. Did it entertain me? Yes. (Warning for the next one: Spoiler Alert.) So I rented "One Day" the other night while David was out of town. Great little movie... loved how it went through all the different years and how the two characters grew. (Plus I loved Anne Hathaway's hairstyles). The ending shocked me. I got a bad feeling all of a sudden... like "Ohh no, something horrible is going to happen." And before I could even finish that thought.... BAM! She literally gets ran over by a bus. I actually put my hands to my face an a little yelp squeaked out. I was shocked. Of course the movie turns sad... but that's life, right? The very end of the movie brings you back to the beginning so you can see what actually happened and finishes it so that your not completely in the blues. I think it was a good movie... even if it didn't have the ending I wanted.
....This is not a movie, but I do have to say very quickly that I've been enjoying "Frozen Planet" on the Discovery channel every Sunday night. Awesome cinematography.
Clothes:
I bought a pair of cowgirl boots for my birthday. I. Love. Them. They are brown with a turquoise diamond pattern on them. So every girl has their "thing" that they like to buy... a lot of girls it's shoes, for some it's purses and others love scarfs. Mine is skirts. I love my skirts so much that I just sent about 10+ skirts home with one of my friends so she can take them all in for me. (I lost some weight/inches and a lot of my skirts were not fitting correctly.) Instead of tossing them out and just buying new ones I decided to save them. SAVE THE SKIRTS! I did loose a jean skirt though. It's way to big on me and she could not save it. Sad. So now I'm down to... 20 skirts. TWENTY? Yes. What? I like skirts... how many pair of shoes do you have? ;)
Aqua-Bike
I really want to try an aqua-bike this summer. I loved my triathlons last summer but I hated training for the running part. I'm just not a runner. Obviously I love swimming, Masters Swimming is going well. I actually have another meet next Saturday. And biking is a lot of fun too. Running sucks. So this summer I thought I would concentrate on the two sports I like and try out an aqua-bike. I know you're all going "what the heck is that??!" It's a race where you just do the swimming and biking... no running. The swim and the bike are longer though (than a Sprint triathlon). Right now I am looking at the Grand Columbian Aqua-Bike in September. It's a 1.2 mile swim followed by a 56 mile bike ride.
Wine:
We've came across a few wineries lately that were pretty good. I always like to share... So Carlton is this cute little po-dunk town with a bunch of wineries. You could definitely spend the afternoon tasting and you would only have to walk a few blocks. Scott Paul had a few wines that we enjoyed... it was fun learning more about the French region. I really enjoyed Folin Cellars though, they had a lot of reds, Barbara, Tempranillo, Cab, etc. that I liked. I would definitely check that place out. We went into the Gorge for my birthday weekend. We've hit up a lot of the wineries on the Oregon side so we decided to mix it up and hit the Washington side. They were all pretty good... I think Syncline was probably my favorite. Plus it had a big tree-swing so that's always fun. (Memaloose has a nice deck/view of the river and the coolest wine-dog ever.)
My birthday present from David was a wine membership at our favorite winery, Marchesi. Come June we'll have 7 bottles of wine from the Italian winery. Mmmmmm! I can't wait. They can't make a bad wine over there. Who wants to have a wine party in June? This girl. :)
Photography:
I bought a new macro lens!!! 60mm f2.8 macro lens. I'm excited to play with it! (I actually would be playing with it right now, but my stomach is in shambles so I'm laying low...hence writing a long blog on nothing.) I'm looking forward to the busy summer season. I'm over this slow Spring phase I am in right now. I'm ready to shoot and shoot and edit and edit. (Although mid way through I won't be singing the same tune with the editing deal.)
Check out my Instagram feed... I am doing a "Photo a Day" in April. I am following this list here.
My Insta name is "aubrielegault" come follow me.
Well I think that about covers it. I have a few Instagram photos to take... a new lens to pay with, a hard-heart-filled book to read and an aqua-bike to train for. I better get on with it.
Skipping,
Aubrie
Food:
So for awhile there David and I were trying the 17-day diet... first time around we had success and the last two times we've tried again we did not accomplish anything. Since I was watching what I was eating I really didn't get to cook anything too exciting. I don't need to make fried chicken with a thick cream sauce... but when you limit dairy, grains, etc. it makes for some boring meals to create. I've hit a little "mood" where I want to cook some new dishes and maybe even bake a few treats.
So I have a few things I'm going to try at some point this week/weekend...
Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese... click here for a picture and recipe
Asparagus and Chicken Fricassee... click here for a picture and recipe
Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes... click here for a picture and recipe
I have all the ingredients for everything above... I'll let you know how they all turn out. I made my own version of Oatmeal Cookies the other day. They actually turned out awesome... I cut the oats in half and put coconut and dried cranberries in the mix. Yum. Click here for a picture and recipe.
Books:
I just finished reading "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. Great read! He is such a funny writer. The book was about him and his friend hiking the Appalachian Trail. (The AT is just like the Pacific Crest Trail but on the East side of the country). You learn a lot about America reading the book as well. If you are into hiking/travel/adventure/outdoors kind of books you'll definitely enjoy this one. I can't wait to pick up another book by Bryson.
I am totally switching gears and I just started reading "Crazy Love." My sister gave me the book for Christmas. The back of the book reads...
"Have you ever wondered if we're missing it? It's crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing-love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs and try not to cuss. Whether you've verbalized it yet or not... we all know something's wrong. Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn't working harder at a list of do's and dont's- it's falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, you will never be the same."
It's going to be a "hard" read... if ya know what I mean.
Movies:
So movies have been a little difficult lately. I've actually watched a few that really did not excite me at all. "Drive" was fairly gory and not what I expected. "Tintin" was actually kind of boring to me. "Rum Diary" was not all that great either. A little while back I watched "Moneyball" and I really enjoyed that movie. (David not as much, but I don't think he gets/likes baseball as much as I do.) We just rented "How to Train your Dragon." That movie was very cute and entertaining... safe for the whole family lol. I would recommend it. Cheap theatre night we watched "This Means War." It was actually very funny, we laughed out loud a handful of times. And the other day we saw "Hunger Games." I did not read the book... so from just a movie point of view I thought it was good. It wasn't like the best movie I've ever seen or anything... but I judge movies purely on an entertaining value. Did it entertain me? Yes. (Warning for the next one: Spoiler Alert.) So I rented "One Day" the other night while David was out of town. Great little movie... loved how it went through all the different years and how the two characters grew. (Plus I loved Anne Hathaway's hairstyles). The ending shocked me. I got a bad feeling all of a sudden... like "Ohh no, something horrible is going to happen." And before I could even finish that thought.... BAM! She literally gets ran over by a bus. I actually put my hands to my face an a little yelp squeaked out. I was shocked. Of course the movie turns sad... but that's life, right? The very end of the movie brings you back to the beginning so you can see what actually happened and finishes it so that your not completely in the blues. I think it was a good movie... even if it didn't have the ending I wanted.
....This is not a movie, but I do have to say very quickly that I've been enjoying "Frozen Planet" on the Discovery channel every Sunday night. Awesome cinematography.
Clothes:
I bought a pair of cowgirl boots for my birthday. I. Love. Them. They are brown with a turquoise diamond pattern on them. So every girl has their "thing" that they like to buy... a lot of girls it's shoes, for some it's purses and others love scarfs. Mine is skirts. I love my skirts so much that I just sent about 10+ skirts home with one of my friends so she can take them all in for me. (I lost some weight/inches and a lot of my skirts were not fitting correctly.) Instead of tossing them out and just buying new ones I decided to save them. SAVE THE SKIRTS! I did loose a jean skirt though. It's way to big on me and she could not save it. Sad. So now I'm down to... 20 skirts. TWENTY? Yes. What? I like skirts... how many pair of shoes do you have? ;)
Aqua-Bike
I really want to try an aqua-bike this summer. I loved my triathlons last summer but I hated training for the running part. I'm just not a runner. Obviously I love swimming, Masters Swimming is going well. I actually have another meet next Saturday. And biking is a lot of fun too. Running sucks. So this summer I thought I would concentrate on the two sports I like and try out an aqua-bike. I know you're all going "what the heck is that??!" It's a race where you just do the swimming and biking... no running. The swim and the bike are longer though (than a Sprint triathlon). Right now I am looking at the Grand Columbian Aqua-Bike in September. It's a 1.2 mile swim followed by a 56 mile bike ride.
Wine:
We've came across a few wineries lately that were pretty good. I always like to share... So Carlton is this cute little po-dunk town with a bunch of wineries. You could definitely spend the afternoon tasting and you would only have to walk a few blocks. Scott Paul had a few wines that we enjoyed... it was fun learning more about the French region. I really enjoyed Folin Cellars though, they had a lot of reds, Barbara, Tempranillo, Cab, etc. that I liked. I would definitely check that place out. We went into the Gorge for my birthday weekend. We've hit up a lot of the wineries on the Oregon side so we decided to mix it up and hit the Washington side. They were all pretty good... I think Syncline was probably my favorite. Plus it had a big tree-swing so that's always fun. (Memaloose has a nice deck/view of the river and the coolest wine-dog ever.)
My birthday present from David was a wine membership at our favorite winery, Marchesi. Come June we'll have 7 bottles of wine from the Italian winery. Mmmmmm! I can't wait. They can't make a bad wine over there. Who wants to have a wine party in June? This girl. :)
Photography:
I bought a new macro lens!!! 60mm f2.8 macro lens. I'm excited to play with it! (I actually would be playing with it right now, but my stomach is in shambles so I'm laying low...hence writing a long blog on nothing.) I'm looking forward to the busy summer season. I'm over this slow Spring phase I am in right now. I'm ready to shoot and shoot and edit and edit. (Although mid way through I won't be singing the same tune with the editing deal.)
Check out my Instagram feed... I am doing a "Photo a Day" in April. I am following this list here.
My Insta name is "aubrielegault" come follow me.
Well I think that about covers it. I have a few Instagram photos to take... a new lens to pay with, a hard-heart-filled book to read and an aqua-bike to train for. I better get on with it.
Skipping,
Aubrie
1.03.2012
Eleven to Twelve
The first week of January is always bittersweet. A lot of people, including myself, tend to look back at the year that has passed with sweet memories most of which will never occur again. We also look towards the year to come with anticipations, goals and a hopeful heart that we can top the previous year.
I had a great year and I wanted to recap some of my favorite moments. Of course doing it in a list fashion, because I dig lists. A lot of people go with "Top 10" but I find it only appropriate to do my list of "Top 11" moments for 2011... in no particular order....
1. Memorial Day Camping Trip. Not only was the camping trip a lot of fun but we met some lovely people at this camping trip that are now dear friends.
2. State Champs! My first year coaching high school swimming was a lot of fun. To be honest I really had nothing to do with our boys winning state, but I was happy to be part of the team and I was very proud of Adam (head coach) and our hard-working boys.
3. Nutcracker. At the ripe age of 29 I finally saw my first performance of the Nutcracker. David and I watched the Oregon Ballet perform this wonderful Christmas tradition at the Keller auditorium.
4. 3-Year-Anniversary. We might not have done anything HUGE for this anniversary but just having another year with my wonderful husband is grand enough to be on this list.
5. Hawaii. David and I took a trip to Kauai in March with my parents. It. Was. Awesome.
6. Triathlon. I competed in my first sprint triathlon.
7. La Grande. We celebrated 4th of July in La Grande with friends, wine tasting, steak dinner, hiking and fireworks.
8. Josh Radin. I love him and his concerts. The Starks and I saw Josh perform in March at the Crystal Ballroom. Always a good time... Josh Shot.
9. 1859. This year was a big year for my editorial work. December 2011 was actually my first publication in this magazine... July was my first photo story and coming up....
10. Eagle Lake. My husband got his first full taste of summer in Indiana. My favorite part was spending the day at my uncle's lake house. We celebrated my nephew's first birthday, went jet-skiing and I went tubing with my sister. It reminded me of past summers in Indiana and was a great time spent with the best family ever.
11. Carpet! Ahhhh, we finally got new carpet in our house. It looks and smells so much better. :)
I am looking forward to 2012. Every year brings new memories to cherish and new goals to check off your list. I have a few of each in mind so to go with the mantra I have for this blog post I thought I would write a list of 12 things I'm either looking forward to or that I would like to accomplish this year.
1. Turning 30!!! Maybe I'm not looking forward to turning 30 and saying goodbye to my 20's (because my 20's were spectacular) but I think the celebration will probably be a good one this year. ;)
2. Swimming. I joined a masters swim team, The Barracudas. I am excited to be on a swim team again, to get back into shape and to race in a few swim meets this year.
3. Family Visit. This is actually happening in less than a week... my mom and my aunt Lee Ann are coming for a week to visit. It should be a fun girl time... and interesting too because it's January and you have to creative with things to do in Portland in the winter.
4. Drive Better. My husband will probably poop his pants when he reads this. I would like to allow myself enough time to get to my location and not be in such a rush that I drive like a ding-bat.
5. Pinterest. What? I can't have a goal involving the latest and greatest website? LOL! Seriously though I think the site allows to create, make, bake, purchase or do a lot of things that maybe you wouldn't think of yourself. So my goal is to do 12 things that I find from Pinterest.
6. Triathlon. I would like to compete in another triathlon or maybe even try an aquathon out as well.
7. Crazy Love. It's a book my sister got me for Christmas. I'm going to read it.
8. Chicago Wedding. My college best friend is getting married in Chicago this July. I'm excited to witness this great occasion and be at a wedding in the middle of the summer that I'm not responsible for the photography. To sit back and relax during a wedding is an odd thing but I'm looking forward to it. (Plus another trip to the windy city!)
9. Rafting! David and I have two types of rafts/boats. One is a blow-up kayak and the other is a raft-boat type of deal. Anyway I would like to actually put them in the water and use the heck out of them this summer! Plus I would like to go white water rafting this year (Rogue??)
10. Roads. My Oregon map looks better and better every year. This year I have a few specific roads I would like to mark off. Highway 228-20 starting in Sweet Home and going to Black Butte Ranch area is one and the other is Highway 126 staring in Springfield and going to Belknap Springs area.
11. 1859! ...and my first Front Cover! My first front cover will come out in January, it should be on the stands any day now. I'm looking forward to seeing the magazine and of course shooting this whole year with 1859.
12. Magazines/Photo Biz. I would like to get into at least one more major magazine this year. I really enjoy the work that the Columbia Gorge magazine produces and Sip NW magazine. Those two are both on my list for sure. Do you think Sunset magazine is ready for this girl yet? I am looking forward to this year with my photography business. It's growing and it's making more money- yay. I had 6 weddings booked before the new year and I hoping to grab a few more. It's going to be a great year in the photo world!
I had a great year and I wanted to recap some of my favorite moments. Of course doing it in a list fashion, because I dig lists. A lot of people go with "Top 10" but I find it only appropriate to do my list of "Top 11" moments for 2011... in no particular order....
1. Memorial Day Camping Trip. Not only was the camping trip a lot of fun but we met some lovely people at this camping trip that are now dear friends.
2. State Champs! My first year coaching high school swimming was a lot of fun. To be honest I really had nothing to do with our boys winning state, but I was happy to be part of the team and I was very proud of Adam (head coach) and our hard-working boys.
3. Nutcracker. At the ripe age of 29 I finally saw my first performance of the Nutcracker. David and I watched the Oregon Ballet perform this wonderful Christmas tradition at the Keller auditorium.
4. 3-Year-Anniversary. We might not have done anything HUGE for this anniversary but just having another year with my wonderful husband is grand enough to be on this list.
5. Hawaii. David and I took a trip to Kauai in March with my parents. It. Was. Awesome.
6. Triathlon. I competed in my first sprint triathlon.
7. La Grande. We celebrated 4th of July in La Grande with friends, wine tasting, steak dinner, hiking and fireworks.
8. Josh Radin. I love him and his concerts. The Starks and I saw Josh perform in March at the Crystal Ballroom. Always a good time... Josh Shot.
9. 1859. This year was a big year for my editorial work. December 2011 was actually my first publication in this magazine... July was my first photo story and coming up....
10. Eagle Lake. My husband got his first full taste of summer in Indiana. My favorite part was spending the day at my uncle's lake house. We celebrated my nephew's first birthday, went jet-skiing and I went tubing with my sister. It reminded me of past summers in Indiana and was a great time spent with the best family ever.
11. Carpet! Ahhhh, we finally got new carpet in our house. It looks and smells so much better. :)
I am looking forward to 2012. Every year brings new memories to cherish and new goals to check off your list. I have a few of each in mind so to go with the mantra I have for this blog post I thought I would write a list of 12 things I'm either looking forward to or that I would like to accomplish this year.
1. Turning 30!!! Maybe I'm not looking forward to turning 30 and saying goodbye to my 20's (because my 20's were spectacular) but I think the celebration will probably be a good one this year. ;)
2. Swimming. I joined a masters swim team, The Barracudas. I am excited to be on a swim team again, to get back into shape and to race in a few swim meets this year.
3. Family Visit. This is actually happening in less than a week... my mom and my aunt Lee Ann are coming for a week to visit. It should be a fun girl time... and interesting too because it's January and you have to creative with things to do in Portland in the winter.
4. Drive Better. My husband will probably poop his pants when he reads this. I would like to allow myself enough time to get to my location and not be in such a rush that I drive like a ding-bat.
5. Pinterest. What? I can't have a goal involving the latest and greatest website? LOL! Seriously though I think the site allows to create, make, bake, purchase or do a lot of things that maybe you wouldn't think of yourself. So my goal is to do 12 things that I find from Pinterest.
6. Triathlon. I would like to compete in another triathlon or maybe even try an aquathon out as well.
7. Crazy Love. It's a book my sister got me for Christmas. I'm going to read it.
8. Chicago Wedding. My college best friend is getting married in Chicago this July. I'm excited to witness this great occasion and be at a wedding in the middle of the summer that I'm not responsible for the photography. To sit back and relax during a wedding is an odd thing but I'm looking forward to it. (Plus another trip to the windy city!)
9. Rafting! David and I have two types of rafts/boats. One is a blow-up kayak and the other is a raft-boat type of deal. Anyway I would like to actually put them in the water and use the heck out of them this summer! Plus I would like to go white water rafting this year (Rogue??)
10. Roads. My Oregon map looks better and better every year. This year I have a few specific roads I would like to mark off. Highway 228-20 starting in Sweet Home and going to Black Butte Ranch area is one and the other is Highway 126 staring in Springfield and going to Belknap Springs area.
11. 1859! ...and my first Front Cover! My first front cover will come out in January, it should be on the stands any day now. I'm looking forward to seeing the magazine and of course shooting this whole year with 1859.
12. Magazines/Photo Biz. I would like to get into at least one more major magazine this year. I really enjoy the work that the Columbia Gorge magazine produces and Sip NW magazine. Those two are both on my list for sure. Do you think Sunset magazine is ready for this girl yet? I am looking forward to this year with my photography business. It's growing and it's making more money- yay. I had 6 weddings booked before the new year and I hoping to grab a few more. It's going to be a great year in the photo world!
8.09.2011
The Book is always Better
I'll read novels from time to time that are tied into the theatre. I will admit that I love finding movies that were first a best seller then I have my own challenge and tell myself that I can't see the movie until I finish the book. The book is always better. Way better.
It's funny how books are 100 times more descriptive and yet so simple. For instance, I read Eat. Pray. Love. by Elizabeth Gilbert a few weeks ago and I just finished watching the movie tonight. The movie moved so fast that you didn't get to take in all she actually experienced. The Ashram, in my mind when I pictured it, was so delicate and open...spacious. There was no ladder on the roof top where she forgave herself, there was just a beautiful white building with a deep blue sky and God. The movie added too many distractions and was missing all the little stories that made the book a novel.
So to re-live a few moments from the book I thought I would type-out some of my favorite quotes/stories from the printed version of Eat. Pray. Love. I'll have to add a disclaimer here. I do follow a Christian belief and that is my personal God. No, I am not going to visit a Ashram or become a Yogi. I like these quotes because it either made me think, laugh or I just simply enjoyed her writing.
Eat (Italy):
"Generally speaking, though, Americans have an inability to relax into sheer pleasure. Ours is an entertainment-seeking nation, but not necessarily a pleasure-seeking one. Americans spend billions to keep themselves amused with everything from porn to theme parks to wars, but that's not exactly the same thing as quiet enjoyment. Americans work harder and longer and more stressful hours than anyone in the world today... Alarming statistics show that many Americans feel more happy and fulfilled in their offices than they do in their own homes... Americans don't really know how to do nothing. This is the cause of the great sad American stereotype- the overstressed executive who goes on vacation, but who cannot relax. Italians are the masters of 'il bel far niente.' This is a sweet expression. Il bel far niente means "the beauty of doing nothing."
Pray (India):
" Life, if you keep chasing it so hard, will drive you to death. Time- when pursued like a bandit- will behave like one; always remaining one county or one room ahead of you, changing it's name and hair color to elude you, slipping out the back door of the motel just as you're banging through the lobby with your newest search warrant, leaving only a burning cigarette in the ashtray to taunt you. At some point you have to stop because it won't. You have to admit that you can't catch it. That your not supposed to catch it. At some point, you gotta let go and sit still and allow contentment to come to you."
(There was a story about how people at this Ashram had to tie a Saint's cat to a pole while they meditated because it was so loud and annoying. After it died they didn't know what to do or how to pray because they thought they needed to tie a cat to the pole first in order to meditate.) ...
"Be careful, warns this tale, not to get too obsessed with the repetition of religious ritual just for it's own sake. Especially in this divided world, where the Taliban and the Christian Coalition continue to fight out their international trademark war over who owns the rights to the word God and who has the proper rituals to reach that God, it may be useful to remember that it is not the tying of the cat to the pole that has ever brought anyone transcendence, but only the constant desire of an individual seeker to experience the eternal compassion of the divine. Flexibility is just as essential for divinity as is discipline."
Love (Indonesia):
"The Yogic sages say that all the pain of a human life is caused by words, as is all the joy. We create words to define our experience and those words bring attendant emotions that jerk us around like dogs on a leash. We get seduced by our own mantras 'I'm a failure... I'm lonely... I'm a failure...I'm lonely... and we become monuments to them. To stop talking for a while, then, is to attempt to strip away the power of words, to stop choking ourselves with words, to liberate ourselves from suffocation mantras."
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