Mansfield Park

I finished Mansfield Park this weekend and loved it. I have read enough Jane Austen books to know what to expect (I mean, they are love stories after all, the girl always gets the guy) but this one had a twist that I wasn't expecting. The entire book I wasn't exactly sure how it would turn out. Would Fanny's feelings change? Would Mary Crawford change her mind? Is Mr. Crawford actually a nice guy? I had no idea! But then, in classic Jane Austen form, the last two chapters held all the twists, turns, and wrapped everything up like every good romance should. Not to mention Ms. Austen's humor and subtle satire on wealth and marriage; which is always fun.

And now onto No. 07 of my unread library, Dubliners by James Joyce.

The Sunday Creative

This week on The Sunday Creative, our prompt was "illuminate."

illuminate.

sweet stillness
dark and silent
damp with early fog
day's first light
intruding the night
sun presents itself
with mighty gentleness
an echoing whisper
spreading warmth
over the land
and my face
peacefully illuminated
by the dawn

I love morning. There is something so precious about a fresh, new day.

Rio del Mar, early morning

No, 12 - Mansfield Park

image from Barnes & Noble

I am currently halfway through Mansfield Park and it's wonderful. I was hoping to have it finished by today, but it is pretty long and I haven't had much time for leisure this week. Maybe by next week it will be done!

The Sunday Creative

I just discovered this blog and I'm totally joining up for The Sunday Creative.

This week's prompt is Orient.

Orient  vb 1: to set in a definite position esp. in relation to the points on a compass  2: to acquaint with an existing situation or environment  3: to direct to the interests of a particular group

OR

noun : East, esp. the countries of Eastern Asia

 And here is what I made:

Matthew 7:14 "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

When it comes to a direction or position in my life there is only one: Jesus. My life's journey is fueled and directed by my love for Him and my devotion to Him. And the only way I know where He wants me to go is by spending time with Him and reading the Word.

I'm excited to be challenged in being creative and having a project to learn new techniques and styles that I wouldn't normally use. I haven't used Photoshop a whole lot, but I recently learned about textures and how to use them, so I wanted to try something new.

The Unread Library

When it comes to books, I have very little willpower. I love everything about them: the covers, the pages, the words, the fonts, how a book from the 50s or 60s looks nothing like a modern one, and of course, the actual stories. Getting lost in a book is a lifeline for me. A refuge from the world, from things that drain me, and from technology. It is ironic to me that technology and media are part of my top five favorite things to do, and also my current livelihood, and yet I love leaving it behind for a world of ink and paper.

That being said, I have amassed an ever expanding library - primarily made up of thrifted and vintage books (because hey, I'm working with a budget!). I love perusing the shelves at Goodwill and Savers looking for a classic I've never read, a great cover to a book I already love, the occasional chance book that may end up being a keeper (or not), and anything in between. But lately, I've noticed I have a stack of books marked "to read" that grows faster than I can read them. I also realized that the money I'm pouring into this pile can be used for much more impact than my library. So I've committed to not buying another book until I read every last unread book. And the money I would normally spend is being put away (it's not much, but it's something) into a savings account for a yet-to-be-revealed project that will impact many lives.

All these thoughts had started stirring in my heart and head when I read a post on a blog I follow, Pancakes & French Fries, about The Unread Library. This post was a confirmation and encouragement to me, so I decided to follow suit with my progress. Here is My Unread Library; as I finish a book, I will update the list.

1. Aeneid, The | Virgil
2. Candide | Voltaire
3. Cannery Row | John Steinbeck
4. Christmas Carol, A | Charles Dickens
5. David Copperfield | Charles Dickens
6. Dombey & Son | Charles Dickens
7. Dubliners | James Joyce
8. Great Short Works of Herman Melville, The | Herman Melville
9. How to Read Literature Like a Professor | Thomas Foster
10. Kidnapped | Robert Louis Stevenson
11. Lady Susan | Jane Austen
12. Mansfield Park | Jane Austen
13. Moby Dick | Herman Melville
14. Moon is Down, The | John Steinbeck
15. Much Ado About Nothing | William Shakespeare
16. Nick Adams Stories, The | Ernest Hemingway
17. Oliver Twist | Charles Dickens
18. Othello | William Shakespeare
19. Painted Bird, The | Jerzy Kosinski
20. Pearl, The | John Steinbeck
21. Pilgrim's Progress, The | John Bunyan
22. Red Pony, The | John Steinbeck
23. Robinson Crusoe | Daniel Defore
24. Silmarillion, The | JRR Tolkien
25. Uncle Tom's Cabin | Harriet Beecher Stowe
26. War of the Worlds, The | HG Wells

And there you have it.

Summer! part 2

This is my first whole year out of school. It's my first summer in 20 that nothing has really changed in my daily schedule. Okay, yes, I am going to lots of camps, but I am still working and have the same responsibilities as the other times of the year. So it's a little weird for me that all of the students are out of school and I'm not. Good reason to start my MA? Maybe!

I do actually miss school and I think some of that has inspired my summer expectations. So without further ado, my list of summer lessons/learning/hopes:

**Adobe Premiere Pro classroom in a book: I use this program every day and I'd like to know the ins and outs of it. A friend loaned me this book and I'm hoping to work through it so I can feel more confident training my team as it grows.

**Adobe InDesign C.I.A.B: I need to learn this program! I don't think it's unbelieving children that kill off fairies, it's unsuspecting designers who open this program without knowing what to do. :)

**Calligraphy: I love handwriting and I love sending handwritten notes. I have a few tutorials bookmarked along with some good tools priced out. It's also something that seems like it could travel. I could do my ABC's while ZJ naps at camp. :)

**Sewing machine: my mom and I both had sewing machines that needed work (hers is pretty old and I think ignorance broke something in mine *oops*) so we got a quote for repair and it was $90 for each plus any repair/parts for mine! So we decided to take the $200+ and just buy a new one. Nothing fancy, but it works and it has a lot more options than our older ones. So I'm hoping to get comfortable with it and begin altering vintage/thrift clothes to fit better! :)

**I also have an ongoing list of books that I've picked up, have yet to read, or want to buy. I'm hoping to make some good progress on those while I'm traveling/taking it easy. :)

Summer! part 1

I am always so excited for summer! And it seems every year, I have a list of expectations for that summer. This year, summer kind of crept up on me - my birthday is in 5 days and summer can officially begin! - and so I'm just now settling into my expectations. But let me tell you, I am getting more and more excited as the days go by.

For the last 2 years, NorthShore has planned and led our own summer camp at Camp Cedar Crest in Running Springs, CA. This year, we are running camp again but also are including churches throughout the district! We have 7-8 other churches coming with us and that is very exciting! Summer camp will be amazing. I LOVE camp, like love, Love, LOVE camp :) so I know it's going to be a great week. We'll be at camp June 13-18 and we'll be posting daily on the camp website: www.wearefoursquare.com - feel free to check it out now and then too for updates.

The week after We Are Foursquare camp, we'll be heading to Carlsbad, CA for a week of camping on the beach for family camp. I haven't been in 2 years, and I'm missing it. It's the best. :)

On top of all that, my best friend in the whole world is leading creative arts workshops and classes for all of the Southwest district camps - which is 3 straight weeks back up at Camp Cedar Crest. And I am so happy to be going with her for 2 of those weeks! I'll be helping her out with the theatre stuff but for the most part, I'll be gallivanting with my favorite 1-year old in the woods! OK, maybe we'll be slowly walking around the paved/carpeted areas of the camp, but I'm still looking forward to extended quality time with 2 of my favorite ladies! :)

Then (whew!) in August, my sister and I are spending a week with my Grandma in the Bay Area. She and I haven't spent a whole lot of time together recently and I think it will be a fun trip and a good chance to hang out with our Noni as well. :)

 

My grandma's house

So, Part 1 of my summer plans are all the trips I'll  be taking! :) I'll be back soon with Part 2