Our House in the Middle of Our Street

First time skiing at Silver Star in Vernon, BC. It was gorgeous!
January was full of skiing, school, routine, and planning. A lot of mental and physical energy were spent planning for the next two months (they'll be doozies!) and figuring out how everything can fit together like Tetris. I was also reading a very heavy book (that I finished on Feb. 2, so it won't be listed here) that I wasn't overly keen to grab most nights, but knew I needed to complete. I hope February will be filled with about 4 solid reads that I'm already counting on appearing  from the library this week. What I have for January is a bit of a random list, but here we are. 
*Real-Life Rules by Mariah Bruehl - This is a non-fiction, teacher-led activity book for tweens. I will buy anything Mariah Bruehl puts into the world (only 2 so far) because her books are warm, thoughtful, beautifully aesthetic and meaty. This book is all about guiding tweens and early teens through activities geared toward help…

Every year I type out a list of 10-20 items that I want to complete in the year. Some are silly, some are big, some are (potentially) life-changing, but they are written here, and written in my journal at home that I use near-daily, so they are around and 'out there'. It helps keep me accountable to plan intentionally our weekends, fitting things in I want to make space for, whether they're an afternoon roller-skating or following a specific way of eating for 30+ days. If it matters to you, make space for it.

 People ask me how I accomplish so much, and I *know* it's because I plan ahead of time, and am intentional about putting it on the calendar weeks, if not months in advance. Maybe once in a blue moon it's days in advance. Having the life you want takes a lot of work and a lot of thought, it doesn't happen by chance. How few things in your life that you're proud of, that you worked hard for, just fell into your lap? Yeah, I can't think of very many…

Every year I make a list of loose goals and try to start/finish/try/plot/etc. them before the year's end. Some are hard, some are goofy, some are ridiculously easy or that I've been chewing on for awhile but just need to actually write it down to get it done. Most years (most) of them get completed. Sometimes they don't. You can view past years' lists and the What Happened post HERE. I'm still mulling on my 2020 list, so you'll (probably) see it later January.

19 Things in 2019

*Watch Lo + Behold with Lukka (completed, Spring). This netflix documentary about tech was something I wanted (and was able to make) time for with my son. He liked it. I was 'meh'.

*Go to New Media Gallery for another exhibition (completed, multiple installations). I love this gallery...it's not even something that needs to get written down anymore, I just go every time they have new work!

*Take Ani to the Vancouver Art Gallery (completed, December) I finally got out there, a…

I read so many good books this year, it was extremely hard to choose favorites. I literally could not take a single one off this list, so it became 11. Hah! As a bonus, I included some of my favorite read-alouds that I completed with the kids at the bottom.

You might notice a pattern to a lot of my picks; I want exceptional writing if I'm reading fiction, and a rich sense of place. If I'm reading nonfiction (and I probably am), I want it to be engaging, intriguing or making an excellent argument, and accessible. I love reading true stories. I love reading things that end on a hopeful note, or that shine beauty or hope. All of these picks have that. A few of them are Christian spirituality or have that worldview while looking in on culture or literature--that's my English degree coming out, and so while those might not interest the general population, I loved them. I'll briefly list why they're on this list. Here are my favorites!

*Crow Lake by Mary Lawson - Superb…

Eek! That photo above is terrible lighting, but taken in haste as I wrap up another month of book titles to be added to the 2019 completed list. Two of these books were daily devotionals-one for an entire year and one for Advent, which was quite small, so if we're really comparing, I completed 4 books in December; one of them being read aloud to the kids. Soon I'll have a Top 10 list of my favorites.

*The Wealthy Barber Returns by Dave Chilton - I didn't complete the first Wealthy Barber before I had to give it back to the library, and this one was very different. Whereas the first was practical financial advice in story form, this one reads more like a manul or self-help guide in finances. I still gained a lot of knowledge, but I think for this topic, I need the story format. I plan on returning to the original  in the new year.

*Hallelujah: A Journey Through Handel's Messiah by Cindy Rollins - This was a small Advent devotional broken up into essays and daily script…

A few of the stack 
Well if the last few months were a bit...ahem...slow, this was where everything came together! I finished a ton of titles I was in the middle, and started and finished quite a few, as well.

*Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - Again, I will read everything RR writes (....except have little interest in the fanfic that's actually a spin-off of this title) because it's like candy to me. A little bit of a romantic interest, Gilmore-esque humor, and setting that I know intimately (this one was on my university's campus! and MY COLLEGE BUILDING!) always make these books so enjoyable. I think I have one left, Landline, in her collection that I haven't read it. I get that the nostalgic place levels these up in my eyes, but I think anyone who wants a smart and funny beach reach would really enjoy these, especially Attachments.

*Quarrels by Eve Joseph - I know I read this book of poetry in November, but...(so sorry!) I can't really remember anything specific. I r…