So Long, March!

March is over. We're three months into 2011 and I'm ready for spring! 

This is how I'm feeling.  Winter was nice.  I liked those pretty snows, but

it's time to move on. I'm ready to throw open the windows, spring clean

my house, work in my flowers, get off the treadmill and start walking

on my road and shop for fresh veggies at the farmer's market. I'm counting

the days for the first asparagus of the season and following that will be 

strawberries.  Oh, boy, oh, boy!!! 

Here's a wrap up on some of my March goals.

I had a lovely trip to the Columbia temple at the beginning

of the month with my friend Kathy.
*Goal # 24 - Attend the temple once a month,.

I did fairly well with my exercise goals this month - although it was a struggle.  

They say, if you do something for 21 days it becomes a habit. 

So this exercising thing must be a habit for me now, but that doesn't 

mean I necessarily enjoy it.  There was a huge amount of self talk 

about getting on that treadmill. There are so many other things

I would rather be doing.  I've learned if I talk myself out of doing 

it first thing in the morning, then it's a continual battle the rest of

the day.  I wish I were one of those people who love to exercise.

Did you know there really are people like that?
I know, I don't understand it either.
*Goal # 16 - Exercise 50 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

These are the books I read this month.

*Goal # 9 - Read 50 books.


13. 52 Loaves - William Alexander
      I loved this book.  It appealed to my obsessive side.  It's  a true story 
      about a man's quest to learn how to make a perfect loaf of peasant
      bread.   On the theory that practice makes perfect, he sets out to
      bake a loaf every week until he gets it right.  This book isn't only
      about food, but also travel.  He journeys to Morocco to bake bread
      in a communal oven, to Paris where he enrolls in a cooking school
      and to a medieval monastery in Normandy.  He evens grows his
     own wheat, harvests and mills it and bakes bread in a clay oven that
     he has built in his backyard.   I laughed a lot.  And there are recipes
     included.  I won't tell you if he succeeds - you might want to
     read it for yourself.
14. Prince Caspian - C. S. Lewis
      I'm moving right through the Chronicles of Narnia series.   I do love
      these books and the symbolism is jumping out at me and just makes
      me smile.  I wonder what motivated C. S. Lewis to write these stories
      for children.  I think after I finish the series, I'm going to have to read
      some biographies on him.  What an amazing person.
15. One Thousand Gifts - Ann Voskamp
     This is my second reading and I got so much more from it this time.
     This book is changing my life.  I am going to do a post on it very soon.
     I know I said that last month, but I  promise it's coming and you'll
     understand why I'm waiting, soon.
16.  Brave Enemies - Robert Morgan
     This was my historical fiction for the month.  I like this author
     who was raised in NC and his books take place in areas that I'm 
     familiar with.  This story takes place during the Revolutionary 
     War and is about a sixteen year old girl who finds herself dressed
     like a boy and fighting at the Battle of Cowpens. (which was just
    down the mountain from here)    This book drew me right in and
     I enjoyed it very much.
17.  Margin - Richard Swenson, M.D.
      This is a book for people who feel the pressure of overloaded 
      lives.  I think that is most everyone I know.   Dr. Swenson says,
      " Overload is not having time to finish the book you're reading
      on stress.  Margin is having the time to read it twice.  Overload
      is fatigue.  Margin is energy.  Overload is red ink.  Margin is black
      ink.  Overload is hurry.  Margin is calm.  Overload is the disease
      of our time.  Margin is the cure."  Dr. Swenson provides a
      prescription against the dangers of overloaded lives by focusing
      on four key areas - emotional energy, physical energy, time
     and finances.  This is written from a Christian perspective and
      was thought provoking.  I think he's right on.


I'm stuck on my scarf.  I've come to the end of my yarn and
need to pick up a new skein, but I'm not sure how to do it.
I googled it and it looked complicated.  I'm going to have to
find a friend and get some help.
*Goal # 21 - Knit a scarf.

I'm enjoying my study of the New Testament.  I was pretty
confident with my knowledge of this section of the scriptures.
I've been reading these stories since I was a little girl in the Baptist
church.  But I'm learning so many interesting things.
Like this morning as I read in Matthew, Jesus taught his
followers that they should not pray as the hypocrites "who pray
standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets,
that they may be seen of men."  Jews in the days of Jesus
stood facing Jerusalem with heads covered and eyes cast down
while they recited a prayer in Hebrew.  They prayed morning,
midday and afternoon in this manner on street corners, in
crowded marketplaces and in synagogues.  At synagogues,
the more devout Jews did not participate in public prayers.
They stood and uttered aloud private prayers so that others
would know of their devotions  Jesus taught his apostles not
to pray in this ostentatious, hypocritical manner.  It's these
extra tidbits of information that make the scriptures come
alive to me.

At the rate I'm going, I'm not sure I will make it out of the
gospels by the end of the year. This is the first book of three
on the New Testament.  I'm moving slowly, but that's okay.
*Goal #22 - Study the New Testament

Here's some pictures that I took this month that I really liked.

*Goal #26 - Improve photograpy skills