Luggage and Literature

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine

Archives for December 2017

November Goal Check-In

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I wrote a New Year’s Resolutions post at the beginning of January 2017 and was so thankful for the positive response that I received from everyone. I plan to come back every month with a goal check-in, so that I have even more incentive/accountability to continue working on my goals. Here is my November goal check-in.

Goal #1: Publish at least one blog post per week on Luggage and Literature.

I posted 3 times in November, but earlier in the month, not in the final two weeks of the month.

Goal #2: Complete the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenges.

You can check out my previous post outlining my 2017 reading plans here. Completed! You can check out what categories I checked off in November 2017.

Goal #3: Play cello at least twice (preferably more) per month. 

I didn’t play cello in November. 🙁

Goal #4: Pay down debt. 

 We continued making progress toward this goal. Our credit cards are paid in full every month. We mailed in the payoff on Mike’s pickup. I’ve been paying extra on my business and building loans.

Action Steps:

  • Prepare lunches on the weekend. Met.
  • Pack lunch or eat at home every weekday for lunch, unless meeting colleagues. Met.
  • Eat dinner at home five nights per week. Met.
  • Prepare/freeze dessert items (I have a major sweet tooth, and if we don’t have dessert items in the house at all, I’m much more likely to go get ice cream or run to the store and purchase snack items). We have frozen cookie dough.
  • Curb spending on books by utilizing the library. I’ve been reading books that I previously purchased at the Friends of the Library book sale, from Overdrive, and that I already had on my Kindle.
  • Curb spending on clothing and accessories, especially by utilizing Pinterest for remixing my existing wardrobe. Pinterest continues to be very useful in making my wardrobe feel fresh. But I purchased a ton of new clothes in November, to replace quite a few things that were past their useful life.
  • Use up back stock of MaryKay and hair products before purchasing more. I didn’t purchase any MaryKay in November, but did need to buy some new hair care products.
  • Clean out refrigerator/freezers/pantry and use up existing food rather than just purchasing more. We have a well-stocked pantry and freezer, and are working out way through it. We’ve mainly purchased perishable items this month.
  • Curb unnecessary trips to Kearney (this is about half an hour from our town, so the gas can get pricey when we run there for no reason other than we’re bored/want to go shopping/etc.). Met.
  • Take on additional cases and work more hours to increase income. My workload is more where I’d like it to be at the present time.

Goal #5: Be healthier.

I got back on the health wagon in June, as it was simply necessary. Since then, I’ve read The Beck Diet Solution twice, and have found it quite helpful. Essentially the book isn’t a diet, but rather helps you to work through the sabotaging thoughts that lead to weight gain. I’ve already started catching myself in them, and am hopeful that I continue to make progress in the right direction (a decrease on the scale). And I’m down about 5 pounds since June. I’m not making very fast progress, but haven’t gained weight which is important. I’ve been looking at Peloton bikes, but we’ll see if that’s in the cards, as they’re quite expensive.

Action Steps:

  • Drink no more than 3 pops per day, preferably no more than 2 (but I’m realistic about my job). Met.
  • Drink at least 8 cups of water per day. Met.
  • Eat/drink at least 2 servings of dairy per day (when I did Weight Watchers, the studies showed that this contributed to weight loss, plus I know that it makes for healthier bones and teeth). Met nearly every day.
  • Eat at least one fruit or vegetable per day, preferably more. Met most of the month.
  • Drink 1 cup of water before each meal. Met some of the month, but not consistently.
  • Take my water bottle with me during the day. Met now that I have a couple of insulated cups that keep my water cold all day long.
  • Pack lunches or eat lunch at home during the week. Met.
  • Eat dinner at home five nights per week. Met.
  • Do 10 sit-ups and 10 push-ups 3 times per week (in law school, I had a professor who expected all students to do 10 push-ups at the start of each of his classes, and was surprised how doing this 3 times per week actually made me feel stronger by the end of the semester). Not met.
  • Exercise (walk/swim/yoga/YMCA class) 3 times per week. Not met.
  • Walk at least 6,000 steps per day, preferably more. My Fitbit died, and I was waiting for a replacement.
  • Sleep 8 hours per night. Met probably 90% of the time.
  • Continue taking a daily multivitamin. Met.
  • Track food daily in My Fitness Pal. Met about 50% of the time, which I will need to improve upon in December.
  • Continue utilizing my Fit Bit to monitor activity, steps, food, sleep. Not met, because my Fitbit died.

Goal #6: Take one trip or visit one local area attraction per month.

I get stir crazy if I stay home for too long. To combat that, I think that this goal will help. Although monthly travels to exotic locations aren’t realistic in my stage of life and with my career, a monthly trip somewhere is realistic. So it can be international, domestic, or just a local area attraction, just some reason to leave my house and my town. Plus there are several museums in my area that I’ve been meaning to visit, but just haven’t gotten around to. So I’m actually really looking forward to this goal. This goal is in progress.

Action Steps:

  • January: The Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA), and The Great Platte River Road Archway, Kearney, NE (I’ve wanted to visit the archway since we moved to the area, but haven’t gotten around to it yet…probably because Mike is absolutely not excited about visiting it). We visited MONA in January. After looking at the admission price for the Archway, we opted to skip it for now.
  • February: Roatan! What a great time! I’ll be posting about this in the future, so stay tuned!
  • March: Scuba diving at Bonne Terre again, perhaps The Roatan trip was February into March and was glorious. Bonne Terre ended up not working out in March, but I did go to Sioux Falls, SD. I met up with my parents for a day, then also spent a day with my friend Tara. It was really fun!
  • April: Black Hills for Easter with family, I hope. Met. We spent 4 days in the Black Hills with family. We also spent some time wandering through downtown Rapid City, went for a drive in the Northern Hills, and stopped at Homestake Mine.
  • May: Topeka, Kansas to watch NHRA drag racing, and Witchita, KS to see family. This was really fun, and a much-needed escape.
  • June: Stuhr Museum, Grand Island, NE. I didn’t visit the Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, NE. My friend Tara did come and visit me for our local Swedish Days festival, though. And Mike and I have spent a fair amount of time at Sandy Channel lately (Mike to scuba dive, and me to relax and read). I’ll have to visit the Stuhr Museum another month.
  • July: Michigan again and Canada, perhaps This didn’t happen due to having trials scheduled. But I did go to the Black Hills for a weekend visit with my family, including some drag racing (against my sister!) and riding along with my dad (a 7 second 1/8 mile pass with lifted the front wheels off the ground).
  • August: Total Solar Eclipse on August 21 right in my area, Cincinnati, Ohio for a conference, and Norwalk, Ohio for a Pontiac car show and drag races. Whew! What a whirlwind of a month! Stay tuned for posts about all the fun I had!
  • Labor Day weekend (August-September): Yellowstone. This trip is something that we added this month. We went with our friends Randall and Paige, and had such a fun time!
  • September: Kaaboo in Del Mar, California, if I can find a partner in crime to go with me. This was so, so fun! Jamie and I had a great time eating Mexican food, admiring artwork, and taking in amazing concerts!
  • October: Willa Cather museum in Red Cloud, NE. I didn’t make it to the museum, or really go anywhere, which was sort of nice after September being sort of a whirlwind kind of month.
  • November: Florida perhaps (Mike wants to get his full cave diving certification, and I’d like to go back to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal). We went to Rapid City for Thanksgiving. The trip to Florida was moved to December, and is a different area than Orlando, so Harry Potter will have to wait.
  • December: Panama City Beach/Destin, Marianna, Florida. I’m looking forward to this!
  • I also need to plan a get together with my dear friend Tara. She and I have talked about several different options, but need to nail down the date and location of our visit. Met! We got together in March in Sioux Falls, where she lives. And she came to visit me in June.
  • In 2016, I also had a super fun girls weekend with some of my closest friends from college. We talked about making it an annual occurrence, so I need to check in with those gals as well, then nail down the date and location of girls weekend 2017! I think this is going to be postponed to 2018.

November 2017 Reading List

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Every month I try to read at least one book from the following categories: nonfiction, devotional, and fiction. And this year I’m participating in the 2017 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenges, so I’m also going to be listing which category my books fulfill. If you want to join in on the fun, you can check out the list of categories here! This is my November 2017 Reading List, my brief reviews and book recommendations for November 2017. Hopefully I’ll provide you with some inspiration for your future reading as well!

Books Finished:

My Brilliant Friend (Book One of the Neapolitan Novels) by Elena Ferrante

After a few months of this book sitting on my nightstand, I finally finished it. And I don’t know why it was ever set aside in the first place as I quite enjoyed it. The book is set in Naples, in a poor neighborhood in the 1950s-1960s. Two smart little girls become friends, but have a unique friendship, especially for the time and place. And although their lives start out similarly, the two girls end up traveling down very different paths. And there was a bit of a surprise at the end, so I’m looking forward to diving into the second book in the series.

Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham

I’ve finally figured out how to download audiobooks in Overdrive. So awesome! This was my first foray, and I loved it. For those who know me or have read the blog, you probably already know that I got into the Gilmore Girls shows in the last year, and now am a big fan. So this book is funny and entertaining look at Graham’s career, and her time playing Lorelai Gilmore. I enjoyed it, especially since Lauren Graham reads it herself.

The Justice Calling: Where Passion Meets Perseverance by Bethany Hanke Hoang and Kristen Deede Johnson

This book was a bit of a slog to get through for me, since the chapters are quite long and I typically read it before bed.  And being a lawyer, there were bits and pieces about the justice system (at least in the US) that were not quite right. But that’s not to say it wasn’t an important book. I’m glad that I read it, as it did offer me some great perspective, particularly in how I view my own work and clients in the criminal and juvenile justice system, as well as a good reminder that the work is important and Godly. Be forewarned if you’re thinking about reading it, there is some difficult and adult subject matter dealing with human trafficking.

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck

The fictional stories of three German women who all end up together in a castle at the end of World War II, as well as their lives in the decades after the war. It was beautifully written, but not at all what I had expected. I liked that the story was told from the perspective of German citizens, rather than the Allies, as it’s a perspective not often written. An enjoyable book, but it is right in my historical fiction wheelhouse.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

2017 MMD Reading for Growth Challenge: a book nominated for an award in 2017 (it won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction)

I listened to this book on Audible after reading from several sources how good it is, and in particular how the Audible version adds to it. The novel is the story of a fictional actual railroad that ferries slaves to the North. It was painful at times, but also encouraging and heartfelt. The narration for the Audible version enhanced the experience for me. It was deserving of the Pulitzer.

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Lutrell and Patrick Robinson

This book is the powerful and important story of a Navy SEAL team that ends up pinned down in Afghanistan. Three of the four-member team are killed in action, leaving Lutrell as the single survivor of the attack. It is scary, and horrifying, and incredibly sad, while also a reminder of the loyalty and patriotism that we all should have. Although the subject matter makes it a sometimes difficult read, I recommend it.

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

Can I be honest? This book made me pretty angry. I thought that I would really like it, as it is a novel about a real woman, Albert Einstein’s first wife, Mileva Maric Einstein; and I typically like books in this genre (historical fictional accounts of real people). But this one made me angry because instead of telling her story, it seemed much more about vilifying Albert Einstein. The basic components of the story appear to be true, but there seemed to be quite a lot of speculation about their relationship. I almost quit halfway through, but stuck it out hoping that it would be redeemed. I’m not sure that it was.

The Mistress by Danielle Steel

2017 MMD Reading for Fun Challenge: a book you don’t want to admit you’re dying to read

I haven’t read any Danielle Steel in years, but her books seemed perfect for this category of the challenge, because although they’re not fine literature, they are immensely enjoyable. I found this one on Overdrive and really enjoyed it. It takes place in the South of France and deals with Russian tycoons, artists, a beautiful and innocent woman, and a sweet unassuming man. It was a quick and enjoyable read.

A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven: One Woman’s Trip to Africa by Chris Loehmer Kincaid

This book is a memoir of the author’s mission trip to Africa, and what it meant in her life. I appreciated the perspective that she provided about the group’s experiences on their trip. But the author repeatedly made reference to feeling inadequate throughout the book, without this feeling like it had a purpose. I always love reading books about people’s experiences traveling, and particularly to cultures so unfamiliar to our own, that I did enjoy reading this.

Heinous, Atrocious & Cruel: The Casebook of a Death Penalty Attorney by Brooke Terpening and Terence M. Lenamon

I found out about this book at a seminar that I attended for trial lawyers. Terence Lenamon was one of our speakers, and had such powerful stories to tell about his work that I knew that I needed to buy his book. I picked this up on Kindle, and made a point to read only one chapter in a sitting so that I could really think about each of the stories. I recommend this for lawyers and nonlawyers alike.

First Impressions by Charlie Lovett

A novel set in England, we follow two separate stories. The first is of Sophie, a modern day recent college graduate trying to figure out what her life is meant to be. The second is Jane Austen before and during the time of her writing of Pride and Prejudice. Sophie gets dragged into a mystery surrounding the authorship of Pride and Prejudice in its first incarnation, First Impressions. It was delightful.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

I’d heard great things about this book, and had previously read Night Road by the same author (which I found to be engaging and thought-provoking). So I was excited to find this on Overdrive without any wait. The book is set in France during World War II and primarily follows two very different French sisters through the war. It starts out a bit slow and I wasn’t sure I’d love the book. But by the end I was ugly crying and thoroughly invested in the story. So ultimately that’s a major win.

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

I don’t exactly know why, or where it started, but I have an interest in Russian history, particularly the overthrow of the Romanov family and the Russian revolution. This book was a great look at the family, as well was what the conditions were like for the peasants of Russia during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Fleming’s writing was quite engaging, so I’ll likely be looking for more books by her in the future.

By Jim Gaffigan Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan

On audiobook, this was just like listening to an extended version of one of Gaffigan’s stand-up routines. I think he’s incredibly hilarious, and really laughed out loud while listening to this. I totally recommend it, especially if you have or ever had a (perhaps) unhealthy relationship with your food.

Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry

A sweet little story about church mice from one of my favorite authors. I adored this. You should read it, either with or without a child. Enough said.

 

Books in Progress:

So Many Roads: The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead by David Browne

Raising a Secure Child: How Circle of Security Parenting Can Help You Nurture Your Child’s Attachment, Emotional Resilience, and Freedom to Explore by Kent Hoffman, Glen Cooper, and Bert Powell (this was recommended to be by some therapists that I work with regularly on my cases, as it is the background for the Circle of Security Parenting curriculum that we often have parents go through as part of their case plans)

Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God is Speaking by Priscilla Shirer

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens

 

Books Abandoned:

None.

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