Number 300!!!

This is my 300th post. I actually never thought I would ever do something like this and then I started and would post really frequently and now I'm back to being like "oh shoot...have I written anything this month?" I have noticed that this usually coincides with my moods. I do enjoy looking back at old posts and thinking about where I was and what I was going through. So thank you for reading and if you've read all 300, way to go :)

I am not one to preach about religion or political views on here. My family and friends know my beliefs and how I view the world, but for the most part, I keep that out of my blog. Well, today I have a complaint. And my blogging friends, it's one that I feel strong enough that I am going to write about here. I was brought up to treat people as equals and not to judge people. I think most people would say that was also how they were brought up. That is where I struggle. I see so much hate and judgement in this world, that I find it hard to believe when people say this to me. I actually had someone say to me today "Well, I think everyone should be treated equal except gay people should not be able to get married." Umm...explain to me how that is treating everyone equal then? And how is that not judging someone and their lifestyle?

I will not "call out" a specific religion, but I was raised in a certain religion that I no longer participate in. This is due to what I felt was significant hypocrisy that I can not stand with. I'm not sure how a religion can say that everyone should be forgiven and treated equally except...when they don't agree with what is happening. It really is maddening for me. I have a hard time looking at the world I live in and see this.

I believe in equality for all humans...we are all humans and we deserve to all have the same rights. I think that everyone, if we chose to, could look at each person and find something in their life that we did not agree with. Does this mean that they don't have the same rights or don't deserve the same opportunities?

Okay, I am breathing better now. I think I have such a hard time with this also due to my job. If people don't know, I am a therapist who works with children who are in out-of-home care (don't live with their biological parents). I work with these kids to believe that they can achieve things in their life, but feel like this is lying to some children.

So, for the first time in 300 posts, I am putting this out there. Please just think about this. You can agree or disagree with me. That is completely your choice. And I won't judge you for that.

Every day is a winding road....

Ever have one of those days where you have the entire day planned out and yet nothing goes the way it was planned? I had one of those this week and although my day was hectic...I was just annoyed all day. I am not a person who needs to have a schedule, or even enjoys having a schedule most of the time, but when I have a busy day at work, I like it go as planned. That was not how the day went. Appointments were changed around, kids were sick, people were late. Ugh, by the end of the day, I was surprised I don't drink more!

In other news, I'll be spending time with my mom (and dad) this weekend to celebrate Mother's Day. I already took my mom to see RiverDance so she already received her Mother's Day present! We are going to be planting a garden this weekend which I am very excited about. Let's see what we can grow this year. I am not the world's best green thumb, but it's nice to try!

Hopefully wherever you are, you enjoy the weekend and hopefully the weather is nice. If you are a mom, Happy Mother's Day!

Life (really does just) Happen(s)

Celebrating birthdays haven't been the most fun lately. The realization of getting older and life not turning out the way I had planned it makes birthdays not as much fun. This birthday was different. I think I've finally realized that life really does just happen. I received a small note from someone on my birthday that I've gone from 10 to 27 so quickly. I stopped to think of everything I've done in those 17 years. Although life hasn't turned out the way I thought, I have accomplished a lot in my 27 years and it's almost fun to look ahead and think of everything else that I can still accomplish. I still have goals and dreams and I still have a lot of this world to see yet.

I have friends and family who stand beside me through it all. I can be quite a pain at times, and they are still there. It speaks volumes to the types of people I surround myself with. In my 27 years, I have realized who my true friends and realized how important it is to surround yourself with those people and not the people who bring you down. I have also learned what is important in life. It's not about what you have, but who you are sharing it with. I love the laughter of a child and the smile on my parent's face when I've managed to surprise them. I also love the quiet of being by myself, but then hearing the ringer of my best friend calling to say hi.

Overall, I am content. Nope, things differently haven't gone the way I had planned them, but then, who has a life that hasn't thrown curve balls? That's part of life and I am embracing those curve balls...they have gotten me where I am today. And I would say that today isn't too bad.

I can rock with the best of them!

I love Guitar Hero. I will admit it. I played it once and I was hooked. A friend of mine had gotten it and convinced me to play with him. That was all it took. After getting done playing with him, I went out and bought it. It has become an obsession. I have no qualms about spending two hours playing Guitar Hero and hoping I don't get booed off instead of doing laundry or putting away my dishes. I love everything from picking the band name, to making my rocker chick, to playing. It's just fun.

With next Tuesday being my birthday, we're doing a semi-celebration at my parent's house tomorrow. I'm excited because I brought my Guitar Hero up and am hoping to play! I'm going to see if I can even get my mom and/or dad to play. It should be a blast!

I was very excited today when I went to the grocery store to see watermelon!!!! I know it's getting nice out when I see that. It's going to be 70 here today and it couldn't have come at a better time. The cold weather was getting my spirits done. I need warmth. I don't like the humidity but I just like feeling warm without having 22 layers and 16 blankets on! :)

Well, I hope everyone has a great weekend--I am sure I will!!!

Easter weekend

I'm not a religious person. I went to Catholic school from middle school through high school. When I went to college, I "experimented" with different religions, but just never felt comfortable or like I fit anywhere. After college, I attended a few different churches, but again never felt right. So as of today, I don't attend church and I feel a lot more at peace then when I did. I never fit in at Catholic churches and also left feeling guilty or as if I would never be able to achieve what the church talked about. That's not a great feeling when you're leaving church. There are also many things I don't agree with within the Catholic religion, but I won't get into those.

Anyway, as it is Easter tomorrow, I am happy. Not because I went to church and prayed, but because this weekend I have been surrounded by family and friends. That is what I believe in. I believe in being happy and surrounding yourself with people who love you. I have a lot of questions about "religion" but I do think I am spiritual. I believe in being a good person and loving with all I have. Not that I get those right every day, but it is still what I strive to accomplish on a daily basis.

So Happy Easter everyone! Whatever you believe in or however you celebrate, I hope it's a great day. Take some time to relax!

Vacation

I am often amazed at people who don't take vacations. Oftentimes, I will get so wrapped up in life and work that I no longer feel like myself. It's at those points that I know I just need a break and some time for me. Those are times when I know I need a vacation. A vacation to me is getting away. Since I have a home office, it's often difficult to stay at home because work is always around me. So last Thursday, I took off for Arizona. I spent 6 wonderful days (two days for traveling) in Tucson and absoultely loved it. It was in the 80s every day, and on Monday, I layed in the sun for 4 hours. I can't tell you what that did for me. As I was flying back today, I thought about the time I had for myself, how much I did not think about work, and how relaxed I felt.

I will be the first to admit that I don't handle stress well. I am also a perfectionist when it comes to my work. I don't like things late, I don't like things done wrong and I want to do it right. That can be very overwhelming in the profession I'm in.

So I sit here writing this fully realizing that I can't go on vacation every month (although how awesome would that be?) so I need to make some changes in my life in order to not get the point I was at before the vacation. I'm not sure what that entails yet.

The one thing that vacation does for me is clear my head. I'm able to relax and clear my head in order to make decisions that I normally would not make clearly due to the stress and inability to think clearly. I did a lot of thinking about things and have come to some conclusions. And the best part is that I'm at peace with what I've decided. I'm happy...let's just hope I can keep it going!

Another weekend...

Well, this weekend is the first in a while where I am not doing any traveling. I'm sticking close to home and just getting things done. I decided I was sick of my master bathroom (the decor) and went to Kohl's this morning to change that. I am pretty happy with what I picked out and plan to change that over this afternoon. I've also been able to make some muffins, get 2 loads of laundry done, clean the kitchen and hang up my clothes. I'm also watching some NCAA basketball as well. It's been a productive day but it feels good.

I do need to do some work this weekend as well. I hate working on the weekend when I'm not getting paid, but sometimes life happens and I just can't get everything done during the week. Oh well, it's not the end of the world.

Last night I ran some errands and when I got home I watched the movie "Why Did I Get Married?" I have to say...I was pleasantly surprised. I think Tyler Perry is funny, but I really enjoyed this movie. It wasn't his usual humor, but there were plenty of surprises and it just really struck me in some parts. It was intense, but also light-hearted. It is a movie that I would watch again. Janet Jackson was in it too and actually did well. I do want to see Tyler's new Madea movie too. There is something about Madea that just cracks me up.

Other than that, not much new. I leave for Tucson early next month and can't wait. Then I have my birthday shortly after I return. I'm excited for a fun-filled month :)

Free Time

The past few years, I haven't had much free time. I had forgotten what that term even meant actually. But lately, I have been learning to take some time for myself and not planning things. I have to say, it's been good for me. I am taking time to watch movies I never did, read books I had forgotten about, and gotten enough sleep to where I'm not a walking zombie. I don't feel as rushed and I don't feel as stressed. My job in and of itself is stressful, but I just need to remind myself that everyone needs time alone to regroup and think. I have been doing that lately!

I also decided this weekend to treat myself. I am taking a trip in April to Tucson with one of my friends! I went to Phoenix last year and really enjoyed the weather and the area so I am excited to go back. I am going in early April and can't wait. It's so nice to have things coming up to look forward to! I'll be there from a Thursday until Tuesday. I also have a Great Aunt and Uncle who live near Phoenix (that's who I went to see last year) who I am going to contact and see if I can go up and visit them for a day. So it should be a great time. It should be relaxing. My friend actually rented a house for the week (she's there for 8 days) that has an outdoor grill and an in-ground pool so it should be fun :) I'll be doing a lot of lounging I have a feeling!

So, I am going to go back to relaxing with a new book and doing a lot of nothing...ahhh that's a great feeling!

25 Things You Never Wanted To Know :)

I did this on facebook and decided I would share it on here as well. If you want to play along, go ahead. Let me know that you did it :)

RULES: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people.
1. I'm an only child and I always wanted siblings. As I've gotten older I have wanted siblings for different reasons. I will never marry an only child because I want to make sure my children have aunts, uncles, and cousins to grow up with.
2. I never learned to play a musical instrument. I had a keyboard when I was younger and taught myself to play some Alladin songs, but never took lessons.
3. I love to sing--as long as people don't hear me! I sing loud in the shower, car, around the apartment.
4. I think everyone should live by themselves! I have learned so much about myself and that I can do much more then I ever imagined!
5. I wanted to be a teacher when I was younger. I then decided that I didn't want to be with those kids all day long so hence, what I do now.
6. I love to text message. I talk almost all day for my job and by the end of the day, I'm sick of talking. Texting is a great way to get a hold of me.
7. I'm addicted to The Bachelor.
8. I talk to my mom pretty much every day. Even if it's just to check in for a minute, it's weird when I don't.
9. I'm done with school. I have no desire to get my PhD.
10. I love pasta. I could eat a different type of pasta every day.
11. I don't like milk. I used to drink it when I was younger, but now can't handle it. I do like chocolate milk though.
12. I've gotten less picky with my eating as I've gotten older.
13. The friend I've had the longest is Katie. I've known her since she was 9 months old and we still stay in touch!
14. I've lived in 5 different cities in Wisconsin so far. I have no idea where I will end up--and I'm okay with that!
15. I've had over 12 kidney stones (I lost count!) I haven't had one in over 2 years though so hopefully I won't again!
16. I love skydiving. I've done it twice and really want to go again.
17. I love to travel. The places that I really want to go are Italy, Hawaii and Australia. I also really want to go to more National Parks.
18. I had a hard time turning 26 and would not allow anything for my birthday to have the number on it. Now that I'm about to turn 27, I don't care. Yeah, I'm strange.
19. I hate feet. I will do pedicures though. But otherwise I don't want to touch feet or anyone else touching mine.
20. The American President is my favorite movie.
21. I love sports especially Duke basketball and Brewers baseball.
22. I used to bite my fingernails until a couple years ago.
23. I hate cleaning. It's like torture.
24. I love having candles burning. The smell of candles in my apartment is so nice to me!
25. I'm glad I'm done with this because this was a lot harder then I thought it would be.

Change We Can Believe In

No matter your political affiliation, today is a new day for America. As I sit here watching the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, I am proud. When I was born, I am sure my parents never thought they would see an African American President while they were alive, let alone a woman running who got so close and a woman running for Vice President.
I am proud. I am proud of America for not looking at color, but looking at the content of character. For not only electing a man who has high dreams and hopes for our country, but for believing that change was needed.
His speech was moving, heartfelt, and truthful. I will not deny that he has a lot to live up to with his speeches and promises to the country. And I will not deny that the road will be long and difficult, but I have faith that President Obama and his team can do it.
This is the first inauguration I have ever cared to watch. From the crowds lined up at the National Mall well before the day's activities began, to the millions watching it live, today is a new day.

Another year...

Where did 2008 go? I feel like it was just 2008 and I was saying how fast a year had gone by. I feel that way again. Wow. 2009.

Well, here is my letter to 2009:

Dear 2009,

When 2008 came around, I had learned a lot in the previous year. Well, I can say the same for 2008. During 2007, I learned to live alone, and during 2008, I learned to take time to grieve for things that I had buried myself in work and school during 2007. The year 2008 came with a move to a new apartment and a new job. I made sure this year to take time to get to know myself better and I became more comfortable with who I am. I'm definitely not perfect, I have quirks, and bad habits, but I am me. I took the time to think about where life has brought me and all that I have to be thankful for. I also took the time to grieve and be sad about things that I thought would be different at this point in my life. I had hoped to be married and perhaps becoming a mom soon. Obviously those ideas took a very different turn, and although, now I am okay with this, this took time for me to be okay with. 2008 was a difficult birthday for me. I wanted nothing that had my age on it this year. I am now at peace with my age knowing that age is only a number and does not discriminate against what I can still achieve. 2008 brought some sadness in knowing that I had achieved many goals I had set for my life. 2009, you bring me hope that I can set new goals and work towards achieving those. I hope that 2009 brings more travels, more happiness, and more contentment. 2009 started with another move, but not another job. I'm content with where I am in my employment. I do have dreams for what I would ultimately want to do, but I have time. Although it's not a daily thing, I do feel as though I am making a difference with the children I am working with and that helps me know why I work so many hours and stress myself out.
So, 2009, I am ready for you. I am ready for the challenges you bring, the happiness you can provide, and the potential sadness that can occur. I become stronger every year and I no longer fear my birthdays, but realize that with the passing time, I am becoming more and more the person I am meant to become. So...let's go 2009. I'm ready for you!

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays

Just stopping by to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. Or Happy Holidays for whatever it is you celebrate! The holiday is going well so far. My mom is in bed with the flu and who knows if she'll be feeling better by the time people come at 4--let's hope so as there are about 40 people coming over around 4pm!

Santa remembered to stop here and it was a great Christmas. I even got a pair of pearl earrings :) Have a great holiday everyone!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Time goes by too quickly.

I can't believe how fast time has been going lately. It seems like it was just Thanskgiving and now I'm worried about getting all my Christmas shopping done. I am usually pretty good about having my shopping done the day after Thanksgiving with just a few minor things to pick up. This year though, I feel like I am missing a lot. I think it has to do with moving next weekend all my stuff being in boxes too! My goal is to have the apartment up and running by the 1st of the year. Yes, it's a lofty goal but one I hope to make a reality. I'm sick of living with boxes and I've been doing it for too long. Let's just hope that this is a place I stay in longer than a year so I can actually unpack everything.

I have 6 more days of work and then I'm on vacation until January 5th which is great. I need the break from work and I just need the break in general. I have been on the go for too long and haven't just able to just be. So yesterday, I didn't get out of bed until 12:30 and then did absolutely nothing all day. Didn't do dishes, didn't do laundry, didn't clean, didn't pack, nothing. I did lay around, watched movies on TV and was back in bed around 7 last night. I then watched more movies and did more of nothing. I woke up this morning feeling very refreshed and so glad I had taken the time to do nothing the previous day. My cold I felt coming on is feeling almost gone and I'm not feeling as stressed as I was the previous weeks.

Thanks to those of you who continue to check in to see if I wrote. I'll try to be better about this as I am now trying to take more time for myself and I do enjoy updating this...it's my online diary :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope you are all able to celebrate (if you do) with your family and friends. I am going to be spending the day (if I ever get over there!) with my parents. My dad is doing the majority of the cooking--he does the turkey every year. My mom makes the mashed potatoes (and every year I ask that she try not to have lumps!) We also will have apple and pumpkin pie--with cool whip--for dessert!

This year I am thankful for many things. I'm thankful for some time off work, that I have my family and friends, for the new friendships I've found this year and some old friendships that have gotten closer. I'm also thankful that people have put up with me the past few months considering how crabby I have been and that I've had to make some big decisions.

I am going to be moving in Dec. This was not an easy decision for me and it's one that I'm not 100% excited about yet. I really like the apartment and the area. It will just be different. I'm looking forward to a new adventure and looking forward to starting somewhere. I just wish it didn't mean I would have to move again. I really am tired of packing and moving. The thought of doing it again makes me want to stay in bed all day. I have so much stuff. So this weekend I am going to be going through my closets (yes, all of them!) and figuring out what I don't need and getting rid of it. This will be a challenge for me as I am a huge pack rat...but I am determinded. I need to down size to be able to have a reasonable move that does not drive me insane (or to drink!)

Tomorrow is my shopping day of the year. Most people think I am crazy for shopping tomorrow but I try to get all of my shopping done that day so that I don't have to go again in this crazy shopping world! I usually succeed at this or I just need to pick up a few small things after tomorrow. So I am excited.

Which means I need to finish getting ready so I can get to my parents house and check out those ads!

What are you thankful for this year?

What happened to Thanksgiving?

I still can't believe it. When I was in FL in early October (read: the 4th!!!!), I went to Target. Christmas had already vomitted all over the store. Blow up Santas, Christmas cards, lights, and annoying musical toys. Really? This was BEFORE Halloween. Do we completely disregard Thanksgiving now? Is Thanksgiving no longer important to people? Or are stores so desperate to have people start shopping and then forget they already bought things so they buy more? I am not sure what it is, but I'm already sick of it.

I will fully admit that I am one of the "crazies" that gets up early every year the day after Thanksgiving to partake in the early bird shopping. BUT, I enjoy Thanksgiving first. I don't do Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving (unless I see something that is a good deal so I buy it not knowing who is going to get it that year or even for what holiday). But I am on a mission the day after Thanksgiving. That mission to complete my Christmas shopping so that I don't have to worry about it again until I take the presents where ever they need to go. Now, I'm not a scrooge, but I am someone who thinks that Christmas has gotten a little overblown lately and unfortunately, I don't think kids are taught the real meaning of Christmas (and no, it's not Santa!) I am not a religious person, but I believe Christmas is about being with family, friends, people you love and enjoying the company of people you don't see nearly enough.

So, yes, the stores are too much for me. Perhaps that is the reason I do my shopping all in one day. I can't stand the malls at this point and try to stay clear of them. I definitely have the Christmas spirit....mine just doesn't kick in until the day after Thanksgiving.

$1.98

I was driving home tonight and there it was.....gas for under $2. Now I can honestly say I didn't think I would ever see that again. It was such a beautiful sight. It makes me breathe a little easier and honestly made me more calm. It's just one less thing to think/worry about right now. If the economy the way it is, seeing gas prices continue to fall really brings a smile to my face. I know it will be short lived (at least that's what I'm telling myself), but the relief it's bringing right now is worth it. What are gas prices by you?

Here comes the....cold?

Well, it's turned cold here again. I don't know why I'm not prepared for it. I have lived here all my life and every year...it gets cold. However, I am somehow surprised at the cold every year, like I can't believe it's cold. It's strange really. We were spoiled with some nice weather into October and November has definitely not been kind. It was only 17 degrees when I woke up this morning. Let me just say, I had difficulty getting and staying out of bed knowing that little fact!

A friend and I were discussing PMSing yesterday. It actually turned into quite a funny conversation. She was discussing that things she normally does not get upset or frustrated with can just be the biggest deal while she is PMSing. I said that I have the same thing and that I then become upset with myself for being upset over those things. We both started laughing when we realized how silly that was but that we still continue to do it every month! Does anyone else have that?

Well, I went to look at apartments down near Milwaukee this weekend. I actually found a really nice one that I really like. Now the only problem is figuring out if I can afford it. The economy isn't the hottest and although currently my job is stable, it's scary to look around at other places cutting jobs and people struggling who have always seemed to get by easily. It makes me nervous that perhaps I should reconsider moving knowing that what I have now I can afford and I'm stable. With everything else in my life up in the air, it's difficult to not have something that I can be concrete about. Thankfully this has not kept me from sleeping otherwise I would really be hurting. Normally when I have this much stress or uncertainty, I will not be able to sleep. But I am thanking my lucky stars as every night when I lay down, I am almost always able to go right to sleep. Whew. At least I'm resting!

Is this thing on?

Yeah, I know, it's been a while again. What can I say? I'm not the best blogger. I have the best of intentions and those intentions never seen to end with new blogs. Ugh. It's hard to believe another month has past.

I went to FL at the beginning of this month and had a blast. I went skydiving again which was AWESOME and had a blast. I may have slightly hurt my shoulder while doing it, but I would do it again in a heart beat. In fact, I hope to do it again next year. It was like something I have never experienced before in my life. It's peaceful and exhilarating and freeing and just wonderful.

Last weekend I had a busy housefull of people. A friend I have known since I've been 5 got married. We also went to college together and so some of our old college friends came to town for the wedding and stayed with me. It was a lot of fun and the wedding was beautiful. She was a beautiful bride.

Still working on potentially moving in a couple months. I've been really stressed out with making big decisions again and it's hard to make those decisions with the unknowns. So I continue to work on it and hope for the best.....

How much do you read?

The Big Read is an NEA program designed to encourage community reading initiatives. Of their top 100 books, they estimate the average adult has read only six. I have read 23 of them.
Look at the list and bold those we have read. You can also mark those you intend to read and those you LOVED, however, there are a lot on this list that I want to read so we'll just leave it at that.
If you play along with this, let me know so I can check yours out. I found this on Kelly's blog so check her's out as well!

Happy Reading!

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Where does the time go?

I can't believe it's been this long. Wow. Well, I went on vacation and made it back safely :) I leave two weeks from today to go to FL for another well-deserved vacation (I am not the least bit biased about that!)

I've been pretty stressed lately and taking a lot of time to do "soul-searching" and figuring out what I would like my life to look like. I am not naive enough to think that I can plan out my life how I want it to be, but I would like to have a clearer understanding of what I want to see in the not to distant future. So stay tuned....there are some life changes coming (I can just feel it!) and I will keep you all posted. This may include new jobs, moves, and new friends....let the challenges begin!