On Day 881...
Although growing up is not always fun, there are aspects that can be intriguing. On our recent trip to Virginia we attended a graduation ceremony at the school where Drew and I attended, followed by an informal alumni meeting.
It was fascinating to see who has changed, who hasn't, who is dating whom, where people are working, who is pregnant etc. Being a small (and that is an gross understatement) school with only 4 classes that have graduated, we know everyone, so secrets are pretty much impossible to keep, and gossip seems to be a virtue. :)
Since last year there have been a few marriages, engagements and pregnancies but this year's big news is that Mr. Wild is dating Ms. Conservative. :) I wonder if it will ever change. I know that we will all grow older, but I doubt that we will ever really grow up...
L
5.26.2005
5.20.2005
Recent Readings
On Day 875...
Having skipped highschool, and with it many of the classics that are mandatory reading, I have just finished The Scarlet Letter (we listened to it on CD during our drive to and from Northern VA). I have started the book about 5 times but I always quit before poor Hester Prynne could get off of that awful scaffold. Although Hawthorne is incredibly wordy, I think that the book is definitely worth the read.
It is sad that a large part of fiction written recently is greatly lacking when it comes to writing good, deep, thought-provoking books. They seem to be written for the sole purpose of becoming a good action flick. The Scarlet Letter, on the other hand, is filled with underlying themes of evil, revenge, unconfessed sin and the effects it has on those involved. Why is it that only after the preacher confessed the little girl became manageable? Why does Hawthorne feel that the husband was sinful than the wife or the lover? The way Hawthorne can leave so much untold, but still write an incredibly moving and real book is truly amazing.
---------------------------------------------------
That said, I have also just finished The Da Vinci Code. The book has been a best seller for almost two years and so when I saw it at the library I thought I might as well figure out what everyone is talking about. :)
The thought and research that Dan Brown put into the book is incredible. There are so many odd, twisted little details, I can understand how some readers could be led to believe that it is true (never mind the fact that it is all based on a person's interpretation of one painting). If you have not read the book I would suggest that you do, if for no other reason than to know what our culture is reading and even believing. We need to be in the world, but no of it...
L
Having skipped highschool, and with it many of the classics that are mandatory reading, I have just finished The Scarlet Letter (we listened to it on CD during our drive to and from Northern VA). I have started the book about 5 times but I always quit before poor Hester Prynne could get off of that awful scaffold. Although Hawthorne is incredibly wordy, I think that the book is definitely worth the read.
It is sad that a large part of fiction written recently is greatly lacking when it comes to writing good, deep, thought-provoking books. They seem to be written for the sole purpose of becoming a good action flick. The Scarlet Letter, on the other hand, is filled with underlying themes of evil, revenge, unconfessed sin and the effects it has on those involved. Why is it that only after the preacher confessed the little girl became manageable? Why does Hawthorne feel that the husband was sinful than the wife or the lover? The way Hawthorne can leave so much untold, but still write an incredibly moving and real book is truly amazing.
---------------------------------------------------
That said, I have also just finished The Da Vinci Code. The book has been a best seller for almost two years and so when I saw it at the library I thought I might as well figure out what everyone is talking about. :)
The thought and research that Dan Brown put into the book is incredible. There are so many odd, twisted little details, I can understand how some readers could be led to believe that it is true (never mind the fact that it is all based on a person's interpretation of one painting). If you have not read the book I would suggest that you do, if for no other reason than to know what our culture is reading and even believing. We need to be in the world, but no of it...
L
5.19.2005
Big Families
On Day 874...
Although I grew up in a larger family, my extended family is very small. I had more siblings than cousins until about 2 years ago. My dad is an only child and my mom is one of three... and the other two didn't venture to have quite as many kids as my parents did. :) So the idea of having large family reunions with relatives I had never met was a very foreign thought. However marrying into the Zetterholm family has given me a taste of what it is like. Eric (Drew's dad) is number 6 of 8, and Sarah (his mom) is one of 5. Drew is one of fifty or sixty grandchildren.
Last week Andrew's cousin (Eric's oldest brother's daughter) moved to Asheville, so tonight we are having dinner them, and this will be the first time Andrew had met them in all of this 23 years. Amazing...
L
Although I grew up in a larger family, my extended family is very small. I had more siblings than cousins until about 2 years ago. My dad is an only child and my mom is one of three... and the other two didn't venture to have quite as many kids as my parents did. :) So the idea of having large family reunions with relatives I had never met was a very foreign thought. However marrying into the Zetterholm family has given me a taste of what it is like. Eric (Drew's dad) is number 6 of 8, and Sarah (his mom) is one of 5. Drew is one of fifty or sixty grandchildren.
Last week Andrew's cousin (Eric's oldest brother's daughter) moved to Asheville, so tonight we are having dinner them, and this will be the first time Andrew had met them in all of this 23 years. Amazing...
L
Mr. 600!
On Day 874,
As Drew likes to say, he is smarter then 70% of the people who take the GMAT! Now... on to grad school applications...
L
As Drew likes to say, he is smarter then 70% of the people who take the GMAT! Now... on to grad school applications...
L
5.12.2005
Whirlwind Vacations
On Day 867...
I don't know if it is that we are young, or that we have no vacation time, or maybe that we are always trying to save every penny, or perhaps we are just gluttons for punishment... but, we always seem to take "vacations" that leave us more tense and sleep-deprived then if we had not gone at all. In two hours (5 minutes after Drew finishes us taking the GMAT) Drew and I will head up to VA to see the last of the people we care about graduation from PHC. :) So here we are again, heading into another one of our do-it-all-in-two-days-vacations. And yet, at the end of the day it is all worth it to see a few more people and spend a little more time with friends. So I suppose the tradition will continue unchanged...
L
I don't know if it is that we are young, or that we have no vacation time, or maybe that we are always trying to save every penny, or perhaps we are just gluttons for punishment... but, we always seem to take "vacations" that leave us more tense and sleep-deprived then if we had not gone at all. In two hours (5 minutes after Drew finishes us taking the GMAT) Drew and I will head up to VA to see the last of the people we care about graduation from PHC. :) So here we are again, heading into another one of our do-it-all-in-two-days-vacations. And yet, at the end of the day it is all worth it to see a few more people and spend a little more time with friends. So I suppose the tradition will continue unchanged...
L
5.09.2005
Baseball
On Day 864...
Last Friday night Drew and I were invited to attend an Asheville Tourists game with his parents and younger brothers. Walking into the stadium my mind was flooded with memories of my summers growing up. I spent at least a month or more or every summer at my grandparents house in southern Minnesota. As there is not much to do there (unless you love walking through corn fields) most days were spent playing double solitaire with my grandma and walking Minnesota Twins baseball game on TV. I was even able to attend a few and loved every minute.
During Friday night's baseball game we sang Take Me Out to the Ball Game and watched as two men raced to put on frozen shirts in between innings. However, my favorite baseball games are ones where they can come from behind to win, and Friday was not a disappointment. (Too bad half of the crowd left early, including my in-laws). In the bottom or the 9th we came back from loosing 8-2 to tie the game and win in the bottom of the tenth. Ahh... what a perfect beginning to the weekend it was... not if only I could get Drew to like the game all would be wonderful...
L
Last Friday night Drew and I were invited to attend an Asheville Tourists game with his parents and younger brothers. Walking into the stadium my mind was flooded with memories of my summers growing up. I spent at least a month or more or every summer at my grandparents house in southern Minnesota. As there is not much to do there (unless you love walking through corn fields) most days were spent playing double solitaire with my grandma and walking Minnesota Twins baseball game on TV. I was even able to attend a few and loved every minute.
During Friday night's baseball game we sang Take Me Out to the Ball Game and watched as two men raced to put on frozen shirts in between innings. However, my favorite baseball games are ones where they can come from behind to win, and Friday was not a disappointment. (Too bad half of the crowd left early, including my in-laws). In the bottom or the 9th we came back from loosing 8-2 to tie the game and win in the bottom of the tenth. Ahh... what a perfect beginning to the weekend it was... not if only I could get Drew to like the game all would be wonderful...
L
Age & Compassion
On Day 864...
I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but for me, the older I become the more I can sympathize with others. As a little girl I remember attending a funeral with my mother and not understanding why everyone was so sad, and it wasn't until my own grandmother died that I truly understood what it meant to loose someone. The same goes for weddings, I didn't cry at weddings, not even my own, but at the last two weddings I have attended (weddings of dear friends) I have cried as the bride walked down the isle. I cry during movies because I finally understand what it means to lose someone you love.
Some of you might be thinking... my goodness Leah, how much could you really have experienced in only 22 years. However, I would say that it is not the age that matters as much as the experiences. As I heard someone say, "It is not the age that matters, but the mileage." The more I experience in my life the more I can understand where other are coming from and what others are feeling. And I can only imagine that it will increase as I "put on more miles."
L
I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but for me, the older I become the more I can sympathize with others. As a little girl I remember attending a funeral with my mother and not understanding why everyone was so sad, and it wasn't until my own grandmother died that I truly understood what it meant to loose someone. The same goes for weddings, I didn't cry at weddings, not even my own, but at the last two weddings I have attended (weddings of dear friends) I have cried as the bride walked down the isle. I cry during movies because I finally understand what it means to lose someone you love.
Some of you might be thinking... my goodness Leah, how much could you really have experienced in only 22 years. However, I would say that it is not the age that matters as much as the experiences. As I heard someone say, "It is not the age that matters, but the mileage." The more I experience in my life the more I can understand where other are coming from and what others are feeling. And I can only imagine that it will increase as I "put on more miles."
L
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)