Read a book every week #3: This week's book is done! I had never read "The Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank" and have always wanted to. So, why wait until now? To be honest, I was afraid. I knew what the book was about, I knew it was a true story, and I knew how it ended. Anne was real. Her struggle was real. Her misery was real. Even throughout the book I found myself wondering, "Why am I reading this? It's making me sad." That's when Anne dropped some serious knowledge...
"And in the evening, when I lie in bed... I think of... love, the future, happiness and of "the beauty" which exists in the world; the world; Nature, beauty and all, all that is exquisite and fine... I have found that there is always some beauty left- in nature, sunshine, freedom, in yourself, these all can help you... He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery!"
- The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
That's when I realized that, yes: Anne was real, her struggle was real, her misery was real, but her courage was also real, her strength was real, her words were real, and she deserves to be honored for them. Oh, Anne. How can you be so wise at only fourteen years old?
Paint every week #3: For painting number three I wanted to do something more abstract. I kept it simple by only using three colors (red, blue, white). I usually try to copy an image, but this time I put the image away and tried to just paint. This is what I ended up with. Now that I'm looking at it, it looks like the ocean. I guess the ocean is always on my mind.
Try a new restaurant and go on an epic date: Boy, this was a fun night! I decided to ask Jenni out on a date so we could have some much needed ladies time. We tried a new restaurant called Casablanca. Casablanca is a tiny restaurant nestled in between a liquor store and a Goodwill donation center. You would never guess that it is AMAZING!
When you walk in you feel as if you've been transported into Morocco: patterned tapestries line the walls and ceiling, colorful lanterns hang from above, and large golden tables are surrounded with plush pillows for you to sit on. So, it's neat looking... but that's the least of it.
The food is delicious. Jenni and I shared the Sultan's feast. This came with six courses of deliciousness. I'm not even going to try to describe the food, just go and eat it. You can also check out the pictures below, but we were so excited that we started eating everything before we remembered to take pictures. Not only was the food great, but there was entertainment! A belly dancer came out every half hour or so (this was a 2+ hour dining experience) and wowed us with her moves. Another form of entertainment was the group of young drunk boys who attempted to dance with her. They were funny. Rich decorations, delicious food, amusing entertainment, and we haven't even gotten to the best part...
The service was incredible! The man who owned the restaurant was always checking on everyone and making sure we were happy. He brought out free tea, called Jenni and I "lovely princesses", and told the belly-dancer to "pick on" the drunk boys by making them dance and blush. He was great. Jenni and I decided that he was our friend. Overall, the restaurant was amazing and the date was a success!
Paint every week #2: For painting #2 I went with my friend Jorie to The Painted Cork. Here, they take you step by step through a paining and you get to hang out/eat/drink wine while you paint. Jorie and I had an awesome time and painted these amazing paintings that are supposed to me reminiscent of Monet's "Fisherman's Cottage."
Read a book every week #2: Book #2 is done! I chose to read Daniel Keyes' "Flowers for Algernon" this week. I had heard this title many times and assumed (for whatever reason) that it was a "Pride and Prejudice"esc romance novel. I guess it's because of the word "flowers." Well, you know what they say about assuming...
Spoiler Alert... I'll try not to say anything you wouldn't read on a back cover, but just in case.
This novel was nothing like I thought it would be, and I absolutely loved it! The story follows Charley, a 32 year old mentally retarded man. Charley has a good and simple life. He works in a bakery with his "friends," at night he goes to school to learn to read and write, and he even has his own apartment. Charley is desperate to become smart and even though he is more passionate and motivated than most, he is mentally incapable. That is, until the surgery...
Charley receives a new and experimental surgery to raise his IQ. While his IQ rises Charlie finally has the intelligence that he's always hoped for, yet it makes him see his world more clearly and he realizes that his "good and simple life" is not as good as he thought it was. Charley struggles to deal with his rising intelligence while his social and emotional intelligence just can't keep up. Charley is torn between the man he used to be and the man he is becoming.
It's brilliant. It made me think about intelligence in a way I never had before. To me, if a book makes you think and question, it did it's job.
Also, the book is written through "Progress Reports" by Charley. They begin simply and with many spelling/grammar mistakes. As Charley progresses he learns how to read and write and the reader can see proof of this in his reports. As an English teacher it was amazing to see his progress. I literally laughed out loud when Charley tries to figure out how to use punctuation, because as my kids say: "the struggle is real."
Make New Friends: I have been a member of several groups on the Meetup website for about a year now. Meetup is exactly what it sounds like: you join a group and meet up with those people. I have aways wanted to go to the events, but it is a little nerve-wrecking going to the first meetup. Well, thanks to my list- I went! David and I met about 60 awesome people at Dive Bar. It was so much fun! It was great meeting other people who want to make friends and have a good time. I can't wait to attend another meetup so that we can make new friends and have good times. Check out the website and join some meetups of your own: http://www.meetup.com
Read a book every week #1: Book #1 is done! "Trail of Broken Wings" is a tragic story of a mother and her three daughters who are abused by their father. The women each deal with the abuse in different ways and in the end find some closure. Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was quite depressing though, so I'm looking forward to reading something more uplifting next.
Paint every week: Painting #1 is done! This butterfly is the largest piece I have ever done. It took me several hours (about 4). It is not exactly what I wanted it to be, but I still like it. I was hoping it would be more edgy, but I ended up blending too much and it came out very soft. Like my grandma always says: the difference between an amateur and a professional is that an amateur will point out their mistakes while a professional will pretend they have none. So, here's to amateur paintings!
Kayak: The first item on my list has been completed thanks to my awesome Momma! We went kayaking at Lake Natoma and had an awesome time.
