all said and done Posts

Published January 1, 2013 by

A Year in Books

I read 25 books in 2012. I made my goal. Just.

I was going to step out every single one of them but I think perhaps a few key mentions.

Some of the best of a medium book year.

Bringing up Bebe – Pamela Druckerman
I had a baby this year. That’s big. This book is authentic. Interesting and needless to say, relevant. Except that I am not in France. I wish I was in France.

The Lacuna – Barbara Kingsolver
Not what I expected. Hard work. Somewhat haunting. I feel like I didn’t know enough of the history to do it justice.

Le Grand Meaulnes – Alain Fournier
Immensely satisfying and devastating. A bookclub read. The whole thing dripped of unfairness and lost childhood.

The Go-Between – L.P. Hartley
The pawn in a lovers game. This was brilliant. A rich read. Another bookclub selection.

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
I really didn’t think much of the first half at all, much to the disgust of Catherine… however there was something about this book. Poignant like the Little Prince. Perhaps it was trying a little hard but it plucked at insights with deft fingers and caught you up before you realised it.

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
Definitely the most fun read of the year. Loved it! Best page tuner since Harry Potter. A genre right up my alley and surprisingly well crafted despite it’s popularity.

So there you have it the overview overlap: baby, hard work, satisfying, rich, poignant, fun.

My year.

And for 2013?

Books: I hope to read at least 30 and delve into some which I have had the intention of reading for quite some time, beginning with Great Expectations (with a little Terry Pratchett on the side to keep things amusing) and to return to some theological/poetic reads to keep the mind and heart turning, beginning with Simple Spirituality (which I have already started) and a little Le’Engle on the side.

Life: To be more present. To be more creative and intentional in how I spend my time.

Follow what I’m reading on Goodreads (PS. this site ticks lots of my boxes: books, stats, lists, categorisation. Love it.)

…oh yeah, I totally stole this post idea from Christop

Books Experiments Life

Published December 21, 2012 by

Happy

Claire

She makes me madly happy.

Baby

Published December 21, 2012 by

Belief and Knowing

I have been reading Richard Rohr’s book on Advent: Preparing for Christmas. My commitment to reading it daily is atrocious. In it he references (after having done a bit more research) Carl Jung, where he talks about Knowing Jesus rather than Believing in Jesus.

Believing in Jesus is (holding this lightly) is somewhat conceptual. Knowing is more concrete and in essence requires so much more of us.

Not to get too hung up on semantics, but I do find this a helpful way of looking at things. It strips away some of the intangible ambiguity and draws you into a place of action over thought. Something terribly important for someone who spends a lot of time in their head where concepts can be thrashed to billions and the whole thing shattered. Knowing carries implications for solidifying how living this life is something we can join in with and not something out of reach.

Christianity Holidays

Published December 5, 2012 by

Simplicity Possibly

“Simplicity in its essence demands neither a vow of poverty nor a life of rural homesteading. As an ethic of self-conscious material moderation, it can be practiced in cities and suburbs, townhouses and condominiums. It requires neither a log cabin nor a hairshirt but a deliberate ordering of priorities so as to distinguish between the necessary and superfluous, useful and wasteful, beautiful and vulgar.” – David Shi

Christianity Experiments Life

Published December 3, 2012 by

The best age to have a baby

There is an article today in Psychology Today about the best age to have a baby.

I’m 26.

I have a baby.

26 is not that young, as much as I don’t feel terribly grown up (do you ever?).

I was 22 when I got married. I had a plan (in an ideal world). At least 4 years married, at least 2 years in a career and hopefully to travel overseas before I had a baby and the novelty of the plan paid off. We’re coming up to five years married, I’ve worked 2 and half years in Design, enough to push me to a midweight – not far off senior role in the studio I was working in and enough to establish myself comfortably in freelancing to deal with pretty much any job I get thrown. I have made enough mistakes to be careful. I got to travel to Vietnam.

Why 26?

The age is arbitrary. What do you want to do with your life? What’s important? These are great questions. And to be honest, there is still SO much I want to do with my life and these things haven’t changed since having Claire.

Having a baby has made me value time so much more than previously. Um, what the hell did I used to do with all my spare time?

Claire is a great sleeper . This helps my introverted being get stuff done and remain somewhat sane. I am bessotted and distracted at times, but life continues. I’m married to great guy. I have good family around, a community that I am invested in and invests in me.

I am still working out how to be less introspective, but I can only suggest that my heart has been further blown open for greater things.

Why would I want to have a later start on this… you know, at age 34? When I can have it now?

 

Baby Life