Mental Post-Its

Thoughts, Notes, and General Mental Mayhem

Tag Archives: half the sky


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2013 Reading List

books

It was a great year for reading! I’ve already made it through 44 books this year, which is double last year’s reach of 22 books. I’m pretty proud! By the time I finish this year, I’ll hit 47. It’s by far a personal record. If I had a gold star, I’d give it to myself. 😉

And just so we’re clear, by reading I mean listening. I get through almost all of my books via Audible.com. It’s fantastic, especially if you have a long commute like I do. Highly recommend. It takes a little getting used to, especially if you are not typically an auditory learner. So, yes, there is plenty of tuning out and rewinding in the beginning. But now that I’m used to it, I love it. It makes car time so much better.

An interesting trend for me this year was fiction. I don’t generally read much fiction. Because I really don’t like to read, I typically read nonfiction in order to learn. It’s more of a means to an end because I like learning. But this year, I sort of got hooked on fiction books. And I already have several more planned to begin 2014, namely the Divergent series since the movie looks good.

Without further adieu, here’s what got my attention this year:

I’m currently listening to The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein since the second movie comes out next week. And then, I have two Advent books I’m trying to get through before the end of the year: Advent Conspiracy by Rick McKinley, Chris Seay and Greg Holder and God is in the Manger by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I think these three will be an excellent way to finish out the year.

Did you read any good books this year?

What should I put on my list for next year?

 

(Note: Amazon links are affiliate links.)

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Birthday Month

153157083It’s been a fantastic birthday month! But, whew, a bit exhausting. Good thing it only comes around once a year!

Seriously, how can people only celebrate for one day—there’s just too much fun to be had! Here’s a quick recap of my month. You’ll see a few items below that, in reality, have very little to do with me and my birthday. But if they occur during September and are super fun, I consider them a gift. 😉

 

August 30-September 2:

Kicked off birthday month in Clarkesville, Tennessee, with Daron and Margaret, two of my favorite people. It was a relaxing weekend, and just what I needed. I always need more time with them, and adorable little Truman.

September 5:

Lunch with Jessica at Zoe’s Kitchen.

September 7:

Mani/pedi with Chianti! This is one of my favorite gifts I give myself for my birthday each year.

September 8:

Busy, busy day! Volunteered in the children’s ministry, then Amy and I headed south of the city to Serenbe for lunch at The Farmhouse and some shopping. Loved it there. Would totally recommend the drive, and I plan on heading back really soon. Then back home that night for Mark and Meier’s going away party. Really fun to see lots of friends that night, too, even if they weren’t there for me. 😉

September 10:

Dinner with Michelley at Marlow’s Tavern.

September 12-13:

Headed to Tampa for work as we began the Orange Tour. Coincidentally, had my three-year anniversary with Orange while there.

September 17:

Not For Sale Georgia’s Reading Group:

Any excuse to head to Dr. Bombay’s for chai tea is a good day, but we had a great discussion about the book, Half The Sky. If you get the chance, please read it!

September 18:

Lunch with Ben and Mark at Jim ‘N’ Nick’s. It was a good-bye lunch for Mark, but hey, still in birthday month!

September 21:

A favorite—the big screen re-release of The Wizard of Oz, one of my all-time favorites! It was amazing in 3D! Good thing it wasn’t crowded, because I quoted and sang to myself the whole time.

September 22:

Jana was in town, so I went with her, Kat and Damon to Passion City Church and dinner.

September 23:

Surprise—Karen was in town! Fun reunion with her, Michelle and Ben at Antico Pizza. Serious yum.

September 24:

Harmony at the Alliance Theater with Sara. Great show, co-written by Barry Manilow! My co-worker, Brandon, was in the ensemble, so it was really fun to see him on stage. We also went to an awesome vegetarian/vegan restaurant called Cafe Sunflower.

September 25:

Low key night of hanging out at my place with Amy. Always great conversation.

September 26-30:

Recouping from a fun and busy birthday month! Sheesh, does my apartment need cleaning!

 

Thank you to everyone who was a part of my birthday month! It was a great one for sure!

 


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August/September Atlanta Events

158770574My friend, Kristen, inspired this post. We were discussing the Dahlonega Wine Trail event that I attended this past weekend. She asked how I found out about it, and I told her I was on A LOT of local event lists. Then she suggested I put together my own list based on the emails I get and send them to her. Basically, she wants me to whittle them down to the really good stuff.  😉

While that may sound like a lot of extra work, and let’s be honest it is, I also think it might be kind of fun. Atlanta is a GREAT city with a lot to offer. Why not take advantage of that? People should really explore the city they live in, so maybe by compiling this list I can help get my friends and co-workers out of their house and into some ATL adventures. I get asked about restaurants a lot because I used to work in the hospitality industry, but not as frequently about events. However, I do a lot of really fun stuff in the area, so I’m happy to share what I know.

Fingers crossed, I’ll do this monthly. For now, let’s start with the end of August and September, the month of my blessed birth. And because new emails hit my Inbox everyday, I’ll likely add to each list throughout the month. So be sure to check back if you don’t see anything the first time!

Just keep in mind, these are based on my tastes and preferences, so you won’t see too much in the way of sporting events or concerts. But if those are your favorite things to do, find a list and jump on it!

August:

September:

For awesome, ongoing options around town, check out my Staycation Suggestions.

And if there’s something awesome out and about that I missed, please add a comment!