In Spite of it all...Rejoice!

Well, it has been awhile since I have posted any "offerings," about 9 months to be exact. I am not entirely sure why I let the blog fall to the wayside. Perhaps a lack of feeling inspired, the busyness of life, or some other reason whose name escapes me. But lately there has been a lot of thoughts marinating in my mind and I am beginning to feel a longing to get those thoughts out in the world to see what could come of them.

There is something about the advent season that always seems to get me in a more contemplative mood. Reflecting on the mysteries of the season. Looking back on the wondrous unfolding of the past year and pondering how the next will play out. Reminiscing over all the memories of Christmases past. The lengthening nights lend themselves well to all of this pondering.

Then there is the current state of the world. An economic crisis that seems to grow more and more with each passing day. An entire continent ravaged by poverty and disease (my heart aches for the people of Zimbabwe in particular today). The earth groaning with pain from generations of neglect and misuse. Growing threats of war and terror.

It is a strange mix of blessing and sadness that fills my heart. So much going on that should rightly unsettle us, yet very aware that there is so much to feel blessed and lucky for. I feel hopeful in spite of so much. But I guess that shouldn't seem so strange to me. After all this is the season of hope and love and joy.

My dear sage, Madeleine L'Engle, probably was dealing with similar thoughts when she wrote her poem "First Coming." She put it this way...

God did not wait till the world was ready,
till...the nations were at peace.
God came when the heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.
God did not wait for the perfect time.
God came when the need was deep and great.
God dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine.
God did not wait Till hearts were pure.
In joy God came to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours of anguished shame
God came, and god's light would not go out.
God came to a world which did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.
We cannot wait til the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
God came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!

Hawaii Part Two - You Can't Keep Me Out of the Water

Our second full day in Hawaii Started with the most glorious sunrise. I think most things are more glorious in Hawaii. With the time change and early pick ups for most of our adventures I got to see the sunrise most mornings. And because it tended to be cloudier to the east the sunrises were much more spectacular than the sunsets.

It was Saturday and we had made reservations to Kayak in Kailua Bay on the eastern shore of Oahu. Kailua Beach is one of Hawaii's top rated beaches and a great destination for kayaking, wind surfing and kite boarding. After the van ride over the mountains and through the lush jungles we arrived at the Kayak place. We had a guide that was going to take us to explore some of the small islands out in the bay. We looked at the map of where we were going, grabbed our Kayaks and headed to the beach.

Now I wouldn't say that I am a novice kayaker, nor would I say I am an expert. I think living in the northwest one has a lot of opportunities to get out on the water in a kayak. And while almost all on my kayaking experiences have been on salt water this experience was very different. I am used to coves and harbors protected from the elements with nice calm water, but in Hawaii it was wild seas in comparison. On Oahu the east side of the island in most commonly referred to at the windward side, which means lots ans lots of wind. Our guide told us that the hardest part of the journey would be the way out as we would be paddling directly into the wind and gave us some tips to help make it a little easier. I was confident in my skills though so I wasn't to worried about it.

Our guide told us that the are was notorious for Green Sea turtles and to keep a look out. So of course I thought every dark spot under the water was a sea turtle. I don't think I actually did but my parents did see a couple. On the way out to our first stop at Popo‘i‘a (Flat Island) I was doing pretty good at keeping up with the group despite the fact that I was in a single kayak and everyone else were in tandems. See, in a single if you are going into the wind and you stop paddling you go backwards. So there was no resting for me. I came in second to last so I was pretty pleased with myself having expected to be last. We stopped and explored the little island which once was a place of sacrifice for the ancient Hawaiians to insure good fishing, but has since become a bird sanctuary. There were several groups of birds just nesting on the group right in the open. And we saw a dead eel that somehow made his way up onto the rocky island. It was nice, too, to take a break from paddling and have a little snack to refuel.

Once we were sufficiently rested we hopped back into our kayaks and headed back to shore bu this time to a beach further south from where we originally put it. This stretch of the trip seemed a little harder than the first as my muscles were getting tired but I pushed through. We landed on a more secluded beach with the softest, whitest sand. We all just enjoyed swimming in the ocean. The water there was much more clear and blue than at Waikiki. then with the little islands out in the bay it was so picturesque. Just past the sand were houses and I decided that if I ever move to Hawaii that I would live there so I could enjoy that view everyday. After writing silly messages in the sand and playing on the beach for a while it was time pack up the kayaks and head back to the place we started from.

Our guide said the rest of the way should be much easier since we would be traveling in the same direction at the wind. But for some reason I felt like I was struggling pretty badly to keep a straight course. For some reason my kayak was pulling to the right which seemed impossible since the wind and water both were pushing left. I was having to paddle almost entirely on the right side of the kayak just to go in a relatively straight life. I thought maybe if I tried to shift my weight around I could find a position that would help me keep a straight course. But I forgot I was in the ocean and that there are waves in the ocean. As I was shifting left a wave came from my right a slowly flipped me out for a swim. The guide was probably about 100+ yards ahead of me so one of the other boats that witnessed the spill called for help. I managed to flip my kayak back to right side up and lucky our guide pulled up just in time to help me climb back in. I said something witty like, "I was just getting hot and thought I would go for a swim." He laughed and told me that this particular spot was notorious for dumping people out of their kayaks.

I finally pulled into shore and joined the rest of my group after my adventures on the high seas. After rinsing off all the salt water and devouring a couple of huge slices of pizza we went back to the beach to lay in the sun and watch the windsurfers and kite boarders fly across the water and through the sky.

Despite the workout and the embarrassing spill it was a great day in one of the most beautiful and peaceful spot I have ever been to.

My Hawaiian Adventure - Part One "Transitioning to Island Life"

We all go through life looking for so many things that sometimes one becomes completely and utterly overwhelmed by all the looking. We are always on the hunt for the fulfillment of so many hopes and dreams, goals and aspirations that we forget to slow down, rest and enjoy the place in which we find ourselves. This has been my life of late. With big life changes just on the horizon, not to mention the everyday stresses, I have been just a smidge overwhelmed (okay, maybe more than a smidge). My trip to Hawaii could not have come at a better time. I needed badly to step outside my life and get a little perspective.

Since I had never been to Hawaii I had the stereotypical picture in my head of Palm Trees swaying in the warm breeze and pristine beaches with crystal clear water. I was expecting to find the perfection of Paradise the moment I stepped on the plane. And I will admit I was a little disappointed upon my arrival. Perhaps I was just tired from the long flight over and not to happy about the 4 hour wait at the airport for my parents flight to arrive but whatever the reason I was feeling disappointed. What had I expected...to walk out the plane onto one off those beaches I had been dreaming about? But luckily the Honolulu airport is open air with lots of places to sit and wait with Palm trees and other tropical vegetation to admire. Plus having just come from Seattle at a crisp 43 degrees I was somewhat content to just sit outside in the warm 80 degree Hawaiian air.

Soon enough my parents plane arrived, we had all our bags, and the keys to our rental car in hand. Let's just say that I was very ready to leave the Honolulu International Airport. Although my disappointment still clung as we made our way to the condo as the drive from the airport with through the heart of industrial Honolulu then towering hotels and resorts in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic. By the time got checked into the condo, unloaded, and freshened up the sun had set on our first day in Paradise. We still walked the two blocks to the beach to find dinner and sit on the beach although these wasn't much to see in the dark.

The next morning there was a free breakfast that came with my parent vacation package. Basically they tell you all about the different activities and tours you can do on the island and help you book everything. After being bombarded by information you have to decide how you will spend your brief visit. I was feeling a little overwhelmed by all the decisions and frustrated that my time in paradise felt like it was being wasted inside when were I really wanted to be was the beach. So after a couple of hours and a $1000 worth of activities booked we emerged. Then we took the shuttle back to our condo to get changed into bathing suits and grab all we would need to park ourselves on a little patch of sand on Waikiki Beach for the rest of the day.

After only a few minutes of laying in the sun with my toes in the sand I thought to myself, "Ah, Now this is Hawaii." From that moment on I found the Hawaii of my dreams. The water was the warmest ocean I have ever swam in. Although the crowds were big everyone is so friendly and relaxed. It is easy to just "Hang Loose." It is hard to describe how great you feel so quickly on that Island. Perhaps the warm sun just melts away any worry or woe that you arrive with. Peace and rest seemed to abound everywhere.

Enjoying some Hawaiian Shaved Ice on Waikiki Beach

The view from our spot on the beach

Me and Mom at the Duke Kahanamoku StatueI loved the Banyan trees. They are like no other tree I have seen.

More Tales of Hawaii coming soon!

It seems now only a distant memory

I have been home for one week since my incredible trip to Hawaii. It seems that the realities of life and work and the status quo have worked together to make my vacation seem like a dream. I don't have the time to reflect on my trip as thoroughly as I would like right now. But I just thought I would post a little something for the time being.

Let me just say that if a rest from the hustle and bustle of everyday life is what you need than hawaii is the place to find it.

Future Plans

I have been intending to write about this for sometime. In fact, I have started writing numerous posts over the last several months but seem to hit a wall a few sentences in and give up. But tomorrow I am taking a step toward my future plans and feel compelled to share.

I have been researching and toying with the idea of becoming a chef for quite sometime now. After spending the last 5 years of my life working in an office environment, shackled to a computer for 8 hours a day I have come to realize this is not they way I want to spend my days. I am a creative being and I need to be able to spend my days making something tangible, beautiful with my own two hands.

Cooking has always been something that I love and one of my favorite creative outlets. It combines my two passions really, creativity and community. While I am able to express myself in the mixing and presentation of flavors, I am also able to bring people together to slow down and enjoy the moment. Also food is what nourishes our bodies and fuels us to live our lives. And I even think good food can often nourish our souls. What a powerful blessing that food can be?

So tomorrow I will be going to an informational meeting at South Seattle Community College to learn more about their culinary arts program. From the research I have done so far SSCC is my top choice and seems to have some of the highest credentials among Seattle culinary institutes. I am excited to hear more and see what their facilities and faculty have to offer. The thought of setting foot inside a real professional kitchen for the first time is making me giddy with anticipation.

But I am anxious too. I feel in some ways that I am standing on a cliff. Behind me a familiar and safe life, before me a panorama of beautiful possibilities. So pray for me as I get ready for the biggest leap of my life thus far.

Hawaii or Bust

I am pleased to report that this morning I just purchased a ticket for my 1st trip to Hawaii! I am extremely excited, especially after just taking a little walk out in the fridgid Seattle cold. I will be meeting my parents there for a little family vacation. Something that we haven't done in a decade at least. At the end of March we will make our way to the Island of Oahu. We have a condo reserved on Waikiki and the thing I am most looking forward to (besides being warm) is swimming with the dolphins. So check back in early April to see how my trip to Paradise measures up.

As One Chapter Closes

Last night was the end of an era. At 6:45 a group of us gathered together for the last church service to be held to the little sanctuary that has been the home of Bethany Community Church for the last 50 years or so. It was a bittersweet time for me. Although it is just a building it has been an important building in my life and I have had many life shaping moments within those walls.

I remember the first moment that I entered that space nearly 8 years ago. I had just moved to Seattle and was looking for a place to belong and feel at home. I had gone to a few other churches before I discovered Bethany and left each visit feeling like I had just tried on some illfitting garment. I was skeptical as I approached Bethany for the first time. First off, the service I went to was at night. This felt strange to me having spend my previous years in the church attending only morning services. But this little building glowed with the warmth of soft candle light which felt like an invitation to let down my guard and rest here awhile. The building was full of new faces but all somehow felt familiar to me. Everyone seemed to have come just as they were, with little fuss or pretense. Before even a song was sung or a word preached I felt at home, more so than ever before in the walls of a church.

Since that first Sunday that church, both the place and the people, has been a huge part of my story. How different my life would look with out that little building at 80th and Stone near Greenlake? I am thankful as I look back and hopeful that God will continue to pour out His faithfulness on our community.

A most special Present

I have been pining away for ages for a Kitchen Aid Mixer. But they are so expensive that I never felt totally compelled to make the grand purchase. But this year my grandma gave me a very generous check for Christmas and with my culinary aspirations I decided it was time to splurge and get the mixer.

So here she is! Somewhere between Illinois and here is a UPS truck with my mixer riding in back. The estimated arrival date is January 14th, so I am already planning all the yummy treats I will make. I'll try and take a few picture of the inaugural run once she arrives.

What if we never see him again?

Some Friendships are forged over time and through some shared experiences. But every now and then a friendship forms in the blink of an eye.

This morning I had the pleasure of riding the bus with a few small boys who made the journey all the better with their wonder and excitment. Two young boys (I would say around ages 4 & 6) got on the bus with their dad a few stop after I got on. They had a back pack full of toys and books to keep them occupied. My heart was delighted when they chose to read Dr Suess's Sleep Book (a favorite of mine as a child, read to me so much that I can still quote a vast majority of the book to this day). But a few pages in and a few stops later another young rider, another boy about age 6, got on with his mother.

The bus was quite full so the father and sons squeezed together to make room for the other young boy. And the 3 boys began to talk and play. The brothers shared their toys most graciously with their new friend and I was grining at the silly conversation the 3 were having.

One stop before mine the boy and his mother exited the bus. The younger brother instantly turned to his dad and brother and most sincerly asked, "what if we never see him again?" And then it was my turn to exit.

On the eve of this Thanksgiving I am thankful for the tender hearts of children and the beautiful way that they see the world.

For the Autumn Trees

By Me

As your green disguise fades fast away
And true colors, orange and red appear
You fold your leaves as if to pray

The blue, bright sky has turned to gray
The heavy clouds release their rain
And the chill sends the faint of heart away

Like that nightly ritual
Of bath and prayer and bed
The earth is getting ready
To rest her weary head

Work has been on my mind a lot these days. The current busyness and stress of work has been paving the way to thoughts on what the future holds. I am convinced that any attempt I make of trying articulate my thoughts at this present time will only come across as jibberish. But I would say the vast majority of my thoughts are related to my dissatisfaction with my current work and the struggle to figure out how to make a change that will bring that longed for satisfaction. I stumbled upon this quote in my search for inspiration and I wanted to share it since it articulates the thoughts that I have been having.

Rainer Maria Rilke says...

Ah, this longing to be able to begin, and always all of these blocked paths. How will it be with my work? Every morning I get up for the useless and anxious waiting, and go to sleep disappointed, disoriented, and overcome with my inability. Ah, if I had a manual craft, a daily task, something closer...instead of this waiting for faraway things.

So I am making attempts at starting some of those "manual crafts" and "daily tasks" that can help me make some small movement toward the fulfillment of my dreams. I had a few great conversations with friends this weekend that sent me on some good leads for networking and business ideas. Lauren, an MBA candidate, was pouring out all of her expertise and helped give me some great practical steps that I could take to peruse and pursue my culinary dreams. Another friend, Jason, told me about at company that is doing something along the lines of one of my ideas. So I am hoping to explore what Culinary Communion has to offer.

Sorry if my thoughts seem a little scattered today. I'll write more on the topic very soon.

Breathe

Sometimes I forget. That simple act of letting out the breath that I take in. It is Monday morning and as I frantically sort through emails, phone messages and papers piled high around me a voice breaks through. "...breathe...don't forget to breathe." I turned the music on to help calm my frantic pace, background noise to help me set the rythm for my work. Somehow all the other words have just been notes and melodies that pass over me. But these words "...don't forget to breathe." these are the words that I hear, that I need to hear.

The song "breathe" by Alexi Murdoch

Stars and Remembering

My favorite author passed away this past Thursday. Madeleine L'Engle lived 88 years and authored some of the most beautiful words, both poetry and prose, that I have had the pleasure of reading. Through reading so much of her work, her heart, I feel a sense of connection to her life. I have quoted her words so many times on this little blog that it only seems right to pay her tribute here. While she no longer dwells among us her words and stories will be forever left behind to inspire and challenge those who read them.

I thought of Madeleine this weekend as I got out of town for a camping trip. On Saturday night a group of us stood on the banks of the Wenatchee River and looked at the canopy of a million stars above us. Earlier this summer I read "Many Waters" by L'Engle in which stars play a large roll. The stars are constantly singing out truth, according to L'Engle, singing over us. If only we could learn to stop and listen, to re-learn the ancient language in which they speak.

Reading "Many Waters" and contemplating the wisdom of the stars inspired me to write my own song about the story. So I will share it here is my tribute to Madeleine L'Engle's life and the truth that she has helped me to see.

Why We Are Here by Bree Aseltine

I went out walking in the wilderness
And the stars were chiming over head
The were speaking in an old unfamiliar language
But still I knew every word

Some how I ended up in some else's stories
Wandering in the desert, far from home
And as the strange in this foreign land
I had to learn to change my hard, hard heart

To believe in the impossible, that is why we are here
To know love that cannot be quenched, that is why we are here

When I looked up out of my own despair
Looking up into the clear night sky
I heard the stars singing over us
fear not sweet child and wait patiently

Thank you, Madeleine, and rest in peace.

For Love of the Game

Last night I experienced another first in my life. My first time attending a Pro Football game. The Seattle Seahawks vs. the Oakland Raiders. A pre-season game that serves no other purpose than to get fans and players a like riled up for the season ahead.

Maren's uncle was out of town so his 4 season ticket on the club level were us for grabs. So Maren, Braden, Brian and I gladly volunteered to fill the seat so that our Hawks would not feel abandoned.

Football fans are a fun bunch of people to observe. I was even inspired to join them by dawning a Seahawks hardhat. The announcers at the game informed us that the Seahawks have the loudest fans in the NFL. And I believe them. I have never heard anything like the sound of a packed stadium cheering in unison like that.

Braden was gracious enough to spend sometime at the beginning of the game explaining some of the nuances of the game to me so that I could better appreciate the game. And Football, it turns out, is quite a complicated game. I still have much to learn but I definitely have a new found appreciation and enjoyment of the game after having experienced it first hand.

The kick off!

Brian, Braden, Maren, and Me

Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention. The Seahawks made us proud and won the game. Quite the first Pro game experience if I do say so myself.

Why I Love to Knit

During certain busier, more stressful seasons I find myself turning back to my knitting. There is something very calming about knitting.

You start with nothing but a ball of yarn and 2 needles, then before you know it the yarn has been transformed into something beautiful, something useful. I think I love this aspect of knitting so much because the progress in life is not always so easy to see. It is encouraging to see something come to completion when most areas of life are left open and unresolved. I become hopeful that the loose strings of my life can also be woven into so fine and useful a pattern.


There is comfort, too, in the rythmn of knitting. The steady motion, the clicking of the neddles with each stitch. I find myself hypnotized by this rythmn and all my worries fade away. I concentrate on the pattern I am creating. I focus on each stitch as I make it. I get lost in the music of knit and purl.

Wandering in the Desert

So is it really considered being lost if you never knew where you were going in the first place?

Saturday morning a group of 12 headed east to go backpacking near the Columbia River Gorge. I had never been east of the Cascades so I was excited for a change in scenery. The intended destination of our journey was Ancient Lakes. We got to the trailhead about 1:30 and the desert sun was high and hot. I was happy that our destination was a lake, which I was planning on jumping in to cool off.

Although none on the trip had made the hike before we had read a description of the trail and the destination. We know if was roughly 3-4 miles to the lakes and little else. Not long after we started on the trail we realized that there were no signs anywhere to lead us and forks in the trail every 50 yards or so. We wandered the dusty desert trail for two and a half hours seeing no signs of water anywhere. Were the Ancient Lakes so ancient that they had long since dried up? We decided it was wise to head back in the direction that we had come since we were drinking our water supply away and definitly needed to find some source of water. Plus we had traveled more than the 3-4 miles and still saw no water.

We soon discovered the we had made the wrong choice several forks back and while we did not end up at the intended Ancient Lake we found ourselves at the shore of neighboring Dusty Lake. Let me just say that I let out a loud hallelujah as we came up over the final hill and I could see the water just a short distance off. We quickly ditched our packs and released our feet from the confines of our hiking boots. And a few of us even braved the water of Dusty Lake. One of the most refreshing swims of my life!

We pitched our tents, enjoyed sharing stories, laughing, devouring our dinner and even used the strobe feature on out headlamps for a dance party. I love the simple, quirky pleasures that come to be when you are left with only yourself and the people you are with out in open, wild spaces. It is good to be reminded of how little we need in order to find joy.

I didn't take to many pictures but here are a few...

The Wisdom of Kincaid Chance

I have been reading my way through The Brothers K by David James Duncan. It is a book that came to me highly recommended and I would recommend it just as highly. But that is not why I am writing. I wanted to share a few lines that I read from this beautiful book this week.

These are the thoughts of Kincaid, the youngest of the Chance brothers, and the narrator of the story.

"It's incredible to me how blithely even intelligent people sometimes toss around terms like 'transcendence' and 'crucifixion.' The words move us on paper. They feel noble upon the tongue. But when they cease to be sounds and begin to caress the flesh and bones, when they leave the page and get physical, there is little that even the best of us wouldn't do to escape them. (Matthew 26:39: Jesus 'went a little further, and fell on his face...')"

How poetically the struggle between the the desire to be transformed and the comfort of staying as we are has been captured. I know I wrestle with this most days. I am glad that Kincaid has reminded me that even Christ himself did wrestle too.

The Joys of Summer

I have found that there are many lessons to be learned from the way the earth moves through the four season. Each season with its own unique pace. And with the recent stretch of amazing weather in Seattle I am reveling in the joys of summer and soaking in the lessons that this season has to to teach me.

If I had to sum up all that summer is in one word I think that word would have to be Freedom. Everything about summer seems to be an ivitation to abandon any worry and find rest in the simple things. There are more hours of daylight to enjoy, the weather warmer to beckon us outdoors, fewer obligations to keep us from the things we love. I find it easier to live in the moment during summer.

I know that these days hold rare and wonderful treasures that will fade a way more quickly then I would like. So I will sit in each of these moments and let them make their mark deep in my heart and memory. This morning I woke up feeling so happy and content. In part because I have been so blessed during these last few weeks. The summer is still so young and already I have had enough wonderful memories to make my heart overflow.

Sitting by the lake enjoying dinner and ice cream with friends.

Laughing and leaping in a grassy field as we tossy the frisbee.

Canoeing amongst a maze of waterlilies.

Making friends with a playful seal pup while kayaking.

Dancing with sparklers in hand under an almost full moon.

Long walks up and down the hills of my neighborhood.

Reading on a grassy hill in the warm sun.

Ferry rides with the wind in our hair.

Looking forward to making more memories and enjoying all that summer has to offer!

Questions

I find that often times my mind is a whirlwind of questions. Wonderings of what could have been and what will be swirling through my brain. I know that I am not unique in my condition. As I have been working my way through "The Rock That is Higher" by Madeleine L'Engle she reminds me constantly that I am a finite being living in a story authored by an infinite God. So of course I will spend much time wrestling with not knowing.

As I have read, these words jumped off the page, "Life is full of questions, and we are free to ask them, to understand, occasionally, that we are not going to get an answer or at least not the answer we expect, and then we are called to move on. But I believe that God encourages us to ask questions." It is in the call to move on that I find the most difficulty. Instead I am a master of holding on and letting my questions pave the way to more questions. This can be so dangerous. I find that my questions pull me away from the here and now and cause me to live in the unchangeable past or the unknown future. I can't help but wonder what I have missed in my life because I was not fully present in that moment. There I go, asking another question.

L'Engle goes on later to say, "But whatever our experience is, God is there, in it with us, as God was in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. That isn't really an answer, but it's all we're going to get, and it's enough." I love how frank Madeleine can be. There is one common theme that is present when I look at the Bible, the history of the world, and the history of my own life. God is there...authoring, ochestrating. When I don't know the answers it doesn't matter. I need only trust that God is there by my side, leading me to what comes next.

Rainer Maria Rilke says it like this, "...I want to beg you...to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and to love the questions themselves.... Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."

Could it be that there is more to be learned from the asking of a question than in the receiving of the answer?

Summer Reading

This weekend I finish up the book "Many Waters" by Madeliene L'Engle, the final book in the Time Quartet. It was a beautiful story that I have taken much truth from and thoughts continue to come to mind as I think back on the story. And after coming off of such an enjoyable read I feel inspired to think ahead to what books I would like to read this summer.

I think one book that I will read is David James Duncan's "The Brothers K." My friend Amy is always recommending it and considering that baseball is a major theme of the book it seems like an appropriate read for the summer. I think I will also make some room for more of L'Engle's work, after all she is my favorite author. "The Rock That Is Higher" by L'Engle was recently recommended to me by another friend and sounds like a great work of non-fiction to help spark creativity. And I am sure that I will find some poetry to mix in with the rest.

Summer is one of my favorite times for reading. A lot of people might think that is strange. But I love grabbing a good book and heading to the park or my favorite cafe to sit in the sun and get lost in a good story. Something about the summer sun helps be to slow down enough to really enjoy a good read. Perhaps it is the longer hours of daylight. With more hours in the day I feel less guilty about spending a few hours with my nose in a book.

I hope that everyone else has some great books that you are looking forward to jumping into this summer. I'd love to hear any recommendation you all have.