Marvelous Monday: Week 7

Lots to discuss today!

1) Reading report: I finished A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. It was obvious given the title that the author's experiences as a child soldier during Sierra Leone's civil war in the 1990s were going to come into play, and so I thought I was prepared for those chapters, but as I found out, that type of content really isn't something for which one can prepare. I won't soon forget it. It was the first book I've read on that topic, and it was a remarkable story (and telling of the story). Now I'm finally reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Books are a really good way for me to help me keep learning.

2) On Saturday afternoon, I went to a shower celebrating a special mama-to-be that included blessings and messages, awesome children's books, and seriously beautiful cakes. (Thanks to the two hosts who made the event so sweet!) It was wonderful to honor this friend and especially to do so with a group that included several women who I met about 10 years ago, in our first and second years of college. I'm feeling a little sentimental this year about marking a decade of friendship with many of my college friends, and that was the second event in a week where I've spent time with some of them. It is a sweet part of life to experience.

3) I hoped to fit in a longish run yesterday afternoon and was happy I did. I am so not accustomed to running on weekend afternoons - my preference is always the morning even when I'm not training for a marathon. I seriously dragged my feet and somehow even found myself watching Snooki and JWoww on MTV before I came to my senses and got moving. 10 miles: done! The sidewalks here are in pretty bad shape - they're a tricky combination of treacherous-icy and chunky-icy but I made my way over to a cleared park path that was in better condition. Today I ran five miles easy and will take tomorrow as a rest day.

4) I came home from work today and was excited to greet Wish. Sometimes I fling the door open and he gives me this dazed look to make it clear that I've just caught him mid-mega-nap. Today he was waiting for me at the door carrying his favorite ball and ready to play.

5) Tomorrow Sara and I will graduate from pencils to pens at calligraphy class. I am not quite sure yet if that's going to be marvelous, because we both used the word "terrified" to describe this transition. Per the teacher's recommendations, I've been able to practice most days since our last class and it is pretty neat to see progress occur even in this short time span. Make no mistake: my calligraphy is still an absolute mess. But it's inching a tiny bit closer to being, well, not an absolute mess.

Hey! What are you reading right now? Do you think about "friendship anniversaries," if you will? And do readers out there know calligraphy? Please share!