April Rewind.

April in Photos

5 Things That Happened in April

1. We traveled to Arizona and New Mexico and got to spend time with our adorable nephews, Mark's sister, and his grandparents.

2. Mark found out he's going to Israel for work, and he took a business trip to Portland, Oregon (jealous!).

3. My poor kitty's tumor started growing back this month, so I'm likely going to be dealing with more vet visits and figuring out how to keep her comfortable :(

4. We had some fun friend-time this month with a bridal shower, Blackhawks playoff games, and a going-away barbeque for Mark.

5. I went clothes shopping for the first time in aaaaages, and got a few much needed pairs of pants and some basic spring tops.

Read in April

• Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott. A short book of essays on spirituality and simple prayers. It lacked a little cohesion, but I liked her honesty and there were some good quotes.

• Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist. Even though this book felt like a string of blog entries (which I generally dislike) I loved this book. I think Shauna does a really good job of writing about the ups and downs in life in an insightful and relatable way.

• Man's Search for Meaning by Vicktor Frankl. I have very mixed feelings towards this one. The title kept popping up everywhere, and I figured I should probably check it out. The first half was incredibly powerful, describing Frankl's experience in concentration camps and how his outlook helped him through unfathomable circumstances. But the second half, which aimed to describe the psychological theory that Frankl developed, was far too technical and I ended up skimming most of it.

• This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales A heavy yet humorous contemporary YA novel about what it's like to be a high school misfit who desperately wants to fit in. It's about friendship and finding yourself and the power of music. I was more of the wallflower type in high school rather than the outcast, but this story hit home on several occasions.

• The Goldfinch by Donna Tarte. Still reading, and it's still good. I finally feeling like I'm making some progress on this beast!

Favorite Song from April

What I'm Looking Forward to in May

I plan on making the most of my "alone time" while Mark is gone and focus on doing the things I've talked about for a long time but haven't had a chance to do yet. I plan to attend services at the local unitarian universalist temple, take some trips into the city for adventures, and work on some writing and video projects.