Hey you guys! How is your Monday morning shaping up?
Can you believe we’re already more than half-way through April? Pretty soon, it will be summer. While I’m ready for longer days and summer activities, I’m not looking forward to several months of heat and humidity.
Oh well, today is actually quite beautiful, so let’s move on to what I’m currently up to.
Reading // I’ve just started All The Light We Cannot See, but last week I finished Go Set A Watchman after avoiding it for so long. While GSAW wasn’t as “polished” as To Kill A Mockingbird (one of my favorite books!), in some ways I liked it better than TKAM. It gave a more realistic, nuanced picture of the South and its citizens during the 1950s, and it humanized Atticus (it’s worth mentioning that I still admire the Atticus we’ve always known and I don’t think this “new” portrayal destroys that image—nor does it seem so farfetched that the Atticus of TKAM might have always felt this way toward Civil Rights and race relations; he was a privileged white man in the Deep South and TKAM was told through the eyes of an admiring child). Apart from that, I really identify with Scout the 26-year-old woman. I want to re-read TKAM now, and I wish Harper Lee was still alive because I’d love to hear more about her intention of writing GSAW. If I were an English teacher, I would love to teach the two books side-by-side. If you’ve read the book, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Watching // The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Listening to // Silence, actually. Life is usually so noisy that I’ve learned to embrace the quiet!
Needing // A haircut! I’m thinking of changing things up with a “lob,” but I always say that and then end up with my 1-2 inch trim. We shall see!
Loving // The emptiness of my closet! My parents kindly watched Bazooka this past Saturday, so Mark and I went all “KonMari” on our closets/dressers and packed up a ton of clothes to donate and trash. I swear that physical clutter really does have an impact on my mental well-being!
Not Loving // MOSQUITOES. If they’re already this obnoxious, then how are we going to survive the summer? Bazooka LOVES being outside, but we can’t stay out too long in the evenings because I’m paranoid we’re all going to become infected with Zika as a result. I see a lot of citronella candles/torches in our future.
Eating // Overnight (well, morning of) oats with sliced banana, almond butter, chia seeds, cinnamon, and chocolate chips.
Drinking // ALL the coffee. 🙂
Craving // Some local seafood. Maybe we’ll get some here or here once we decide on a place to celebrate our anniversary next week.
Avoiding // Not intentionally…but Iggy (the dog). Our lives are so busy that we barely have time to play with him. I know deep down he’s well-loved; as my husband constantly reminds me, “he sleeps in the bed!” I just feel awful for him because we yell at him so much for barking all the time. I feel guilty every morning when I put him in his crate and leave for work. He’s the best dog—he’s so sweet and loyal—but I feel like I’ve broken his spirit. Maybe it’s just because he’s getting old (he’s almost 8), but he just lies around. Ugh, I’m making myself sad so I’ll just stop. Iggy, if you’re reading this (duh—you’re not), I love you.
Happy about // Finding a bathing suit this past weekend that I actually feel comfortable in.
Looking forward to // Ben Folds concert and our mini beach vacation!
- What are you currently (pick a category—or a few)?
- Tell me your thoughts on Go Set A Watchman (if you’ve read it)!
Yay for body loving bathing suits! I don’t believe in a “bikini body”, but I do believe a bikini for my body 😉
I love purging my closet. I am not that great at it and it takes me forever to do it, but when I do, it is with reckless abandon.
I’m definitely going to read the new Harper Lee book this summer!
Isn’t it refreshing? I get anxious at first because – gasp! – I may throw out something I like, but once I get going, I’m like a tornado.
Love the way you put that about a bikini for YOUR body. 🙂
If you read the book, I want to hear your thoughts. I think we southerners may have slightly different reactions than others just because we probably know people like this version of Atticus.
I will let you know!
I really want to read Go Set a Watchman, To Kill a Mockingbird was one of my favorite assigned readings in school, and Scout and Atticus have always been two of my favorite literary heroes! I am also currently drinking all the coffee and currently can’t wait for exams to be over with!
Yes, the TKAM Atticus is one of my all-time favorite characters, too. GSAW didn’t ruin him for me, however, because a) he’s just fiction and b) they’re 2 different books! I think you’ll be ok if you’re willing to separate them like that.
Good luck with your exams!
Always drinking all the coffee hehe 🙂 I heard that show is hilarious too!! Hope you had a great monday!
It is hilarious, and I’m pretty sure I would die without coffee! 🙂
Hehe, I love, love quiet, and I need to make more overnight oatmeal. Isn’t it wonderful to clean out for the spring? :))) The older I get the more I realize the less stuff I really need.
I think I ate overnight oats for an entire summer back when I first discovered them. So yummy!
I found GSAW pretty boring. I enjoyed the parts of childhood flashbacks and found myself just wanting more of that. I purposely reread TKAM right before reading it and I’m not sure if that was a good idea or not…TKAM was just so much better in my opinion. I found the Scout of GSAW too naive for my liking. But I agree, it didn’t change my view of Atticus at all – I’m not sure why people were so bent out of shape over his character after reading it.
I know! I especially wasn’t really bent out of shape because I am from the Deep South and, unfortunately, know a lot of people like that (still): people who are polite, fair, upstanding citizens but who harbor some closeted racism. And since Lee was born less than 3 hours where I grew up, I pretty much love anything she does and regard her as an eccentric great aunt I never actually met, haha.
You’re right it was kinda boring… I was bored until the part where Scout discovers the pamphlet. She was definitely naive – and annoying TBH. But I did relate since I’m pretty much the polar opposite ifs lot of my family regarding social views and politics. Glad you weighed in! 🙂