Reading in the New Year

I just read this post from The Catholic World Report, and ... dang. My "to-read" list for 2014 was already too long. Now I've added ten more books. (Only one nonfiction, and that memoir. At this point in my life I'm not excited about or interested in reading books like "What is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense," even though it comes recommended so highly. I am a stay-at-home mom with quite young children; the people I see on a regular basis are fairly likeminded, and I feel that I have a basic ability to articulate why I believe what I do in such things. For now, that is enough.)

I sometimes think the most sobering realization of mortality, for me, is the fact that it's impossible to read ALL the books I want to--that I will likely die with a list as tall as I am (at least!) of books unread. I figure I won't care in the afterlife, but that makes it worse not better! Phooey. (I think any writer or artist can relate to this as well in terms of work left unfinished. It is why I love Tolkien's "Leaf by Niggle" so very much.)

Anyway, I've lately taken to using Goodreads quite a bit to keep track of such things. Before I used my Amazon wishlist, but it's not designed for that sort of thing in the same way. My "want to read" category on there is pretty long, and it isn't exhaustive by any means ... but here are the books that are most important to me to read in 2014.


Kristin Lavransdatter. This book has been "following" me for the past year or so. I'd never heard of it two years ago, and can't remember where it first came up. Probably on a blog. But since then it seems everyone has been reading it and recommending it. I intend to buy it because I've a feeling it's a book I'll want a real copy of ... plus the cover is really pretty.

The Power and the Glory. Keith loves Graham Greene. I often buy his books for Christmas and birthdays ... but I've yet to read any of them.

Our Graham Greene collection.

The Inn at the Edge of the World .... and everything else by Alice Thomas Ellis. Also it is my personal mission this year to make her more widely read, if only just in my own little circle. Call it a New Year's Resolution.

A Prayer Journal by Flannery O'Connor. Yes yes yes. As soon as possible please. (While I'm at it I should reread her stories.)

I want to read Maria Montessori--probably The Absorbent Mind? If you have any recommendations for books by or about her please share!

After reading My Sisters the Saints I also want to read something by Edith Stein. And I want to add something else of a little more spiritual weight to the list. Any suggestions? I find myself in need of ... peace. Prayer. Order. Gentleness. So, if you've any suggestions along those lines I will gladly hear them.

Last but not least I am excited to read the many books being published by Catholic small presses this year, starting with Sand, Smoke, Current from Wiseblood Books, released just yesterday. It promises to be good!

And oh yes--Maddaddam, because I've read the first two books and it isn't a series you don't finish!

50/50

Today, I made macarons for the first time. (You may remember that this was on my list of goals for 2013.) I had my mom bring over her food scale, I left egg whites out on the counter over night, I processed almond flour and powdered sugar together. It made two trays worth. Here they are.

(Again, not a food blogger. And I don't really know how to use the Nikon, and the batteries on the Canon are dead. Sorry!)

As you can see ... the two trays turned out VERY differently. I have resisted the urge to taste the good ones, but in case you can't see it, they have "feet"! Success! As for the other ones ... I think those are generally referred to as "macawrongs." Ha.

I have my theories. First, that tray was on the bottom, and the oven was too hot (due to a really stupid mistake on my part--luckily I checked them early), so they bored the brunt of the heat while protecting the upper tray. Second, I think I understirred the batter. Since I piped the crappy tray first, the batter was worked a bit more for the second tray.

All things considered, it wasn't nearly as scary a process as the internet would lead you to believe, and aside from the "macaronage" (stirring the almond flour and powdered sugar into the meringue)--which is when you have to get the consistency just right--it was pretty easy and much quicker than I expected.

I have some limoncello in the freezer, and I think I'll pick up some mascarpone to make the filling this evening.

Yay. :)

New Year, New Goals

I am super, super excited for this year. God-willing, Keith will graduate and we will move--hopefully to a house. But all of that is incredibly unpredictable right now, so I've spent some time imagining staying where we are (meaning this apartment, Keith in school, etc), and while we both really want to move this year (and it would be really frustrating for Keith if he didn't finish his degree this summer), I know I can be happy even if moving gets put on hold. :)

There is so much apart from that to be excited about, though. Michael's first birthday, and all the milestones he will hit. (He is gearing up to crawl within the next month and a half, I think.) Getting outside more this summer. (Last summer I was a hermit ... I was exhausted and a bit overwhelmed with the adjustment to motherhood.) Continuing to learn about being a stay-at-home mom and domestic diva. ;) Seeing what God has in store for our little family.

So excited!

And my goals for this year have me excited too. Although this list seems a LOT longer than last year's. Uh-oh. I have a feeling that means I won't get much of it done.  We'll see. I've started a Pinterest board for my 2013 goals to keep me motivated, although it's still a bit sparse.

Knitting 

-a sweater for myself

-a sweater for someone else (other than Michael--he kind of goes without saying)

-100 hexipuffs (2 down, 98 to go! I need a concrete goal rather than just "a lot." This might be a bit ambitious, but we'll see!)

-Bigger on the Inside (my friends and I did a "knitalong" on this one and I seriously missed the boat--they're all finished and I haven't even cast on!)

-a panel for Knit the Bridge

-mittens (also planning on doing a knitalong with friends for this)


Things Otherwise Crafty

-Learn to dye yarn. My father-in-law has a lot of black walnut trees on his property, and is all too happy to have someone take the nuts off his hands once they start falling to the ground.

-Sew for real this year, which means I need to have concrete projects in mind. Either or all of these: a knitting needle case, pajamas, a summer dress for myself. (This is where I'm starting to have misgivings about how ambitious this list is, haha.) 

-Make Christmas stockings for our family.

-Learn to make macarons. I am pretty psyched to do this.


Other Goals

-Read 50 books. (Specifically Reckless (how have I not read this yet??), Call the Midwife, The Hobbit, Drowned Cities, Character Building, and the Catechism.)

-Get in the habit of spiritual reading each day.

-Revamp my blog's layout and try to post once each week. (I think I should decide on a day of the week that I always post, no matter what.)

-Submit three stories for publication. (I thought about setting a writing goal of some sort, but couldn't decide on a good one. At the bare minimum this will require me to write even if I'm not producing much new work.)

-Plan and throw a birthday party for Michael.