Thinking about what I’m into in May 2013

Eventually, I’m going to be writing these sorts of posts in a more time-sensitive manner. In the meantime, I have Goodreads and my  library account to tell me what I’ve been reading and/or watching. And, as always, all credit for this sort of post goes to Leigh Kramer at HopefulLeigh.

Books I’ve Read

• Interview with the Vampire – Anne Rice: Based on the fact that I tend to like things that involve vampires (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood, the Mortal Instruments series), I thought Anne Rice was a surefire win for a book to read. Alack and alas, I just did not get into this book (as evidenced by it taking me months to get through). Anybody else?
• Why Have Kids – Jessica Valenti: I had this book on hold at the library for ages, and finally got around to reading it. As I expected, it was a refreshing take on parenting that helped me better articulate my thoughts about the whole process. Especially helpful was knowing that Valenti is most definitely a feminist, and most definitely chose to have a child.

Books I’m Reading

• The Red Tent – Anita Diamant: I’ve intended to read this book for years after I spotted my sister-in-law reading it on Christmas vacation. Thus far, it is certainly living up to my expectations. (People over 30 can roll their eyes… now) I find that, as I get older, I appreciate quasi-historical fiction a lot more than I ever have before.
• The Twelve – Justin Cronin: My feelings about this book change with every chapter. Sometimes, I love it and I can’t stop reading. Other times–likely because I haven’t been paying enough attention–I have no idea what is happened, or (more importantly) when it is happening. Nevertheless, Cronin still has me captivated.
• Lifespan Development, 4th Edition – D. Boyd, H. Bee, P. Johnson: In addition to my crazy work schedule in the month of May, my normal reading time was also monopolized by reading a textbook. Granted, it is reasonably interesting and feels fairly bias-free as textbooks go, but it is still homework. As an aside, I seriously appreciate that it is a paperback; so much easier to read!

Television I’ve Watched

• Battlestar Galactica, Season 2: As per previous posting, the spouse and I are trying to watch the entire series prior to the departure of our dear friends. We’re nearly finished season 2 of four?
• Veronica Mars, Season 3: Despite the fact that I was obsessed with this show when it first came out, I somehow missed seeing the final season. I’ll chalk that up to the early years chaos of university. Thus, in order to insulate myself against the recent and abundant stresses of work life, I watched basically the entire third season in a few days. And it was awesome.

Films I’ve Watched

• The Great Gatsby: I have loved this novel since I read it in my first year of university, and thus I had unfortunately high expectations. This Baz Luhrman adaptation was okay by me; I enjoyed the interspersing of rap in the soundtrack quite a lot, and the visuals were pretty and shocking and appropriate. I do, however, find Toby Maguire extremely annoying. I believe he ruined the movie for me in a lot of ways. Sad, huh?
• Shaun of the Dead: Oh my goodness this movie! I was pleasantly surprised by how funny it was! It wasn’t until AMC released the first few seasons of The Walking Dead that I even tolerated zombies, but man… this movie. I loved it.
• The Invisible War: An extremely well-made but also terribly heart-breaking documentary about sexual abuse in the American military. As I’ve described to others, I cried ALL THE TEARS while watching this documentary, and rightly so. It certainly isn’t for the faint of heart, as the discussions are very honest and thus quite disturbing.
• Django Unchained: (I actually think I watched this in April and forgot about it?) Much to the chagrin of a few friends, I haven’t watched enough Tarantino to form a solid opinion of his work. I felt ‘meh’ about Pulp Fiction, and “liked” Kill Bill only from the perspective of an independent woman. Inglorious Basterds was the only film I feel I can give a solid affirmative. All that being said, Django was shaping up to be the Tarantino film that made me a fan, and it didn’t. It was too long, and I just didn’t like it that much.

Thinking about my post-teaching life and grad school

Photo from BEd graduation, circa spring 2009, courtesy of this guy.

I vividly remember–still freshly cap and gown’d–the innumerable (and inevitable) post-convocation conversations. Wonderful and well-meaning people would ask me, the English major in the teacher education program, so what are you going to do now? They, of course, innocently assumed that I would be teaching, desperately scrambling for that full-time posting, teaching those infuriating-but-inspiring teenagers. Hm, well, perhaps… but actually? My perfect world would involve working as a substitute high school teacher, and working part-time at a bookstore.

Shock, dismay, et cetera et cetera, and I depart the conversation with a gleeful grin pasted on my face into the blue-sky sunshine of my future. And I made that dream land/perfect world a reality; I did what I wanted, and I worked myself into the depths of the earth.

So I did teach, and it became something involving a bit of contract, and it was a great experience. But, then, in the absence of teaching, when not teaching was woefully forced upon me by my lack of bilingualism, I realized how good it felt. How much of a relief it was to no longer face the impending doom of those dreaded first three years in “my own classroom”. How valid my education was in a non-education context. How work was not The Most Important, and was not the centre of my human identity.

And then (also) that perhaps teaching was not even what I wanted to do at all.

And so (thank goodness) after many a conversation with my job share partner, she–ever so gently, in her 30+ years of teacher wisdom–eased in the idea of counselling. Also known as: Me being a counselor (and, Christian kids, not of the camp sort).

Oh no no no no no no no. Not me.

(This is when I self talk, and say “Christie, when have we said that before?”, and rightfully feel all the ‘I told you so’s.)

Three years later (after helpfully seeing a counselor myself, I must add), I put on my big girl panties and applied to grad school. Not for an MEd, nor for an MA in English, nor for anything else I originally imagined… for a Master’s in Counselling & Spirituality. And, the strange thing is, I wasn’t–relatively speaking for me–the least bit stressed* about applying. At times, I even felt quite ambivalent about the results of my application.

* If you know me, you know that not being stressed about something can be a fairly good indicator of the aforementioned something being awesome.

And (then), in the midst of all my (much appreciated!) God-given peace, I was granted an admissions interview. For grad school. Very, very shortly after that (meaning I barely had time to tell friends how the interview went), I received my official letter of admission. 

So.

Ladies and gentlemen,
I am legitimately
and officially
on my way to grad school.

* Obviously, there are details: Deferring for a year, taking two Psychology courses online to meet the requirements, manifesting money, etc. Will elaborate later.

Thinking about what I’m into in April 2013

As per when I was into things in March, all credit for this sort of post goes to Leigh Kramer at HopefulLeigh. And, as per last month, I am super duper behind in posting… especially considering it is now June, not April or May. An explanation about that (re: my life schedule of chaos) will come later. In the mean time, things I’m into!

Books I’ve Read

• Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn: Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to all the hype for me. I certainly enjoyed the story, and the relatively unique presentation of the plot, but the pace and the intrigue were less than I had hoped for.
  
• Shadow of Night – Deborah Harkness: This series continues to impress me. I am simply enamored with the combination of witch/vampire mythology and the world of academia. Once I was reading this book, I mostly forgot that I didn’t like how romantic the books were, which was quite a surprise.
• The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and Women’s “Work” – Kathleen Norris: In short, I read this book too quickly. I copied quotes into my journal, had discussions with a friend about the ideas, and still I’m wanting to process this further. I was most delighted by Norris’ discussion of feminism and the typically not-so-feminist idea of housework; this was a great point of reconciliation for me.
• City of Lost Souls: The Mortal Instruments, Book 5 – Cassandra Clare: This is definitely a book I’d consider guilty pleasure… if I didn’t have a solid “will not feel guilty about any sort of reading” philosophy. I was pleasantly surprised by the first book in the series, and have continued reading because I am at least mildly intrigued by the plot and characters. If I’m being honest, it’s just nice to start and finish a book in less than twenty-four hours.
• Fables, Vol. 6 and Vol. 7 – Bill Willingham: I am still quite in love with this series of graphic novels.

Books I’m Reading

• Interview with the Vampire – Anne Rice: I waas reading this book last month, and many months before, and I am still reading it. Unfortunately, I am still not as into this book as I had hoped. 
• Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy: Have I even touched this book recently? Nope. Too busy, and too intimidated.

Television I’ve Watched

• Game of Thrones, Season 3: Although I can’t claim to be an original Game of Thrones fangirl, I did commit to reading all of the books as soon as I finished the first season. Subsequently, the events of season three aren’t much of a surprise (though I am notorious for forgetting details due to how fast I read). But goodness do I love this show. I don’t want to think about the amount of dollars spent on producing this show, as it could likely solve world hunger multiple times over. It is, however, amazing. Trigger and general warnings for absolutely everything: violence of all sorts (including rape), graphic sexuality, and general anguish due to every character you like being dead.
  
• Mad Men, Season 6: My fascination with 1960s advertising and fashion continues, although I am feeling quite sad, re: the transition into ugly late 1960s clothing. See example here. Also: I’m not caught up with the show, so no spoilers, SVP. This season brings me back to my initial Don Draper feelings, which also makes me sad. Generally, I have much Mad Men sadness.
• Dexter, Season 1: Having watched a portion of the first season of Six Feet Under, Dexter was kind of confusing for me, what with Michael Hall playing two very different characters. The premise of the show is a serial killer who kills serial killers, so I doubt I need to specify trigger warnings beyond that. It is, in short, fairly gruesome. But also fascinating. I can’t wait until I have time to watch more television!
• Six Feet Under, Season 1: The husband and I started watching this show sometime before Christmas, and then went on hiatus due to, well, the library wanting its DVDs back. Admittedly, I wasn’t such a fan at the beginning, due partially to the obvious dated-ness of the show. However (and this is a big however), I am now most definitely a convert. Love the way that this show deals with death, and with varying opinions of homosexuality.
• Battlestar Galactica, ALL THE SEASONS: You laugh, but this is happening. Our dear friends Chris and Michele (and offspring, obviously) are moving soon, so–not wanting to renege on hypothetical plans–the spouse and I committed to watching the entire series prior to their departure. All so we can have a series finale party, of course. What this means in real life: Almost all other television is forgone until further notice. Alack, and alas.

Films I’ve Watched

• Beauty and the Beast: Not my favourite Disney flick as a child; however, I really enjoy it now that I’m an adult woman with an obsession with books. Unfortunately, the movie was ruined for me being read this post on BuzzFeed. Along with Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, Disney movies are one of my favourite things to play in the background/watch absent-mindedly while I’m cleaning.
• Too many evening plans + too much television to watch = I didn’t watch movies in April.

Thinking about homes and hearts

The husband and I rent a third floor, south-facing, one bedroom apartment right downtown. It has hardwood floors and original glass doorknobs from the late ’30s and a giant farmhouse sink that makes our tiny kitchen look like a laundry room. And, despite the fact that we rent this apartment, it is very much ours. The haphazard paint job in the colour I conveniently love, the distinctly north-western slant of the building, the make-shift window box for my spring flowers that is constantly being invaded by squirrels… this is our home, and I love being in it.

I am someone who is willing to be adventurous, but ultimately, I love stability. That probably comes from living in the same town, in the same house, for almost the entire first eighteen years of my life. My biggest move was from one bedroom to the next (because pre-cell phone teenage girls will do anything to have a phone in their bedrooms). So, in many ways, I want to stay in this specific apartment forever and ever. I get itchy to fix the haphazard paint job, and to replace the knobs on the kitchen cupboards, and to maybe just paint the bathroom because it’s such a small job… but I have yet to scratch that itch.

Because, somehow, in spite of this feeling like (and, really, being) our home, it is also not the place we will stay forever.

Lately, the husband and I have taken to visiting open houses on Sunday afternoons. Mostly, we love our neighbourhood and love going for walks (or at least the husband graciously pretends he loves going for walks), and open houses are a fun thing to participate in. And, really, whether I’m looking for a house to buy or not… it’s an open house, guys. Emphasis on the word “open”. I’m allowed in whether I’m buying a house or not.

But there’s this weird thing happening with us. Because while we love renting and the general lack of responsibility it requires, we’ve (mostly) stopped shouting angrily on our soap boxes about never ever ever having a (gasp) mortgage. Because there’s something to be said for a house that belongs to you fully, a place that is your responsibility to care for.

So we do the math (which means I read numbers and the blessed husband makes a spreadsheet because he is awesome), we panic about money, and then we disregard the facts and get excited again. Because, as a friend reminded me, it is good to share dreams together. So, despite our innate practicality and frugal Mennonite tendencies (I’m looking at you, chews-a-half-piece-of-gum-at-a-time man), we’ve started to think that maybe someday we’ll own a dwelling of some sort, and that will become our home. ‘Tis a good thing that home really is where the heart is.

Thinking about what I’m into in March 2013

Two confessions: 1) This is not an idea I came up with myself; all credit goes to Leigh Kramer at HopefulLeigh. Lists are one of my not-so-secret joys. 2) March has been over for almost two weeks now, so I probably should have titled this post “…what I was into in March 2013″. Oh well. These things are still good things.

Books I’ve Read

• Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art – Madeleine L’Engle: Having made the mistake of not taking notes while reading L’Engle’s other books, I furiously copied quotations from Walking on Water into my journal (which I’m sure L’Engle herself would approve of). This is a beautiful book to read, especially if you are a person of faith who is also an artist. 
• The Passage – Justin Cronin: I definitely remembered seeing this book in multiple at front of store when I worked at Chapters, but paid it no mind. As it turns out, Cronin combines three of my favourite things: Michael Crichton-esque science details, post-apocalyptic crises, and vampires. I admit that I enjoyed the first chunk of this book a lot more than the last, but it was still an engaging read.
• Astonishing X-Men, Vol. 1 to 4 – Joss Whedon: I’ve been unabashedly on a Joss Whedon kick as of late (especially considering my forthcoming attendance at Ottawa Comiccon to see James Marsters).
• A Discovery of Witches – Deborah Harkness: Romance is a little too central to the plot of this novel for my liking, but otherwise, it was a delightful read. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of supernatural beings with the world of academia.
• Two-Part Invention: The Story of a Marriage – Madeleine L’Engle: I started reading L’Engle’s Crosswicks journals about six months ago, and have been utterly delighted with all of them. Tears were definitely shed in the final 15 pages of this book.

Books I’m Reading

• Interview with the Vampire – Anne Rice: Considering I appear to love almost everything vampires (minus Twilight), I had high  hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it has taken me 100+ pages to find the story even relatively interesting. On the plus side, I’ll certainly finish it, as I’m working on this list… for the rest of my life. 
• The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and Women’s “Work” – Kathleen Norris: There is nothing like a lecture to break up the slow-goingness of my other books. This is a book I wish I owned so I could write in the margins. So many good thoughts!
• Fables, Vol.5: The Mean Season – Bill Willingham: My goodness. I have waited a long time to read this volume. I’m doing my best to savour it, but I’ll likely be finished before this blog is posted.
• Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy: Started reading this on the India trip, aka: six months ago. I have not made much progress, as I like to read fast and Tolstoy won’t let me. Wide release of the film (aka: it’s availability in my public library) will hopefully be a good motivator.

Television I’ve Watched

• House of Cards, Season 1: WHERE DO I BEGIN? This is, by far, one of the best television shows I have ever watched. With no exaggeration. Politics and journalism and drama and betrayal… it is amazing. Plus, Kevin Spacey’s “breaking the fourth wall”–although a bit off-putting at first–is so effective in humanizing his character. 
• The Walking Dead, Season 3: I did not think that I would watch a show about zombies, especially because I am extremely jumpy. However, when I realized that you could substitute a different world-altering global disaster for zombies and still have the same fascinating show, I was sold. And, oddly enough, the husband actually loves this show, even in spite of his general dislike of fantasy/sci-fi. 
  
• Boardwalk Empire, Season 3: I am decidedly less interested in this show since the end of Season 2; however, I am still a little too interested in what will happen with all the characters to give up. Content-wise, I think this show tries way too hard to push the envelope, as historically accurate as the pervasive sex and violence may be. Consider yourself warned.
• Seinfeld: I admit that, up until recently, I had almost never watched an episode of Seinfeld (cue the booing of everyone born prior to 1990). The husband loves the show, so when I discovered a few seasons at the local library, I thought it was worth a shot. I am pleasantly surprised by how funny this show is, although I could certainly do without the obnoxious laugh track.

Films I’ve Watched

• Cabin in the Woods: As a rule, I do not watch horror movies unless it is a) Halloween, and/or b) my husband deserves some entertainment (in the form of my pathetic fear). But oh, how I enjoyed this movie, and it’s general poking fun at horror. It should be noted, however, that I still covered my eyes periodically because I am weak.
• Martha Marcy May Marlene: I yelled “Girl, don’t do it!” so many times while watching this film. A decent film, but my expectations (especially for resolution) were far too high. A definite trigger warning for emotional and physical abuse if you’re considering watching it.
• Take This Waltz: Prior to watching this film, I asked the husband all my requisite “how depressed will I be?” questions, as I tend to watch film for escapism. This certainly is not an uplifting film by any means, but it does provide a valuable portrait of real relationships, and how quickly commitment loses to boredom. Also: The husband and I have agreed upon moving into a loft should we be able to find one. And: If you’re sensitive to sexual content, beware the conclusion of this film.
• Elevate: You know what? I love basketball. I played basketball throughout all of my high school years (friends who know me: stop laughing right now), and I am enthralled by the sport. This documentary, which chronicles the journey of three young Senegalese men as they move to America to try to ‘make it big’ in basketball, is definitely worth watching.