Recently Read

The Life Intended, by Kristin Harmel. I liked this one. Sweet, engaging, well-developed and likable characters, and an interesting plot. The main character is a woman named Kate, whose husband died 12 years earlier. She becomes engaged to her boyfriend of two years, but she's not happy and begins to have dreams about her dead husband. These dreams lead her down a path of discovery, and that's about all I can say without getting into spoiler-territory. I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to the characters at the end, which is always a sign of a good book.

Getting Naked:  A Business Fable About Shedding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty, by Patrick Lencioni.  This is obviously a business book. I've been reading more non-fiction lately, and this one is a very fast read and is very applicable to my work as a business consultant.

Americanah, by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie. A beautiful and important book. It is too long, and there is more emphasis on author's observations on race and culture than there is on the plot of the story, but both the plot and those observations are very worthy of reading. As I've said before, my favorite books provide me with a different perspective on the world, and this book definitely does that.

Weekend Recap

My handsome goalie

The sun is coming up a little later and going down a little earlier every day. Getting out of bed in the morning keeps getting harder. Having a good book to read never helps. On the other hand, the chilly weather puts us in the mood for turning on the fireplace, watching football, baking cookies. 

A few highlights from the weekend:

*Nathan played in his first soccer tournament. He and most of his friends formed a team and entered our town's Columbus Day weekend tournament. They are all second-graders (ages 7-8), and they played against third-graders. This team hadn't played together before and only had two practices, so we were a little nervous about it, but they did great! They played four games, and they ended the weekend with 3 wins and 1 hard fought loss. It was a really special experience for all of the boys, and even though it was raining all day on Sunday, it was a ton of fun to watch.  

*We made these pumpkin cookies - such a great recipe, and it's become an annual fall tradition. (Note:  Every time I make them, Kevin complains that there aren't enough chocolate chips in them.)

*My sister-in-law, a friend, and their toddlers came for a visit on Sunday afternoon. It was loud and messy for a while, but we managed to have a nice time relaxing and hanging out, even with the kids in the mix. 

*Kevin and the boys played a lot of football together. They have such a great time, until someone inevitably loses and has a tantrum. At some point, they'll learn to deal with losing, right? 

*I made this vegetarian chili on Monday. (Note:  I only used one chipotle pepper, since it was too spicy for us last time.  Also, don't skimp on the cilantro - it is absolutely the key ingredient in this awesome recipe.)

*Kevin and I watched the first two episodes of Westworld. I'm fascinated. 

Little Things...

When things don't go as planned or hoped, it becomes even more important to be able to focus on the positives. I was supposed to fly to Charleston this weekend, to spend a few days with my mom and sisters, celebrating my mom's 70th birthday. Instead, the city is being evacuated due to a big nasty hurricane, so we are all staying home. It bums me out, but let's focus on some good stuff so I don't get too sad.

• We were able to reschedule our trip, so our Charleston trip will still happen - just a month later than planned. 
• Nathan is playing in a soccer tournament this weekend. Because I'll be home, I'll get to watch him play - I'm pretty excited about that. 
• It's fall in New England! Gorgeous trees are everywhere. 
• New TV shows are starting - This Is Us certainly grabbed me, and I am also excited to see Kiefer Southerland again. Everybody's talking about Westworld - I think I'm going to have to convince Kevin to get HBO.
• Aaron and Nathan made dinner last night - eggs, english muffins, and fruit salad. 
• I love finishing a good book and starting a new one. 
• Our new sitter is helping out around the house, so I come home to a clean kitchen every day. 
• Next year won't be as full of travel as this one was, but we just booked our February ski week - fingers crossed for good weather and snow. 
• The boys are working on their Christmas lists, and I keep trying to remind them that it's not even Halloween yet! 
• On Monday night, I had worked from home, and the weather was gorgeous, so I suggested a bike ride before dinner. So lovely.
• Dawes' latest album, We're All Gonna Die.  Really different from their usual stuff, but I dig it.