What amazes me

Leggings:  Chicnova  Cardigan: Chicnova.  (I also love it in cream)  

Boots:  Old Navy  Undertee: Downeast Outfitters

I am absolutely in love with these pleather leggings.  I have wanted leather pants for a while but haven't wanted to spend the money, so these leggings are the perfect compromise.  They are just as comfortable as normal leggings but with just a little bit of edge on them.  I'm in love!  The boots are compliments of Greg as part of my Christmas gift.  The man has good taste.

I want to thank you all for your love and comments on Friday's post.  That post had been floating around in my head for close to a year and it took me that long to gather my thoughts, find an appropriate way to write about it, and work up the bravery to air that all out on the internet.  You have all been so kind about it. My main point I wanted to get across through writing the post is that we are all deeply flawed human beings.  No one has a perfect marriage or an easy life regardless of what it may look like on blogs, instagram or facebook.  The best things in life take a lot of work, love, and sacrifice.

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Yesterday I finished a book.

Winter has its downfalls, there is no doubt about it, but one thing I will always thank winter for is the power it has to send me into complete hibernation mode.  I am high energy and antsy by nature, always having to be on the go, seeing someone, doing something.  I generally like this about myself, but sometimes it is exhausting. Spring and summer make it even worse.  I am wrought with guilt if I stay inside when the weather is nice.  I can't read today!  It's too beautiful!  No time for movies!  I must be outside!  Beautiful days make the ants in my pants start crawling full force and there is no time for relaxation and long mornings in bed and cuddles and pjs.  The sun is shining!

Which is why sometimes I am glad for January. There is something beautiful about holing up in a warm home with a book and hot chocolate and a six pound toy poodle.  Yesterday morning I woke up about 9. (Oh Saturdays!)  I haven't been feeling 100% well this week, so I let go of any guilt or nagging pressure I had to get up and get stuff done and allowed myself to stay in bed.  It's winter after all, and what better way to spend a Saturday morning then under the covers?  I picked my book from off my desk stand and next thing I knew it was noon and I was done with the book.

Thank you January, for that.

I am a bit embarrassed to admit that the book I finished was We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver.  Embarrassed because this was the book club selection (that I host!) for December and because I finished it on January 11.  I'm a crummy host if I finish the book half way through the next month, but I at least finished it eventually so... half credit?

I am glad I finished it.  I wasn't going to.  The first 100-150 pages were so slow.  I couldn't connect to the main character.  She uses many many words to say would could easily be said in a few words.  I was bogged down.

But at the insistence of some of you blog readers, I finished.  Many of you commented (on my pitiful excuse for a book discussion) that you wanted more discussion of the book and wanted to hear my thoughts on the end.  (For more complete thoughts on the book with spoilers, check out my comments on this post.)

The part of the book, interestingly enough, that struck me the most was the main character's description of what "amazed" her.  She talks about the deterioration of our world, how we hear about rapes and murders and child pornography on the news and we're not even surprised by it anymore.  We're almost used to it- so desensitized to the evil that we hardly bat an eye.  In her words:

“Holocausts do not amaze me. Rapes and child slavery do not amaze me. And Franklin, I know you feel otherwise, but Kevin does not amaze me. I am amazed when I drop a glove in the street and a teenager runs two blocks to return it. I am amazed when a checkout girl flashes me a wide smile with my change, though my own face had been a mask of expedience. Lost wallets posted to their owners, strangers who furnish meticulous directions, neighbors who water each other's houseplants - these things amaze me.” 

There is so much negativity, hate and misery in this world.  But there is just as much beauty and goodness, too.  This is what deserves the attention and the spotlight. That's what I want to focus on and celebrate in 2014.  I'm want spend more time being amazed at people's goodness.

About a week before Christmas it snowed all day long.  Looking outside my classroom, I knew a good 6-8 inches had dropped.  When I walked out to my car, a fellow teacher had cleared the snow off of the front and back windows of all the cars in faculty parking so we wouldn't have to.

Greg drove me to Price last Friday night for my little sister's open house on his one night off from performing.  It is about a two hour drive from where we live.  On the way back the canyon was closed because of an accident, and we had to take a detour, making our drive home over three hours.  He never once complained or acted annoyed.

One morning over Christmas break, staying at Greg's parents house, my father in law spent a morning searching for my car keys so he could change my oil while I slept in.

A co worker dropped by my room the day before Christmas with a bubble bath set.  "A student gave this to me... I never take baths, and I know you love them so I thought I'd give it to you instead..."

A missionary who I served with in Argentina sent me the nicest Christmas card out of the blue.  I haven't seen her since we served together five years ago and have had limited correspondence with her via facebook and instagram since.  The card was sincere and heartfelt and made me cry.

I stopped by my mom's house unexpectedly one Friday night a few weeks ago.  She was popping popcorn for eleven grand children that she was babysitting so my siblings and their spouses could go out for the night.

These are the kind of things I want to spend my time being amazed by.

Happy Monday, folks.  I hope you find some beauty and kindness in this most cruel of weekdays.