30 before 30

Hello there! Last year before I turned 29, I decided that there were many things that I had yet to accomplish in my life and there was no better time to start completing those tasks.  Thus my 30 before 30 list.  I won't bore you with all of them but here are a couple that I have started or really thought about.

1. Read the entire Bible. I consider myself a Christian but I don't think I've ever read the entire Bible start to finish.  How can I claim to love God but not respect His word? What does the Bible really say about certain things I had taken for granted?  Because I'm not good at accomplishing tasks unless I am constantly reminded, I signed up for a Reading Plan on the YouVersion Bible.  I read it on my iPad and can choose to listen to it read aloud.  It reminds me every day and even gives me a day off during the week so I can catch up if I miss a day. I would highly suggest this if you are looking for a way to get deeper into God's word. 


2. Watch the AFI top 100. I love movies! Funny, serious, action-packed, old or new, I love them all! I mostly checked them out from the Austin Public Library and although I didn't like all of them, I can honestly say I feel like a better person for watching them.  Some of my favorites (that I had never seen before) were The Graduate, The African Queen, and The Searchers.


3. Tattoo.  I have been thinking about getting a tattoo for some time now and I think I have finally decide on the design and placement.  What do you think?

4. Journal/Blog. I have never thought of myself as a great writer so this is a great chance for me to practice. I also bought this book, All About Me, by Philipp Keel, which has great questions that help you learn more about yourself.  I would suggest checking it out if that kind of thing interests you.


Next I am going to attempt to become a vegetarian for a week.  I'll let you know how it goes!

My Life Now

Well I can't believe it's been over a year and half since I last posted anything on this blog!  Needless to say my life has changed immensely.  Philip and I are no longer together.  We are currently in the process of getting a divorce.  It's been a long and terrible process but hopefully it will be over soon. 

Staring over again is really hard.  Everything from deleting your pictures on Facebook to not having anyone to share your life with hurts. Even though our split is amicable (at least as much as it can be) my heart is still broken.  A life-long promise made was not kept. It takes two people to have a marriage and if one party is not interested in working on it there's no point in continuing to be married. 

I've moved into an apartment and have found a great group of friends.  Even though my life is quite different than I thought it would be, I am slowly getting back to normal. Understanding family and supportive friends really do make a difference. Swarley keeps me happy in the sad times.  Nothing like some unconditional (fuzzy) love to bring you out of a funk.

I've been listening to some great music lately so I thought I'd share.

1. "Winter Song" by Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles

"They say that things just cannot grow
Beneath the winter snow
Or so I have been told
They say we're buried far
Just like a distant star
I simply cannot hold"

2. "Try" by Pink

"Funny how the heart can be deceiving
More than just a couple times
Why do we fall in love so easy
Even when it's not right"

3. "Bleeding Out " by Imagine Dragons

"So I bare my skin
And I count my sins
And I close my eyes
And I take it in
And I’m bleeding out
I’m bleeding out for you"


If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them. 

Next time I'll tell you about my 30 before 30 list!

<3,Paige


   

Books I've Been Reading

Hello everyone.  I hope you're all having a great Friday.  My New Year's Resolution this year was to read at least 25 books.  With work and other commitments, I felt that two books a month was easily doable.  However it's only April 1st and I've already read 10!  Perhaps we should up the number to 40?  Here are some of my favorites so far:

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schafer and Annie Barrows

The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell

I'm trying to read different genres and would appreciate any recommendations that you have!  Have a great weekend!

Update on my life

Hello to all.  I know it's been a long time since I've posted and I wish I had a great reason for that but to tell you the truth I really don't.  For the past couple of months, I've felt like I really didn't want to talk to anyone or be around people.  I've always been an introvert and have had to push myself to be extroverted but lately I just haven't been wanting to make the effort.  The last couple of months have been tough on me physically (with the introduction of migraines and just all around weakness), emotionally (trying to deal with hurt feelings), and spiritually (trying to wait patiently for God's answers to my questions).  I must admit I have done things I'm not proud of to deal with the pain but I think I've finally made a decision to trust God fully.  There are things I can't control and worrying about those things won't really improve my life or make me a better person.  People will do what they want to do and no amount of pleading will change that.  I don't want to get into specifics and I hope you won't ask me for them, but I just wanted to let you know that I am still here and I hope to bring you updates on some books I've been reading very soon. 

Hope everyone has a great day and great rest of the week.

Website Wednesday and Free Friday: 2/23 and 2/25

Hey everybody!  I have been sick this past week so I'm going to have to combine my Wednesday and Friday posts into one.

I must admit that I love to read entertainment news so I often log on to Entertainment Weekly's website for updates on my favorite TV shows, reviews of movies and celebrity gossip!

I'm planning on spending the weekend resting and getting over this bug.  I just finished reading The Help so it's time to find something new to read.  Perhaps a trip to the library is in order? 

Have a great weekend!

Monday Meanderings: Cruises

Hello everybody! Hope you had a great weekend.  Mine was very relaxing but I woke up this morning with a super sore throat and stuffed sinuses.  Hopefully this will go away soon!

My hubsy and I have been on 3 cruises in our 5 years of marriage. We promised ourselves we wouldn't become cruise people but there are some many pros and not many cons! 

Here are my top ten reasons to go on a cruise:
10. You only have to unpack once.
9. Towel animals!
8. You don't have to make your bed!
7. Awesome food.
6.  Everything (besides drinks) is included.
5. No set schedule.
4. You don't have to worry about getting in an argument with your spouse about how to get somewhere.
3. They take you to great locations.
2. Fun entertainment at night.
1. You can go bowling while sailing the high seas!

Going on a cruise is definitely something you should try at least once!  We love it and hope to someday go on one to the Mediterranean (maybe for our 10 year anniversary).

Have a great Monday!

Free Friday: Lazy Weekend

Hello everyone!  This week has been pretty crazy (thus the late blog post).  Philip is in Dallas this weekend helping his firm catch up after all the crazy weather they've had. 

Right now I'm staring out the window of our office looking at the house they are currently building right behind us.  It's amazing how quickly they can put up a house that lasts for decades.  My cat Swarley is keeping me company although I know he would rather be outside eating grass and chasing bugs.

Since Philip is out of town, I've been pretty lazy thus far.  Last night I got Rosa's and watched some TV.  Today I'm doing laundry and cleaning up around the house.  Later this afternoon I'm planning a trip to Central Market.  Unfortunately in Austin we don't live close to one so we don't get to go as often as when we lived in Dallas. 

Because we had company in town last weekend and weekdays are always busy for us, Philip and I will be celebrating Valentine's tomorrow night.  I'm planning on making shrimp and pasta for dinner. I still haven't decided what to make for dessert.

Speaking of Valentine's Day, I received two cds and a book from Philip. The two cds were Josh Groban Illuminations and Switchfoot Hello Hurricane. We have seen both of them in concert and really enjoy their music.  The book was The Help  by Kathryn Stockett.  I have been wanting to read this book for a really long time but the queue for holds at the library was way too long.

I guess I better get back to that laundry.  Have a great weekend!