A Week in Review

It's time for another installment of A Week in Review. Here are a few things I've experienced this week, and my valued opinions on them.

Widow of the South by Robert Hicks
I've started a new and very interesting book. It's a Civil War story about a woman, Carrie McGavock, who with her husband runs a plantation in Tennessee. Her husband is gone to war, and so she is managing the place with her housekeeper/slave Mariah. A major battle is fought within a mile of her property, and the Confederate army turns her home into a hospital. It's based on a true story. The McGavok plantation is now a historical site with a cemetery for the near 1500 who died in her home still being maintained. I'm only a few pages into the book, but expect to like it. The story behind it is fascinating. You can Google Carrie McGavock and/or Carnton plantation for more information.

Television
I'm a big fan of So You Think You Can Dance on Fox. I know, it sounds kind of cheesy, but I promise you it's not. Those competing are very talented, well trained dancers, and they get some of the top choreographers in the country to work with them. It's awesome entertainment.

I'm also a follower of The Daily Show with John Stewart and The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert. So funny. These are the smartest funniest men on television. Yes, the shows are all about poking fun, but they're unbiased about it. Everyone gets a chance to be made a fool of. Even if they weren't unbiased, I'd still watch because they really are funny.

Makeup
As you all know, I'm big on makeup. When I close my eyes and go to my happy place, it's the Nordstroms cosmetics department. Lately though, my fun has turned into an obsession that I'm a bit worried about. I'm on a quest to find the perfect mascara, and in the process have spent too much money and time anxiety on it. I've become so picky about how it goes on, looks, and wears that no one product will ever live up to the ideal. I currently have five (yes, I am embarrassed) mascaras in my makeup bag and am not happy with any of them. I've lost my mind. It's time to go back to Cover Girl Lash Blast, get some therapy, use the 12-step program, and be free of the addiction. Someone help me!

Fazolli's
Baked spaghetti with meat balls is delicious.

House Guests
My roommate's sister and her three kids have been staying with us this week. We live in a three-bedroom apartment, so it's kind of crowded, but really has gone amazingly well. I was nervous. Those of you who know about my addictions might also know that I'm not a very open or social person. Usually strangers are very scary, and so I stay away from them. I'm certainly not one to have them sleeping on my couch. Of course, Kim (the sister) and her kids aren't total strangers. I'd met them a few times before and liked them. Still, we don't know each other well, and I like to know someone well before sharing close quarters. In the end, through, it was pretty cool. Kim is really nice, the kids are cute, and it was fun to have them around. And, I feel good about being able to just relax and go with it. I overcame some fears. A good experience all-in-all.

School
I've been taking classes with BYU in an attempt to get closer to a Bachelors degree. Right now my focus is on English, but that might change. My current class is online, and it's on literary interpretation and criticism. It sounded so interesting, but I'm finding that I might not be very good at it. I'm surprised by this because I read so much, and feel like I get what I'm reading. But, I struggle with picking apart someone else's work. Who am I to decide what an author meant by this or that? He/she was genius enough to write it. I'm not qualified to tear it apart. And, I feel strongly that any written work is going to mean different things to different people based on their experience and perspective. What stands out to me won't to someone else. So how can there be one right answer when analyzing a story or poem? And speaking of poetry, that's what my current lessons are on, and holy smokes am I in over my head. I had no idea that there were so many ways to dissect a poem. It's draining all the joy out of reading.

This is what I'm struggling with. Struggling so much that I've decided to take a history class next to see how I like it. Actually, I know I'll love it. I've always loved history, and being in London reinforced that love. Maybe I can actually fulfill my dream of being interviewed for a documentary...hmmm.

I think that's it for now. Thanks for joining me again this week.