Through a Glass, Darkly

I keep doing things and not telling you about them, and then I never know whether to tell you about them later. Especially if it would have been better if I took a picture, but I didn’t take any pictures. Like when I made this Cranberry, Caramel, and Almond Tart for Easter dinner with my family. It was really pretty, but I had a bit of a problem with the caramel, so it could have used a tad more caramel. It was still delicious, though. Not as pretty as hers, but, as Brian can attest (because I made him come out to my car and look at it), it was still quite pretty. My first tart! Yay! For Easter lunch with our friends, I made this pasta with cauliflower, walnuts, and feta, and . . . I know all of that sounds strange, but it was really good.

I have read a lot of books I haven’t told you about, either. I have been reading stuff about Sylvia Plath, so first I read Your Own, Sylvia by Stephanie Hemphill, and then I read Ariel: The Restored Edition by Sylvia Plath, and then I read Wintering: A Novel of Sylvia Plath by Kate Moses, and now I am reading The Bell Jar for the first time. And I didn’t tell you about any of it, internet. Sorry.

I also read Belong to Me, the new book by Marisa de los Santos, which I enjoyed, but not quite as much as Love Walked In. Still very much worth a read, however. I would also like to put in a plug for one of the best YA novels I have read in a long time: Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. Ignore the fact that she is Elizabeth Gilbert’s sister. She is way cooler. This is a great book about a girl finding her voice and her place in her family. I checked out the sequel, but I am afraid to read it because I liked Dairy Queen so freaking much. Also, now that I have completed the readings for my class, I am luxuriating in the ability to read novels written for grown-ups.

Mike and I have been watching Miss Guided. I don’t hear anyone talking about it. But I love Judy Greer. She is so adorable and perky. I hope this show sticks around. The fact that they aired about 5 episodes in one week does not seem promising. I don’t know when it comes on. I just set a season pass on TiVo because I am technologically savvy like that. Also, I still love The Office, but I think 30 Rock is the best show on television these days. The past two episodes have been phenomenal.

On Friday night Mike and I went with Andrea and Charles and some of their friends to see Wicked in Charlotte. They ended up with some extra tickets, and we decided to go. As you may recall, I have seen it before. But I was the only one in our group who had seen it, and I certainly didn’t know the songs as well as they did, so I guess it all balanced out. I was glad that Mike was able to go, and he really enjoyed it (as I thought he would). We sat right in front of some teenagers who I feared were going to sing through the entire show, and Charles counseled me on how to handle it. It was very informative. Apparently, instead of lashing out at people like I normally do, you can simply ask them to stop singing. They did not sing, however, so we don’t know if this would have worked. In theory, though, it sounds really good and I will try it sometime.

My mom is on a cruise in the Mediterranean. Let’s all pause and think about how much we hate her for that. (Just kidding. I love my mom! Also, it is weird not to talk to her every day. Come home soon, Mom! Not that you are reading this! You are too busy doing awesome things!)

We have not yet sold our house. In case you were wondering. I know, it’s too soon, and that’s cool. We didn’t expect to sell it yet. But I do confess to getting my hopes up every time someone comes to see it. I can’t help it. It will be best if it works out for us to be able to move this summer, so please keep your fingers crossed that it will sell. It would be really nice if it did. Really, really nice. Have I mentioned that the stress of all of it has possibly caused me to develop an ulcer? It’s true. So please keep your fingers crossed. So the pain will stop. I don’t know that it would be all that great for me physically if I continue to live like this.

And, uh, speaking of the summer. Mike has officially finished his student teaching. No, seriously. He’s done with college! What in the world?! How did this happen? Do you remember when he quit his job and started college? Me too! And now he’s done! Holy cow! Also, he will be graduating with a 4.0. I know you were wondering.

So, anyway, those are a few things that are going on with us. There are a lot of reasons I haven’t brought these things up, and I would like to blame it on time issues, but, really, I have been struggling with some real inferiority issues. I like being me a whole lot more than I used to, but, at the same time, I haven’t liked what all this fatigue and stomach pain and eyelid twitching has done to me lately. I have reverted in some ways to an older, less secure version of myself, one who doesn’t feel very likable, and one who wonders what it means to be liked (or loved) by God. I am working on it, but it doesn’t make for very exciting reading.