This spring break...

Yet another week that makes me stick out my tongue, put my thumbs are in my ears and wave my hands back and forth while at the same time chanting "nea, nea, nuh, nea, nea".  

(Mark just loves it when I do this).

I got started with the fun stuff I planned on doing right away. I stayed up until midnight finishing a book that I started last weekend ( I know! It never takes me that long but I've been busy I tell ya!). It was a Jodi Picoult book and I normally don't allow myself to read these books. For those of you who have never read this author, let me explain. 

I was given the book My Sister's Keeper many moons ago and told to read it - that I would love it and not be able to put it down. I started it pretty quickly and found that yes, I did love it, and yes, it was very hard to put down. So much so that I found myself thinking about the characters throughout my day, imagining what they were doing in that book of mine. I grew to adore the main character, a little girl who is trying to do what's best for her and her family. The more I read, the more emotionally attached I became. As the end crept closer and closer I found myself getting anxious and not wanting the book to end. And then it did. And I was soooooo angry at the ending that I SWORE I would never read another book by that author again. My heart had been broken and I couldn't do anything about it but mutter angrily "That was so stupid!". 

A year went by and a friend recommended another book to me by Jodi Picoult. I told her about my vow and she somehow convinced me to giver this author another shot. I was going on a cruise with my grandma and I went ahead and packed that book with me. This time I thought I would be smarter... not invest so much of my heart into the characters... be cool, be calm and remind myself "It's just a book". 

Days later as I was bawling my eyes out, while sitting on the balcony of a cruise ship in the Caribbean for crying out loud, I realized that I just couldn't handle these books. The book was Nineteen Minutes and I'm pretty sure it took me twice that long to stop sobbing and clean all the snot off my face. 

Fast forward to 2013. Book Club. 

I was sitting innocently in my chair waiting to talk about ooey, gooey zombies and the book World War Z when my sweet friend Jan leaned over and whispered to me "I've brought a book that I know you will love. I just finished it and I want you to read it next."  

Since everyone else had started the book talk, she discretely passed me a book under the table and I set it down by my purse. At the end of the evening I just grabbed it up without looking at it (along with 4 other books that I had swapped out!). Later that same night, I placed all my new books on my night stand table and guess what was right on top? 

A Jodi Picoult book (Duh, duh, duuhhnnnn!)

It was titled Keeping Faith and I just stared at it for a few minutes before I cautiously and carefully picked it up. (I know, right? I'm crazy!). I decided to be brave and go for it. I was smart this time though - as I read, I didn't allow myself to get too attached because I just knew something horrible, terrible, and positively SAD was going to happen at the end. I tried valiantly to keep my distance but by the middle of the book, I just knew. 

Knew that I was going to be sobbing again at the end. 

I could see it coming a mile away. 

So to start my spring break on a happy note (said with much sarcasm) I decided to stay up late and finish the book no matter what. Mark was working so he wouldn't be around to witness my meltdown...

But, guess what. I did end up crying (that's not the part you have to guess - too easy!). 

The book didn't break my heart, it didn't leave me with feelings that life isn't fair, and it didn't make me want to curl up under the blankets and never come out again. 

I LOVED this book! From beginning to end. It scored a solid 10 for me!

(However! That doesn't mean I am going to rush off to the library to go pick up another one by that author. Too risky!)

Whew! Who knew I had so many issues concerning books! I should see some kind of book therapist maybe... or maybe I should become one myself! It does feel much better after getting all that off my chest - I had been keeping all my Jodi Picoult angst hidden away!

Thanks for listening!

Now, on to the real reason for this post:

To show you (and help remind myself when I'm old and gray) what I plan on doing this week with all this time on my hands!

Are you ready? I bet you can hardly contain yourself (said with sarcasm again!)

I will (with much determination) go through the last of our boxes from our move and unpack them. May the force be with me. 

I will cook some new recipes from my new cookbook. I am going to start with the "Knock you Naked Brownies". I have always wanted to make something like that!

I will take down my Christmas wreath and various decorations off my front porch. Of course, that might mean that Mark and I will have to take down our Christmas Lights as well and I just don't know if we are ready for that...

I will help Caleb organize and clean out his desk area in his room (i.e. throw away a bunch of crap when he isn't looking!). Then I am going to make him sit through 12 episodes of Hoarders - Buried Alive and see if he can learn some valuable lessons. (Aren't I a great mom!).

I will head outside and help Mark finish our orchard fence. While I'm out there I may also find something to do with the headless dear target, burn barrel and other various garbage that has blown in). On another note, it was Mercy that beheaded the dear and that is a story I must tell you another day because if you thought my Jodi Picoult rants were long...

Yikes! While looking at this picture I just noticed that the tree on the other side of creek looks like a large menacing bird of prey! What? That's just me and my overactive imagination? I don't believe it for one second. But I do believe that I will keep a close eye on it just to make sure it doesn't start to creep closer...

I will rack up some miles on these new babies. Yes, they are new and yes they were expensive but aren't they pretty? Plus they make me run really fast and say things like "Zoom! Zoom!" when I pass people. (When I get passed I say other things). 

Here's to a fun, fabulous, and fantastic Spring Break!