Weekend Update

I didn't really have any plans for this weekend. At first I was pretty bummed, but then I got really excited about not having to do anything. I got a good amount of sleep, which was nice. I ran errands with my mom, including picking up a bridesmaid dress, had lunch with my parents after church, etc. Laid back and nice.

I was also bribed (with free Mexican food and a margarita) into seeing Dear John. It was better than I thought it would be, but still not my favorite movie. From what I can tell, Nicolas Sparks' books are claimed to be the greatest love stories, yet there is always some interesting twist. I have to say that this twist irritated me a good bit.

The Giver is a book that most 5th or 6th graders read. Honestly, I assumed that I, too, read the book a long time ago. When my HLP decided to read it last month, I realized that I actually never read the book. Well, I read it this weekend. It was a good, quick read that made me think...I also decided that I enjoy reading books/stories that focus on interesting cultures.

(The Chosen and My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potak, Ayn Rand's Anthem, and Shirley Jackson's short story, The Lottery, come to mind.)

Anyway, The Giver left me wanting more...wanting an extended ending...needing more closure. The book begs you to ask yourself: if you've been living in the dark, and light is revealed to you, what do you do? Continue grasping in the dark or step out into the light -- even though it is foreign to you? As a Christian, I think that parallels with the gospel: we live our lives, and if/when we hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, a new world is opened up to you...so what do you do with it?

Sunday afternoon was gorgeous and I decided to walk the bridge. Once before, I walked it one-way and had someone drop me off and pick me up. This time, I thought I would go for the gold and walk it both ways. I was really enjoying the walk and even decide to run the last 1/2 of the bridge (downhill). For those of you that know me, you know I am NOT a runner...so this was a big personal achievement. And it felt good. I turned around and walked back up the other side and as I started to run downhill, my left knee felt like the cartilage vanished. It hurt, and it still does. I should have known better than to run!