Author Archives: Laura Beth

07.14.17
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Tag #21: What Makes Me Happy Tag – Number 2!

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Image Credit: BrainyQuote

I was tagged by the sweet and beautiful Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts!

Thanks, Jenna!

Here’s the link to the post where I was tagged:

It’s funny – I just realized that this is the second time I’ve been tagged for this one! It looked familiar.

I was previously tagged by B.G. last August:

List Five Things That Make You Happy

  1. Writing — I love my blog! I’ve also written drafts of three novels, and I have an idea for a fourth. I greatly enjoy supporting other writers and bloggers. I try really hard to write about things that are interesting and exciting!
  2. Books — I’ve always been a reader. I will always love books. I’m excited to get my giant bookcase from my parents’ house (when the weather isn’t so hot) and fill it up with my collection. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed certain authors (Nicholas Sparks, J.K. Rowling, John Grisham) and certain series and collections (Chicken Soup for the Soul, Dear America, American Girl), but I’m always looking for recommendations!
  3. American Girl Dolls — This ties in with the books. I fell in love with the American Girl books before the dolls. As a child, I had a Bitty Baby first, and then I received my “American Girl of Today” 18-inch doll that I named Stephanie. She was supposed to look like me, but American Girl didn’t sell a brown-haired, green-eyed look-alike doll when I received Stephanie in 1997, so she’s blonde. I currently have five 18-inch dolls (Stephanie, Molly, Kit, Chrissa, and another look-alike doll that I may sell or make into a custom). Al is helping me design a custom doll cabinet / storage unit, and I’m excited to make this dream happen! I would eventually like to own Maryellen, Nanea, and a true look-alike doll.
  4. Traveling — I love having a job that gives me substantial PTO. We try to travel as much as we can. Right now, we’re planning to go to New York City next summer, for my milestone birthday!
  5. Podcasts — As I wrote in my Getting Personal post about podcasts last year, I love being able to listen to a variety of topics during my commute, or when I’m traveling solo. Like books, if you have any podcast recommendations, feel free to send them my way!

List Five Songs That Make You Happy

  1. “Mine” by Taylor Swift
  2. “Who I Am With You” by Chris Young
  3. “Haven’t Met You Yet” by Michael Buble
  4. “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey
  5. “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

All five of these songs remind me of Al, in some way 🙂

I sang “Mine” to him at our rehearsal dinner. My amazing bridal party helped me make posters that spelled out “You are the best thing that’s ever been mine.” They, along with the groomsmen, stood behind me and held them up as I sang to him. I was so nervous! I practiced every chance I could in the car for months. Overall, I think he was embarrassed, but it went over well and I enjoyed doing it for him.

We danced our first dance to “Who I Am With You” at our reception. I knew I wanted to use that song in some capacity starting in 2013, when I first heard it on the radio on the way back to my apartment late one night.

I still get chills when I hear “Haven’t Met You Yet” because that’s one of the songs that reminds me of the very beginning of our relationship. Plus, all these music videos make me feel warm and fuzzy.

We played the other two at our wedding reception. I just love “Uptown Funk” in general and I knew I wanted it played at our reception. Everybody danced! Then, “Don’t Stop Believin'” was the last song of the afternoon. Everyone surrounded us in a big circle, and we danced and sang our hearts out. The photo on my phone is a perfect shot of us singing and dancing during that song, and it makes me smile every time I see it.

I won’t tag anyone in particular, but you feel led to do this tag, please do so! I love seeing other people’s responses. Plus, I love spreading happiness!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.13.17
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Book Review #36: “The Lost Symbol”

The Lost Symbol

Image Credit: Target

If you’re curious about other books involving protagonist Robert Langdon, here are my previous Book Review posts:

Dan Brown has done it again!

Like Angels & Demons, this book was really long – Over 500 pages. However, I didn’t mind that it was so long. It was action-packed, and I learned so much about Washington, D.C.

However, I certainly wouldn’t recommend trying to read this book in one sitting. It’s so dense, I found myself taking multiple breaks, sometimes days at a time, in order to process all of the information. It wasn’t necessarily a turn-off, but it was a challenge. The longest stretch was a few nights ago, when I read Chapters 78 through 112. I needed a day-long break before starting again. Luckily, reading through Chapter 112 brought me closer to the end – I finally finished last night, around 10:30 p.m.

Langdon’s adventure this time is set primarily in Washington, D.C., with a few scenes in Maryland and northern Virginia. If you’ve ever been curious about the Masons and their history, this is a good book to learn about them!

For once, I greatly appreciated the lack of a romance aspect. This book appeared to focus on the various mysteries surrounding Langdon, especially since these 500 pages are set, for the most part, within just one night in the characters’ lives. I’d be happy to eventually see Langdon and Katherine end up together – I think they have a lot in common – but I was excited that the book primarily focused on solving the mysteries!

Again, like his other books, I really liked and appreciated Brown’s attention to detail and historical accuracy. It was incredible to see just how much history is jam-packed into Washington, D.C. Reading his books has taught me so much about our world’s various secret societies and great mysteries!

This book was a great mix of an intense thriller and historical novel. When I was able to wrap my mind around everything that was happening, I found myself flying through the pages. I think Brown is clever to mix up the length of his chapters – Some were long, some were a few pages, and a handful were either one page or a half-page. It’s a great way to keep the reader interested and wanting to read “just one more chapter” before turning out the lights.

Following the chronology of Robert Langdon’s character, I now need to find a copy of Inferno (2013). Hopefully, I can read that one right before Origin is released in early October!

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

 

 

07.12.17
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Writing Prompt #66: “52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge” (Week 28)

Week #28: Your Past

I’m grateful to simply be sitting here, typing this. As I write this, I think of my birthday that’s coming up in a few weeks. My mom recently commented on how stubborn I am, and that’s part of the reason I’m alive today.

I was given a 50-50 shot when I born. I came 15 weeks early, which was terrifying for everyone, especially my parents. However, I quickly made it known that I was a fighter, and I was determined to live.

As an only child, I was independent, outgoing, and enjoyed a variety of interests. Being involved in the local Methodist church was a family affair, and that involvement continues today, nearly 25 years later.

I loved school, although I struggled with math. It was clear early on that I was definitely not engineering material like my dad! I loved reading, writing, and history. I thought about many different careers over the years – Being an explorer for National Geographic, a teacher (like my mom), a writer/author, working in the news business.

As I graduated from high school and went off to college, I realized how naive I was. I had been a sheltered child. I was called spoiled more than once, although I tried to maintain my Christian image. I worked hard in college, and enjoyed most of my experiences. I loved working for the student newspaper, and as a junior, I joined an incredible sorority.

Not everything in my life was sunshine and rainbows. I was in an abusive relationship from 2006 through 2010. When I finally got the courage to escape and leave, I tried to pick up the pieces that was my relationship with my mom. Many people, however, were immensely forgiving, and soon discovered my abuser’s true character.

It’s amazing how things come together when you least expect it. Shortly after I ended the abusive relationship, I was formally introduced to Al. His brother, Nick, had wanted to set us up for a long time. Nick thought we would be awesome for each other.

I wanted to be friends first, being very cautious and somewhat apprehensive after my recent experiences.

That only took two weeks of talking on the phone, texting, and being friends on Facebook. Our first date was September 4, 2010, and I felt like I was on top of the world. I couldn’t believe what was happening. We kissed for the first time, and I knew I loved him.

Now, here we are, nearly seven years later. He stuck by my side from the very beginning, when we were long-distance for nearly nine months while I was in my senior year of college. We’ve seen each other through job searches, celebrations, frustrations, vacations, multiple moves for me, and more. It’s hard to believe we got engaged nearly three years ago, and we’ve been married for almost two. We bought our house last year. We’re enjoying making home improvements (for the most part), trying new recipes, and we like getting together with our families and friends regularly.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.11.17
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Getting Personal #75: Third TBR Recap

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Image Credit: Ebook Friendly

Welcome back!

In case you’re interested, here are the links to my previous TBR posts:

This is what I’ve read since my last update in April:

  1. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
  2. Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, Piper Kerman
  3. The Devil’s Dozen: 12 Notorious Serial Killers Caught By Cutting-Edge Forensics, Katherine Ramsland, Ph.D.
  4. Music in My Heart: My Journey with Melody, Erin Falligant with Denise Lewis Patrick
  5. The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick

And, here’s my updated list!

Laura Beth’s To Be Read (TBR) List, as of July 2017:

  1. The Language of Silence, Tiffany Truitt
  2. Black Rabbit Hall, Eve Chase
  3. Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell
  4. The Red Tent, Anita Diamant
  5. Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller
  6. New Boy, Julian Houston
  7. The Casual Vacancy, J.K. Rowling
  8. 11/22/63, Stephen King
  9. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
  10. Hollow City, Ransom Riggs
  11. Library of Souls, Ransom Riggs
  12. Tales of the Peculiar, Ransom Riggs
  13. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, J.K. Rowling
  14. Quidditch Through the Ages, J.K. Rowling
  15. Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures, Emma Straub
  16. Modern Lovers, Emma Straub
  17. In the Unlikely Event, Judy Blume
  18. You Will Know Me, Megan Abbott
  19. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
  20. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
  21. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, Laura Hillenbrand
  22. Valley of the Dolls, Jacqueline Susann
  23. The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson
  24. Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson
  25. Another Brooklyn, Jacqueline Woodson
  26. The Art of Memoir, Mary Karr
  27. Loving Day, Mat Johnson
  28. American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes, and Trial of Patty Hearst, Jeffrey Toobin
  29. The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson, Jeffrey Toobin
  30. The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future, Gretchen Bakke
  31. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, J.D. Vance
  32. A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression, Jane Ziegelman and Andy Coe
  33. Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney
  34. Bright, Precious Days, Jay McInerney
  35. Underground Airlines, Ben Winters
  36. A Good Month for Murder: The Inside Story of a Homicide Squad, Del Quentin Wilber
  37. Teardrops of the Innocent: The White Diamond Story (True Colors – Volume 1), Allie Marie
  38. Grace and Grit: My Fight for Equal Pay and Fairness at Goodyear and Beyond, Lily Ledbetter
  39. Jefferson’s Sons: A Founding Father’s Secret Children, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
  40. The War I Finally Won, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
  41. Read All About It: A Kit Classic Volume 1, Valerie Tripp
  42. Turning Things Around: A Kit Classic Volume 2, Valerie Tripp
  43. Full Speed Ahead: My Journey with Kit, Valerie Tripp
  44. Autumn Street, Lois Lowry
  45. The Giver, Lois Lowry
  46. Gathering Blue, Lois Lowry
  47. Messenger, Lois Lowry
  48. Son, Lois Lowry
  49. Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
  50. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
  51. Mansfield Park, Jane Austen
  52. Emma, Jane Austen
  53. Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen
  54. Persuasion, Jane Austen
  55. The List, Patricia Forde
  56. Hello Me, It’s You, Anonymous; edited by Hannah Todd
  57. Use The Force: A Jedi’s Guide to the Law of Attraction, Joshua P. Warren
  58. The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown
  59. Inferno, Dan Brown
  60. Digital Fortress: A Thriller, Dan Brown
  61. Deception Point, Dan Brown
  62. Origin: A Novel, Dan Brown
  63. The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas
  64. The Runaway: A Maryellen Mystery, Alison Hart
  65. The Lady’s Slipper: A Melody Mystery, Emma Carlson Berne
  66. Camino Island, John Grisham
  67. The Unknown and Impossible: How a research facility in Virginia mastered the air and conquered space, Tamara Dietrich, Mark St. John Erickson, and Mike Holtzclaw

That’s all, for now!

I’ll publish my next TBR update / recap in October!

What have you read recently?

Happy reading!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.08.17
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Tag #20: The Zombie Apocalypse Book Tag

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Image Credit: My Tiny Obsessions

Yay! A tag that I was actually tagged in! Woohoo!

I’m so sorry this post is so incredibly late. But, better late than never?

I was tagged by Not-so-modern girl. Please check out her blog – She’s awesome!

This tag was originally created by Jill at Rant and Rave About Books!

Here’s the link to the original post where I was tagged:

The Rules

  • Choose 5 books.
  • Randomly set up your books in order.
  • Flip to a random page in the book and write the first two names you see.
  • Then, put the names in the categories listed below in the order you saw them (don’t peek!! 😉 )
  • Cry about how screwed you are!
  • Tag some more people to join in the fun!

My Books

  1. The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead
  2. The Whistler, John Grisham
  3. Go Set A Watchman, Harper Lee
  4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling
  5. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

The first person to die …

Cora from The Underground Railroad. No, crap, that’s a huge bummer! She’s the central character in her book, and she’s incredibly brave and smart!

—

The first person you trip up to escape the zombies …

Michael from The Underground Railroad. I’m sure it was an accident! Now I feel bad.

—

The person that trips you to get away from the zombies … 

Lacy from The Whistler. This actually makes sense. She’s the central character in her book, and I can totally see her doing this! As an investigator with the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct (BJC), she’s super smart, and willing to do anything to save herself.

—

The team idiot …

Michael from The Whistler. He’s the boss in his book, which naturally comes with some idiotic characteristics.

—

The brains of the group …

Atticus from Go Set A Watchman. This – This I agree with! He’s a lawyer, and a pretty good one. I like this!

—

The team medic …

Calpurnia from Go Set A Watchman. Another one I’m honestly okay with. She’s a strong woman and helped take care of Atticus’s children after their mother died. So, I know she dealt with many an injury while helping raise Jem and Scout. My confidence is building!

—

The weapons expert …

Harry from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. YES! This is awesome. He is a wizard, and, come on, he helped form and train Dumbledore’s Army. I’m very happy about this. He can use his wand to do almost anything.

—

The team brawler …

Hagrid from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Another excellent choice. The man is a beast, and very intimidating! I know that he wouldn’t want to hurt anyone intentionally, but I know that he won’t back down, either.

—

The first to turn into a zombie …

Gatsby from The Great Gatsby. I’m not really sad about this. Gatsby’s story ends up very sad in his book, so we’d might as well get it over with early on.

—

The team leader …

Daisy from The Great Gatsby. This is possibly the worst. Ever. Daisy is so self-absorbed and flirty. I would glad pick ANYONE ELSE. If her character existed in modern times, she’d be making duck faces and taking selfies most of the time, and always worried about her makeup. She’d be totally distracted! Not awesome if you’re tasked to be team leader. Sigh.

Well, I don’t have a totally terrible team. I think we’d make out okay, although I’m pretty sure Daisy would become a zombie right after Gatsby, and the rest of us would have to fend for ourselves. Regardless, I think we’d end up surviving.

This was really fun! I liked this challenge!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.05.17
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Writing Prompt #65: “52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge” (Week 27)

Week #27: Favorite Spot In Your City.

My first thought was the Commodore Theatre in Downtown Portsmouth!

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Image Credit: Commodore Theatre

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Image Credit: The Virginian-Pilot

Built in 1945, it’s a 1,000-seat theater. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 27, 1997!

You feel like you’ve been transported back in time. It was beautifully restored to its original glory years ago, and it looks awesome! I actually feel weird if I go to see a movie and I’m not dressed up.

You buy your tickets in advance, at the box office, when it opens. The tickets look older, too! They have their matinee at 2:00 p.m., and their evening show is at 7:00 p.m.

They only show one movie at a time, usually for four weeks. You can sit at one of the tables and have a meal – The food is delicious.  You order through the phone on the table!

You can also sit in the balcony and buy traditional concessions – Popcorn, soda, and candy.

It’s one of those places that have been around forever, and it feels special. I’m happy that we have such a treasure so close to home!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.03.17
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Commentary #53: “12 Things You Only Understand If You Grew Up Going To Church Camp”

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Image Credit: Pinterest

My friend Cara shared this article a few days ago on Facebook. Just reading the title sent me back into nostalgia. Almost every summer, from fourth grade through college, and a few as an adult, I was at some sort of church camp!

Here’s the link to the original post:

I wish I had more photos to share!

Since a lot of my church camp experiences happened before I entered the world of Facebook, a lot of them are in traditional photo albums at my parents’ house, etc.

However, I did manage to find a few!

CCC 2012 (2)

CCC 2012, Albemarle, North Carolina – This was our finished wheelchair ramp!

CCC 2012

CCC 2012, Albemarle, North Carolina – We worked hard, but we also made time for fun, like ice cream!

Bandannas – Need I say more?

  • I’m not wearing bandannas in these photos, but for years, I did! They were fashion accessories – The girls traded them back and forth! We also went to the Dollar Tree before the trip to find new colors!

You probably dressed up in some interesting outfits.

  • Maybe? I remember the staff at Carolina Cross Connection (CCC) many a summer decked out in costumes, overalls, tights, tutus, and more!

Camp games were the best games!

  • Absolutely! I learned to play nine square at the camp in Florida with Daniel, Aime, and Loren (and quickly realized how competitive it was!)
  • At CCC, the icebreaker games were hilarious! Every summer was different, and it was great watching the adults!

Everyone had a camp crush they will always remember!

  • Oh, yes – No names mentioned here, but this was a definite.
  • I do know several people who met their true loves at CCC. Matt and Alex got married at a CCC camp!

You made friends that will last a lifetime.

  • Yes – I still have letters, cards, and photos from camp friends!
  • A lot of us have kept in touch through Facebook now.

You master taking 5 minute or less showers!

  • This is so true – Although the cooler water felt amazing after long days in the sun!
  • It was really hard to juggle everything carefully – Shower caddies would have been an amazing investment back then!
  • Most camps do this, but I highly recommend wearing Old Navy-style flip-flops or some type of sandal that can get wet in the shower! Camp showers are NOTHING  like your bathroom at home.

You were a master at coming up with skits and chants for your team!

  • I certainly tried. I enjoyed the group effort!
  • I definitely didn’t have much of a voice when I came home.

Every worship song seems to be 10 times better at camp!

  • This is probably the most true statement of them all!
  • CCC camps usually have some sort of “hill” or “mountain” on the property, and those experiences were always amazing!
  • I’ll always remember the girls on CCC staff standing on chairs to hold the handwritten song lyrics, with a lot of us holding flashlights!

You had a crush on someone in the band.

  • For me, this wasn’t necessarily summer camp, but mainly the Blackstone retreats!
  • I still have a few of my shirts signed by all the band members!

You always packed way more than you needed.

  • I was one of those people who followed the list of items to the letter!
  • It was so much fun packing for the trip, but such a drag packing to go home! Nothing seemed to fit properly.
  • Sometimes, I borrowed the big black garbage bags for my dirty laundry – Yuck!

You can try to tell someone about camp but no one else will understand.

  • Exactly! I wore my camp shirts to school a lot, and I enjoyed telling my friends when they asked.

You start your countdown for camp next year the day you leave.

  • This was especially true in high school, since I went to CCC nearly every summer!
  • I also did this in 2011 and 2013, because I knew I was going to be taking a whole week off work to go to CCC in 2012 and 2014! I felt very adult then, haha.

Did you go to church camp?

What were some of your favorite memories?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.01.17
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Getting Personal #74: July Goals

July Goals

Image Credit: Pinterest

Here we are! Summer in Virginia is in full swing. Hot and humid!

Here are my goals for the month of July:

  1. Clear the clothing clutter.
  2. Start designing my custom American Girl doll cabinet / storage unit.
  3. Register for the fall semester.
  4. See Spider-Man: Homecoming.
  5. See Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
  6. Write at least 200 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt.
  7. Work toward weekly meal planning.
  8. Set up a consistent cleaning schedule.
  9. Update my resume.
  10. Publish a bigger variety of blog posts.

Here’s the breakdown:

Clear the clothing clutter.

  • Piggybacking off of last month, we’re trying to clean out our closets. There’s a lot of things that don’t fit / we don’t wear anymore.
  • We just need to bag it all up, and head to the local thrift stores.

Start designing my custom American Girl doll cabinet / storage unit.

  • This is going to be my birthday gift from Al. I’m so excited!
  • I’ve been designing it in my head ever since we started talking about it last weekend in the car.
  • I’ll finally have a functional / beautiful way to store my dolls and their clothes / accessories.
  • This will be a fun project that we can work on together!
  • I promise pictures!

Register for the fall semester.

  • Once the replacement Longwood transcripts come in, I’m making an appointment on campus to make sure everything is taken care in terms of transfer credits.
  • After that, I’ll talk with Professor Pedigo to make sure everything is squared away.
  • Then, I can finally register for Legal Writing!

See Spider-Man: Homecoming.

  • We’re definitely going to see it on Thursday, July 6th!
  • Depending on how the first show goes, we may go see it again with friends.

See Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

  • I was initially skeptical about this one.
  • But, after watching several YouTube videos and reading more about it, I’m excited to see it!
  • It looks super trippy, in a good way. I’m excited to see how they interpret the graphic novel.

Write at least 200 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt.

  • I was re-reading what I’ve written so far, and I’ve been jotting down some thoughts. I’m excited to add more to the story, bit by bit.

Work toward weekly meal planning.

  • After looking at our budget recently, and finding out earlier this week that we need to replace our HVAC system, I’m motivated to start meal planning in a notebook.
  • We have several good recipes that we like and use a lot, but any new ideas and welcomed and appreciated!

Set up a consistent cleaning schedule.

  • This is another thing I want to put in writing, or on the calendar in the kitchen.
  • I need to make time every weekend to do some cleaning, so stuff like dust doesn’t pile up.
  • We have our laundry and sink / dishwasher routines down cold, but vacuuming / dust mopping / dusting – Not so much.
  • As an adult with my own house, I’m now starting to understand why my mom had me do certain things at certain times every month – It really helps!

Update my resume.

  • In talking with Professor Pedigo at the blood drive last month, she’s offered to help me update my resume. She keeps student resumes on file for lawyers needing help, and other job opportunities.
  • She also recommends to update it every six months, so I’d like to get in the habit of doing that now.
  • I also want to update my LinkedIn profile, and a few other professional things this month.

Publish a bigger variety of blog posts.

Do you have any goals for the month of July?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

06.30.17
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Getting Personal #73: June Goals Recap

June Goals Recap

Image Credit: Fueled By Carrots

June is over!

Here’s the link to my June Goals post:

—

Ready?

Here we go!

  1. Celebrate our 100th blood drive! — Accomplished!
  2. Refresh/update my summer wardrobe. — Semi-Achieved.
  3. See Wonder Woman! — Accomplished!
  4. Celebrate Nick and Savy’s engagement/upcoming wedding! — Accomplished!
  5. Attend the 10-year high school reunion with my IB classmates. — Accomplished!
  6. Celebrate Mom’s retirement! — Accomplished!
  7. Buy bikes! — Accomplished!
  8. Visit the library at least once. — Accomplished!
  9. Work to write between three-four Book Reviews. — Accomplished!

Here’s the breakdown:

Celebrate our 100th blood drive! — Accomplished!

  • We had an excellent blood drive for #100 on Saturday, June 3rd.
  • I was FINALLY able to give blood – Happy dance!
  • We collected 60 units total, which is excellent for a summer drive. Historically, the summer months are the worst for the Red Cross and other blood banks, because there are less donors.

Blood Drive 100

The awesome cake my mom bought at our local BJ’s!

Refresh/update my summer wardrobe. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I’m mainly happy that I moved/re-organized my fall/winter clothes! Those are stored away until the seasons change again (It won’t be long!)
  • I also moved some spring/summer clothes into my closet, and organized those properly.
  • Next: Go through the huge hamper at the bottom of the closet!

See Wonder Woman! — Accomplished!

  • I’m so glad we went to see it. It was AWESOME!
  • Gal Gadot is a FREAKING ROCKSTAR.
  • If you haven’t seen it, it is highly recommended!

Wonder Woman

Al’s caption on Facebook, June 4th: “Going to see Wonder Woman with my Wonder Woman.”

Celebrate Nick and Savy’s engagement/upcoming wedding! — Accomplished!

  • We had a great time at their house, as we always do.
  • Al’s parents drove us there, and my mom came with us!
  • It was an awesome reunion – Seeing Mia, Crystal and Steven, Jeremy and Chelsea, Rachel and Jason, Kudu, and others!

Attend the 10-year high school reunion with my IB classmates. — Accomplished!

  • After a few challenges, like changing restaurants, 18 of us (11 classmates, 7 spouses, and Sean’s not-so-little brother) gathered at Waterman’s at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on Saturday, June 17th. We had a great time!
  • Thanks, Sean, for setting this up!
  • We had to wait an hour and a half for a table big enough to open up, so a bunch of us gathered on the boardwalk for a while. We stood in a huge circle and had a great time catching up and reminiscing. It was really great to have that opportunity, because by the time we got in the restaurant to eat, it was hard to hear everyone!

Markus Miller

Markus was smart to hand his phone to our waiter! This is one of the better photos. It was so great to see everyone! Image Credit: Markus Miller.

Celebrate Mom’s retirement! — Accomplished!

  • We celebrated at Spaghetti Eddie’s with my parents on the last day of school.
  • The school had a wonderful end-of-the-year luncheon, where Mom and several other retiring teachers and staff were recognized.
  • A photo mat was passed around the school and signed for my mom, and all the messages were so sweet!
  • She received a wonderful send-off after 23 years at Chittum Elementary.

Buy bikes! — Accomplished!

  • We were able to support a fantastic local business, SCAT Bikes – And, they’re only a few miles from our house!
  • In one Saturday, we purchased two bikes, two helmets, a bike rack that works for both of our cars, and a fancy adjustable bar that makes my bike more stable when transporting it.

Bikes

Al took this photo last weekend before we hopped on. We love riding around our neighborhood – Very safe and quiet. We certainly work up a good sweat! The only change we’ll make is better bike seats!

Visit the library at least once. — Accomplished!

  • I went twice!
  • I picked up The Man in the High Castle and The Lost Symbol, and then renewed The Lost Symbol. I’m deep into that one now, and loving it! Trying hard to finish it before next Saturday!

Work to write between three-four Book Reviews. — Accomplished!

Final Thoughts:

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to eight out of nine goals. I think this is a record! I was so excited when I started counting!
  • The one goal that was Semi-Achieved: I’m just happy that I got things organized. I still have some more work to do, but that’s fine by me!

Did you have any goals for June?

Come back tomorrow to see my goals for July!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

06.29.17
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Getting Personal #72: “Forest Path, Cork County, Ireland” (Reblogged)

It’s been a while since I shared one of Just Wunderlust’s incredible photos!

Ireland, among many other countries and places, is on my “bucket list” to visit. I’ve always loved being in nature as much as possible, especially surrounded by trees.

I’m living vicariously through one of my college roommates right now, as she shares her cross-country trip with all her Facebook friends. They’ve made it to the West Coast, and her photos have been awesome!

This photo makes me think of the stories I used to dream up when I was younger. The first “book” that I wrote was set in a forest (in Oregon, not Ireland), but that’s what I thought of when I saw this photo earlier today.

I could easily take this photo and start to create a whole world/story line. I love that I still have an active imagination. I need to pick up a new notebook this weekend – I have several story ideas bouncing around in my head that I want to write down ASAP!

Are there certain places you dream of visiting?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂