Lazy W Marie

Carpeing all the diems in semi-rural Oklahoma...xoxo

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literary saturday: ten great things I read this week

Hello, welcome to Saturday again! This past week I have enjoyed some delicious, thought-provoking online reading material, taking a short break from books. After reviewing these saved links, it became obvious that I have been:

  • hungry
  • feeling very romantic and reflective
  • craving miles
  • still hungry

Then I realized it haaaas been Valentine season, so that might be why I am finding so many lovey-dovey treasures scattered about. And as for the non-romance-related posts? See for yourself:

  1. How Real People Really Make Love Ann Voskamp nails it again.
  2. 14 Signs You’re in the Right Relationship Not to brag, but… We totally got 14 /14. (brushes off shoulder and smooches spouse)
  3. Ten Big Truths for Every Committed Couple My friend Kelly wrote this series over a period of time and has been sharing it piecemeal on Facebook, to the delight of her online community. Rumor has it the whole series could soon be destined for the public 3-D bookshelf. (Yay!!) In the mean time, read this. It’s smart, practical, beautiful, inspiring. Just like Kelly. Who, by the way, is a licensed marriage and family therapist and marital researcher. She not only knows what she’s talking about; she cares deeply. Read and share these Ten Big Truths with other special couples.
  4. Being Fed I don’t visit Not Without Salt often enough, but when I do I am delighted by her voice, story, and clear, colorful, truly stunning photos. Read this short piece about being fed. It’s a food blog, but this is about more than a meal. Gorgeous.
  5. How to Make the Long Run a Good One Hungry Runner Girl shared this just when I needed it. She talks about fueling, which I am tweaking lately. But the most useful bit? Imagining and determining the long run to be good even before you lace up. Also, break up your distance into smaller chunks. This make the long stretch much more doable! With each increment your body is warmer and warmer, more pliable, more able to run another increment. Then all of a sudden you’re done! I love this advice and have put it into practice plenty since reading it.
  6. Sausage and Mushroom Risotto Even if you don’t want to prepare this recipe (why wouldn’t you?), please read Joy’s words for the sheer pleasure. I swear she could make cold, stale leftovers sound appealing. For the record, I definitely want to try this recipe, as my belly cannot seem to get enough mushrooms or starch.
  7. Grub Street Diet And this is a fun little food diary Joy kept for a popular website feature. Super cool. It almost made me want to translate a few days’ worth of My Fitness Pal entries into something more like a story. I love food.
  8. Colds are Caused by Conflict Okay, yes. Yes yes yes. Call me crazy (again), but I believe this and agree wholeheartedly. I also believe in straight-up old-fashioned germs of course, and I take medicine when I need to, but here is yet another expression of how our mental or psychic selves influence our physical bodies. Oh man.
  9. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough I love the OKC Thunder!!!
  10. Why Readers are the Best People to Fall in Love With Hubba hubba. xoxo
In addition to great reading, this week has served up some incredible skies. Of course. Thank you so much, Oklahoma. xoxo
In addition to great reading, this week has served up some incredible skies. Of course. Thank you so much, Oklahoma. xoxo

What have you been discovering to soak up with your smart little eyeballs? Have you signed up for Feedly yet? Tell me everything.

Happy Saturday friends!! Read your heart out.

XOXOXOXO

 

 

 

 

 

 

what I’m reading: blogs & a new book

Happy Saturday! We all made it to the weekend, friends. And I hope you made it in one piece and covered with smiles. It’s Saturday, so I’m touching base with what kind of reading is worth our time lately. In a nutshell for me? Lots of fitness blogs plus a new book, The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. This week I also finished Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, but it absolutely deserves its own review soon. Plus, Goldfinch was a DCWRP selection, so I don’t want to spoil it too much for my fellow book clubbers still nibbling at it. Melissa and I have already discussed it openly on Facebook enough to risk a few spoilers. : )

Okay, The  Signature of All Things. I’m just about fifty pages in right now.

signature1

I first fell in love with Elizabeth Gilbert several years ago when my baby sister sent me a used paperback version of Eat Pray Love. She sent the slim novel to several of her closest women folk (that was fun to say) and honestly it was the coolest, most wonderful experience. Wonderful because Genny shared something she loved. Wonderful because the book arrived in my life at a time I really needed to read about plumbing depth and exploring and discovering and healing. Wonderful because that book reignited my love of reading. Since Eat Pray Love I’ve followed Gilbert’s online offerings but have only just now started her fiction. So far? It’s… different. But I’m enjoying it. DCWRP friends Melissa and Tracy both read it months ago and have said they can’t wait to hear what I think. So that’s a conversation I’m excited to have. These ladies have great taste in books! Tracy’s husband actually suggested we read Goldfinch.

And fitness blogs. I can’t seem to get enough of running blogs right now. It must be the sight shift in weather. Having recently discovered a few new writers and also subscribed to Women’s Running, I’ve been drowning myself in words enough to fuel more miles, which is awesome. I just wrapped up week four of the marathon training program and am feeling really great.

Run Eat Repeat, running, Pile on the Miles
The Monican! She is totally bringing braids back.

One of my favorites lately is still Run Eat Repeat written by the Monican. She is so funny and self deprecating, also happy to answer questions, which I appreciate. Through her I found Janae over at Hungry Runner Girl, and as it turns out she is a regular contributor to Women’s Running. Very cool. She produces tons of useful content. And of course The Oatmeal. You follow this guy, right? So silly and smart. Really funny. Come to think of it, I owe this reading pleasure to a sibling, too. My little brother Joey sent it to me months ago and I was immediately hooked.

What are you reading this week? Are you in A book club? Are you diverted by a guilty pleasure? Do you read anything to keep yourself motivated? Are you a blog reader during the week? Spill your literary beans here.

And happy weekend to you! Handsome and I are are home together, hoping to see our girl pull in the driveway soon for some sunshine and horses and home cooked food. Maybe a visit from our sister-in-law Halee and red headed nephew Greg. Plus some fun with friends, you name it. A glorious, loving weekend is all spread out before us, and I hope the same for you. Maybe we all can go read in the sunshine, because at least in Oklahoma the weather is downright springtime-like.

Happy reading, friends!
XOXOXOXO