Another One Flies From The Nest

Well, it is official. Our home is now down from five to four. There is a bedroom in the house that has been picked over and only the unwanted items remain behind. A stray sock, an old school photograph, a muddy pair of tennis shoes, clothing that was never unpacked from the first move...and of course the candy wrappers, pieces of paper and such that often live tucked away in the nooks and crannies of a child's room.

It is a bittersweet time around here. On the one hand, we are excited to see where the future will take 'the newly independent one'. On the other, we hate to see them go. The house seems emptier already.

Jim and I have always known that our responsibility was to get them ready to launch into the world. We have watched one move out after a year of planning; another move on at the time of marriage. This one made the decision in about a week and had our heads spinning. Yet the emotions of watching each of them move into their first place has been similar...pride in their accomplishments, anxiety about their safety, and a little bit of regret that the time had come more quickly than we had thought.

Tonight I take a good look around the nearly empty room and see the things that need to be cleaned up, say a little prayer for the safety of all three of the children who have stretched their wings...and hug a little tighter the two who are closer to launch than I want to think about right now.

What's On My Nightstand: September

Today marks the beginning of my absolute favorite season of the year. I love fall! I love the changing leaves (of which we see very little) and the crispness of the air (which is still a little ways out for us).

Today also is What's On Your Nightstand? time at 5 Minutes for Books. I love looking at everyone's list and seeing their reviews. I always end up adding something new to my "To Be Read" pile after visiting their blogs.

So what have I read this month? What am I waiting to read? Here is my list, just in case you were wondering.

Read:
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling - This was probably my favorite series finale EVER! I read all 756 pages in a weekend. The author did such a wonderful job of keeping the suspense going right up until the very end. Since I started this series so many, many years ago...I was very thankful that the clues (which have been building since Book 1) were revealed in such a way that I could remember them, even if it was just vaguely. I can hardly wait for the movies now!

Vision In White by Nora Roberts - This was my first Nora Roberts book. I picked it up at Half Price Books 'just because'...and threw it in my bag for the 7 hour drive to Arkansas over Labor Day. I 'liked' it. It turned out to be a good travel book. This is the story of 4 friends who have grown from playing Wedding Day in the back yard to operating a full service wedding venue. This first book focused on Mackenzie Elliot, a talented wedding photographer who doesn't believe in 'happily ever after'. That is until she meets a former high school acquaintance who is definitely NOT her type and she fears it might be love. I will probably read the rest of The Bride Quartet when they come out. My favorite quote: "Some things in life are out of your control. You can make it a party or a tragedy." How true!

Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark - This is another first read for me by a well published author. It is the story of young man who has been missing for 10 years, yet Mack Mackenzie calls his mother every year for Mother's Day. On the 10th anniversary of his disappearance, his younger sister, Carolyn, swears to him that she will find him. As she begins her search, Carolyn unwittingly casts her brother as a suspected serial killer who has just kidnapped the fourth victim in the last ten years...the first, just weeks before his disappearance. The story was suspenseful throughout, driven by characters with secrets to be kept and those who have information that has never been seen as important enough to mention. I will be looking for another novel by Mary Higgins Clark the next time I want an entertaining mystery to read.

Reading:
Idols Of The Heart: Learning To Long For God Alone by Elyse Fitzpatrick. This one is my slow, pondering read and may even still be here next month.

To Be Read:
The Secret Life Of Bees and The Centurion's Wife are both still on my nightstand. (Will and I will be sharing The Secret Life Of Bees since it is one of his assigned novels this semester.) The only new book to be added so far this month is Belong to Me: A Novel by Marisa De Los Santos.

So, what are you reading? Leave me a comment and let me know what books I might be missing.

Farewell To The Big Apple

All good things must come to an end...and our trip to New York was no exception. Saturday morning we packed our bags and then made our way to the airport.

We may have missed the colors of fall, but we did see a few trees beginning to change. And we very much enjoyed the beautiful weather (which did not cause me to spill a drop of perspiration all week long).
I don't know why I love the sights and sounds of this city so much...but I do.

Farewell, for now!