What I’m into, March/April 2015

Another surgery, a wedding, settling into a new house, and rehearsing a show that opens this weekend: March and April were very busy. Here’s what I was into the last two months.

A Fighting Chance by Elizabeth Warren

I was already a fan of “my” senator when I launched into this easy-to-read political memoir which focuses on Warren’s experience in recent years of working within the government to enact policies that protect consumers. It is at times disheartening to read her litany of ways the deck is stacked against us (to use one of her favorite terms), but illuminating to have a behind-the-scenes perspective on the fights in government over regulation of the financial industry.

Looking for Mary: (Or, the Blessed Mother and Me) by Beverly Donofrio

I started this book in the waiting room before surgery, and finished it in my post-anesthesia haze. I remember that I liked it, but I honestly can’t remember much else about it. Blame the anesthesia.

The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammad by Lesley Hazelton

In my study and teaching of church history, the development of Islam comes up tangentially yet I don’t have more than a passing knowledge of its origins. This book excels in two areas: first, it illustrates the Arabian context, particularly the societal and family networks that shaped Muhammad’s life; and second, it shares Muhammad’s mystical experiences in a way that sheds light both on the development of Islam and on mysticism in general.

Things as They Are by Paul Horgan

This was a nifty little book I had never come across before, reprinted about ten years ago in the Loyola Classics series. Its protagonist is a young boy, and its theme throughout a series of vignettes is his discovery of “things as they are”. It is a remarkable piece of writing that doesn’t sugar-coat or idealize childhood.

Titanic the Musical

Titanic is my latest theatrical endeavor. My role is one of the second-class passengers, but you’ll have to come see the role to find out if I make it into a lifeboat. It is a gorgeous score, brilliantly presented by the artistic staff of Woodland Theatre Company. I have a post up on their blog as well.

 

 

Visting Nurse Association of Boston

Immediately after my surgery and while I had my temporary ostomy I was under the care of the Boston VNA. I didn’t know much about visiting nurses before this experience and was astonished by their level of care and expertise. These are amazing people working for a great organization.

Kendra Stanley Mills, photographer

Also known as our wedding photographer, and our dear friend. Robert worked with her husband in Michigan, and they came out to Boston for the wedding and agreed to shoot our wedding. Her work is phenomenal: you can see some posted on her blog, and a few shots below as well. I am overjoyed with how she captured the day.

The vocation of singleness

Not long before the wedding I wrote my last post as a single woman, and tried to say all I wanted to say about those productive, mission-oriented single years.

What are you into this month?

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