Finally!

"I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night."

"It was only a smile, nothing more. It didn't make everything all right. It didn't make anything all right. Only a smile. A tiny thing. A leaf in the woods, shaking in the wake of a startled bird's flight.
But I'll take it. With open arms. Because when spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time, and maybe I just witnessed the first flake melting."

What beautiful words to end a book that has so much of the ugliness of mankind in it. I have finally read Kite Runner. It had been in my to-read periphery for a long time. I started it a couple of weeks ago and wasn't really that impressed with the opening chapters, so I put it aside to read Beige (a work read). I was worried that Kite Runner couldn't satisfy or impress me enough to live up to its reputation--everyone that I know who has read it raves about its greatness. I shouldn't have been worried. Once I went back to it, I started being drawn into the story. I cried more than once as I read, and I wanted to read the book constantly. The last book club read was such a disappointment that I had been feeling rather listless about reading. I needed to fall in love with a book. Kite Runner cured my reading blahs.

I wasn't that impressed with Khaled Hosseini's prose style, but the plot of this novel is great. When I finished the book this morning at work, I wished that I knew how to talk about music. The language of this book is not musical, but the last three or four chapters felt like a symphony to me. Or I felt like a symphony should be the background music to this ending. I really can't explain what I mean, but my first thought after I read the last sentence was this: What an ending! I wish I knew musical terms. If I figure out how to explain myself, I will post more on Kite Runner later.

I think I will go read one of the stories in the latest book club selection, No one belongs here more than you, and go to bed. Oh wait, before I go, I just have to say one thing: What about those Cowboys! 11-1 and a clinched playoff berth. Woohoo! :-)

A Picture Perfect Day

Today was a gorgeous day! A breezy 66 for the high, and the sky was beautifully blue. I wish I had a photo to post to show you how glorious it was today.

After lunch today, I walked down the street to the middle school next door to the junior high where I am librarian. I took the long way to and from the other school so that I could be outside for as long as possible. On the walk back, I realized how good my life is right now. Even though I am not completely happy with my new job (I miss being in a high school but I'll save that story for a future post), I am so happy not to have to worry about submitting grades for students by the end of the day tomorrow. All week, my teacher co-workers have stressed over getting their grades submitted before the Thanksgiving break begins. It truly is a nice feeling not to have to worry about that kind of thing anymore. :-)

In addition to work, I am almost finished with my next to last semester of grad school. The 4-hour course that I am taking this semester is the hardest course that I have had to take, and I will be so glad when it's over.

Most importantly, my personal life is great! I will write specifically about that later, but, for now, I just want to say that I am very happy.

It's been over a month since I have posted an entry here, but I plan to post more regularly once this semester is over. Maybe I will regain those five or six readers that I used to have. If not, maybe I will find some more.

Have a great Friday everyone.