#90 - Buy a nice pair of binoculars/opera glasses

I bought a nice pair of binoculars at Bass Pro Shop with a gift card. As soon as I figure out how to work them, they will be great for my upcoming trip to Alaska.

I would still like to get a nice pair of opera glasses some day, but for now, this is completed.

#82 - Set up my futon/daybed.

I did this. Twice! I guess I was waiting to post until I uploaded a picture, but that never happened... and then I moved and set it up again! Basically, I've got the frame (dark blue), the mattress, a mattress cover (maroon), 2 pillows to act as "arms"(light blue) and a throw blanket(flag print) that looks very nice on it. Use your imagination.

#75 - Bake a cake in my cross pan.

This I did. Kind of. Apparently the directions I followed were wrong and didn't properly compensate for the cake rising... rising... rising out of the can pan, onto the cookie sheet it was on, and then over and to the bottom of the oven.

Well, to put it nicely, it was disastrous. I am debating trying again or just giving the pan away on freecycle. Leaning towards the latter at this point.

#98 - Pick up trash on my way to work.

Failed. I never did this officially, and now that I've moved, I can no longer walk. However, I did pick up trash a few times, but I just didn't do the whole thing.

Velvet Elvis

I recently finished reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell.
My sister lent me the book over a year ago and started asking what happened to it, so I thought I'd better read it before I returned it! I really enjoyed this book. I loved the way that Bell addressed faith through examples of everyday life. The first chapters did this really well and helped me to really get into the book.
My favorite part about the book is the way that Bell addresses how things were in Jesus' day. Why he used the phrases he did, why he spoke in parables, and why things were the way they were are all addressed. We need to be reminded that Jesus was a Jew and that really colored a lot of what he did and how he rose to fame.
Bell addressed a lot of questions that I have had about biblical passages. Why did they phrase it that way? Why didn't they just come out and say it? I came away from this book with a much greater understanding of what was going on at the time and what the Holy Book is really saying.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in understanding Christianity a little better.

Angels & Demons

Angels & Demons, by Dan Brown has been sitting on my bookshelf for almost 2 years. I bought it used at the local library sale after I really enjoyed reading and watching The Da Vinci Code. When I heard that Ron Howard was going to make a movie out of Angels & Demons as well, I knew I'd better read it before I went to see the movie.

I read this book in less than 4 days. It was such a page-turner I could barely put it down. I enjoyed "spending time" with Robert Langdon's character again, too. Dan Brown's writing really sucks you into the story and keeps you questioning right along with the characters. Who's on what side? Will the mystery be solved in time? Really amazing character development as well. I am ready to read the other Dan Brown novel on my bookshelf.

#37 - Get passport for myself.

We needed to get passports for our trip this summer, so this is done. It arrived at my parents last week and I still haven't gotten to see it yet. I'm very excited about this. I can travel the globe! Done!

#30 - Send all college-going relatives a "care package" (including Cathy).(4/4)

This one has been completed since October of last year, but I was trying to find the picture I took of the care packages before I posted. Obviously that is not happening. Done!

#100 - Do 2 walks for good causes.

Since my feet are still kinda out of commission for walking long distances, I decided to donate a large chunk of change to the local food pantry instead of doing the walks. Done.

#92 - Sell Mike's VHS/DVDs for him

Mike decided to donate his VHS tapes to a yard sale that my church is holding in the next few weeks. We dropped them off together over the weekend.

#88 - Buy a LCD HD TV.

I did it! I used my federal tax refund this year to buy this beauty:

She doesn't have a name, but she probably should! Definitely the new focal point of my living room. :-)

#58 - See a show at the Hershey Theatre

For Valentine's Day, Mike and I saw The Princes Bride at the Hershey Theatre. It was a great atmosphere to see our favorite movie on the big screen! I'd still like to get to the Theatre for an actual musical or play, but it probably won't happen for a while and this definitely counts.

#49 - Write a poem every week for a year

I've decided that this will never happen because you just can't force creativity like this. I may change my mind in the future, but for now, it is marked as failed.

#5 - Hang posters in the office/guest room.

This has been done for a really long time, and I just never took pictures because the room is a disaster. But, that was not part of the deal. Here are my posters!

Heidi

After a few months of no reading at all, I'm starting to feel frantically behind in my goals to read 100 books. However, after finishing Heidi (Puffin Classics) by Johanna Spyri last week, I am back into reading before bed every night.

Heidi is a classic tale and I can see why. It is a story about a little girl with lots of spunk and she knows what she wants. The tale incorporates the life style of two very different little girls and what they have been taught (or not taught!) about how to behave. Along the way, Heidi learns about God and about a lot of things that are important in life. The end of the book was slightly predictable, but moving nonetheless. If you didn't read this as a child, I highly suggest reading it now!