Spring top 5-ish | Quarantine Edition

We are in it, friends. We are starting week six of being at home, and it is no easy feat. So maybe you need some ideas of things that are helping me right now? Or at least we can commiserate together, right? Godspeed.

1) Alone Time
Spoiler alert: This doesn't exist for a lot of people right now, myself included. I am in a house with a husband working from home and three kids doing distance learning. And this introvert is far from thriving. So "alone time" looks different just about every day, and it's more often than not quite lacking. Thank goodness it's spring and not the middle of January, because getting outside every day is saving my life right now. I'm also getting really good at closing my bedroom door. I read or craft or just sit in the relative quiet and everyone can just stay in the rest of the house and let me do that. And it's fine. Really. I do start to hyperventilate when I think about the fact that the kids will likely not be going back to school until next fall. Because the timeline of me never being alone just gets longer and longer. But I'm okay. It will all be okay. (Breathe).

2) Multiplying fractions
Just kidding! Fifth grade math sucks. I don't want to change that mixed number into an improper fraction. I don't want to talk about mean, median, mode, and range. I don't want any of it! And guess what? I'M A TEACHER. But guess what else? I have never wanted to homeschool my kids. (Preschool with Will last year doesn't count). Knox McCoy refers to it as the separation of church and state. I am a better mom if someone else can be in charge of teaching you. But hey, that's not the way things are working right now. Luckily, our kids are really rocking the distance learning thing. Jackson is pretty much on his own--he wakes up early and gets it all done in a couple of hours. Leah's teacher is doing a little more than required, since the fifth grade team recognized that the flex learning boards (the only requirement from the state for K-5 right now) are not doing much to prepare these kiddos for entering middle school. So they are sticking with some of their actual curriculum, which I 100% agree with and support, but it does require more help from me. And Will has a variety of things to keep him busy and engaged. He mostly loves reading books and seeing his teacher's and friends' faces on Google Meet. Today he jumped online during his teacher's office hours and was the only kid on, so he used his time with her full attention to show her all the Lego vehicles he'd made this weekend. And God bless Mrs. Loney, because she actually sounded very interested. ;) Which brings me to my next item....

3) Teachers
God bless teachers! Who in the world could have ever predicted that this is what teaching would look like this year? There is so much that is new and frustrating and just plain weird, but they are handling it with such care and grace. We are so grateful. But, MAN, are we going to enjoy seeing teacher in real life at some point again!

4) Cross Stitch
I have some crochet projects right now too, but cross stitch was new for me and it's super fun! I put a podcast in my earbuds and sit and stitch. I got a couple cute kits from Mid-Century Maude on Etsy, but I've also ordered some more materials and I can't wait to get them. I also ordered a Paint by Number that has yet to ship, but that will be another nice little craft. :)

5) Cooking
I mean, it's a good thing I like being in my kitchen because I feel like I've cooked 8,000 meals this month. We don't generally eat out very much, but I think the fact that everyone is here for every meal and snack every day makes it feel like all I do is cook and clean up. One thing that is saving my life around meals right now is the Lazy Genius' concept of having a meal matrix. I'm all for meal planning, but this makes it even easier, which I think we all need right now. You basically assign a type of food to each day of the week. For instance, my April meal plan looks like: pasta Monday, Mexican Tuesday, Asian/Middle Eastern Wednesday, breakfast Thursday, soup Friday, grilling Saturday and random/leftover Sunday. This will change as we head into more summery months (lots more grilling, less soup), but it's working right now and that's all that matters. So if that's helpful, I highly recommend it. :)

6) Instagram
I quit social media in September. I got back on Instagram in November, but I didn't get back on Facebook until last week. And frankly, I'm "back on Facebook" in the sense that my account has been reactivated. I'm not loving much about being back, so I'm keeping my distance. :) But there are some accounts on Instagram that are just making me happy lately, so if you're not following these yet, go check them out.
@tanksgoodnews (lots of feel good stories)
@jimgaffigan (he has a nightly "Dinner with the Gaffigans" that moved from IG to YouTube. It's gold)
@somegoodnews (this is John Krasinski's baby and it's amazing)
@simoncholland (he's just funny)
@dustinnickerson (also very funny)
@davebarnesmusic (again, funny, but also very musically talented)
@jenhatmaker (she's showing us all the real life feelings and just making life easier by being normal)
@nathanwpylestrangeplanet (the silliest little cartoons)
@anniefdowns (she's been quarantined a little longer than the rest of us because she was actually exposed--she's fine--but she has some very real feelings about everything too, and it's refreshing)
@adriennehedger (also a cartoonist--she draws about her real life family and they're hilarious)
@josielewisart (local--to me--artist, but she also posts hilarious Tik Tok clips on her stories and honestly, that alone is worth the follow)
@nataliegrant (she and her husband do a "Song a Day" in IGTV and it's always so moving)

On the topic of social media, if you are following people who are not helpful during this time, you need to go unfollow them. If you have people who are telling you how to use this time and be productive, you can say bye. Or just mute them for a bit. If you follow people with wildly different political views than you and normally you can navigate that divide but right now it's just too much, let it be too much and let go for a while. I promise it will do wonders for your mental health. For real.

7) Books!
You'd think this quarantine would be making me read more, but it's not. I mean, I read a lot and I'm still reading a lot, but I'm not reading more than a lot and I guess I assumed I would be. I blame the cross stitch. Anyway, here you go. (And guess what? I don't have the time or energy to find photos of book covers for all of these. Sorry. That's just real life. If you are a visual person, go google them yourself. Sorry for being bossy). ;)

An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor
Taylor is such a lovely writer. I read and loved her Holy Envy in the fall, but I knew she had other books. This book is "A Geography of Faith," and she recounts how she encounters God in her everyday life.

The Dutch House and Run by Ann Patchett
Before this year, I'd only ever read Bel Canto by Patchett. I loved it, but I never came across anything else by her. The Dutch House came out last year and it's just beautiful. Then I ran out of library books and remembered that I'd gotten a copy of her Run at a book swap last year, so I read that and loved it as well. I'm just a big fan of Patchett. She writes so beautifully and makes it seem so effortless.

Dad's Maybe Book by Tim O'Brien
I read O'Brien's The Things They Carried years ago and loved it. This book is more memoir about his life as a dad, which didn't happen for him until much later in life. It's funny and poignant and sweet.

Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl
I read and loved Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires I believe last year. She is a food writer and was the food critic for the New York Times (which was the topic of Garlic and Sapphires). Plums recounts her ten years as the editor in chief at Gourmet magazine. It will make you want to cook fancy food or visit a fancy restaurant. Or both.

I'll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa de los Santos
This was an Anne Bogel ("What Should I Read Next" podcast) recommendation, and it did not disappoint. It shifts between the 1950s and the present, and the story is so beautiful and intriguing. She's another writer who makes the craft seem so easy.

Don't Overthink It by Anne Bogel
Haha--speak of the devil. :) Bogel's other two books (Reading People and I'd Rather Be Reading were so lovely, so I promptly preordered this when I saw it months ago. And I'm so glad I did. It was so good, and it's also oddly timely for this weird world we're living in!

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
I've never read anything else by Moyes (I think I saw the movie for one), but my dad dropped this off a few weeks ago and I really enjoyed it! It's based on a true story about a group of women who run a traveling library in the mountains of Kentucky. Super interesting story.

BONUS: Books that are coming soon that I'm super excited about!
Jen Hatmaker's Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire comes out TOMORROW! Yes, I will be watching for the UPS truck all dang day. I am just a fan of Jen's. She's just real and honest and funny and I can't wait to read this.

Chris Heuertz's The Enneagram of Belonging comes out in a month. Heuertz wrote The Sacred Enneagram, which is one of my favorite books on the Enneagram. We also got to see him at a conference, and a lot of what he talked about was "from his next book," and guess what!? The next book is almost here!

Knox McCoy's All Things Reconsidered comes out in June, and I loved his The Wondering Years so much, so I can't wait for this one.

Kendra Adachi's The Lazy Genius Way comes out in August. I have been a Lazy Genius follower for a few years, and I am SO happy that she's finally got a book!

WOW. The end. Thanks for reading. Here's to surviving this weirdness. In in together, friends.

Winter top 23 - Books and Movies

My last blog post was "good riddance," and then I proceeded to not blog for a whole month, so I guess I meant it!

But now I'm sitting with the sun on my back on this first day of February. How are we holding up, friends? We're a little over a month into winter. The days are (slowly) getting longer. Unfortunately this past month marked the cloudiest January on record in the Twin Cities. But we have sun and 40 degrees in the forecast for Sunday, so we'll survive. ;)

I'm starting to substitute teach, so my time won't be AS free moving forward, but I've had lots of time the last few months to watch movies and read books, hence the "books and movies only" format this time through. When we first got married, Dan and I hosted an Academy Awards party for almost 10 years straight. It was great fun, and we made it a point to see as many nominated movies as we could. Well, with three kids (and more nominated movies in the best picture category now), that hasn't happened for years. Until now. :) Still taking advantage of Emagine's Tuesday deal, I have knocked out a bunch of Oscar-nominated movies, and it has been awesome. And of course, I'm always reading something, so there are plenty of books to report as well. I seem to have gotten on a nonfiction kick, but there are a few novels as well.

Enjoy!

Movies
In my opinion, these are the "must see" group. And I'm not going to give a summary or anything--most are well-known enough or you can google. ;) (I'm also including how you can watch them right now)

Little Women (theaters, out on DVD in March)

Knives Out (theaters, out on DVD February 25th)

Jojo Rabbit (theaters, out on DVD February 25th)

The Two Popes (Netflix)

Marriage Story (Netflix)

1917 (theaters, out on DVD in April)

Harriet (Redbox, Prime)

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (theaters, out on DVD February 18th)

And a couple honorable mentions (not necessarily must-see, but I definitely enjoyed them!)

Ford v Ferrari (theaters, out on DVD February 11th)

Parasite (DVD, although not at Redbox yet, Prime)

Bombshell (theaters, out on DVD March 10th)

Books
Like I said, lots of nonfiction. I know that's not everyone's cup of tea, but some real gems here:

The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. This was Sarah Bessey's first book club pick for 2020, and the library happened to have a copy. It was so fantastic! The relationship between these men is just so sweet, and I thoroughly enjoyed their back and forth.

The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs. I believe I reviewed When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi a couple years ago. The Bright Hour is a similar concept--Nina is living with terminal cancer and writing about life in the face of death. It's beautiful and poignant and heartbreaking. (Also, random happy story, Nina's husband and Paul's wife are now together).

From Scratch by Tembi Locke. This book will make you want to go to Italy. Or at least cook like you're in Italy (which is possible, thanks to the recipes she includes in the back). The book goes back and forth between Tembi's first trip to Italy in college, where she meets her future husband, to her trips back to Italy after his death.

The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King. All about Fred Rogers, who is really one of my favorite people. I finished this in November and saw the movie a couple weeks later. Highly recommend doing both. ;)

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Bryan is an attorney who represents people on death row. Most of the book recounts his experience with Walter McMillian, who has been wrongly convicted of murder and is facing death row. The book is now a movie, which I have yet to see, but I've heard it's amazing as well.

Letters to the Church by Francis Chan. This was an intriguing and refreshing read. Francis has much experience in the mega-church scene, but he started exploring what Jesus intended "church" to look like (and explored the model of the early church) and decided to leave his church and start a home church, which he still does today. It's a very interesting look into what we have made church and how we can "come back" to what church was meant to be.

Miracles and Other Reasonable Things by Sarah Bessey. I loved Bessey's Jesus Feminist and Out of Sorts, but this one might be my favorite of hers so far. Her writing is honest and fresh and so lovely. I want to be her friend. ;)

The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett Graff. I somehow, months apart, requested two different books about 9/11 from the library. I don't remember who recommended this one, but the other was Fall and Rise, which was green-lit by Jamie on the Popcast. Crazily enough, the two books came to the library for me at the same time. I decided to only read one, and since Fall and Rise was considerably longer, I chose this one. The oral history format was really fascinating. Graff has collected hundreds of firsthand accounts of 9/11, both from interviews he conducted himself and from accounts that already existed in other collections. He put them together chronologically, which is just amazing and so interested to read about the day as it all unfolded. I will always be fascinated by 9/11, particularly the miraculous stories of survival in the midst of so much loss.

And some fiction:

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert. I was hesitant to read this because 1) it was SO hyped up, and sometimes I end up not liking books that everyone else LOVES (I'm looking at you, Daisy Jones and the Six) and 2) I haven't loved Gilbert's nonfiction that I've read (Eat Pray Love and Big Magic). But I'm so glad I picked this up anyway (or, more accurately, added it to my holds at the library and picked it up months later when it was finally my turn). Anyway, the story is delightful and quirky and so so fun. (Fair warning, there's kind of a lot of sex--nothing terribly graphic, but it's there).

Greetings from Witness Protection by Jake Burt. This is a super fun kids' fiction read. If you've got kids (or just enjoy kid lit yourself, no shame), I highly recommend it. Nicki is an orphan who gets to join a family entering witness protection as a way to escape some criminal relatives. Really enjoyable.

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. Set in the south in the 1960s, the book follows Elwood to Nickel Academy, a school for boys after he's caught unknowingly riding in a stolen car. The school turns out to be quite different than he expected and alters his life forever. Heartbreaking and eye-opening.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center. Firefighter Cassie relocates to Boston to help take care of her mother and ends up taking care of herself too. Really sweet story of love and forgiveness and courage.

Okay, friends. Happy watching and reading. And happy winter. :)

Good riddance!

We're on the cusp of a new year. And honestly, we're ready for it. Bring on the new year. New DECADE, even!

Because if I'm being completely honest, 2019 hasn't been a picnic for the Bennetts. Some of it has been downright crappy. I saw something online this morning that said "Page 364 of 365. Are you ready to close this book?" And I thought, "Not only am I ready to close this book, I would have quit this book and moved on to another one a LONG time ago!"

And while nothing about turning the page on a calendar guarantees that things are going to be better, we're just ready for something fresh and new.

2019 literally started with my dad in the hospital. He had a TIA (mini stroke) on the morning of December 31st and rang in the New Year, probably sound asleep, in his hospital bed at North Memorial.

The middle of the year brought an intense pastor search process at our church, which I was on the search committee for. We spent months interviewing one candidate and after two months of discerning on his end, he ended up telling us no. It was devastating and frustrating and so many other emotions.

2019 is ending with colds and coughs all around, among other physical ailments.

And in between? Job issues, plumbing expenses, car problems, bullying, lost loved ones, health problems, a sick cat, relationship challenges, and freaking bed bugs. By the time Jack and Leah were homebound with strep throat on Thanksgiving Day, it was almost comical. "Of course! It is still 2019, after all!"

I wish I had something encouraging to say in the midst of it all. Other than, "we survived!" Because we did. But we're weary. We feel awfully attacked. And I'm not sure how much more we can take.

So, 2020? Please be kind. :)

Best books of 2019!

I love reading everyone's lists at the end of the year--best movies, best blogs, best podcasts, but especially best books. I read a lot, and I read even more than usual this year (hello, long winter. hello, sabbatical). Here are some of my faves. (And they're just from my quarterly "best of" posts, so if you've read those, this is nothing new).

So without further ado!

I joked with my friend that this book title perfectly describes an Enneagram 5. :) Anne Bogel's I'd Rather Be Reading highlights everything we love about books and why we can't imagine life without them. It was a very enjoyable read.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones follows an African American couple after the husband is wrongly accused of a crime and incarcerated. Fascinating and thought-provoking.

I've enjoyed everything I've read by Rachel Held Evans, and Inspired was no different. The book itself was inspired by her own questions about the Bible, and she walks us through various types of writing found there, as well as what God is trying to teach us through it.

Knox McCoy is one of the hosts of two of my favorite podcasts, The Popcast and The Bible Binge, and The Wondering Years is his memoir. It's hilarious and heartwarming and I loved it so much.

The Overstory by Richard Powers details the lives of nine individuals and how they all come together around trees. Sounds weird, but it's fascinating and beautiful. Their stories run deep and it was fun to piece them all together.

I'll Be There For You: The One About Friends by Kelsey Miller. I'm a die-hard Friends fan, and Kelsey had some backstories and behind-the-scenes that I hadn't even heard before. It was so great! And it made me want to watch the series all over again. (I haven't yet, but do you know what I love watching? Friends bloopers videos on Facebook. Don't even start, because it's so hard to stop. Or do, because it will be the funniest thing you've watched all day). :)

Carnegie's Maid is a fictional work about the real Andrew Carnegie. It's a fascinating and enjoyable read with a definite "Downton Abbey" upstairs/downstairs feel.

Love & Gelato and Love & Luck are two fun teen fiction books. (Read them in this order--it's not necessarily a book and its sequel, but the second does reference characters from the first). Super cute stories that will make you want to travel to Europe. :)

I talked about this one when it was up for Giveaway Day last month, but it was so incredibly inspiring! These two friends, one in a wheelchair, take on the Camino trail in Spain. So good.

Born Survivors is the account of three women who had babies in concentration camps during World War II. You honestly can't even believe that these women survived, much less their babies. This is not a weekend read. I literally took the whole three weeks that I had this from the library, and I read some lighter novels in between sections of it. It's heart-wrenching and fascinating, and every time I read anything about that period of time, I can't believe the horror of what went on.

I chose this one for book club last month and we all really enjoyed it. :) She's a fantastic writer (or her ghostwriter is...) and her life story was really interesting to read about.

Maid was another fascinating nonfiction read. I learned a lot about poverty and the working poor. Land's story was eye-opening and inspiring.

Freeman's podcast of the same name is one of my favorites, and her book is mostly past episodes with some new content. It was a delight to listen to the audiobook, and the actual hardcover is beautifully crisp and clean. :)

I read Thomas' The Hate U Give last year and was excited when it was finally my turn at the library for her new book On the Come Up. I really enjoy her writing, and both books have been eye-opening about life among gang and drug activity in Los Angeles.

Where the Crawdads Sing has been SUPER hyped up lately, and I was wary about reading it for that reason. But I really loved it! It's a fascinating story with just enough mystery to keep you turning the pages.

The Dreamers was green-lit on The Popcast, and it was downright quirky. But I really liked it. "An ordinary town is transformed by a mysterious illness that triggers perpetual sleep" (NYT). See? quirky. :)

I have a thing for WWII fiction. I don't know why. I think it's a fascinating and heartbreaking time in our not-so-distant past, and it's hard to believe what people went through. The Tattooist of Auschwitz was beautiful and haunting, and it's based on a true story.

I first heard Hillary McBride on Jen Hatmaker's podcast (season 14 episode 3, 1/8/19), and I immediately requested her book, Mothers, Daughters & Body Image. It's an important read for anyone, but especially for mothers with daughters, and especially growing up in the culture we are. It can read a little textbook/dry sometimes, but the message is beautiful and so vital.

Educated is another absolutely fascinating read--Tara lives in Idaho with her survivalist family, and she is homeschooled briefly as a child. She decides to leave the confines of what her parents think is safest for her, and attends school for the first time as a 17-year-old. The book follows her journey through college and beyond.

I have to be careful in this recommendation. :) Nadia Bolz-Weber is amazing and thought-provoking, but she's also very "out there." So if you're not so "out there," you've been warned. ;) Shameless is the first book of hers that I've read (although I have two more on my shelf and I've followed her for a while). I loved this book for a lot of reasons, but I think the version of myself that loved it most was the one that grew up in the height of purity culture (think "True Love Waits," "I Kissed Dating Goodbye," etc). I come across things once in a while that slowly undo some of the damage done through purity culture, and this book was just another helpful antidote. :)

Tell the Wolves I'm Home was a recommendation from my mom, and I loved it. It follows 14-year-old June in the 1980s, after the death of her uncle to AIDS. She ends up developing a very sweet relationship with her uncle's boyfriend, whom the family has previously blamed for their uncle's death.

I'm pretty sure The Mother-in-Law was a Popcast green light. It details the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, moving between the present time, where the mother-in-law has just died, and various points in the past. Super intriguing read.

The River was definitely a Popcast green light, and I've been waiting my turn on the library waiting list for a while. :) It was absolutely worth the wait--Heller is an amazing writer and the story is extremely compelling. It follows college friends on a canoeing trip, where lots of things pop up to complicate their plans.

I adored Anne Bogel's I'd Rather Be Reading, and I'm very much looking forward to her Don't Overthink It. But I'd never picked up Reading People, and I'm so glad I finally did. The book outlines a variety of personality-type systems (Myers Briggs, Enneagram, Love Languages, etc) and it's so fascinating to realize all the ways we are so unique from one another.

I don't know where I heard about Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, but it was so fantastic! It's the account of a therapist and the journey of four of her clients, as well as HER own relationship with her therapist. It's so beautifully written--you grow to love Gottlieb and her clients so much. And it will make you grateful for any therapist you've ever had. :)

Holy Envy was the big nonfiction winner for me this quarter. I've never read anything by Barbara Brown Taylor, but every time I hear Jen Hatmaker as her question ("What is saving your life right now?") at the end of her podcast, I think, "I should read something by her." So I did! And I picked a good one to start with. Taylor is an Episcopal priest and professor, and this book recounts her time teaching a world religions class at Piedmont College. The subtitle, "Finding God in the Faith of Others," really does sum up what this book does. She speaks of the major religions she teaches and how they impacted her life as a Christian. It's fascinating and intriguing and I didn't want it to be done. Can't wait to read more by her.

Here's to lots of fun books in 2020!! Happy reading, friends!