Sunday morning, news and more

I haven’t been near my laptop for a few days. Sunday morning I dropped my husband and son off at the airport (9am), one heading to north and the other south bound. Having a day to myself (without having to work) was pure joy! I headed to Whole Foods then off to the gym for a quick workout before spending the day with friends and to a movie (we saw It’s Complicated). I recorded the Vikings game to watch when I got home, followed by about 8 hours of tennis (Australia Open). Bliss…

‘Committed’ update: Last week I mentioned patiently waiting for my local library to ‘release’ about 12 copies of Committed (Elizabeth Gilbert). I did end up purchasing this book since I had to read it within a timeframe. I bought the audio version which was narrated by the author (bonus). I have to tell you that I probably enjoyed this so much more listening to it rather than reading it. I did like the book but will share my comments for the review.

This weeks Meme: 'Three Things'
Three things people would be surprised to find out about me: If you don’t know me that well…I have an old soul, I need time by myself to be content with life, and I could easily live without a television.
Three things I dislike doing: picking up ‘poo’ after my two dogs, drying my hair (I prefer a ponytail, HA), I must REALLY love my husband since I REALLY dislike going to Buffalo Wild Wings!
Three things I love doing: Other than being with my family…. sleeping, running, being outside
Three movies that I can watch over and over: About Last Night, Youngblood, the ‘new’ Pride and Prejudice
Three things I must have when I leave the house: iPod, Carmex (lip stuff),Gum
Three bands: REM, this might not count but the soundtracks to ‘Once’ and ‘Prime’
Three people I would like to meet: Will Shakespeare, Marie Antoinette, my great-grandmothers
Three favorite TV shows: Survivor, The Olympics, Gopher Hockey
Three favorite books: (this is difficult so I will give you the most recently read favorites) The Weight of Heaven, Her Fearful Symmetry, Brooklyn: a novel
Three favorite foods: veggies, cheese, chocolate
Three favorite drinks: Water, a REALLY good martini, red wine

What I’m reading: Have you read The Crimson Petal and the White? One of the women who started the Omaha Bookworm’s recommended to me several years ago, it’s about 900 pages. Well, I read this while on vacation several years ago. For the next few years I kept talking about it to the women in my book club. We did read it, I’m not sure if the women liked it as much as I did but I think Sunflowers will have similarities, it's the same time period and the story is told from a young prostitute's perspective.

Synopsis: A young prostitute seeking temporary refuge from the brothel, Rachel awakens in a beautiful garden in Arles to discover she is being sketched by a red-haired man in a yellow straw hat. This is no ordinary artist but the eccentric painter Vincent van Gogh—and their meeting marks the beginning of a remarkable relationship. He arrives at their first assignation at No. 1, Rue du Bout d'Arles, with a bouquet of wildflowers and a request to paint her—and before long, a deep, intense attachment grows between Rachel and the gifted, tormented soul.

But the sanctuary Rachel seeks from her own troubled past cannot be found here, for demons war within Vincent's heart and mind. And one shocking act will expose the harsh, inescapable truth about the artist she has grown to love more than life.