Summer Travels

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Lido Beach, Sarasota FL
 Greetings after a short summer break! I've been in and out of town a lot recently, which is one reason I haven't updated for awhile.  I got to visit my parents in Ohio, and then we traveled down to Sarasota, Florida for a week.  That was a wonderful week of relaxing at the beach and reading lots of books because we did not have internet or TV at the house we were staying at.  I actually really enjoyed being somewhat removed from technology. I realize just how unimportant Facebook updates are, and how little I miss it while I'm gone.  It also gave me a lot more time to enjoy catching up on some reading.
Lido Beach
I read the All Clear series by Connie Willis.  I have really enjoyed her writing, and I also like the historical setting.  Unfortunately, the other book I read, The Atlantis Gene, was not as good. I'm wading through the second one, but I'm not sure it's worth finishing.  I also recently read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  I have to say, after all of the talk about it, the hype, and the fact that they made a movie based on it, I was disappointed.  It was, overall, a good book, but it was definitely not a literary masterpiece.

I am also reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.  That one will take me awhile, it is very good, but it is the kind of book that you have to really dig into and cannot read quickly if you actually want to learn something.

I am always on the lookout for new music.  Some of my recent favorites are:
  • The Lone Ranger soundtrack, Hans Zimmer
  • Forever, Kari Jobe
  • Rivers and Roads, The Head and the Heart
  • Beyond the Veil, Lindsey Stirling
Port Valdez, Valdez, AK
 I also took a short two day break to visit my sister.  I took the ferry from Whittier down to Valdez, and then the next morning we drove back up to Anchorage from Valdez.  Any time I travel around the state of Alaska I am reminded of just how big and incredibly beautiful this state is.
The Matanuska Glacier, Glacier View, AK


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