So I wanted to start some sort of book club but since my summer has a 'stress free theme' and having to read a book in a certain amount of time could start to feel like a class-- which could cause stress-- I decided to bag the book club.
However, summer is always the time when I seem to read the most (who can resist a good book, a blanket, and some iced peppermint tea at the park?) so I am going to periodically post what book(s) I'm reading and I want everyone to let me know if they are reading any thing worthwhile. How does that sound? (and I really wish that Ashley's mom had a blog because she always has good book recommendations!)



Things I Learned about My Dad (in therapy)
essays edited by Heather Armstrong

I pre-ordered this book a few weeks ago (to get a discount because I have the hardest time paying full price for a book!) and it just came in the mail today. I thoroughly enjoy the author's blog so I will let you know how the book goes. I will be patiently waiting for comments about what you are reading.

Now that finals are over I can sit at the computer and watch this all day.

And this one...

Well, I survived my statistics final this morning....barely. Today I should have been studying for my government test but my brain was so fried that all I could do was blast music all day and clean the house. Thank goodness because we were knee deep in dirty clothes and the fridge was desperately needing to be stocked. Pretty exciting day off!

P.S. More cat pictures---they have been so funny the past few days!

Friday night we snuck out of the house to run some errands and we got dinner at Cafe Rio. I got the usual: Cafe Rio Salad, vegetarian, black beans, house dressing.......and then I got to the register and there was a delicious cup on freshly made Horchata on ice that practically climbed onto my tray. I had never tasted Cafe Rio's Horchata but I must say it was very good! Nate, who said he didn't like it--and then wanted to try it, practically gulped down the whole thing and I was left with a few sips and have been craving more ever since. Has anyone tried to make it?

Happy Earth Day! (a few days late) Saturday we got a tree to replace the one that fell several months ago in a crazy wind storm (it was very sad!). This is a little Dogwood that we hope will enjoy it's new home.

Sunday when we got home from church the boys were in the middle of serious nap time and I had to snap a few pictures (well, really I took about 30--just a tinch obsessed) because when they are sleepy they are just so cute!

Quiz Time

1. 2. 3.

1. What was the war on poverty? Who was credited for it's inception? What five things did it set out to accomplish?

2. Describe the details of the settlement house movement and name the 6 fundamental characteristics associated with it.

3. Describe in depth the Social Security Act of 1935 and the 8 programs it created.

Here is a little nibble from my Social Welfare final tonight. Now add about 25 multiple choice questions, 5 short answers, and 2 one page essays and you have yourself a headache. Needless to say this was my favorite class this semester, with American Government taking second, Statistics taking the bronze, and Social Work as a Profession getting whatever comes after bronze.

The professor for this class is what I hope to be as a social worker somday: part clinical, mostly activist, and very dedicated to social welfare. She actually engages her students to think critically and will wait silently (it's painful sometimes) until you babble out a answer. She is a politics junky and it has started to wear off on me. I am hooked on NPR in the morning (gotta love Diane Rehm) and Nate and I have had several intense debates on immigration, poverty, capitalism, and institutional racism. (who wants to come to dinner at the tew house? yikes!)

Anyway, she is teaching an 'Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect' class in the fall that I am really excited about. This is how all teachers should make you feel right? If you are a teacher and your students don't feel like they can change the world when your class is over either your teaching college algebra or you're doing something wrong.

Peeps in the pictures--thought I would throw this in since I had no idea who these people were until this class. Darned South Summit Education.
1. Lyndon B. Johnson
2. Jane Addams
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt

One Final Exam Done....Three to Go

Gram and Gramps

Grandma and Grandpa Naylor were in Salt Lake today visiting my cousins and grandma called to see if she could drop off a loaf of pumpkin bread she had baked yesterday. Of course I said yes thinking of how tasty a slice of warm pumpkin bread will be in the morning! It was nice to chat and hear about Grandma's first job making 35 cents an hour in a ceramic factory. She and grandpa bought their first house for $6,000!! We had a tasty dinner complete with strawberry shortcake for dessert--yum.