Full Weekend!

Friday night I went out to dinner with my Mom and my sister - and when we got to the restuarant my brother and his wife were there and they seated us next to each other! I had really good salad and fish and chips - in fact we all did except for my sister-in-law.

Saturday my niece came over - she is my personal trainer - and we worked out for an hour. I have to say that this is one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I have not been exercising and it appeared that I was only going to do it sporadically at best - and then Karen came to mind and I called her - she comes to my house twice a week - the holidays messed the schedule up a bit but we are back on track now - there is no escaping her - she is knocking at my door - the decision has been made and I am going to exercise. She has me working out with 5 lb. weights - for now - crunches - standing push ups - stair climbs - she really explains things to me and makes sure that I am doing them right - every time. My goal this week is to exercise for 20 mins a day between now and her next visit on Saturday! and write down what I am eating.

Saturday night I went out to dinner with Kik, Ken and his family - Olive Garden - ohh the breadsticks! I did eat a salad.

Sunday I went to church - came home at 10:45 - changed - got back in my car and drove to the Mariott Grande Dunes to work a Bridal Show handing out my brochures and brides's magazine for my newspaper to all the brides and their moms - because I write the weddings and engagements. Had to work that show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. - left there - went home - changed my shoes and drove to my Mom's house so we could all go to the Long Bay Symphony at 4 p.m. because we have season tickets - just writing this is exhausting! The program was excellent and the last thing they played was Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky - and the music was so powerful and wonderful - the whole orchestra seemed to enjoy it - you could just sense that wonderful magic when everything comes together and the performance really becomes perfection! Everyone gave them a standing ovation and cheered and clapped.

I am reading a wonderful book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The story and people are really great - it is about the British island, Guernsey, and how it was occupied by the Nazis. You want to laugh and cry when you read it - though I did lend it to my next door neighbor and she returned it after awhile and said she didn't care for it because it was written in the form of letters - which I find really great - maybe because I'm being allowed to read other people's very interesting mail! I can't wait to see how it ends - but then I don't want it to end. Two other books have been recommended to me, The Space Between Us by Thrity Unger and Snowflower and the Secret Fan. Has anyone read them?