What I am Currently Reading...

I have been trying to find more time to read because I have so many books that I have never read. I have the problem of buying books thinking I'm going to read them, but instead they just collect dust on my shelf.

This week I tried to get the ball rolling, after reading this post from a college friend of mine (you should check out his blog! He put life into perspective). I decided I needed to watch less tv when I had downtime and read instead. My goal is 1 book a month, more if possible. I think that it worked for the most part.

Yesterday though I cheated a little. After coming home from a prayer group, I decided to relax but I thought I would need to be productive because my to do list is miles long. Somehow I keep adding to the list and not really crossing off things!! You probably can relate.
Anyway, I decided to sort through all the paperwork that I had organized for a recent prefecture visit (more on this later) and file it back in the appropriate spot. So even though I cheated a little I was still productive and I still relaxed because something got crossed off my list.

Sorry for the messy desk, again it's on the to do list! I just haven't got around to it for the past few weeks, things instead have just been piling up and I just think I'll do it tomorrow!!!

The two books I am currently reading are both in English.

One is The Words (on the nature and purposes of man, life, and all things) by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, an Islamic scholar from the early 20th century and this is the first book in a series of lots of books, not sure of the real number. This series is for Muslims in particulier but people from other religions may find the topics he discusses interesting. I just finished the 9th word which discussed why Muslims pray 5 times a day and how important it is to pray. I am currently on the 10th word which will discuss life after death.

and this book that I just received today and have been wanting to read for a long time, Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed. She is an international Islamic speaker with presentations geared towards women. I think this book can also be applied to other religions not just Islam.
Here is a short summary of the book from her website

Many of us live our lives entrapped by the same repeated patterns of heartbreak and disappointment. Often, we have no idea why this happens.  Reclaim Your Heart is about freeing the heart from this slavery.  It is about the journey in and out of life’s most deceptive traps.
This book was written to awaken the heart and provide a new perspective on love, loss, happiness, and pain.  A manual of sorts, Reclaim Your Heart will teach readers how to live in this life without allowing life to own you.  It is a manual of how to protect your most prized possession- the heart.

I hope to do a review of the book Reclaim Your Heart once I'm finished.

What books are you currently reading ?

Amelie

Favorite scenes and music from the film "Amélie" - le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain. Enjoy et à bientôt!

When I am craving piano music, I almost always listen to the clip below.


Or the scene of her skipping rocks at Republique - Canal Saint Martin. My husband and I used to walk the canal at Republique almost every day when we were dating. Not because we lived around there but we ate at a restaurant near there every day!
 

Paris Photos : Artwork

Artwork about Paris from the City of Love and Lights

New Blog Direction

It has once again been a while since I wrote.

The baby, the husband, the job, the housework, and all the fun I have been having is taking up all my time.

The blog is going to start taking the direction of personal adventures I have and how I live my life in France (I feel like I am not like the average American who lives in Paris) Sometimes I will write about what ticks me off, makes me happy, or encourages me or discourages me.

I hope to write at least once or twice a week.
In between my personal posts, I will post pictures from around Paris and France, like favorite spots or places I want to visit. If you would like to see pictures from a specific region, please don't hesitate to comment below.
 If you really enjoyed French Cuisine Fridays or French Vocab Sundays, comment below. I really appreciate reading your comments.
That is all for now ! Au revoir, et à bientôt!

I wish my breakfast looked like this, this morning!