Books, Cookies, And Lucy

To be honest- I have a hard time during the summer staying focused and inspired to do things. After a spring full of essays, theater rehearsals, script-writing, piano recitals and syllabus- everything seemed blank. Which is not to say that I'm always diligent when projects abound- I can and do waste time. (Twitter? Facebook?) But I am the type that either works ridiculously hard on a task- or doesn't do anything about it all. Which is bad, or good- depending on how you see it. I'm thinking it's bad.

My companion for the next two months is Tacitus' Annals of Imperial Rome, assigned to all of Alexandria Tutorial's students who will be entering Great Books II next year. (Don't Roman numerals look more scholarly?)

Anyway, it hasn't proved to be as gory as Herodotus- yet. I've actually never met a book like this that didn't contain some enjoyable parts, though I always do drag my feet somewhat at the beginnings. At any rate, mutinies are always fascinating.

There are good speeches in this book, too. Oh yes. Kind of makes me want to read one out loud, but I'd hate to repeat the Tom-Sawyer-Reads-Patrick-Henry's-Give-Me-Liberty-Speech incident.

"For heaven forbid that the distinction and glory of having helped Rome and suppressed the peoples of Germany, should go the Belgae- Gauls and foreigners- for all their offers. Divine Augustus, I call upon your spirit now in heaven! Nero Drusus my father, I invoke your image that is in our memories!  Come to these soldiers of yours (into whose hearts shame and pride are making their way); wash clean this stain! Direct these revolutionary passions against enemy lives instead....Will you give the senate back its delegates, be obedient to the emperor again- and return me my wife and son? Then shake of the contagion. Single out the culprits! That will show you are sorry, and prove you are loyal...."

Oh, ahem, sorry. Just got a little carried away there. And now about the past few days:

---The performance of Handel's Messiah I went to see on Sunday was amazing. Especially "Surely He Has Borne Our Griefs."

---Meg from Our Spare Oom had a giveaway recently, and as I was the only one who entered it- I won! I thought it was really sweet and thoughtful of her to give away a copy of C.S. Lewis' The Horse And His Boy. (And going to all the trouble of shipping it halfway across the world, I might add).

This happens to be my favorite book in the Narnia series. Thanks Meg! 

Thursday night my family had another track meet. I decided to stay home and make cookies- Elspeth and Autumn came over. It was more fun than running in circles.

Behold, the Ravioli Cookies- that really do not look like ravioli at all:

And no, my family does not survive on a diet of shortbread (Though some people would gladly accept such a proposal).

I've just been baking a lot this July- it's a cookie/scone/biscotti/pie month for some reason.

I shoot many of my food pictures outside- where the lighting is better. We took these cookies outside forgetting about Lucy who was inside helping herself to the second plate. We dragged her outside so we could resume our photo shoot- and came up with this priceless image.

It's the stuff dogs dream about. 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Natalie

P.S. My "readers widget" is up now on my sidebar, thanks to Gabrielle's suggestion. You all can follow me now. Or not;)