Brookes’ Bytes

Alright, so I missed a day. Apparently I was too busy having fun. Lemme get back on track here:

Harry Potter: I started reading the Harry Potter books late. No, not because I completely rebel against fiction that contains witchcraft. But more because I didn’t want to spend the time or effort to develop an opinion about the books only to then be sucked into pointless debates about whether fiction intended for adults would be appropriate for children. All I really want to say is, as an English major in college, you don’t get to read much rivoting fiction that keeps you glued to your seat for more than a couple of hours at a time. The Harry books were the first series I’d read post-college that really were so well-written that I literally stayed up overnight to finish novels. It was a WONDERFUL experience to be drawn into fiction again. And I think J.K. Rowling is a fantastic author. Feel free to leave your pointed opinion about whether her books are valid as fiction or morally appropriate for children.

Hocking Hills: Nayt and I visited here on our one year anniversary. My Aunt Yvonne also took us to Old Man’s Cave and the Devil’s Bathtub when I was in junior high. I really enjoyed both visits. It’s very beautiful there, and peaceful. Not too far away to take a whole day to travel, and not too expensive to merit a vacation even if you don’t have a lot to vacation with. We zip-lined and stayed in a really nice cabin that had two bedrooms, a full kitchen, living room, dining room and a hot tub! YAY! If you ever get a chance, go hike around in Hocking Hills, it’s pretty and fun!

Home: Now that we live in a house with a yard, home has taken on a different meaning. I’m grateful for a fantastic landlord who gives us a great deal on such a spacious and awesome place. And I’m grateful for a husband who works very hard at his job and provides electricity, food, entertainment…things we need to feel like we are doing more than getting by. But home is more than those things. It’s so much more than a location, home is a state of total comfort and security. For me, home is a place with a comfy bed where I can escape the heaviness of life by sleeping. Home is a place where Nayt is. Home is a place where a Toby roams. Home is a place with homemade cookies and a good smelling bubble bath. Home is peace and contentment and rest. Home is escape from work. Home is a place I am proud to invite friends to.

Husbands: I think my husband is awesome, otherwise I wouldn’t have agreed to marry him. Husbands make their wives’ lives so much easier. They listen to us whine and don’t hold it against us. They buy us chocolate when we’re being irritating and irrational. They take us on dates. They let us be ourselves. They love us. Wives need that. My husband deals with my insanity. He can balance a checkbook and still have money leftover to put in a savings account, where I would have put that money in my pocket and then be poor for the rest of my life. He thinks about things I don’t think about. Two heads really are better than one. I appreciate the sacrifices he makes and what he brings to the table to work as a team. God knew what he was doing when he created marriage.