Monthly Review: April 2024

Our Song (A Remix)

He’s playing our song,

and I am

(smiling ear to ear), remembering

that time I married you.

I was who I had always been yet felt

(like somebody else);

I could not (recognize myself)

for joy,

although I know it now as it returns

and sings each word.

(My heart is racing) with these jangling keys

that send me back to that eternal march

toward you,

toward this now

that I could not have known.

(Funny how) I’ve never been so beautiful

before or since,

never seen clearer (staring into the mirror)

of your teary eyes.

Faced with my future there I realized:

(you are the reason why),

you are the (blasts of color),

you are the (guns out blazing),

you are (my lungs),

pouring out each note.

(All this time)

shrinks to

no time at all,

Five years inside one song.

(I never knew what love could do

Before you),

but here beside you, hand in hand,

(I am opening my eyes

for the very first time).

I did not know, but

finally,

I do.

(Parenthetical text features lyrics from "Before You" by Jon McLaughlin. One of my dear friends arranged it for solo piano to serve as our wedding processional song, and we were fortunate to hear Jon perform it live at a concert this month.)

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Here's what I read, cooked, and created in the month of April.

What I Read

• Now and Not Yet, Ruth Chou Simons (★★★★★)––launch team

• The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne (★★★★★)

• Unwind, Neal Shusterman (★★★★)––reread

• UnWholly, Neal Shusterman (★★★★)

• Early Departures, Justin E. Reynolds (★★★)

• Jesus through the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord, Rebecca McLaughlin (★★★)

• Spin, Rebecca Caprara (★★)

• A Fragile Enchantment, Allison Saft (★★)

• Project F, Jeanne DuPrau (★)

If you want to hear the rationale behind my rating, head to my Goodreads for full reviews.

What I Cooked

• Honey Butter Parker House Rolls

Difficulty: ★★

Flavor: ★★★★

Keeper: Yes

Comments: I am not convinced that rolling these up into little spirals is actually conducive to their cooking thoroughly.

• Leek Soup

Difficulty: ★★

Flavor: ★★★★

Keeper: Yes

Comments: When I tell you I have been searching for a good leek soup recipe for over a decade, I am not exaggerating. This is a good leek soup recipe.

What I Created

• A cutout poem that I haven't posted anywhere but did share with somebody in real life

May your days be filled with beauty, and may your heart be filled with the willingness to see and give thanks for it.