Progress+First Book of the Year

I had a short talk with Therese today.  I try to visit her every day but sometimes it's pouring rain and sometimes I can't handle it that day.  Most of the time, it's therapeutic.
I finished reading Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy. It was pretty good! The story jumped around quite a bit, but it made it more interesting.  I read a lot of history books to begin with, so I enjoyed reading about a piece of history that rarely gets discussed. I also like history books that read as novels.  It's more enjoyable than just reading facts and dates ad nauseum.  One person discussed was Mary Bowser, who I had previously read about in The Secret Diary of Mary Bowser.  The author was at a conference where I read a paper I had written, and I got to meet her and discuss this integral person who never gets recognition.  She was a servant in the Van Lew household.  They freed and educated their slaves and sent Mary to Philadelphia to become educated.  During the Civil War, she was a servant in Jefferson Davis's household, and thanks to her perfect memory and the South's unwillingness to believe in her intelligence, she was able to spy for the North.  Liar also covers two Southern belles who spied for the South and a Northern woman who fought and spied undercover as a man.
Next on my book reading list is Persepolis.  I've been wanting to read this since I was in college, but I haven't gotten around to it.
In other progress, I've been to the gym twice and have stayed away from sweets and things.  Last night, Mike and I saw Into the Woods and I avoided the junk.  The movie made me wish I could ask a witch to lift a curse and give me a baby as well, but I wouldn't want to fall off a cliff! (Spoiler, sorry).

Dress: Modcloth

Flower: Vintage Box 1947

Pin: Old, from Cookie Lee

Sweater: Super old, from Target

Finally, I realized I feel much better when I'm dressed nicely, despite not having very many places to go or people to see today.  My dress was a Christmas present from Modcloth from Mike and my cat pin is Cookie Lee, from my mom (many years ago).  My flower is from Vintage Box 1947, which makes the nicest flowers ever.
A note on my flowers: I started wearing them over ten years ago, while I was still in college and I decided to start dressing more like my grandma and less like a goth.  Later, when I made my confirmation, I chose St. Therese because she was my grandma's confirmation saint as well.  St. Therese is known as "The Little Flower" and my angel daughter was "born" on her feast day, October 1st.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to be wearing flowers for the rest of my life in her honor!

Closer look at Mr. Kittycat