I’m not sure about you, but I have some very creative dreams, and I know a lot of them come from being such an avid reader, so I wanted to start a new meme, if you will, in which I let you take a glimpse inside my head. However I doubt I’ll be able to post this regularly on a weekly basis, because it has to do with dreams, and I can’t exactly *make* myself dream something every week/night, etc. I do regularly have vivid and weird dreams, so hopefully I’ll get enough material to keep you entertained. I’d love to hear some of your dreams as well!
Monday Night: I dreamed that my husband and I owned a café, but at this café we stocked blood, so that we would be able to serve any vampires that showed up (obviously). Well, “they” (whoever they are) caught word of our extra stock, and we were coming after us, so husband and I were frantically trying to get rid of all of our blood.
Wednesday Night: I dreamed that I was being chased by some evil guy. He was not special on his own, but he had a companion that was a ghost. Anyway, I was running the halls of what looked like a boarding school and made my way up into an attic. I decided to hide in one of the hidden away rooms up there, but as I was crouching in a dark corner I realized, there was no way I could hide even in a hidden room in a dark corner, because no matter what the ghost would be able to find me.
5/28/12
The Selection - Kiera Cass
FORM: Audiobook
SERIES: The Selection Series
SYNOPSIS (from Goodreads): For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
REVIEW: The Selection ended up being a surprisingly good novel. I’m not really sure what I was expecting, except a beauty contest for a prince. Really, the story started out sounding a little bit like the biblical story of Esther, but that is when you are expecting a snobbish, arrogant prince; but once you get to know the characters, particularly America and Prince Maxon, the story itself really starts to take shape. From the beginning it is very obvious that there is going to be a love triangle – but because of the way this story plays out, it’s easier to accept than what happens in most of the Young Adult novels I read; where girl is totally in love with Boy A, then something happens and she falls on Boy B. For this story, one boy sacrifices his love because it’s what he feels is best for her. The way it’s laid out, you can see where it seems like he’s making the right decision, even when your head is screaming, “nooo!”
There were no great feats of action, or major events in The Selection – in that way the book might actually seem a little bit dull. There were a few attacks by rebel camps, but since the action was outside and America was inside, you didn’t actually get to “see” it. The main plot of the story was pretty much about the selection process, what the girls were doing to impress the prince, and what events, interviews and dresses might end up on TV., etc. Even America, and her internal struggles didn’t even seem all that captivating on their own – it was the typical struggle between boys, and her true feelings, and doing what is right. This book is not really a “new” concept.
The characters are what makes this story. Each of the girls in the selection have their own personalities, and in the end, with a few exceptions, you actually like all of them. America is a very strong character. She’s got a good foothold on reality, and doesn’t run around doing a bunch of reckless things that aggregate you to pieces. She wants to do what is right, and that war between what is right and what she wants isn’t as petty as it has seemed in other books. I think Kiera Cass has created a very strong leader in America, she’s able to think on her feet and make good decisions. Not to mention her mild sarcasm, and obvious way with knowing how to say just the right thing. Prince Maxon is very sweet in his innocence. He made me smile more than once, and truly is the perfect mix of regal, and royal, as well as typical self-conscious teenage boy. Then there is Aspen, the boy that ranks below America on the cast system, but whom she has been secretly dating for two years. He is another very strong character, with morals and doubts of his own. Honestly, in this love triangle, there doesn’t seem to be a “best choice.” Both boys are equally appealing and very strong characters. I know my favorite, and I know who I think America may end up with, but really the book could take many directions, and I’m looking forward to seeing which way it actually goes.
5/22/12
City of Lost Souls - Cassandra Clare
FORM: Audiobook
SERIES: The Mortal Instruments
SYNOPSIS (from Goodreads): The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.
No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?
Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.
And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?
Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.
REVIEW: There were parts of City of Lost Souls that I loved. There are parts of this book I’m not overly fond of. If you don’t mind, I’m going to be completely honest - and I know that I may get a little bit of a backlash, considering the large amounts of Cassandra Clare/The Mortal Instruments fans. Just let me say this first; my current favorite series is The Infernal Devices, I am absolutely in love with this series. So I have no issues with Clare or her writing. I also loved the first 3 books of The Mortal Instruments – I couldn’t get enough and read them back-to-back more than once. I think what has happened, for me anyway, is this is one of those stories where you think you can never get enough…until you do.
We, as fans, never want books to end, we want to know what happens next, we want more story, more of our favorite characters. But the thing is, too much is almost always a bad thing. I quite honestly think this series should have ended two books ago. There is nothing really new going on that doesn’t make the book feel like a soap opera. There are more relationship dynamics – and lots of unsupervised teenagers. I was okay with this up to a certain extent, but it’s starting to feel a lot less like a young adult novel (even though the most graphic details are left to your imagination – which I think is a good plan).
What I do like is, take out the soap opera and all the relationship stuff and you’ve got a pretty good story. I enjoyed Jace and Clary and Sebastian dynamic (up until the end that is). I also enjoyed “Team Good,” and their trial and errors in trying to help Jace get back to normal. More than anything Magnus and Simon have carried this book for me. They both had witty things to say (to each other and in their various scenes) and just seemed to provide the most entertaining interludes between scenes. I am very, very, very thankful not to have a cliff hanger to the caliber as the last.
I will see this series to its end, and hope for a mostly happy-ever-after, but unlike Clockwork Princess – I’m not exactly waiting on pins and needles for it. I am looking forward to seeing Sebastian get what is coming to him. I’m hoping for no more threats or accusations on who has evil intentions (specifically for Jace and Clary, I think they have both proven themselves loyal and shown they are not sociopathic by now…). I guess I want a non-confusing, mostly without crazy twists that make you want to throw your book, good versus evil to finish this series out…finally. But I’m not the author, so I guess I’ll take what she gives! ;)
5/17/12
The Note in which I tell the world why I went from “trying vegetarian” to a new lifestyle
* note: this is copied from a Facebook note, where I actually do "know" people. :)
My disclaimer: Much of my rambling is a result of my personal experience, and my own thoughts and ideas. I was going to add a few links to back some things up but now I can see that that isn't an option on Facebook notes, but there is a lot of speculating going on in my head that I may not be 100% accurate on…if you want to contradict me in a polite fashion..I’m fine with that. If you want to slam me…really, I guess I’m fine with that too, but don’t be surprised if I don’t really care what you have to say today or any day in the future. Delivery of information is key…if you want to be heard, do it in a mature fashion. We’re not in High School anymore. (okay, some of you might be in High School still…but those of you I know are better than that!)
I kind of wanted to put down into words why I felt it was best for ME to continue on the vegetarian path. I am not going to tell you why you should do it, because this – like many other life decisions – is a personal choice. I find it amazing how much kickback this particular choice brings, and how many people want to tell you how wrong you are.
So first, let me just address a few questions. YES, I’m getting plenty of protein. Anyhow, it’s not the protein that our bodies need; it’s the amino acids, 13 of which that can be broken down from a single protein, that our body uses. So while I may not be getting as much actual protein as I have in the past, I can tell you without a doubt that I am getting many more amino acids than I was in the past. And doesn’t it just makes sense that it is easier for our bodies to give it what it needs straight out rather than making it “work for it?” Outside of that, I eat many other protein sources that are not meats, in fact all of the foods that we eat include small bits of protein. I’m also going to point out, that unless I decide to become some kind of big-time body builder, I don’t need an unusual amount of protein.
The second most frequently asked question; do I ever crave a big fat juicy steak? No. I don’t. I was never a “cow” person to begin with. Hamburger was always a struggle for me to eat in any form. I could somewhat tolerate sirloin hamburger meat in my spaghetti, but most days I just wish I would have left it out. What I did crave was a turkey and cheddar with chipotle sauce on pretzel bread sandwich. YUM YUM! When I first started attempting this diet and I did fall to temptation, this was always my go-to. And then, recently, my father-in-law stopped in for a visit and he bought a big bag of Taco Bell tacos. Nothing special, just plain and simple tacos, but they did smell divine. I wanted to eat one…and this was just a week or so ago. But then I thought about the effects of the red grease of death (taco meat) when I WAS eating meat and how bad it could possibly be when I hadn’t had meat in months, and figured that was one negative reaction that wasn’t worth the “fall in to temptation.”
We were created to eat fruits and vegetables. I know many of you, my friends, are not Christian – but surely you can respect the fact that prior to becoming privy to the scrumptious meats that can be found by killing a mammal, bird, or sea dwelling creature, we had to survive somehow. Now I’m not going to go into the politics or the “but’s” – I’m just saying that fruits and vegetables are the easiest foods for our bodies to process, we gain the most nutrition from them simply because our bodies easily break them down into the nutritional pockets our bodies need (vitamins, fiber, minerals, amino acids, etc…). It is food in its purest form; rather than being manipulated, shaped, pushed, and magic-ed (by use of eggs, flour, milk and an oven) into a different shape and form.
And to all my friends who are Christian – YES, God did give us permission to eat meat. I’ve used this argument over and over and over. But what God did not tell us to do is to pump said animals with hormones to make them bigger and fatter and more meatier (is that really a word, because spell check is letting it go through…?). We [humans] do some really stupid crap to get the “biggest bang for our buck” [$] when it comes to our food. And we have had some really awesome results – need I remind you of Mad Cow Disease?! Not to mention the conditions in which these animals are forced to live in. It is my conviction that this is NOT what God meant when he said to “have dominion” over the animals, fish and birds. So we know that steroids have negative effects on us mere humans. Yes, big muscles do result in some cases, but there are so many negative side effects that we are not allowed to use steroids in this fashion. I suppose the thought is that the hormones we put into these animals is putting out results into our meat products that are so small in amount that it’s not really effecting our health. I beg to differ…
Wait, pause! Okay, here is my mind cutting in and tossing around another truth that at this point is necessary to address. YES! We do these same crazy stupid things to our fruits and vegetables. We grow them so that they come out bigger and prettier; we add pesticide, herbicide, insecticides, suicides, homicides, and whatever else we can use to make our fruits and vegetables bigger and badder than ever. So now I’m walking in circles. And unfortunately, it is EXTREMELY difficult to get away from all of this “we add everything to our products” scenario – unless you happen to be a wealthy and are able to buy the most organic of the organic of products 100% of the time, or you’re a farmer with a very large fertile land, and are able to grow everything under the sun. I guess the same can be said about meat, assuming you can hunt, skin and…do all that fun stuff to get your own meat, that would be most ideal. But unfortunately, my inner Katniss has yet to make an appearance, so I don’t see any version of this happening in my family. Additionally, once again I go back to our bodies breaking down nutrition; it can take up to a week for our body to fully digest some meats, while fruits and vegetables are digested in a much quicker fashion – it’s a much easier process for our bodies. So, basically, I’m saying that it’s impossible to get away from all the bad stuff in our foods – but I’m also saying that by cutting the meat I believe I have chosen to lessen the evils.
Okay, this is the point when I tell you about my personal experience. If you are of the male gender and are still reading my lovely musing – I just want to warn you. I am going to talk about my female monthly cycle….feel free to continue to read, but I’m giving you a heads up out of politeness.
So for the past two years I’ve been dealing with monthly…issues. It’s not been pleasant or pretty or fun. I am very sensitive to hormone changes. This first became evident when I was between 18 and 19 and taking birth control pills. I didn’t know what was going on at the time, and it took a few trips to the Dr before we figured out the root of the problem, but every month in the first week of taking the pills I would react by vomiting until there was absolutely nothing left in my stomach, and then dry heaving for at least an hour afterward. This would happen for at least days 1-3, if not for 5 days. Once we figured out the association between the pill and the vomiting, I got a sort of placating “well, sometimes this medication has this sort of side effect.” (really, violent vomiting?) So, because I was on the lowest hormone enhanced pill, I was given another medication to counteract the vomiting. I don’t know what it was. At the time I didn’t care, it worked so I was fine with this.
My second (third, and fourth) indication that I’m a tad bit sensitive to hormone changes was when I had my kids – the shift from being pregnant, and all of the hormones that build up over 40 weeks time, to suddenly not being pregnant and having practically none of those hormones made for an EXTREME shift in my emotional well being. I could explain this to you, but it was not a fun time and to me is kind of personal. So no. Let’s just say it was pretty bad.
Back to the now, or the last few years anyway. I’ve been having increasingly bad monthly cycles. Bad as in I have NO CLUE when I’m going to start, I would spot for one, two, three weeks before having a fully fledged flood on my hands. I was emotionally a wreck during these times. Some months were pretty good, some were bad, some were really bad. It seemed like there was no rhyme or reason to the entire cycle ever. I go see my Midwife, who refers me to a Gynecologist. Both of which have said that I seem to be in a pre-menopausal state, and that I wasn’t ovulating every month. (And this is EXACTLY what I wanted to hear at 30 years old!) So the prescribed solution was to put me on a medication that would boost my hormone levels and tell my body to ovulate, and then regulate my cycle further by taking birth control (which I hadn’t taken since before having kids). I tell the doctor of my birth control issues, and they said that if I have problems with the one prescribed to come back and they would try something different. Seemed logical at the time, so I decide to give the solution a try. I took ONE PILL…ONE! I was up all night, and I had not adequately remembered my body “on” birth control pills, but it is NOT pretty. Violent is too delicate a word for it. And all the time in my head I’m thinking, “there is something just not right about all of this.”
So from here I decide I am NOT taking this advice, no medication for me. I start tracking my cycles on a calendar, including every ache and pain, every spot and flood. I determine, on my own, that the Dr and Midwife were partially correct. I was likely ovulating every other cycle. I would have a semi normal month, 28 day cycle everything was okay, and a horrible month (or 40 days rather) of hormones, craziness, non-predictable stuff. I’m guessing this was a month of non-ovulation, but I’m not a doctor. I decide I can live with this. We aren’t having any more kids, and at least I have a better idea of what’s going on.
And then we started making changes to our diet. Justin is head first, ALL IN! Vegan, mostly raw food if he can. I am WAYY too attached to milk, cheese, and eggs to go vegan, despite the fact that I know many of the same hormone issues exist there as well. But I decide to give being a vegetarian a try. At first I struggled. I was like a kid that you told they couldn’t have something, they become more desperate for that one thing. I never did like meat all THAT much prior to making this move, but suddenly I wanted it much more. That first month I experienced the motherload of hormonal breakdowns. It was very reminiscent of the type of emotional shifts that took place after giving birth. I do not know for sure, I have no information to back up my hypothesis, but I suspect that I was going through a withdraw – a “meat hormone withdraw” if you will. Because after a month of wishy-washiness I stuck to my guns and went full on vegetarian and have yet to look back.
I noticed a difference right away. That first month (after the crazy month mentioned above) instead of being somewhat hateful when my period came around, I didn’t even notice a shift in my temperament. Usually I have to be very deliberate about what I’m thinking; make myself realize that I’m getting mad over something extremely stupid, (WHY WOULD YOU COLOR THAT CAT GREEN…CATS CAN’T BE GREEN!!! – okay, that was a completely made up scenario, but it was a bit like that). This was 2 months into the diet change and I couldn’t even tell I was moving into my monthly cycle. The cramps, while still there, were not nearly as painful. So, I’m thinking…”okay, this is my ‘good’ side” and I wait for the next month. 28 days later, another perfectly smooth cycle. Now I’m thinking…hallelujah, I’m healed!
The truth is, I believe I am. It’s been several months now and I have had perfectly timed 28 day normal cycles ever since I changed my diet. This is just one change. Between more energy and generally less doomsville and more happy feelings from my end, I can’t help but think that cutting meat has been the reason why. It has honestly been the only real major change that I have made in my life that could have such a drastic effect, and it makes me wonder, what other things have changed that I just don't know about? By getting rid of all the unnecessary hormones, and I think it’s possible we are getting much more than we realize, has affected my body in such a way that I can’t see myself going back to eating meat…no matter how tempted I might be by a taco bell red grease of death taco!
My disclaimer: Much of my rambling is a result of my personal experience, and my own thoughts and ideas. I was going to add a few links to back some things up but now I can see that that isn't an option on Facebook notes, but there is a lot of speculating going on in my head that I may not be 100% accurate on…if you want to contradict me in a polite fashion..I’m fine with that. If you want to slam me…really, I guess I’m fine with that too, but don’t be surprised if I don’t really care what you have to say today or any day in the future. Delivery of information is key…if you want to be heard, do it in a mature fashion. We’re not in High School anymore. (okay, some of you might be in High School still…but those of you I know are better than that!)
I kind of wanted to put down into words why I felt it was best for ME to continue on the vegetarian path. I am not going to tell you why you should do it, because this – like many other life decisions – is a personal choice. I find it amazing how much kickback this particular choice brings, and how many people want to tell you how wrong you are.
So first, let me just address a few questions. YES, I’m getting plenty of protein. Anyhow, it’s not the protein that our bodies need; it’s the amino acids, 13 of which that can be broken down from a single protein, that our body uses. So while I may not be getting as much actual protein as I have in the past, I can tell you without a doubt that I am getting many more amino acids than I was in the past. And doesn’t it just makes sense that it is easier for our bodies to give it what it needs straight out rather than making it “work for it?” Outside of that, I eat many other protein sources that are not meats, in fact all of the foods that we eat include small bits of protein. I’m also going to point out, that unless I decide to become some kind of big-time body builder, I don’t need an unusual amount of protein.
The second most frequently asked question; do I ever crave a big fat juicy steak? No. I don’t. I was never a “cow” person to begin with. Hamburger was always a struggle for me to eat in any form. I could somewhat tolerate sirloin hamburger meat in my spaghetti, but most days I just wish I would have left it out. What I did crave was a turkey and cheddar with chipotle sauce on pretzel bread sandwich. YUM YUM! When I first started attempting this diet and I did fall to temptation, this was always my go-to. And then, recently, my father-in-law stopped in for a visit and he bought a big bag of Taco Bell tacos. Nothing special, just plain and simple tacos, but they did smell divine. I wanted to eat one…and this was just a week or so ago. But then I thought about the effects of the red grease of death (taco meat) when I WAS eating meat and how bad it could possibly be when I hadn’t had meat in months, and figured that was one negative reaction that wasn’t worth the “fall in to temptation.”
We were created to eat fruits and vegetables. I know many of you, my friends, are not Christian – but surely you can respect the fact that prior to becoming privy to the scrumptious meats that can be found by killing a mammal, bird, or sea dwelling creature, we had to survive somehow. Now I’m not going to go into the politics or the “but’s” – I’m just saying that fruits and vegetables are the easiest foods for our bodies to process, we gain the most nutrition from them simply because our bodies easily break them down into the nutritional pockets our bodies need (vitamins, fiber, minerals, amino acids, etc…). It is food in its purest form; rather than being manipulated, shaped, pushed, and magic-ed (by use of eggs, flour, milk and an oven) into a different shape and form.
And to all my friends who are Christian – YES, God did give us permission to eat meat. I’ve used this argument over and over and over. But what God did not tell us to do is to pump said animals with hormones to make them bigger and fatter and more meatier (is that really a word, because spell check is letting it go through…?). We [humans] do some really stupid crap to get the “biggest bang for our buck” [$] when it comes to our food. And we have had some really awesome results – need I remind you of Mad Cow Disease?! Not to mention the conditions in which these animals are forced to live in. It is my conviction that this is NOT what God meant when he said to “have dominion” over the animals, fish and birds. So we know that steroids have negative effects on us mere humans. Yes, big muscles do result in some cases, but there are so many negative side effects that we are not allowed to use steroids in this fashion. I suppose the thought is that the hormones we put into these animals is putting out results into our meat products that are so small in amount that it’s not really effecting our health. I beg to differ…
Wait, pause! Okay, here is my mind cutting in and tossing around another truth that at this point is necessary to address. YES! We do these same crazy stupid things to our fruits and vegetables. We grow them so that they come out bigger and prettier; we add pesticide, herbicide, insecticides, suicides, homicides, and whatever else we can use to make our fruits and vegetables bigger and badder than ever. So now I’m walking in circles. And unfortunately, it is EXTREMELY difficult to get away from all of this “we add everything to our products” scenario – unless you happen to be a wealthy and are able to buy the most organic of the organic of products 100% of the time, or you’re a farmer with a very large fertile land, and are able to grow everything under the sun. I guess the same can be said about meat, assuming you can hunt, skin and…do all that fun stuff to get your own meat, that would be most ideal. But unfortunately, my inner Katniss has yet to make an appearance, so I don’t see any version of this happening in my family. Additionally, once again I go back to our bodies breaking down nutrition; it can take up to a week for our body to fully digest some meats, while fruits and vegetables are digested in a much quicker fashion – it’s a much easier process for our bodies. So, basically, I’m saying that it’s impossible to get away from all the bad stuff in our foods – but I’m also saying that by cutting the meat I believe I have chosen to lessen the evils.
Okay, this is the point when I tell you about my personal experience. If you are of the male gender and are still reading my lovely musing – I just want to warn you. I am going to talk about my female monthly cycle….feel free to continue to read, but I’m giving you a heads up out of politeness.
So for the past two years I’ve been dealing with monthly…issues. It’s not been pleasant or pretty or fun. I am very sensitive to hormone changes. This first became evident when I was between 18 and 19 and taking birth control pills. I didn’t know what was going on at the time, and it took a few trips to the Dr before we figured out the root of the problem, but every month in the first week of taking the pills I would react by vomiting until there was absolutely nothing left in my stomach, and then dry heaving for at least an hour afterward. This would happen for at least days 1-3, if not for 5 days. Once we figured out the association between the pill and the vomiting, I got a sort of placating “well, sometimes this medication has this sort of side effect.” (really, violent vomiting?) So, because I was on the lowest hormone enhanced pill, I was given another medication to counteract the vomiting. I don’t know what it was. At the time I didn’t care, it worked so I was fine with this.
My second (third, and fourth) indication that I’m a tad bit sensitive to hormone changes was when I had my kids – the shift from being pregnant, and all of the hormones that build up over 40 weeks time, to suddenly not being pregnant and having practically none of those hormones made for an EXTREME shift in my emotional well being. I could explain this to you, but it was not a fun time and to me is kind of personal. So no. Let’s just say it was pretty bad.
Back to the now, or the last few years anyway. I’ve been having increasingly bad monthly cycles. Bad as in I have NO CLUE when I’m going to start, I would spot for one, two, three weeks before having a fully fledged flood on my hands. I was emotionally a wreck during these times. Some months were pretty good, some were bad, some were really bad. It seemed like there was no rhyme or reason to the entire cycle ever. I go see my Midwife, who refers me to a Gynecologist. Both of which have said that I seem to be in a pre-menopausal state, and that I wasn’t ovulating every month. (And this is EXACTLY what I wanted to hear at 30 years old!) So the prescribed solution was to put me on a medication that would boost my hormone levels and tell my body to ovulate, and then regulate my cycle further by taking birth control (which I hadn’t taken since before having kids). I tell the doctor of my birth control issues, and they said that if I have problems with the one prescribed to come back and they would try something different. Seemed logical at the time, so I decide to give the solution a try. I took ONE PILL…ONE! I was up all night, and I had not adequately remembered my body “on” birth control pills, but it is NOT pretty. Violent is too delicate a word for it. And all the time in my head I’m thinking, “there is something just not right about all of this.”
So from here I decide I am NOT taking this advice, no medication for me. I start tracking my cycles on a calendar, including every ache and pain, every spot and flood. I determine, on my own, that the Dr and Midwife were partially correct. I was likely ovulating every other cycle. I would have a semi normal month, 28 day cycle everything was okay, and a horrible month (or 40 days rather) of hormones, craziness, non-predictable stuff. I’m guessing this was a month of non-ovulation, but I’m not a doctor. I decide I can live with this. We aren’t having any more kids, and at least I have a better idea of what’s going on.
And then we started making changes to our diet. Justin is head first, ALL IN! Vegan, mostly raw food if he can. I am WAYY too attached to milk, cheese, and eggs to go vegan, despite the fact that I know many of the same hormone issues exist there as well. But I decide to give being a vegetarian a try. At first I struggled. I was like a kid that you told they couldn’t have something, they become more desperate for that one thing. I never did like meat all THAT much prior to making this move, but suddenly I wanted it much more. That first month I experienced the motherload of hormonal breakdowns. It was very reminiscent of the type of emotional shifts that took place after giving birth. I do not know for sure, I have no information to back up my hypothesis, but I suspect that I was going through a withdraw – a “meat hormone withdraw” if you will. Because after a month of wishy-washiness I stuck to my guns and went full on vegetarian and have yet to look back.
I noticed a difference right away. That first month (after the crazy month mentioned above) instead of being somewhat hateful when my period came around, I didn’t even notice a shift in my temperament. Usually I have to be very deliberate about what I’m thinking; make myself realize that I’m getting mad over something extremely stupid, (WHY WOULD YOU COLOR THAT CAT GREEN…CATS CAN’T BE GREEN!!! – okay, that was a completely made up scenario, but it was a bit like that). This was 2 months into the diet change and I couldn’t even tell I was moving into my monthly cycle. The cramps, while still there, were not nearly as painful. So, I’m thinking…”okay, this is my ‘good’ side” and I wait for the next month. 28 days later, another perfectly smooth cycle. Now I’m thinking…hallelujah, I’m healed!
The truth is, I believe I am. It’s been several months now and I have had perfectly timed 28 day normal cycles ever since I changed my diet. This is just one change. Between more energy and generally less doomsville and more happy feelings from my end, I can’t help but think that cutting meat has been the reason why. It has honestly been the only real major change that I have made in my life that could have such a drastic effect, and it makes me wonder, what other things have changed that I just don't know about? By getting rid of all the unnecessary hormones, and I think it’s possible we are getting much more than we realize, has affected my body in such a way that I can’t see myself going back to eating meat…no matter how tempted I might be by a taco bell red grease of death taco!
5/9/12
Insurgent - Veronica Roth
FORM: Audiobook
SERIES: Divergent
SYNOPSIS (from Goodreads): One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.
REVIEW:
Oh the dreaded Book 2, how I hate thee! Let me count the ways:
1. You are the book in between, neither the beginning – where you are meeting new friends and enemies and being introduced to a new world. Nor the end – where the conclusion of a story is met, all issues are resolved, and everything is happy in the world….or it is not.
2. You are the book in which is most always the biggest cliff hanger – the book where you realize that you are invested way more than you want to be and instead of thinking, “hey, the next book in xxx series is coming out, you are constantly thinking…I CANNOT WAIT, I CANNOT WAIT, I CANNOT WAIT.
3. I think authors do this to torture us.
Okay, so it’s not all that bad…oh wait, scratch that. IT is. I actually have anxiety about reading the 2nd book of series (and 3rd if there happens to be 4 books instead of 3). I don’t like being held on the pin of a needle, and since you never know what’s going to happen at the end of the 2nd books – it just sort of becomes a love/dread relationship.
BUT…..Insurgent was not all that bad. I think one of the things I like most about the Divergent series is that Veronica Roth does not leave you foaming at the mouth for her next book, however #2 above does still apply because….you are invested. You must know what happens next. Insurgent does not leave you at the cusp of death or at a moment where you realize you accidentally stabbed the one you love most in the world in the chest (YES, I read a series where the 2nd to last book ended exactly this way). Thank you, Veronica! I appreciate not wanting to throw your book across the room in frustration. Especially since it was an audiobook located on my iPhone – that would have ended up to be a VERY expensive toss!
This time around Tris and Tobias gave me a lot of ups and downs that just weren’t there in Divergent. In Divergent they are at the cusp of attraction and new love, but in Insurgent their relationship has a bit more dynamic. There are many decisions and evaluations that must take place between the two of them. I think there were points when I felt that they were both unfair to each other, but I guess relationships do work that way, we overestimate our other half and expect them to be something a little bigger than they actually are. Another shout out to Veronica here – unless she does something really crazy in book 3, there IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! A way overdone story line, and it’s about time someone takes the initiative to do something about it! (or NOT do something, as the case may be.)
The action in this book was EXCELLENT! At times it did feel a tinsy bit reminiscent of Mockingjay, but regardless the action scenes kept you invested for sure! And of course there is the big secret of the book. I will say that I was expecting that to be something a little different than what it was, but I’m very curious to find out what they are going to do with the new information gained.
This next paragraph is going to be a bit spoilery so if you haven’t read the book, and are like me and don’t want to know anything about it – stop reading now.
The one scene I did not like, and did not really see the point in, is the one where Tobias takes off his belt and beats his father. It seemed kind of random, and really, really far out there. There were so many ways he could have proven he wasn’t a coward, but to beat him out of nowhere like that, unprovoked, was really weird and it just didn’t sit well with me.
Okay, so let’s go Book 3. 1 year countdown…are we ready?
5/1/12
Unconquered - J.D. Davis - WIN A KINDLE!
About J.D.
Davis
J.D. Davis was raised in Quitman,
Texas, a quiet community in the northeast part of the state. Having grown up in
a small town in the rural South—similar in many ways to the cousins’
hometown of Ferriday, Louisiana—with many similar influences as the
cousins, he has meaningful insight into these three men.
Davis attended the University of
Texas on a full academic scholarship, received a B.A. with highest honors in
economics, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He later received a master’s degree
from SMU.
As a successful businessman,
Davis achieved the highest credentials as an actuary and became a principal in
a large firm while still in his twenties. He currently manages an employee
benefits consulting practice that covers the southern region of the United
States, with offices in four cities.
Davis remembers his father
watching Jimmy Swaggart on television and being intrigued by the evangelist's
magnificent piano talent. As a teenager, Davis became a huge fan of Jerry Lee
Lewis. He first attended one of Lewis’s live performances as a college student
and was awe-struck to see this man put on a breathtaking performance. Davis
grew up listening to country music of the seventies and eighties, when Mickey
Gilley was consistently producing number one country hits. He became fascinated
by the ways these three very different cousins achieved and dealt with eventual
success and has been a dedicated fan for years.
Davis has worked with a talented
team of many. His editors included Elizabeth Kaye, an award winning journalist
who has often written about southern music and southern preachers. As a
contributing editor to Rolling
Stone, she
interviewed Sam Phillips and gathered firsthand experience of Jerry Lee Lewis
when covering sessions at which he played with Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and
Roy Orbison. As a contributing editor to John Kennedy’s George magazine, Kaye wrote
extensively about Billy Graham and his son Franklin, traveled on several
missionary trips with Franklin, and worked with ABC’s 20/20 to produce and write a major Billy
Graham profile.
Visit his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UnconqueredTheBook
Visit his Twitter page at https://twitter.com/Unconqueredbook
If you would like to view his book trailer, you can view it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CrVQv2lJJ8
About Unconquered
In 1935 and early 1936, three
cousins were born into tight-knit families in Ferriday, Louisiana. Rare piano
talent, strong parental relationships, the Pentecostal church, family struggle,
and a variety of musical influences worked together to produce men who
changed twentieth-century music and culture. The individual stories of these
three cousins illustrate their varied paths from small-town America to a world
stage. Woven together, the collective story becomes even more compelling and
amazing.
UNCONQUERED is a story so unlikely that it would
not be believable if written as fiction. It tells of rock ‘n’ roll legend Jerry
Lee Lewis, televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, and country music star Mickey Gilley.
These very different men, raised in the same time and place, with similar
talents, were fated for entirely different destinies even as their lives would
always be profoundly intertwined. Born into poverty, each man, in his own way,
would become an iconic figure blessed with the ability to thrill and inspire.
The story's touchstones of
music, perseverance, and faith could wield such force only in the American
South. There, in the Louisiana lowlands’ Concordia Parish, their story began in
the midst of the Great Depression.
Purchase your copy at http://www.amazon.com/Unconquered-Cousins-Swaggart-Mickey-Gilley/dp/1612540414/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335293561&sr=8-1
~~~ WIN A FREE KINDLE! ~ ~ ~
J.D. Davis will be giving away a FREE KINDLE! Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to win! This giveaway is only open to U.S. and Canada citizens. Deadline is June 1 and announced on June 2. If you are the winner, contact Dorothy Thompson at thewriterslife (at) gmail.com or Tracee Gleichner at tgleichner (at) gmail.com. You have 48 hours to reply. If we do not hear from you in 48 hours, another winner will be selected. Thanks and good luck!
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