I’m a little obsessed at the moment with reading birth stories. Honestly, I can’t get enough of them especially natural and home birth stories because I don’t know that many women personally who have given birth without medication. I am fascinated with the timeline, the pain, what happened, where it happened and how they handled it. Hospital and medicated birth stories are interesting too; I’m just really interested in the honest truth about the un-medicated pain all the way through and methods for dealing with the pain when there are no meds involved.
Peggy Vincent’s Baby Catcher was the perfect solution to my quest for birth stories. She covers almost every kind of birth or situation possible—even some situations I had not even considered: quick births, slow births, seemingly painless and quiet birth, loud crazy births and giving birth in a moving car. Her book also offers a prospective on birthing and being a midwife in America.
I found myself rapt with attention to every detail, holding my breath during exciting births and crying at the joys and triumphs of birth. There are also many passages that had me laughing so hard I cried, like this one from the chapter titled, “Pragmatism in Action.” After a very exciting emergency delivery at the hospital, a woman who just gave birth, Susie, has a friend named Teri, a large lesbian woman wearing dock martin’s and a noisy key ring hanging off her belt loop who offers to run home and get a few things for her while she has to wait an hour to be checked out. Susie’s list goes on and on, and the friend listens to her requests, nods and smiles and then turns to leave…
“…I whispered to her at the doorway,
‘Can you really remember all the stuff?’
Speaking from the corner of her mouth with a deadpan expression, she muttered,
‘Shit no. She’s gonna be home within ten minutes of my gettin’ back here. Chenille bathrobe, my ass. I’m gonna bring whatever the hell I think she might need to survive a ten-minute ride in a pre-heated car…”
If you love a good non-fiction, with true stories about real women giving birth and the challenges and obstacles facing midwives then you would enjoy this easy to read and informative chronicle of a modern midwife.
Willful Creatures by Amee Bender is a collection of fictional short stories that offer a look at different kinds of authentic love. The stories are whimsical and slightly melancholy with an optimistic finish. Relying on odd characters and lyrical prose, the stories offer a surreal prospective into human emotion.
I fell in love with Amee Bender’s style when I read The Girl in The Flammable Skirt several years ago. Willful Creatures follows the same whimsical and eccentric style. Although her characters are out of the ordinary (i.e. a boy born with a iron head, seven potato babies, and a tiny man purchased a pet) she offers us such a clear view into their hearts you can sympathize with their exceedingly human feelings of love and despair.
“No one needed to say it, but the room overflowed with that sort of blessing. The combination of loss and abundance. The abundance that has no guilt. The loss that has no fix. The simple tiredness that is not weary. The hope not built on blindness.” Hymm, page 207
If you have a love for the strange and an interest in symbolic expression, you will like, and maybe even love, Willful Creatures.
Last year, I made a resolution to be more grateful. I did manage to keep a gratitude journal through the first part of the year but waned through the second half. I set a few goals, here is how I did.
Learn to play the piano, again. I played my keyboard once or twice but did not relearn to play. However, I did relearn to play the flute and even performed in public in December.
Take more photos. I uploaded 1286 photos to Flickr in 2008, which is an increase of 146 photos over 2007.
Paint something at least once a month. *Groan* I was doing pretty well there with music and photography, but with painting I fell way short of my goal. I’ve painted 4 paintings this year, none of them are finished and two of them are simply canvas backgrounds.
All in all not bad results for a set of New Year goals. I wanted to be free of the weight of my weight in 2008. I’d say I still have some work to do in that area but it’s always getting better and I’m not willing to give up. Here is recap of my year.
January 2008
I spent half the month in Texas, spending time with my family until Chris came down and we drove back to Washington together. It was a wonderful road trip that helped us reconnect after being apart for a month. I read three books in January:
- Beasts by Joyce Carol Oates.
- Identity by Milan Kundera.
- Hanna’s Daughter by Marianne Fredriksson.
I enjoyed spending time with my niece Payten while I visited Texas.
February 2008
My inner creative cook was in full force in February. As I struggled to get back on track with my fitness routine, I started exploring natural foods. I experimented in the kitchen and found a lot of pleasure in simple foods. I read one book in February, A New Earth by Echart Tolle. I wouldn’t say it changed my life as Oprah said it would, but it did reinforce many beliefs and philosophies I already try to embrace.
To Be Pasta a delicious pasta dish I concocted in my culinary inspiration.
March 2008
I finished my favorite painting (see photo below) to date in March. It took me a year to complete it but I love it and it hangs over my computer desk now. I took some time for spring cleaning, dying Easter eggs with natural materials and cooking up something organic and delicious for Easter. The cherry blossoms bloomed bringing color back after a long winter. I went to the Emerald Rain Belly dance competition to support my mentor and to perform as a filler dancer between sets of competitions. In March, I read one book, World Without End by Ken Follet. I was crazy about the first book, this one just satiated my need for more from the story of the cathedral city of Kingsbridge.
One year in the making, my favorite painting to date.
April 2008
To work on my photography goal, I participated in a 30 day Macro challenge in April. I was diagnosed with borderline low thyroid, and tried medicating for it. I also started Medifast, take shape for life and lost 11 lbs. Flickr started hosting video and I began exploring moving photography. Amenia and I debut our duet performance and it was a hit at Holland Happening in downtown Oak Harbor. Bobby turned 10 years old. Also, Chris got a shiny new bicycle. I read five books in April:
- The Darkest Road by Guy Gavriel Kay.
- The Wandering Fire by Guy Gavriel Kay.
- The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay.
- Survivor by Chuck Palahnuik.
- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kinsolver.
Handmade clogs lined up at the Oak Harbor, Holland Happening Festival.
May 2008
After a road trip to Portland, visiting visit friends, and a long conversation on the way home, Chris and I got engaged. The wedding is planned for Apr. 4, 2009 in Texas. I read four books in May:
- Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk.
- The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho.
- Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster.
- A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott.
An example of one of my moving pictures, here we are at the Portland Saturday Market enjoying the live music.
June 2008
After losing 15 pounds in five weeks, the doctor changed my thyroid medication because it did not impact my blood work. The medication I was switched to knocked my body for a loop. I was overly fatigued and achy. So, I stopped taking it and switched to a natural supplement. After this blow, I struggled for the rest of the year with getting back on program and gained back most of the weight I lost. I also went through a bit of a slump creatively, but Chris and I did get out to Fort Ebey State Park and shot some beautiful photos and a fun little movie. I read three books in June:
- Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk.
- The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho.
- Blood Ties by Pamela Freeman.
There were so many of these bird flying around at Ft. Ebey State Park. I was lucky to catch some of them in action.
July 2008
We took two major trips in July. First, we went to Port Angeles to celebrate my birthday. I turned 32 years old. It was a wonderful weekend of food, fun and playing in the sunshine. Later in the month, Chris and I went to Montana. We visited friends in Bozeman and the drove to Kallispell for a wedding reception near Glacier National Park. It was amazingly beautiful and our best trip to Montana yet! It was on that trip we decided, Chris is going back to school and we are moving to Bozeman Summer 2009 after our wedding. I read one book in July, Villa Incognito by Tom Robbins.
During a street concert, Chris pesters Becky while she’s on the phone. We had a great time visiting everyone is Bozeman and Kalispell.
August 2008
On 8, 8 of oh-8, I participated in “A Day In The Life” on flickr, documenting my day with photos. This month was a relaxing month, the culminated with my annual Belly dance retreat in Grand Coulee, Washington. The retreat is quite intense with yoga and dance classes all day, including swimming, hanging out and staying up way to late for the hafla. I performed with Amenia this year and felt really inspired. By the time I go home I was wiped out but I can’t wait to go again next year. I read one book in August, Thud! by Terry Prachett.
Me and my camera on a regular day in August.
September 2008
Chris turned 32 a few months after me and we headed back over to the Olympic Peninsula for his birthday. Again, we had such a wonderful time. It is very beautiful and we really enjoy getting off the island and exploring new people and places. The economy started taking a turn for the worse and we both decided it was time to scale back and take a look at our budget. Also, politics were a hot subject as the first debates got under way for the upcoming presidential election. I read one book in September, Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper by SARK.
Chris enjoys the view at Elwha River Park on the Olympic Peninsula.
October 2008
Reuniting with old friends is the theme of October. Early in the month, by best friends came up to visit me and we stayed at an amazing cabin near Mt. Rainer. The three of us hadn’t been together in over 3 years. We laughed and talked and talked and talked and had a wonderful time. Then, at the end of the month, I flew back to North Carolina for training and got to spend a lot of quality time with my co-workers for the first time in over 4 years. We laughed and talked…well you get the picture. I read one book in October, The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks.
November 2008
We elected a new president! It was a crazy election year. I intended to vote for Ron Paul, but switch my vote at the 11th hour. I was impressed with Obama and the things he wanted to do for the country, so he won my vote. Also, a kitten adopted us on Nov. 8th. I was walking Bobby and this tiny (very hungry) kitten ran up to us. I scooped her up before my little terrier could go all terrier on her and she snuggled into my neck. I was hooked. It’s has been a delight to have a new animal in the home and she and Bobby have made friends and even play together sometimes–although Bobby likes to pretend she annoyed. I attempted Nanowrimo again, but only got 1500 words into it. I did, however, decide that I had enough short pieces to really consider putting together a book of short stories. I’ve worked on it intermittently since then. I really tried to get on track with my fitness and diet program and did well most of the month. Around Thanksgiving I faltered and floundered ever since. We saw Henry Rollins at the Moore Theater for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time in Seattle. I read one book in November, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.
Chris and Guenhwyvar share a quiet moment.
December 2008
For the first time since I was 17 years old, I played my flute for live audiences with a little gypsy band my belly dance friends and I put together including drums, violin, flute and vocals. I got to sing in harmony with one of the women and it was really quite wonderful. It was a real thrill to fulfill my musical inclinations with these wonderful women. As Christmas approach, Chris and I had planned to drive to Texas to celebrate with my family. Alas, Old Man Winter had other plans, dumping several inches of snow and ice all along the western coast. We spent a quite Christmas at home with Bobby and Gueny instead. I read two books in December, Priestess of the Forest by Ellen Evert Hopman and The Plot Against America by Philip Roth.
Now, 2009 approaches. This year promises many changes including a change of name and address. I’m looking forward to moving to Bozeman and marrying my soul mate. I think despite potentially hard times with the economy, 2009 will be a year of growth and true happiness.
I’m fond of poetry, but often forget to give it my time. I’d like to share one that I find tranquil, in this time of stress and worry. It is from a little book I picked up the last time we were in Port Angeles by Mary Oliver, called Twelve Moons. The poem is the first one in the book and is titled “Sleeping in the Forest.”
Sleeping In The Forest
I thought the earth
remembered me, she
took me back so tenderly, arraigning
her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds. I slept
as never before, a stone
on a riverbed, nothing
between me and the white fire of the stars
but my thoughts, and they floated
light as moths among the branches
of the perfect trees. All night
I heard the small kingdoms breathing
around me, the insects, and the birds
who do their work in the darkness. All night
I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling
with a luminous doom. By morning
I had vanished at least a dozen times
into something better.
Here are few of the books I’ve read since April and a few short thoughts on each one:
Book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Author: Kinsolver, Barbara
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: Kinsolver takes us through a year of eating local and home grown. With the help of her daughter and husband who share wonderful recipes and facts about the detriment of our current food industry respectively. I’ve yet to read the other recent titles out there about eating and local sustainability. I choose this one because I am a big Kinsolver fan and I wanted to read about how they did it rather than why I should. I learn that eating locally and sustainable was not only good for me but probably one of the biggest things we as a nation could do to turn around many of the ecological problems we are facing. Since finishing this book I have made a few small changes, trying to buy produce in season and locally at farmers markets but it has not been an overnight change and I’m looking forward to the point when I can try and grow some of my own food. And the idea of making my own cheese, from my own goat, well that makes me oddly excited. I think it has been a life long dream of mine to be able to feed myself from the earth rather than the supermarket.
Book: Survivor
Author: Palahnuik, Chuck
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Survivor marks the beginning of surge of Palahnuik books over the last three months–I’ve completed three of his book since April. Survivor is the tale of a religious cult who all take the Jim Jones path leaving only a few surviving members out in the world. Eventually they all die except one, he’s the main character of the book and the book is told from his point of view as he recounts his life and what happened to him in the moments before he crashes a plane he’s hijacked. It was a fun read, no one idea from the book really stands out to me but I think it was an interesting commentary on fame in America.
Book: The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire, The Darkest Road (The Fionavar Tapestry)
Author: Kay, Guy Gavriel
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: This is a trilogy of books so I’m going to provide a single write up for all three. I couldn’t stop reading. I was so glad there were three and a bit sad when it was all over. I’m new to fantasy and this was a good one to stoke the fires of my new interest. It’s epic. It is universal. There is magic and mayhem. There even some old lore from our own world. The story follows 6 college students as they are whisk from our world into the Fioneverse. I highly recommend this series to any fantasy-fiction fans out there.
Book: A Long Fatal Love Chase
Author: Alcott, Louisa May
My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Summary: I’m a huge fan of Louisa May Alcott. I’ve read Good Wives several times so I was excited to read one of the novels she wrote before she was famous. I really shouldn’t rank it 2 out of 5 because it was fun to read but it was so extra cliché. But then I have to wonder if since she wrote it so long ago if at the time it wasn’t cliché. Anyway, it wasn’t as strong as her other books but it was super dramatic and fun.
Book: Such a Pretty Fat
Author: Lancaster, Jen
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Lancaster made me laugh and I can totally relate to how she feels about losing weight. In fact, I’ve used her description of reverse anorexia before. I’m fat but I feel thin most of time. However, she was really prissy and the fact that she won’t carry heavy things is a bit over the top, but still kind of funny. I think my favorite part is at the end and she goes swimming and the homeless woman calls her a fat b—-. And she’s like, “I may be a b—- but I’m not fat.”
Book: The Witch of Portobello
Author: Coelho, Paulo
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: Coelho wrote the Alchemist, which I read a long time ago. He writes with symbolism and intent to teach or communicate lessons. This was a story about a woman told from the point of view over everyone she ever knew. The tagline on the story is how well do people know you? How well do you know your self. I like books like this because self-help books can be a bit overbearing and I like a little sugar with my medicine. I’m a big fan of Chelho and this one didn’t disappoint. It is about a woman born a gypsy, adopted by Muslims in Beruit. They moved to the United States where she came of age. The woman begins to uncover the powers with herself and eventual comes to a fatal end. But it doesn’t end there. The prose is wonderful and I plan on reading this one again.
Book: Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey
Author: Palahniuk, Chuck
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: The last book I read by Chuckie P. was Diary, which I loved. This one I got because it too was told from the point of view of all the people in Rant Casey’s life. I thought it paralleled The Witch of Portobello nicely and I wanted to see how the two extremely different writers handled the venue. Palahnuik has some crazy stuff going on in his head. This story is sort of futuristic in a society much like our modern day but now, thanks to overpopulation, folks have been split into day and night shifts. Also, everyone has a port in the back of their head that they can jack into experiences. Like renting a movie, plugging it into your head and seeing, smelling, tasting and feeling everything that happens. The story is about this kid Casey who finds another way to live, with a bit more gusto. Also, Chuck throws in some time travel just to spice it up. It’s a fun book and worth the read if you have a few hours for pure entertainment. I mean, I think Rant Casey would be more validated if you just went out and lived it your self instead of reading about.
Book: Blood Ties (Castings Trilogy, Book 1)
Author: Freeman, Pamela
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: I’m hooked. Fantasy-fiction is so good. This is a story of a land of peaceful earthy folks taken over by a warring people from the north. Quite a stretch? Yes. Well, it is well written and it is supposed to be the first of three by an Australian author. I’m so into this story, I’ve already pre-order the next book. What can I say? I’m a sucker for magic and horses and strong women as main characters.
Book: The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptation
Author: Coelho, Paulo
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary: Coelho intrigued me once again to read this novel about temptation. A stranger shows up with a sack of gold and a proposal that rocks the very moral foundations of a small isolated town. This novel questions people and set to battle the forces of good and evil. Are people inherently evil? Can a little evil done go a long way toward a good intention? I enjoyed this book and again I feel that I should reread his books. There are so many ideas and questions that spring out of his writing. I recommend this one for a book club.
Book: Snuff
Author: Palahniuk, Chuck
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary: Those strange viral marketing videos got me on this one, by the way that link is not safe for work (NSF). Well it helps that I’m a fan of Palahniuk, but they were so cheeky. Heh. So this is about an aging porn star who decides to go out with a bang. Oh my goodness, that was almost too punilious for even me. Seriously, Palahnuik spins us this lovely tale, all told from the point of view of three of the men waiting for their turn. It takes hilarious pot shots at the whole pornography industry and really sums up how kind of gross and pathetic the whole scene can be. It’s not his best work for sure, and I’m not sure if I would really even recommend to most people, unless you are interested in a few gag laughs. However, if you are into porn you should read it, you might change your mind. I still can’t eat cheese flavored potato chips without getting a bit grossed out.
I’ve been super busy with work and hardly any time for personal computer time, but I wanted to take a moment and write about what I’m doing in my free time.
In the evenings, instead of blogging, flickring and twittering, I’ve been reading “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barabara Kinsolver. It is the story of one family’s efforts to eat only local, sustainable and self-grown foods for 1 year. I read one of the essays by her 19 year-old-daughter last night and felt weepy. What a wonderful experience for a young woman, to understand and learn where food comes from and its true value beyond how many calories it has in it.
I’ve also started morning pages again. I’m on day 3, and I’m finding it does help me find a place of calm to start my day. I’ve picked up the “Writing Diet” by Julia Cameron in which she uses the tools of creative enlightenment to help people with their nutritional woes. Overeating, she says is a block to creativity. It’s an interesting concept, and one I decided to try because I had done her “Artist’s Way” several years ago and recall that the morning pages had a miraculous effect. When I wrote every morning, three pages, no questions, no critics, I found I’d start with a question and end with an answer that seem to come from someone other than myself. I felt I was praying and conversing with God through my writing. But for one reason or another I quit. Now, I’m at a point in my life where I am considering approaching things a bit differently, and this tool seems to fit exactly into the gapping hole in my life.
Another one of her tools is walking. Take a walk, 20 minutes, every day, in any direction. This idea helps me step out of the “I must run or it’s worthless” mentality and allows me to reconnect with the joy of taking a walk. Not for calories, not for sweat, just to get out into the world and enjoy some fresh air. A commodity I find lacking working from home and never needing to leave the house. So, I’m taking walks. I live within walking distance of 4 parks. I’m not measuring my walks by distance or calories burned but by parks visited. The first day I did 3 parks. Yesterday I did 4 parks. Today? Well I’ll just let me feet decide.
The third goal I’d like to tackle is to begin a culinary journey myself. Not unlike Mrs. Kinsolver, in which I buy local food and prepare them in healthy nutritious ways. I’m going to use Alice Waters as my cooking teacher and work my way through her book “The Art of Simple Foods.” I haven’t started yet but I am reading through her book a little each day. When the farmer’s markets open I am going to begin. I’m looking forward to Spring, which begins tomorrow.
I finished reading A New Earth by Echart Tolle last week. Though I’ve been thinking a lot about this book, when I actually try to put it into words they fail. This, for the message of the book, is appropriate. I’m going to read the book again before I say any more about it. I have come to more fully understand things I already knew, some call this anamnesis or to remember was what forgotten.
Yesterday I found this book meme over at Querencia, and it seems an appropriate way to share a bit of Tolle’s words.
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.
“Cooperation is alien to the ego, except where there is a secondary motive. The ego doesn’t know that the more you include others, the more smoothly things flow and the more easily things come to you. When you give little or not help to others or put obstacles in their path, the universe–in the form of people and circumstances–gives little or no help to you because you have cut your self off from the whole.” from A New Earth by Eckart Tolle
I don’t really like tagging folks, so if you’d like to participate please link to your answer in the comments. I’d love to see what random reading you divine.
He’s from Montana. She’s from Texas. We got hitched April, 4 2009 and we are having a baby, June 2010. This is a place to share stories and thoughts about our life.
