Books I have read recently

  • Shirley by Charlotte Bronte — I'm reading a giant biography of the Brontes "Wild Genius on the Moors" By Juliet Barker (amazing!! but I'll post on that when I finish) So I'm reading each novel as it's discussed in the book. I loved Shirley. I have to agree with the critics that it is a slow painful start and it does take about 150 pages till we meet the title character Shirley. But besides that, it is so well written. Caroline Helstone’s angst is beautiful and poignant. And knowing that the last third of the book was written after Emily & Anne died explains so much about the change in the book. Charlotte likes to fix her world by writing about it and in her version the sick heroine recovers where her sisters did not. I definitely recommend Shirley for the Bronte fan. Don’t skip it.
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas --- It took me a couple chapters to really dive in but after that I was in love. I had read somewhere that it was based on Beauty & the Beast, which is great. What I did not know is that it is a retelling of one of my favorite fairytales: East of the Sun, West of the Moon!!! What a treat when I discovered that. I love that story. It's whimsical and the girl saves the day which I love love love. Sarah does a beautiful job of it and I can't wait for the next one!!
  • Miss Buncle’s Book by D. E. Stevenson —What a little treat. My mom gave these books to me for my birthday and there are so much fun. It’s a light easy read and it made me chuckle.
  • Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder— I adore her soul finder books. I’ve been reading them for years. She builds beautiful strong women and sweeping romance. Her magic system is unique and I want to live in her world.
  • The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr and E. B. White — A must read for every writer. Thanks to Stephen King for the recommendation. It has all those little things that I had questions about and answered them quickly and succinctly. It’s not the funnest read but it’s helpful.
  • Click of Titles to go to the book's Amazon page

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Ben Day!!

Happy Ben Day Everyone!
Today is Ben Day!!!
Why? Because I got texted 4 pictures of Ben today. 4!! Which is the best present ever. I am still smiling by how precious he is.

I'll include H's subtext because it makes it so much funnier.


"Hi!!!!"

"WHAT?!?! You sent out that embarrassing picture?"

"I forgive you"


Watching Jake at FunRun at school
=

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Happy 22nd Birthday Britt


Here is a picture montage of the best sister ever on her lovely birthday.

1st picture gone :)

Britt is such a good sport. This may or may not be a reenactment of The Importance of Being Earnest that took place at my Bachelorette Party. Notice my mustache and Britt's lovely hat.
The newly engaged couple.
Not sure where Britt was but this is what she looks like invisible.
Gillmings love bubbles.

When a strobe light got delivered to the house instead of church...

Wow long hair for both of you. hehe
This is what cousins are for.
Like mother like daughter- Beautiful
This is also what cousins are for.
Snow dayMom playing with Britt's hair while we wait for a show at Discovery Place.

And look I didn't even put up a picture of Mae. See I still love you. :)
Happy Birthday

Monday, February 20, 2012

D.C. Update


Hey dears,
D.C. is a really fun city. We are slowly taming the giant hill we have to walk every day to reach the metro. We don't have to stare anxiously at the metro map because we know where we are going. Super Cool. We know. Also we take an elevator to our apartment on the 10th floor (that's the top one ;)

But even my new level of coolness...
"Welcome to Coolsville. Population:Us"
Britt name that movie.
... Things are not well.

Guess what's more fun than withdrawal from one medicine?
Withdrawal from all the medicines you've ever taken.
Yeah!
No not yeah at all.

So I went to my new neurologist. He seems like he has treated someone with migraines before (step up). He also seems really confident and has lost of plans. He has yet to get that baffled 'So what am I supposed to do with you now' face. I hate to wish him failure but i hate more to hope.
So whether I believe he is "The Doctor" or not, I'll still do what he says.
So he says that I am a migraine sufferer who became a chronic migraine sufferer (Transformative Migraines) who then became a rebound migraine sufferer.
All that to say I gets lots of migraine and now the medicine that has made me able to merely function are trying to destroy me. The almost daily over-the-counter pills I take make me able to stand upright and walk in the sun, most of the time at least, have been thwarting my body's ability to heal. Dr says they have blocked the preventive medications I have tried and that unless I never take another Tylenol or Excedrin, I will not get better.
This didn't seem so difficult last Wednesday. Haha I love when my body's inability to handle stress surprises even me.
So now I get withdrawal from Nortriptyline (Remember 'Nori" How her hearts was broken by an empty co-pilot chair.) & Tylenol & Excedrin at the same time. I don't cuss often but the phrase
"It has been a living hell" seems as close to mark as I can get.
The pain is bad. I'd say unbearable but apparently last night ended and its today so...
but it's all the other awful side effects that may be worse.

The anxiety & the anger. Directionless, Impractical, Unfounded. I never know when it's going to hit me. I'll be happy and giggly and then all the sudden I am shaking the anger that the fan in our bedroom is not plugged in. "Why isn't the fan plugged in!? It should always be plugged in!" I rant at my husband. It doesn't matter that its unplugged because he hung curtains to keep out my arch nemesis the "Sun". No all I could think about was that the fan was unplugged and apparently that meant the end of civilization as we know it. As we all can see now, that was ridiculous and terribly unfortunate that my poor husband was in the room when I discovered the great betrayal. So now we have Code word: Lollipop. This means "Run! Run as fast as you can! I'm mutating and if you stay it's your own fault."

So that's probably already more than you need to know. I love you all.
Oh the good thing is that I should be completely withdrawn from the meds in 8-10 days. I know that may seem like a long time to you but it's way shorter than the possible 7 months I'll have withdrawal symptoms from Nori. He's a dear.

I'll start Botox if I'm not cured in 2 months and I start a physical therapist on wednesday. Which if it's anything like my mother's I don't know if I want to go... the jazzie chair

Not that you need anything more depressing to read but this blog is so horrible and honest tears stream down my face.

Oh and picture of my niece

She looks so beautiful
Yes, I'm a model


Haha I'm so mean. I laid her in her book cupboard and she was not amused but Britt & I were.