The Things I Wear HNT 2

I don't technically wear this. But it's a sign of my faith and I carry my faith with me everywhere.

This is my mother's mothers' rosary. I say the rosary multiple times a day. I mumble it when I have nothing to think about in the car, I say it in my head in the OR when I'm holding a limb forever. I also use it to go to sleep. I rarely actually hold the rosary when I say the rosary. It's more of a mental mantra for me. Only when things get really bad, really stressed, really too much to handle do I take the rosary physically into my hand. It's really bad now and I've found myself falling to sleep with it in my bed and waking with it curled up under my pillow. At least I subconsciously tuck it away.

Tomorrow I am driving home to spend through next week with my mom, longer if things get worse. She said I should come home before Memorial Day so I'm going home. I'll be saying my prayers and if you have time and feel that you can, give a little one up if you can. Thank you.

Happy HNT

and she slept...

I fell asleep reading last night at 7:15. I woke up at 9:30. I walked down stairs, turned off the kitchen light, walked back upstairs, turned off the bedside lamp and slept until 4:30 this morning until I had to go to the bathroom. I did that, crawled back in and slept until the 6:30 alarm. I feel so rested! Wow!

A new friend

I was presented with a new friend today. Meet Zeus the Moose

The last week has been hell. My massage therapist can probably best describe how it has affected me because he spent an hour just on my back today and still didn't get all the knots out. I didn't cry when he was digging into my intercostals but it sure burned. I'm on my second round of ice now but at least I can take a deep breath again without my back screaming at me.

Those who follow along know my mom has been sick for a long time. There have been good periods and bad periods over the last 6 years. We have now reached the point where bad periods outnumber good ones. Mom has been in the hospital twice in 10 days. They moved a hospital bed into the farm house this week. I have vacation planned to go back to South Dakota over Memorial Day week. Mom and dad called on Wednesday night and said if I could plan to come sooner I should. Mom actually agreed it was a good idea to come sooner. That is NOT a good sign.

Whenever I have had serious stressors in my life my friends have pulled through. My friends are spread all over the damn country though. Nonetheless, they have always been there for me and when they haven't been able to physically be by my side, they have given me a stand-in. That's where Zeus comes in...I met a friend for lunch today after my massage and she presented me with Zeus. I'm going to take him along on the trip to South Dakota this week.

Zeus is joining a long line of inanimate, stuffed critters who have gotten me through the rough spots. There was the ivory bear from my RA when grandpa died, the moose from my boyfriend on my 21st birthday who looked like he was 20 years old on the first day he was bought, there's the panda bear from "that" HNT post. Zeus sounds formidable so hopefully he's up to the task of consoling me through the next step.

The Things I Wear HNT

I have quite the collection of jewerly. A lot of things I have made including this piece. A lot of it I got from my grandma. Most of it I have picked up at random stores, shops, and from gifts. I thought I would do a series with the various things I like most. Figured it would give me quite a few HNT's to fill space. Hope you enjoy the series. Happy HNT!

Whatcha' think?

I've had the new do now for almost a week (tomorrow). Here's a couple views from the front. I've figured out a few ways to fix it over the last week and I'll try to remember to take pictures of them when I do them. Last Friday I flew out the back for some volume and gooped up the sides with "hair paste" to tuck behind my ears. I really liked that one. Saturday I picked up a new narrow flat iron to try to make it all "shaggy" too. I'm having fun with. The best part...even when I blew it all out it only took just under 10 minutes. I love it!

Non-Fiction Five Challenge

It must be the spring and the sense of potential. Because I have expanded my own "to read" pile I have been exploring other's "to read" piles. When doing so, I found the Non-Fiction Five Challenge and have decided to participate. Go to the link to find the rules and how to enter.

Here's my five non-fiction choices to read between May 1 and September 30. I'm looking forward to expanding my horizons a bit.

1. Measure of a Man by Sidney Portier
2. Children's Blizzard by David Laskin
3. Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila
4. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
5. Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Here's why I these are challenges for me.

Measure of a Man is a spiritual autobiography written by Sidney Portier. Mr Portier is "before my time" but I recognize the name. I don't know him as a man. I don't read biographies either.

Children's Blizzard is a historical piece about a devastating winter storm which killed hundreds of people in South Dakota, where I grew up. While I grew up in South Dakota, when I left, I really left. It's where I'm "from". When I refer to "home" I'm often talking about Montana b/c that very much felt like home. So I'm adding this to my list to learn more about what came before me in South Dakota.

Interior Castle is questionable in the terms of "non-fiction". In my mind, it is non-fiction. St Teresa of Avila was a mystic I studied when I was in college. I was exposed to excerpts only of her work in a very short 6 week summer course on women mystics in general. Mystics reach a darkness and utter dispare during their lives. Lately, I've been somewhat down. On the flip, mystics then become enlightened. I'm going to look for some enlightment through the words of St Teresa of Avila.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a challenge for me because I normally like to read fictional crime because I don't like to imagine that some of the crime and murder stories I read our real. But this story is real. What a challenge to try to understand the mind of a killer.

Infidel struck me as I was roaming through the store because of the beautiful woman on the cover. But as I read the dust cover I found out the author is a Somali woman. Somewhat oddly, southeast Minnesota has a significant Somali immigrant population. I don't know a lot about their culture but I do know the reasons I end up meeting these people as patients is because of the horrible political unrest and violence in their country that has led to horrible, life changing injuries. I want to see this through the eyes of a woman willing to challenge the "system".

So there's my list. I have four of them already, I'll pick up the last when it's been out a while longer.

Whoa...what just happened

I read a lot. I read a wide variety of books. Some books are just okay. Some books I don't finish. Some books I have to start over before I can get into them. This book, I have to tell you about!

I just finished Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian. I was blown away. You know that feeling you got at the end of watching "The Sixth Sense" for the first time. This book gives you THAT feeling. I was enjoying to book, particularly pages 250-300 or so as all the pieces were coming together and I'm 'getting' it. I didn't 'get it'. I finished turning the last 10 pages or so and was like, "whoa...what just happened? For real? Wow?"

I love it when a book does that. I haven't read a book that did that for a long time. You need to read this book. It's about a young woman who is attacked while bike riding and turns to her photography after the attack. She works in a homeless shelter and gets left with a box of photos by a resident who dies at the beginning of the book. She wants to track down the story behind the photos. I won't tell you any more. You need to read it.

Wow! Now a new adventure when I get to start a new story this afternoon. Yippee...and the weather's a bit gray so what better reason to curl up with a book. Have a great weekend everyone.

HNT...revealed

It was about time...I don't really have "habits". I need change, keep things moving, keep myself on my toes. I've been itching for a change. I got it! Happy HNT!!!!

SURPRISE

Stay tuned for a big surprise...

Monday, Monday

I have added even MORE books to my "to read" list! I can't read them fast enough lately. I slumped for a while last month but I'm devouring pages again. So I'm leaving you with a quick meme stole from My Utopia and I'm going to keep reading! Hope you all had a wonderful Easter.

1.Whats your name spelt backwards? ellociN

2. What did you do last night? Drove home from Duluth and moved into a friend's house to dog sit for the week

3. The last thing you downloaded onto your computer? The newest iTunes.

4. Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery? ew...no

5. Last time you swam in a pool? at Wisconsin Dells in January

6. What are you wearing? Purple windpants, a Carroll College sweatshirt and my slippers

7. How many cars have you owned? Patch, my Saturn currently. Mom and dad owned the rest.

8. Type of music you dislike most? Vulgar worded anything. Otherwise I'll listen to most about everything.

9. Are you registered to vote? Yes and I have never voted a straight ticket.

10. Do you have cable? Digital cable with a few extra packages added.

11. What kind of computer do you use? Dell laptop

12. Ever made a prank phone call? Yes

13. You like anyone right now? More than they know.

14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? I skydived on my honeymoon. I will NEVER bungee jump.

15. Furthest place you ever travelled? England, Scotland, and Wales

16.Do you have a garden? No, I don't have time.

17. What's your favorite comic strip? I like Cathy and For Better or Worse

18. Do you know all the words to the national anthem? Yes

19. Shower, morning or night? Morning

20. Best movie you've seen in the past month? Wild Hogs

21. Favorite pizza toppings? BBQ Chicken

22. Chips or popcorn? Kettle boiled chips or buttery movie popcorn

23. What cell phone provider do you have? Sprint

24. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? Why and how do you do that?

25. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? Yes

26. Orange Juice or apple? Orange

27. Who were the last people you sat at lunch with? My aunt and her friend Marilyn yesterday

28. Favorite chocolate bar? Mars Bar with Almonds which you can rarely find anymore

29. Who is your longest friend and how long? Jami...16 years or so

30. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Probably last summer sometime

31. Have you ever won a trophy? Yes and I have no clue where any of them are.

32. Favorite artist? Any nature photograher

33. Favorite computer game? Wii Sports Bowling and Wii Play Cow Racing :)

34. Ever ordered from an infomercial? Nope

35. Sprite or 7-UP? Either but really prefer Ginger Ale

36. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work? Yes

37. Last thing you bought at the store? A new stack of books to read

38. Ever thrown up in public? Yes, unfortunately more than once.

39. Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love? True love, I can't stand money

40. Do you believe in love at first sight? No

41.Can exes just be friends? I'm doubtful

42. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? Do my patients count?

43. Did you have long hair as a young kid? Very. Cut it off in second grade because it would pull my head back when it was wet and give me a headache.

44. What message is on your voicemail machine? Not really sure, something about leaving me a message though

45. Where would you like to go right now? Home with Heather, pizza sticks and Beaches

Bookworm Meme

I stole this from My Utopia and then Lime so I figured I better get it posted before EVERYONE has it on their site. I'm a book nut...Nerd I Am :)

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback? Whatever intrigues me on any particular day

Amazon or brick and mortar? Mostly brick and mortar...especially quirky little local privately owned little bookstores

Barnes & Noble or Borders? We don't really have Borders around where I live so B & N it is.

Bookmark or dogear? I use the dust cover if it's a hard cover book. I dog ear paperbacks. I think a book that looks used is a good book.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? I group authors together but that is as organized as my shelves get.

Keep, throw away, or sell? mostly keep. Right now I've been into giving away. Should really try to sell.

Keep dustjacket or toss it? Keep them

Read with dustjacket or remove it? It becomes my bookmark.

Short story or novel? Novels...short stories don't give me 'enough'

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)? Would prefer different authors, similar topics.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? Harry Potter...I have the last one on pre-order already.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? Whenever I can't keep my eyes open or remember the previous page...whichever comes first.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”? I need "dark and stormy", I don't believe in once upon a time anymore.

Buy or Borrow? I'm more likely to buy.

New or used? I use to NEVER buy used books...now, I realize how much money I spend on books. Used is perfectly fine unless I just can't wait.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? A little bit of everything. Mostly a browser.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger? I like an ending...I don't do well with books that just end. For example...Kite Runner was a wonderful story and then it just came to and end. I feel cheated when a book does that.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading? Mostly at night but afternoons on the weekends are always a treat.

Stand-alone or series? More of a stand alone but I do have several authors who have created repeating characters whom I have fallen in love with.

Favorite series? Several...My first series faves came with the Nancy Drew books and The Babysitter Club when I was a pre-teen. Then came Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta novels, more recently Kathy Reichs Bones series, and I just ordered The Dead Triology by McKinty!

Favorite children's book ? Velveteen Rabbit

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? The Alieniest by Caleb Carr

Favorite books read last year? Eat, Pray and Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Favorite books of all time? i just can't, I've read so many

Least favorite book you finished last year? Anything I HAD to read for work :)

What are you reading right now? Double Bind and Dahli Lama My Son

What are you reading next? I have a whole list, depends on what I feel like when I finish what I'm reading now.

new books!

Nothing makes me smile like a stack of brand new books to read (even the kitties enjoy the benefits)...I needed a pick me up and so I asked the boyfriend to join me at Barnes and Noble for the afternoon. Figure we needed some time together but was too scared to go home and just "talk" yet. We did eventually go home, read our books together, ate dinner and talked about what we needed to talk. I feel a bit better.

Now I'm at home and I have two bags of new books to read :) I started Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian. I'm 75 pages into it already and I'm hooked. Here's what else I got:

Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus on CD for this weekend's road trip
The Memories We Keep by Walter Zacharius
The Patron Saint of Lairs by Ann Patchett
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila, Translated by E. Allison Peers
Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass

There is something about the potential a stack of brand new books brings with it. The anticipation of a new story through another's eyes. The chance to put yourself into situations you might never experience for real. A chance to see how others live. An opportunity to escape into the pages. A new book has a smell too. When you mention the smell of a "new car" to someone, almost everyone can conjour up the aroma. The same is true for a "new" book as opposed to an "old" book.

So things are still on mostly level ground in my life with a few pebbles in the path. Until the pebbles are cleared, I'll watch my step. In the meantime, I'm going to read.