The Long Road Back

     Disappearing Acts.  We've all done them.  I'm not talking about the entertainment kind.  I'm talking about the kind we all do.  When we disappear, but yet are still physically present. When our friends and family see our smiles, and hear our voice, but inside we know we aren't quite there.  We're on an internal hiatus of sorts.  We could be distracted with work stress, struggles at home, or poor health.  A myriad of  life trials with endless possibilities. We all have them, they are all unique.  They cause us to feel not ourselves.  Our passions hindered and thoughts consumed.  We come and go throughout our lives.  Some, never even realizing they were gone until they return.  

Well, I'm back.

Suffering from chronic pain for the past several years has taught me my body's limitations. Of course, life doesn't always accommodate those limitations. Moving a household of seven, twice in less than two years has its downfalls. Of course, it has had it's many ups as well.  I have been blessed to add so many wonderful people to my life. People who have made a difference.  Made me a better person. But, to keep myself going.  To function as a mother, wife, and friend, I had to overcome the trauma my body faced. Medication and rest helped me physically, but I was missing.

Dustin continually encouraged me to write.  I didn't want to, and when I tried it ended in nothing but frustration.  I ignored the blog (obviously!). I ignored my books and characters. 

My back decided it was done with less invasive treatments and when bed rest did nothing for pain, my medications were switched.  As the medication I had taken for nearly a year for pain management wore out of my body, I found myself thinking of my books again.  It was as if a lock on my mind opened and suddenly my CREATIVITY and DESIRE began to flow.  

I had been missing, and didn't realize it until that moment.

The cause for a disappearance is always unique, but not always a bad thing,  Our lives, our beings are shaped by the collection of these moments.  They are the instrument in God's hands shaping us into who we need to become. 

 I don't regret my disappearance.  I look back and see all that I still accomplished, learned, and grew....but DANG I'm glad to be back!  :)

The Named by Marianne Curley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was one of those cheap kindle books that I bought out of curiosity. It was a bit slow starting for me and really didn't keep me captivated the entire time. Although it did have it's moments of excitement and was a quick easy read, I'm pretty content without continuing the series.


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Clean YA Fiction

A while back I wrote a post about my disappointment in the lack of clean YA fiction.  Some of you were asking for a list of some appropriate YA novels. As my daughter, and son  have now been wanting to read more YA fiction as well, I've compiled more to my list from the last post. Here it is.

Anything Jessica Day George:  My daughter absolutely LOVES these books. She has a dragon series for younger girls as well as the YA  twelve dancing princess's series.

UnEnchanted (An unfortunate fairy tale volume 1) by Chanda Hahn: This was great because the Kindle version of this is free right now! Get it here

The Fairest  (An unfortunate fairy tale volume 2) by Chanda Hahn

The Selection by Kiera Cass
(book 2 in this series is yet to be reviewed.)

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Taken by Zia Marie

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

Unclaimed Heart by Kim Wilkins

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

Inside Out (book 1) by Maria V. Snyder

Outside In (book 2) by Maria V. Snyder

A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth Bunce

The books which I listed above are listed because I have read the book and approved as having clean content for my own children when of age, but I have not read enough of the author's other books to deem the author completely safe to know my kids can read ALL that the author has written.  Also keep in mind this list is a YA list NOT children's chapter book list.  You THE PARENT know what age group your child is reading or mature enough to read. For me, I have approved this list for my almost 11 yr old daughter.

Happy Reading!

My farewell to heels.

Oh the love of heels!  It was love at first step when I pulled on my first pair of what I like to call "Hooker Boots".  The slender spiked heel made me feel more than tall. It was the ultimate femme fatale.  

Soon, my entire collection of footwear sported a heel. Whether it was stiletto or wedge, didn't matter. I wore it.  I could spend the entire day shopping perched precariously atop any type of high heel.  For those who know me, this was a bit against my nature.  I have never been a fashionista nor all that 'girly'.  So what possessed to me to became so attached to heels?  I think it was one way I could feel dressed up, while hauling babies, toddler's all while being pregnant.  Having five children in five years has a way of making you feel a bit like a sleep deprived hermit.  I could just be running to the grocery store for diapers, but put on my hooker boots under my jeans and I might as well be going down the red carpet! I was alive! (just a tad pathetic I know).

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and my love affair with heels has hit a rough patch.  My back has now decided to place an irreversible blow to my heeled paradise.  I began to have back pain like we all do, but soon it grew to be more than just a back ache.  After visiting with Doctors, enjoying rendezvous with various imaging machines, and multiple types of injections, the results were in and I quote, "Your facets just look absolutely gnarly" and "If I were to just look at the results I would assume we were discussing a fifty to sixty year old woman." (I assure you, I am nowhere near that age)

So, this winter I did what I had not done in over thirteen years.  I bought FLAT completely reasonable boots.  And then I cried. (Ok, not really, but I was really sad to walk by all those gorgeous hooker boots)

I'll admit, my feet absolutely LOVE their new, soft, warm home in these boots. But every time I go to my closet, my heels sit looking so lonely and forgotten.  And on Sunday I splurge a little and put on some heels.  Then they are the first thing I rip off with a sigh the moment I get home.  So, to my dear heels, this is farewell.  Our love was just never meant to be.

Uncertainty by Abigail Boyd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




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Gravity by Abigail Boyd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




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Intuition

Intuition by Allegra Goodman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Intuition is a human drama about the lives of a group of researchers in a lab.  Allegra masterfully places the reader into most of the character's head as she reveals their strengths, weakness, egos, and betrayals.  Working intimately for years, the characters begin to doubt each other as data is questioned, friendships are betrayed, and the public eye begins to chip at their research.

Allegra truly does an amazing job creating human nature, and writes beautiful descriptive narratives.  While I found Intuition enjoyable and interesting, it was certainly not a 'page-turner’, and I'm satisfied with reading it only once.


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