Seventeen months and one day ....
It's just a year and a half in an ordinary life. How much could have possibly happened in the seventeen months and one day since you last heard from me in this forum?
Some of you, many of you maybe, likely know most of what I've been up to for the last year and a half. If you follow my other blog (gasp, cheating, I know), or my Facebook fan page (fans? for what? I'll get to it) you'll know pieces of what the last seventeen months and one day have held for me.
Here's a quick recap of what that time has held:
Healing from the broken leg, publishing my first book (Ten Days of Perfect), working full time at St. Agnes in Lake Placid, writing my second book (Reckless Abandon), moving to Massachusetts, writing my third book (In the Stillness), attending my first book signing, publishing both books, navigating the beginnings of a divorce, attending book signings and writer events in DC, Orlando, NYC, and Stamford, moving on my own (with my kids) for the first time since I graduated from college, writing and publishing my fourth book (Nocturne, with Charles Sheehan-Miles), falling in love, sending my oldest child to Kindergarten, writing my fifth and sixth books (a novella with author Michelle Pace called Something's Come Up and my fourth solo project, Sweet Forty-Two), and finally, two weeks ago joining Weight Watchers.
Some days have felt exactly as overwhelming as all of that above looks. The rest? Well, not only does "God only give me what I can handle" He also does it in a timing that is in line with His plan. That means some days are easy breezy and some days have me on my knees begging for mercy.
In the relaunch of this blog, I want to give you all an idea of what you should and shouldn't expect from here on forward.
First, I won't be dissecting the minutia of my divorce. There are some things that are meant to be kept private, and the fact of the matter is, I respect the father of my children too much to broadcast personal details of our marriage or its dissolution with anyone. If you've been part of my life, you know what you need to know, and if you haven't been, well, you know what you need to know.
What I may or may not discuss is my personal emotional journey through the process, but what you won't see is any discussion that will lead to any assumptions of the other half of the relationship. This blog is about me and motherhood. It's a journey and I'll be more than happy to share the important aspects of this piece of the journey, but you won't be regaled with tabloid fodder. *shrugs* That's how I roll.
Second, you'll hear about my writing career only in the aspect that it's my job. I won't inundate you with loads of promotion, but I will share when I release a book or reach certain milestones, just like anyone else in another career might. If you want to follow the ins and outs of my writing career, mosey on over to www.andrearandall.com .
Third, it's just us moms (and some dads) here. If you're familiar with me in any way, at all, you'll know I'm a shoot-from-the-hip kind of mom. Lots of days are great, and lots of days have me fantasize about living alone in the Ozarks. It's not always pretty, but it's always beautiful. Trust me. I'm a judgement free parent, and this will be a judgement free zone.
Finally, let's revamp my Mommy Diaries page on Facebook!!!! www.facebook.com/judgementfreemom (see what I did there? I mean it.)
I'll be back on later tonight or tomorrow to really get rolling, but I felt the need to orient you with my life.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Friday, June 15, 2012
Author Interview: Colleen Hoover
Hey all!
Professionally? About 7 months. For fun, since I was five. I love, love, love to write. Slammed was my first attempt at a novel. I started it in December, 2011 and published it in January.
2. What inspired you to write Slammed?
I can’t say what one thing it was. It was really a culmination of things. I had an idea to write about a slam poet, I wanted to write something for my mother for Christmas, and I had plenty of time on my hands to think about it during my child’s theater rehearsals every night. I started making notes and ended up with a rough draft of a first chapter. I had no intentions of making a book, but once I fell in love with the characters I couldn’t stop.
3. When you started Slammed, did you know all along there would be a follow-up book?
I didn’t at all. Even after I published Slammed and a few of my friends were demanding more, I took it so far as to write a blog about how the story was finished and I wouldn’t be writing more about them. But one night I shot up out of bed, wondering what would have happened had Lake not had the courage to go slam for Will. I started writing ideas down for potential sequel drama, and by the next day I had an idea for book 2.
4. How long did you spend writing Slammed, and Point of Retreat?
I don’t like to count it in terms of days because Slammed took me less than thirty days to write. What people don’t realize is that I spent every spare waking minute to write it, so the hours I spent on it could be equivalent to having spent a couple of hours a day on it for six months. Does that make sense? Lol. Point of Retreat took about the same amount of time. There’s no way in hell I could spit a book out now in thirty days now, though. I didn’t think anyone would read those so I didn’t feel any pressure while writing them. It’s completely different now.
5. Did you try the traditional publishing route? If so, why did you go self pub? If not, why did you go right to self pub?
I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. Once I realized I had a book on my hands, I researched every possible avenue and learned everything I could learn in the short amount of time I’d been “writing.” I didn’t hesitate to self-publish once I learned about Amazon’s KDP program. I didn’t have enough confidence in my writing ability to think I had a chance with an agent considering how hard it is to get one.
6. Slammed is full of excellent poetry- have you always written poetry?
I wouldn’t call it poetry. Lol. I would write off-the-wall, silly things for friends. But I’ve never written anything emotional or serious before until the poetry in Slammed.
7. What appeals to you about Slam Poetry, specifically?
Everything. The bravery of the poets, the truthfulness to their words, the performance aspect of it. I first watched it on a documentary called Brave New Voices on HBO and fell in love with it.
8. Are you surprised by the awesomeness that is the success of the Slammed Series?
Floored. Daily. I had no idea it would reach the level of success it has. I wrote this on a whim, without any expectations at all. The fact that people are reading words that I wrote, and enjoying them, is a dream come true!
9. Who is your favorite character?
Oh, it’s Will. Hands down.
10. Would you like to see it as a movie? I would.
Heck yeah! That would be unbelievable.
11. What advice do you have for authors who are attempting their first work?
A lot. A WHOLE lot. I’ll try to keep it short.
1) Never let anyone else influence your work. Write from your heart and don’t compare yourself to other authors. Every writing style has a reader, and you’ll eventually find yours.
2) Never publicly bad-mouth another authors writing. Unfortunately, I’m seeing that a lot on Twitter these days. It’s in poor taste and suggests that you think your own writing is free of error. No one is perfect.
3) Don’t force your book down people’s throats. If people want to read it, they’ll read it. Begging people to buy your book only turns people off, it doesn’t gain you readers.
4) Don’t write what’s selling. If I would have listened to all the advice out there, I would have NEVER written a piece of poetry in my book. Everywhere you look, agents and publishers advise against poetry. If I would have listened, I honestly don’t think Slammed would be where it is today. I guess it wouldn’t be, period. If you listen to the masses, you’ll get lost in the masses.
5) You will feel like your writing is complete and utter shit. A lot. Some days you will think you are the most brilliant person on the planet. These vast swings in self-worth are needed to flush out the crap and write more of the great. Every author feels this way. The worry should set in when you STOP doubting yourself.
12. Do you have any advice specific to those of us attempting the self-publishing route?
Don’t go in with expectations. If you expect to have a best-seller right out of the gate, you’ll be let down. I realize my success happened really quickly and is rare, but it worries me that other authors will compare themselves to the authors who have had fast success. Just finishing your manuscript is a huge accomplishment in and of itself. Give it your best effort and be proud of every single milestone you reach. Wether it’s a best-seller or not, you accomplished something that millions of people only dream of.
13. What are you working on now?
Well, based on reader demand, I’m finishing up Will’s Story. I really didn’t have any intention of writing or publishing this, but it sort of just happened. Now that I’ve put the first chapter out there, I’m afraid I’ll let a lot of readers down if I don’t finish it.
I’m also working on a stand-alone titled FALL TOGETHER. It’s about a young girl and guy who are sort of thrown together in a class assignment at high school. Their names are Sky and Holder. It focuses on heavy subjects, so I think it will be classified as more mature young adult by the time I complete it.
14. Any final words?
I butterflying love The Avett Brothers.
About a month ago, I posted a review of the Slammed Series, by Colleen Hoover. Again, this book changed me, as in I bought an Avett Brothers CD and started writing again amazing, as in I'm working on an actual book myself amazing.
Colleen, incidentally, is a simply awesome human being and she agreed to do an interview for my blog. Here it is!
1. How long have you been writing?
Professionally? About 7 months. For fun, since I was five. I love, love, love to write. Slammed was my first attempt at a novel. I started it in December, 2011 and published it in January.
2. What inspired you to write Slammed?
I can’t say what one thing it was. It was really a culmination of things. I had an idea to write about a slam poet, I wanted to write something for my mother for Christmas, and I had plenty of time on my hands to think about it during my child’s theater rehearsals every night. I started making notes and ended up with a rough draft of a first chapter. I had no intentions of making a book, but once I fell in love with the characters I couldn’t stop.
3. When you started Slammed, did you know all along there would be a follow-up book?
I didn’t at all. Even after I published Slammed and a few of my friends were demanding more, I took it so far as to write a blog about how the story was finished and I wouldn’t be writing more about them. But one night I shot up out of bed, wondering what would have happened had Lake not had the courage to go slam for Will. I started writing ideas down for potential sequel drama, and by the next day I had an idea for book 2.
4. How long did you spend writing Slammed, and Point of Retreat?
I don’t like to count it in terms of days because Slammed took me less than thirty days to write. What people don’t realize is that I spent every spare waking minute to write it, so the hours I spent on it could be equivalent to having spent a couple of hours a day on it for six months. Does that make sense? Lol. Point of Retreat took about the same amount of time. There’s no way in hell I could spit a book out now in thirty days now, though. I didn’t think anyone would read those so I didn’t feel any pressure while writing them. It’s completely different now.
5. Did you try the traditional publishing route? If so, why did you go self pub? If not, why did you go right to self pub?
I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. Once I realized I had a book on my hands, I researched every possible avenue and learned everything I could learn in the short amount of time I’d been “writing.” I didn’t hesitate to self-publish once I learned about Amazon’s KDP program. I didn’t have enough confidence in my writing ability to think I had a chance with an agent considering how hard it is to get one.
6. Slammed is full of excellent poetry- have you always written poetry?
I wouldn’t call it poetry. Lol. I would write off-the-wall, silly things for friends. But I’ve never written anything emotional or serious before until the poetry in Slammed.
7. What appeals to you about Slam Poetry, specifically?
Everything. The bravery of the poets, the truthfulness to their words, the performance aspect of it. I first watched it on a documentary called Brave New Voices on HBO and fell in love with it.
8. Are you surprised by the awesomeness that is the success of the Slammed Series?
Floored. Daily. I had no idea it would reach the level of success it has. I wrote this on a whim, without any expectations at all. The fact that people are reading words that I wrote, and enjoying them, is a dream come true!
9. Who is your favorite character?
Oh, it’s Will. Hands down.
10. Would you like to see it as a movie? I would.
Heck yeah! That would be unbelievable.
11. What advice do you have for authors who are attempting their first work?
A lot. A WHOLE lot. I’ll try to keep it short.
1) Never let anyone else influence your work. Write from your heart and don’t compare yourself to other authors. Every writing style has a reader, and you’ll eventually find yours.
2) Never publicly bad-mouth another authors writing. Unfortunately, I’m seeing that a lot on Twitter these days. It’s in poor taste and suggests that you think your own writing is free of error. No one is perfect.
3) Don’t force your book down people’s throats. If people want to read it, they’ll read it. Begging people to buy your book only turns people off, it doesn’t gain you readers.
4) Don’t write what’s selling. If I would have listened to all the advice out there, I would have NEVER written a piece of poetry in my book. Everywhere you look, agents and publishers advise against poetry. If I would have listened, I honestly don’t think Slammed would be where it is today. I guess it wouldn’t be, period. If you listen to the masses, you’ll get lost in the masses.
5) You will feel like your writing is complete and utter shit. A lot. Some days you will think you are the most brilliant person on the planet. These vast swings in self-worth are needed to flush out the crap and write more of the great. Every author feels this way. The worry should set in when you STOP doubting yourself.
12. Do you have any advice specific to those of us attempting the self-publishing route?
Don’t go in with expectations. If you expect to have a best-seller right out of the gate, you’ll be let down. I realize my success happened really quickly and is rare, but it worries me that other authors will compare themselves to the authors who have had fast success. Just finishing your manuscript is a huge accomplishment in and of itself. Give it your best effort and be proud of every single milestone you reach. Wether it’s a best-seller or not, you accomplished something that millions of people only dream of.
13. What are you working on now?
Well, based on reader demand, I’m finishing up Will’s Story. I really didn’t have any intention of writing or publishing this, but it sort of just happened. Now that I’ve put the first chapter out there, I’m afraid I’ll let a lot of readers down if I don’t finish it.
I’m also working on a stand-alone titled FALL TOGETHER. It’s about a young girl and guy who are sort of thrown together in a class assignment at high school. Their names are Sky and Holder. It focuses on heavy subjects, so I think it will be classified as more mature young adult by the time I complete it.
14. Any final words?
I butterflying love The Avett Brothers.
**Thank you SO much, Colleen, for taking the time out of your butterflyingly busy schedule to answer my questions! Everyone should check out Colleen Hoover's webpage for information on Slammed, Point of Retreat, and her new projects!**
xo
andrea
Monday, May 14, 2012
And the winner is...
Marielle! You're getting "Slammed" and "Point of Retreat!" I know you'll love them as much as I do!!
Mommy Diaries: The Case of the Broken Leg...
Let's cut to the chase. As nearly everyone knows- I broke my leg. I broke my fibula in a diagonal fashion, not before snapping all the ligaments in my ankle like a pile of sad rubber bands. This happened at midnight on Sunday, April 22nd- just over 3 weeks ago.
There's not even a good story that goes with it. I rolled my ankle in Danskos on a wet floor. The floor was just wet enough that I couldn't right myself and my ankle and leg were left to bear the fall. I've never broken anything, but when I hit the ground I looked up at my friend and said "my ankle is broken." It was gross. The ligaments had all snapped so there was nothing holding my foot in place properly and it just kind of flopped from side to side. yuck. By 8:00am I was in surgery and was gifted with 3 metal plates and 10 or 11 screws that are fashioning my ligaments in place while scar tissue forms.
Going home, however, is where our story begins. When the PA was giving me my discharge information, my parents (who had only been home in MA from China for a few hours before my husband called them about my injury) were in the room. This is how the conversation went;
PA: "Do you live by yourself?"
Me: "No with my husband...and my 3 kids."
PA (eyes beginning to widen in concern): "Oh ok," trying to sound cheery, "how old are your kids?"
Me: "I have a four-year-old and 2-and-a-half-year-old twins." (I say it as if she asked what State I reside in, because, well, it IS the State I reside in).
PA (eyes have fallen on the floor and she's trying to pick them up, feeling around the hospital floor): "Oh. WOW. So..you're going to need some help."
Me: (in my head) "I've been saying this for years." (what I actually said) "Yea, we're working on it...it's ok."
And I wasn't lying, we were working on it and it would likely be ok, so get that look off your face (jk)...but really, get that look off your face. This is one of the few times in the history of my relationship with my husband that his work schedule of 2:30pm-11:00pm has worked in our favor. This meant that while Quinn was at Head Start from 8:30am to 2:00pm, Scott would be here to help with the kids and with me. I understand that not every husband would be up for sudden mommy work, and I'm very grateful that he didn't try to weasel out of it.
We were in the middle of most parents' worst everyday nightmare- parent down. There are certainly worse things that can happen, but that's why I said "everyday nightmare." Having a parent that's actively involved in a 2-parent household down and out is devastating to the ecosystem of the household. When that parent is the mom- it's an F5 tornado that's situated itself over the household. For 2 weeks I was instructed to be on my butt with my foot elevated unless I was "crutching" to the bathroom. Nightmare of 1st-world proportions.
As God would have it, my friends, family, and church all stepped in immediately to help. Scott's work (local high school) had a sign up sheet, and we were given enough meals to last more than a month (I assume, since both of our freezers are still full), and my friend Amy coordinated childcare efforts. People either came for the whole time between Scott going to work and the kids going to bed, or they split shifts as they needed. We had help cooking, cleaning, washing kids, bedtimes, and playing with kids. This was all going very smoothly.
To everyone except for Quinn.
My broken leg is the worst thing that has ever happened to Quinn.
My sweet 4-year-old boy with Sensory Processing Disorder and a desperate need for order was thrown in to a vortex of different people every night (which was fun for a the first few nights but he tired of it quickly), an altered schedule, and a mom that couldn't jump in the van for afternoon playground runs, or even just easily take them outside. All of this was left in the hands of others as I sat on the couch, chair, or in my bed. This was not ok with Quinn. He hates my broken leg and he has made it very clear. He stares at my leg as if it's his arch enemy- the Riddler to his Batman.
He has tried several times to smack my leg, and succeeded on one occasion, but by then I had the big black boot on so my leg did not bear the brunt of his anger. He wanted me to open the bathroom door for him, and my friend was standing right there so she did it for him. This was not OK with Quinn. He threw himself on the floor kicking and screaming "I WANT MOMMY TO DO IT! I WANT MOMMY TO DO IT!" I went over to him, and he stood up and slammed the bathroom door shut so I would have to open it for him. He said he wanted mommy to do it.
He's fallen apart at school, too, but there's nothing I can really do about that right now since I'm dealing with his behavior at home. His life at home is upside down, and he's going to carry that to school.
I was in the tub last week and he came in and saw the large incision line and asked why I had it out of the water. I said "So it doesn't get sick" (not wanting to explain infection at the moment). He said, "So you don't die?" This statement could mean that he associates sick and die, as he had a peer at school lose their mother this year and they told the kids she "got sick and died." I'm not sure that he knows, really, what die means, but he certainly is associating it with my leg and that pisses him off, makes him uncomfortable, and scares him.
The past week has been slightly better, because we've had our regular high school babysitters over in the afternoon. Finally, on Thursday of last week, Quinn crawled in to Kylee's lap as she was reading Aiden a story. He's accepted her place in our lives right now. But he still hates my broken leg.
Either way, today I went back to my job as an Aide in the preschool I work at. The kids were SO happy to see me and told me they missed me and loved me. They had some questions about the crutches and my boot, but they don't seem to hate my broken leg right now- they're just happy to have me there.
It's going to be a long start to summer. I still can't bear any weight on the leg, and won't be able to attempt such a feat for another 4 weeks. Even then, I'll need crutches probably right through July. Joy.
Moral of the story for moms out there: Don't break your leg......
xo
andrea
There's not even a good story that goes with it. I rolled my ankle in Danskos on a wet floor. The floor was just wet enough that I couldn't right myself and my ankle and leg were left to bear the fall. I've never broken anything, but when I hit the ground I looked up at my friend and said "my ankle is broken." It was gross. The ligaments had all snapped so there was nothing holding my foot in place properly and it just kind of flopped from side to side. yuck. By 8:00am I was in surgery and was gifted with 3 metal plates and 10 or 11 screws that are fashioning my ligaments in place while scar tissue forms.
Going home, however, is where our story begins. When the PA was giving me my discharge information, my parents (who had only been home in MA from China for a few hours before my husband called them about my injury) were in the room. This is how the conversation went;
PA: "Do you live by yourself?"
Me: "No with my husband...and my 3 kids."
PA (eyes beginning to widen in concern): "Oh ok," trying to sound cheery, "how old are your kids?"
Me: "I have a four-year-old and 2-and-a-half-year-old twins." (I say it as if she asked what State I reside in, because, well, it IS the State I reside in).
PA (eyes have fallen on the floor and she's trying to pick them up, feeling around the hospital floor): "Oh. WOW. So..you're going to need some help."
Me: (in my head) "I've been saying this for years." (what I actually said) "Yea, we're working on it...it's ok."
And I wasn't lying, we were working on it and it would likely be ok, so get that look off your face (jk)...but really, get that look off your face. This is one of the few times in the history of my relationship with my husband that his work schedule of 2:30pm-11:00pm has worked in our favor. This meant that while Quinn was at Head Start from 8:30am to 2:00pm, Scott would be here to help with the kids and with me. I understand that not every husband would be up for sudden mommy work, and I'm very grateful that he didn't try to weasel out of it.
We were in the middle of most parents' worst everyday nightmare- parent down. There are certainly worse things that can happen, but that's why I said "everyday nightmare." Having a parent that's actively involved in a 2-parent household down and out is devastating to the ecosystem of the household. When that parent is the mom- it's an F5 tornado that's situated itself over the household. For 2 weeks I was instructed to be on my butt with my foot elevated unless I was "crutching" to the bathroom. Nightmare of 1st-world proportions.
As God would have it, my friends, family, and church all stepped in immediately to help. Scott's work (local high school) had a sign up sheet, and we were given enough meals to last more than a month (I assume, since both of our freezers are still full), and my friend Amy coordinated childcare efforts. People either came for the whole time between Scott going to work and the kids going to bed, or they split shifts as they needed. We had help cooking, cleaning, washing kids, bedtimes, and playing with kids. This was all going very smoothly.
To everyone except for Quinn.
My broken leg is the worst thing that has ever happened to Quinn.
My sweet 4-year-old boy with Sensory Processing Disorder and a desperate need for order was thrown in to a vortex of different people every night (which was fun for a the first few nights but he tired of it quickly), an altered schedule, and a mom that couldn't jump in the van for afternoon playground runs, or even just easily take them outside. All of this was left in the hands of others as I sat on the couch, chair, or in my bed. This was not ok with Quinn. He hates my broken leg and he has made it very clear. He stares at my leg as if it's his arch enemy- the Riddler to his Batman.
He has tried several times to smack my leg, and succeeded on one occasion, but by then I had the big black boot on so my leg did not bear the brunt of his anger. He wanted me to open the bathroom door for him, and my friend was standing right there so she did it for him. This was not OK with Quinn. He threw himself on the floor kicking and screaming "I WANT MOMMY TO DO IT! I WANT MOMMY TO DO IT!" I went over to him, and he stood up and slammed the bathroom door shut so I would have to open it for him. He said he wanted mommy to do it.
He's fallen apart at school, too, but there's nothing I can really do about that right now since I'm dealing with his behavior at home. His life at home is upside down, and he's going to carry that to school.
I was in the tub last week and he came in and saw the large incision line and asked why I had it out of the water. I said "So it doesn't get sick" (not wanting to explain infection at the moment). He said, "So you don't die?" This statement could mean that he associates sick and die, as he had a peer at school lose their mother this year and they told the kids she "got sick and died." I'm not sure that he knows, really, what die means, but he certainly is associating it with my leg and that pisses him off, makes him uncomfortable, and scares him.
The past week has been slightly better, because we've had our regular high school babysitters over in the afternoon. Finally, on Thursday of last week, Quinn crawled in to Kylee's lap as she was reading Aiden a story. He's accepted her place in our lives right now. But he still hates my broken leg.
Either way, today I went back to my job as an Aide in the preschool I work at. The kids were SO happy to see me and told me they missed me and loved me. They had some questions about the crutches and my boot, but they don't seem to hate my broken leg right now- they're just happy to have me there.
It's going to be a long start to summer. I still can't bear any weight on the leg, and won't be able to attempt such a feat for another 4 weeks. Even then, I'll need crutches probably right through July. Joy.
Moral of the story for moms out there: Don't break your leg......
xo
andrea
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Book Review: Slammed Series (Colleen Hoover)
Rarely has a series elicited such passion from me on so many levels. Sure, I think lots of people would enjoy "The Twilight Saga," even more would enjoy "The Hunger Games Trilogy," and some sickos like me will LOVE LOVE LOVE the "Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy." However, most people who know me, who are friends with me, and who love reading, NEED to read "Slammed" and "Point of Retreat" by Colleen Hoover. Need. To.
This is not a paranormal love story like "The Twilight Saga" or "The Eden Trilogy." These are real people, real lives, no hope of eternity to linger in the distance- we are left to deal with the here and now.
This 2-book series follows Layken Cohen and William Cooper as they navigate what they hope to be a romance- filled relationship. Layken (Lake) is new to William's neighborhood and their connection is instant. Lake finds out after their first trip to a club night dedicated to Slam Poetry, that their connection is deeper that a skipped heartbeat. Will is a talented and dedicated slam poet, and you learn a lot about him, and yourself, while he's up on stage.
Let me give a huge shout out to the emotionally strong Layken Cohen. She doesn't pine away thinking, "what could Will POSSIBLY see in me, la la la...." She has the mentality, "He's hot, I like him, I know he likes me, what the HELL is the problem?!" She's got tenacity, and that's been so lacking at the core of so many female characters lately....
Life throws 2 HUGE roadblocks in their way in the first novel- both of them could justifiably keep the lovers apart independently, but the double blow is enough to leave the reader in tears, praying for our fictional star-crossed pair. The physical romance is written tastefully and using the correct words to allow you to feel what Lake is feeling, and what Will is feeling. Each touch leaves you wanting more and each roadblock is so real that you can feel the punch in your gut. Again, we're not dealing with angels, vampires, werewolves- we are dealing with real life and you could be reading this story about a best friend.
The supporting characters are just that, beautifully supportive but they do not overtake the story. We are able to enjoy what they bring out of the main characters, but we're not left spending too much time wondering when they'll show up again. The main characters are that strong and that engrossing.
Poetry is essentially the third main character in this story- and it is done SO. WELL. The author clearly took time to study slam poetry as an art and performance, as her descriptions are dead on. Further, she is also a poet (not many writers are) and the poetry itself is done well, even while written through the characters' perspective. Take a minute to realize how awesome this is. Not only can she write poetry, but she can do it through several different characters that have different make ups, backgrounds, and emotions- that's a big deal. I've written poetry for nearly 20 years and I don't know if I could write it from inside the head of someone else. Even if they're a character I've created.
When Slammed (book 1) ends, we're left with a glimmer of hope, some sadness, and a yearning for more of Will and Lake's story.
"Point of Retreat" (POR) begins beautifully, but more challenges await our lovers. This book is full of emotional climax after climax and you WILL cry along with our characters. It's a true fight for love. The supporting characters have a larger role in POR, but they are still handled with care in the context of Will and Lake. Many times through the book they are ACTUALLY SUPPORTING Will or Lake for different reasons.
In POR we're given a deeper look in to Will's emotional determination and his ability to prove himself, and his love, to Lake. The roadblocks here are even more detrimental than in "Slammed," and I swear you must keep a tissue nearby. It feels so real.
While I generally favor a trilogy, and was nervous about starting a book that was only a 2-part series for fear that I'd be left wanting more, "Point of Retreat" didn't disappoint. Colleen Hoover was able to build the main characters, supporting characters, build several emotional climaxes, and leave us with a satisfactory resolution.
Poetry is prominent and urgent in POR, and is written just as thoughtfully and delivered just as well.
These are two books I feel strongly about being made in to movies. They would do well based on the character development and story lines on their own, but the element of slam poetry would play out beautifully on screen. And, hey, it never hurt to throw more poetry in to the world.
**This is how passionate I am about these 2 books. I own them on my Kindle. However, I'm going to purchase one copy of each book from the authors website and give them away. Leave a relevant comment either here, or on any Facebook link to this blog I have posted. You also must share this link on your Facebook page. On Monday evening (5/14), which is my birthday (!) I will select a name at random from the comments I receive, and mail you a copy of "Slammed" and "Point of Retreat." You must also promise to pass the books along when you're done ;) **
xo
andrea
This is not a paranormal love story like "The Twilight Saga" or "The Eden Trilogy." These are real people, real lives, no hope of eternity to linger in the distance- we are left to deal with the here and now.
This 2-book series follows Layken Cohen and William Cooper as they navigate what they hope to be a romance- filled relationship. Layken (Lake) is new to William's neighborhood and their connection is instant. Lake finds out after their first trip to a club night dedicated to Slam Poetry, that their connection is deeper that a skipped heartbeat. Will is a talented and dedicated slam poet, and you learn a lot about him, and yourself, while he's up on stage.
Let me give a huge shout out to the emotionally strong Layken Cohen. She doesn't pine away thinking, "what could Will POSSIBLY see in me, la la la...." She has the mentality, "He's hot, I like him, I know he likes me, what the HELL is the problem?!" She's got tenacity, and that's been so lacking at the core of so many female characters lately....
Life throws 2 HUGE roadblocks in their way in the first novel- both of them could justifiably keep the lovers apart independently, but the double blow is enough to leave the reader in tears, praying for our fictional star-crossed pair. The physical romance is written tastefully and using the correct words to allow you to feel what Lake is feeling, and what Will is feeling. Each touch leaves you wanting more and each roadblock is so real that you can feel the punch in your gut. Again, we're not dealing with angels, vampires, werewolves- we are dealing with real life and you could be reading this story about a best friend.
The supporting characters are just that, beautifully supportive but they do not overtake the story. We are able to enjoy what they bring out of the main characters, but we're not left spending too much time wondering when they'll show up again. The main characters are that strong and that engrossing.
Poetry is essentially the third main character in this story- and it is done SO. WELL. The author clearly took time to study slam poetry as an art and performance, as her descriptions are dead on. Further, she is also a poet (not many writers are) and the poetry itself is done well, even while written through the characters' perspective. Take a minute to realize how awesome this is. Not only can she write poetry, but she can do it through several different characters that have different make ups, backgrounds, and emotions- that's a big deal. I've written poetry for nearly 20 years and I don't know if I could write it from inside the head of someone else. Even if they're a character I've created.
When Slammed (book 1) ends, we're left with a glimmer of hope, some sadness, and a yearning for more of Will and Lake's story.
"Point of Retreat" (POR) begins beautifully, but more challenges await our lovers. This book is full of emotional climax after climax and you WILL cry along with our characters. It's a true fight for love. The supporting characters have a larger role in POR, but they are still handled with care in the context of Will and Lake. Many times through the book they are ACTUALLY SUPPORTING Will or Lake for different reasons.
In POR we're given a deeper look in to Will's emotional determination and his ability to prove himself, and his love, to Lake. The roadblocks here are even more detrimental than in "Slammed," and I swear you must keep a tissue nearby. It feels so real.
While I generally favor a trilogy, and was nervous about starting a book that was only a 2-part series for fear that I'd be left wanting more, "Point of Retreat" didn't disappoint. Colleen Hoover was able to build the main characters, supporting characters, build several emotional climaxes, and leave us with a satisfactory resolution.
Poetry is prominent and urgent in POR, and is written just as thoughtfully and delivered just as well.
These are two books I feel strongly about being made in to movies. They would do well based on the character development and story lines on their own, but the element of slam poetry would play out beautifully on screen. And, hey, it never hurt to throw more poetry in to the world.
**This is how passionate I am about these 2 books. I own them on my Kindle. However, I'm going to purchase one copy of each book from the authors website and give them away. Leave a relevant comment either here, or on any Facebook link to this blog I have posted. You also must share this link on your Facebook page. On Monday evening (5/14), which is my birthday (!) I will select a name at random from the comments I receive, and mail you a copy of "Slammed" and "Point of Retreat." You must also promise to pass the books along when you're done ;) **
xo
andrea
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Book Review: The Eden Trilogy (Nicole Williams)
The Broken Leg Reading Express is full steam ahead. In the 3 weeks since I broke my leg I've finished 6 books. "Wintergirls," which I've already reviewed, "The Eden Trilogy," which I'll review tonight, and the "Slammed" series (Colleen Hoover), which I'll review tonight or tomorrow.
The Eden Trilogy is comprised of "Eternal Eden," "Fallen Eden," and "United Eden," and is written by Nicole Williams. It's a paranormal romance following Bryn Dawson, a college student, and her not-so-normal love story with William Hayward.
I will say, it took me a good 30% of the first book to feel like I was on even footing. Part of that was due to things happening in the first book, that don't happen until later in other series (major character changes, definition of good and evil). We're lead to take a lot for granted until we're given background information. This irritated me at first. In fact, I emailed the friend who recommended the book and said, "Does this get better?" She assured me it did- and she was right. In retrospect, when reading the first book, we're just as confused as Bryn was when she was going through everything she goes through, and we learn things as she does. The rest of the series has a much more melodic flow.
While the male and female leads are formulaic (in a good way) regarding paranormal romances, the development of the paranormal "world" was well done. Details were well thought out, believable, but not overwhelming. Secondary characters, which are typically handled with caution in most romantic stories, are handled with authoritative zeal in this trilogy. They don't take over the story, but they are well developed enough to make you care about their own lives, and how there lives intertwine with our lovers. This particular trilogy has a "spin-off" called, "The Patrick Chronicles," the first book is called "Fissure," and it's based on the brother of the male lead, Will. I will be reading "Fissure" asap, and the conclusion of the series is due out shortly.
The trilogy follows the typical arc and, for me, that means that the 2nd book, "Fallen Eden," was my favorite. There is lots of action, lots of drama, and no need to rush to resolution. And, importantly, it leaves you wanting more.
The thing I appreciated most about the third book, "United Eden," is that where the ending would take place in most books, "United Eden," continues on a little more- allowing us to bask in the resolution for a while.
People who enjoyed "The Twilight Saga," will find comfort and familiarity in this series. However, this series takes it a step further. It starts in a place where "Breaking Dawn" ends. This series is about the life in a paranormal world, not trying to break in to it. This is why people who found "The Twilight Saga" slow, would also enjoy this series.
Soooo, check out The Eden Trilogy by Nicole Williams for a beautiful love story that will leave you seeing sapphire :)
xo
andrea
The Eden Trilogy is comprised of "Eternal Eden," "Fallen Eden," and "United Eden," and is written by Nicole Williams. It's a paranormal romance following Bryn Dawson, a college student, and her not-so-normal love story with William Hayward.
I will say, it took me a good 30% of the first book to feel like I was on even footing. Part of that was due to things happening in the first book, that don't happen until later in other series (major character changes, definition of good and evil). We're lead to take a lot for granted until we're given background information. This irritated me at first. In fact, I emailed the friend who recommended the book and said, "Does this get better?" She assured me it did- and she was right. In retrospect, when reading the first book, we're just as confused as Bryn was when she was going through everything she goes through, and we learn things as she does. The rest of the series has a much more melodic flow.
While the male and female leads are formulaic (in a good way) regarding paranormal romances, the development of the paranormal "world" was well done. Details were well thought out, believable, but not overwhelming. Secondary characters, which are typically handled with caution in most romantic stories, are handled with authoritative zeal in this trilogy. They don't take over the story, but they are well developed enough to make you care about their own lives, and how there lives intertwine with our lovers. This particular trilogy has a "spin-off" called, "The Patrick Chronicles," the first book is called "Fissure," and it's based on the brother of the male lead, Will. I will be reading "Fissure" asap, and the conclusion of the series is due out shortly.
The trilogy follows the typical arc and, for me, that means that the 2nd book, "Fallen Eden," was my favorite. There is lots of action, lots of drama, and no need to rush to resolution. And, importantly, it leaves you wanting more.
The thing I appreciated most about the third book, "United Eden," is that where the ending would take place in most books, "United Eden," continues on a little more- allowing us to bask in the resolution for a while.
People who enjoyed "The Twilight Saga," will find comfort and familiarity in this series. However, this series takes it a step further. It starts in a place where "Breaking Dawn" ends. This series is about the life in a paranormal world, not trying to break in to it. This is why people who found "The Twilight Saga" slow, would also enjoy this series.
Soooo, check out The Eden Trilogy by Nicole Williams for a beautiful love story that will leave you seeing sapphire :)
xo
andrea
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Bella vs. Katniss
Let me preface this with a warning: SPOILER'S AHEAD- DO. NOT. READ. UNLESS YOU'VE READ, OR DON'T CARE TO READ, THE ENTIRE TWILIGHT SERIES AND THE ENTIRE HUNGER GAMES SERIES....KTHANKS. I should also note that I've not read one single internet article comparing Bella Swan (Twilight) to Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games). This is purely my opinion based on the novels.
I'll start with my conclusion, then try to show why. I like Bella Swan better. I know, I know. Throw feminist stones, if you will- it shocked me, too. How, indeed, could I possibly justify liking our delicate Bella Swan, over our hardcore, bow-slinging sister-friend Katniss Everdeen?
Resolve. That's why. Stay with me...
As I mentioned in my post regarding the Twilight Series, I was merely satisfied with the ending of the series. Bella didn't really have to sacrifice much to get LITERALLY EVERYTHING SHE WANTED. Edward, Jacob, a baby, her Cullen family, and her father, all lived happily ever after- no kidding. Gag me a little. Meanwhile, Katniss sacrificed EVERYTHING and did not end up with EVERYTHING she wanted, though she did get a lot. Maybe even most.
However, Katniss never knew what she wanted- and that's a big problem for me. An even bigger problem is that when she thought she knew what she wanted, she hesitated every damn step of the way. Initially, her goal was survival- she knew she wanted that, and she got it. Had I read ONLY Hunger Games (book 1) and especially Catching Fire (book 2) and ONLY Twilight (book 1), Katniss would be the CLEAR winner. Bottom line. She was strong, no one dictated anything for her. And she threw EVERYTHING on the line for her sister, not a boy..until she threw everything on the line for a boy (which was the major complaint many feminists had with the entire Twilight Series).
Granted, while the series' have similarities, it can be rather like comparing apples and oranges because one is a paranormal love story dealing with eternity and immortality, while the other is a very realistic portrayal of a not-so-future America and is not, despite some reviews, a love story at all.
Taking both series as a whole, however, Bella comes out on top. Throughout the Twilight series, Bella's resolve for what SHE wanted grew stronger, she grew as a person, dealt with very real teenage girl emotions, wants, and needs. She knew that her soul and Edward's soul (as she saw it) were destined, and she did all in her human power to cross over. Not JUST to be with Edward for Eternity, but to be true to her soul and where it belonged. She raced across the world to face The Volturi head on, which gives me chills every time I see it on screen. She held on to a baby that she wanted, because she knew it would be ok (although I found fault in this while reading it for the first time).
While I have my biggest issues reserved for Breaking Dawn (the final book), Bella dove in to her new role as vampire and fought through unimaginable personal pain and confusion to save everyone she loved. Yes, yes, it's annoying that EVERYONE she loved came out unscathed, and no one had to sacrifice for HER (would we really have missed Rosalie?), but SHE decided, and SHE did it. She became what she wanted first, even when others hesitated, including her beloved! She knew it would be best for both of them, he did not decide that for her. She was proud of who she was in the end, and her happily ever after was self-created.
Katniss's resolve, however, faltered greatly (in my eyes), as the series ran on- ESPECIALLY in Mockingjay. For goodness sake, the title of the book excited the hell out of me; by the time we get to Mockingjay we know that Katniss IS the mockingjay. She, however, does not. Or maybe she does. Or maybe not. The whiplash is infuriating. Katniss spent all of her time in Catching Fire being very calculating, cunning, planning, tough, and ready to give the ultimate middle finger to The Capitol.
Mockingjay was lackluster and slow. While it showed the reality of living in a hidden society preparing for a massive takeover- Katniss's resolve was gone. The anger and energy she could have- and maybe should have-gathered by seeing a destroyed District 12, the bones of those she grew up with, should have empowered her and STRENGTHENED her resolve as the mockingjay. But, this role was annoyingly left to Gale, the one we're lead to believe loved her though I don't totally buy it.Gale plotted, planned, acted, fought. I wanted so badly for Katniss to spit profanities and take an active role (despite President Coin) in the uprising, but she just became a drooling pawn for most of the book.
By the time Katniss found her resolve, her sister was blown to bits and she slept for some time, woke up, killed President Coin on her way to kill President Snow, and went back to sleep for a while longer. She was a damn hero and wasn't present. What. The. Hell.
In the end, however, it did wrap up nicely. And, for the sake of psychology, I'm glad it did. Taking Mockingjay as an isolated book, Katniss's greatest strength comes in the Epilogue, in her ability to move past absolutely everything that happened in the first three novels. But even then, she didn't take an active role in maintaining the peace she had a piece in creating. She still didn't acknowledge the importance of her being the mockingjay, because she knew it wasn't her choice or her resolve. She said that her children would learn that their parents "had a role in it." And that pisses me off.
xo
andrea
I'll start with my conclusion, then try to show why. I like Bella Swan better. I know, I know. Throw feminist stones, if you will- it shocked me, too. How, indeed, could I possibly justify liking our delicate Bella Swan, over our hardcore, bow-slinging sister-friend Katniss Everdeen?
Resolve. That's why. Stay with me...
As I mentioned in my post regarding the Twilight Series, I was merely satisfied with the ending of the series. Bella didn't really have to sacrifice much to get LITERALLY EVERYTHING SHE WANTED. Edward, Jacob, a baby, her Cullen family, and her father, all lived happily ever after- no kidding. Gag me a little. Meanwhile, Katniss sacrificed EVERYTHING and did not end up with EVERYTHING she wanted, though she did get a lot. Maybe even most.
However, Katniss never knew what she wanted- and that's a big problem for me. An even bigger problem is that when she thought she knew what she wanted, she hesitated every damn step of the way. Initially, her goal was survival- she knew she wanted that, and she got it. Had I read ONLY Hunger Games (book 1) and especially Catching Fire (book 2) and ONLY Twilight (book 1), Katniss would be the CLEAR winner. Bottom line. She was strong, no one dictated anything for her. And she threw EVERYTHING on the line for her sister, not a boy..until she threw everything on the line for a boy (which was the major complaint many feminists had with the entire Twilight Series).
Granted, while the series' have similarities, it can be rather like comparing apples and oranges because one is a paranormal love story dealing with eternity and immortality, while the other is a very realistic portrayal of a not-so-future America and is not, despite some reviews, a love story at all.
Taking both series as a whole, however, Bella comes out on top. Throughout the Twilight series, Bella's resolve for what SHE wanted grew stronger, she grew as a person, dealt with very real teenage girl emotions, wants, and needs. She knew that her soul and Edward's soul (as she saw it) were destined, and she did all in her human power to cross over. Not JUST to be with Edward for Eternity, but to be true to her soul and where it belonged. She raced across the world to face The Volturi head on, which gives me chills every time I see it on screen. She held on to a baby that she wanted, because she knew it would be ok (although I found fault in this while reading it for the first time).
While I have my biggest issues reserved for Breaking Dawn (the final book), Bella dove in to her new role as vampire and fought through unimaginable personal pain and confusion to save everyone she loved. Yes, yes, it's annoying that EVERYONE she loved came out unscathed, and no one had to sacrifice for HER (would we really have missed Rosalie?), but SHE decided, and SHE did it. She became what she wanted first, even when others hesitated, including her beloved! She knew it would be best for both of them, he did not decide that for her. She was proud of who she was in the end, and her happily ever after was self-created.
Katniss's resolve, however, faltered greatly (in my eyes), as the series ran on- ESPECIALLY in Mockingjay. For goodness sake, the title of the book excited the hell out of me; by the time we get to Mockingjay we know that Katniss IS the mockingjay. She, however, does not. Or maybe she does. Or maybe not. The whiplash is infuriating. Katniss spent all of her time in Catching Fire being very calculating, cunning, planning, tough, and ready to give the ultimate middle finger to The Capitol.
Mockingjay was lackluster and slow. While it showed the reality of living in a hidden society preparing for a massive takeover- Katniss's resolve was gone. The anger and energy she could have- and maybe should have-gathered by seeing a destroyed District 12, the bones of those she grew up with, should have empowered her and STRENGTHENED her resolve as the mockingjay. But, this role was annoyingly left to Gale, the one we're lead to believe loved her though I don't totally buy it.Gale plotted, planned, acted, fought. I wanted so badly for Katniss to spit profanities and take an active role (despite President Coin) in the uprising, but she just became a drooling pawn for most of the book.
By the time Katniss found her resolve, her sister was blown to bits and she slept for some time, woke up, killed President Coin on her way to kill President Snow, and went back to sleep for a while longer. She was a damn hero and wasn't present. What. The. Hell.
In the end, however, it did wrap up nicely. And, for the sake of psychology, I'm glad it did. Taking Mockingjay as an isolated book, Katniss's greatest strength comes in the Epilogue, in her ability to move past absolutely everything that happened in the first three novels. But even then, she didn't take an active role in maintaining the peace she had a piece in creating. She still didn't acknowledge the importance of her being the mockingjay, because she knew it wasn't her choice or her resolve. She said that her children would learn that their parents "had a role in it." And that pisses me off.
xo
andrea
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
"Wintergirls" Review
I want to jump ahead and review "Wintergirls" before tackling "Hunger Games" and "Fifty Shades of Grey." I read "Wintergirls" most recently, so I'd like to get this review out there and get more people to read this- because it's a fantastic, deep read.
"Wintergirls", by Laurie Halse Anderson, follows 18-year-old Lia, and her struggle through the deepest, darkest, pockets of anorexia, and back. She loses her friend Cassie due to side effects of an eating disorder, and this book tracks Lia's grief and attempt at healing.
The title of one review I read said it best, "This book is not about anorexia." While that is the disease that Lia has, this book is about loss, pain, family strife, divorce, promises, friendship, life, and hope. This book, however, is not for the faint of heart. It's very intense. While the author claims to have done a lot of research for this book, the emotions and actions of Lia are so raw- so real- that it wouldn't surprise me if Laurie herself struggled with disordered eating at some point in her life. Further, I did a lot of research in high school and college on eating disorders. Even with my knowledge of the disease, I found parts of the book hard to read- because I knew it was real.
Teenagers struggle daily with so much, and are held captive by new and raging hormones. Anderson captures these struggles with such emotion, it was like I was back in high school, reading a friends journal or something of the like.
Download or buy this book (I have 1 copy to loan!) and you won't be disappointed.
xo
andrea
"Wintergirls", by Laurie Halse Anderson, follows 18-year-old Lia, and her struggle through the deepest, darkest, pockets of anorexia, and back. She loses her friend Cassie due to side effects of an eating disorder, and this book tracks Lia's grief and attempt at healing.
The title of one review I read said it best, "This book is not about anorexia." While that is the disease that Lia has, this book is about loss, pain, family strife, divorce, promises, friendship, life, and hope. This book, however, is not for the faint of heart. It's very intense. While the author claims to have done a lot of research for this book, the emotions and actions of Lia are so raw- so real- that it wouldn't surprise me if Laurie herself struggled with disordered eating at some point in her life. Further, I did a lot of research in high school and college on eating disorders. Even with my knowledge of the disease, I found parts of the book hard to read- because I knew it was real.
Teenagers struggle daily with so much, and are held captive by new and raging hormones. Anderson captures these struggles with such emotion, it was like I was back in high school, reading a friends journal or something of the like.
Download or buy this book (I have 1 copy to loan!) and you won't be disappointed.
xo
andrea
Sunday, April 29, 2012
The Twilight Saga
This post might come as old news, "been there/ done that", to some, but it's fairly new to me. I just want to have a not-so-brief post discussing the Twilight Saga (books) since I enjoyed the series....and have nothing better to do with my broken leg.
The premiere novel, "Twilight," was published in 2005- the year I graduated college. During that time I didn't read much at all, except non-fiction, and this just didn't show up on my radar. In fact, nothing showed up on my radar until October 2011 when I noticed incessant "Breaking Dawn: Part 1" trailers.
Four books and three movies had been released without my noticing. This becomes important, because by the time I made the fateful decision to "just download 'Twilight' on my Kindle," I knew NOTHING. Well, not nothing. I knew there was a vampire, a warewolf, and a girl (ahh the old story). I knew I had seen conversations about "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" but I, A. Didn't know who was who and B. Didn't know why there were teams. I also only vaguely recalled seeing a preview for one of the movies on TV, which I now know was "New Moon." That was it. Well, I had also seen previews to "Breaking Dawn: Part 1," so I then knew Edward was the vamp, Jacob was the wolf, and there would be a wedding and some disfiguring pregnancy. It was all fairly out of context.
I mentioned to my friend Jessica, "I think I'll download 'Twilight', have you read these books?" I was met with a brief silence followed by, "are you kidding? you neverreadthemohmygod." She told me to read "Twilight" and get back to her.
It all started so innocently....read a book...
I was friggen HOOOOOOOOKED! And, technically speaking, I still can't explain why (and neither can my other literary-inclined friends).
"Twilight" was, I'll say it, poorly written- technically. I don't mean technically as people use to imply air quotes. I mean the technical style of writing was-maybe not poor- but fair at best. I could have easily written that book in high school- if not sooner. I know that this was Stephanie Meyer's first novel, and it was written for the YA audience, but I feel the publishing house could have polished her skills. If Bella "shrugged" her coat off or on one more time I was going to mail Mrs. Meyer a thesaurus. It's interesting to note, however, that the writing at the end of the novel was better than at the beginning- like she had to be warmed up. Further, the technical writing in each book got better...But, again, oddly, it didn't matter- I kept reading! That means something...
However, the book had me hooked. The emotions Stephanie Meyer was able to write about were so spot-on for a teenage girl, it was like I was thrown back in to high school. When she described being touched by Edward, it was real, electricity that everyone feels- despite the fact that hers was more- because he was a vampire.
After I read "Twilight," I HAD to read New Moon, and since all the books were released, I didn't have to wait. I would read the book, watch the movie, and move on to the next book. The "Twilight" movie was ok, but soooo much of that book happened in Bella's head, it would have been impossible to have an exact copy- it was good for people who did and did not read the book.
I finished the series in 8 days. "Eclipse" was my favorite book of the series because there was a lot of action, a lot of back story, and a lot of interaction between Jacob and Edward- which hadn't happened in the previous 2 stories. "New Moon," was my favorite movie adaptation of all 4 movies that have been released so far. "New Moon" was incredibly depressing and emotive. I thought they did a fabulous job with the acting, direction, and sound track to tie it all together for the movie. I could watch "New Moon" all day.
The series is INCREDIBLY romantic, on a young adult level. You can feel the urgency and passion in Edward's words and actions toward Bella, the physical heartbreak and longing in Jacob, and the constant confusion and unfamiliar feelings of Bella.
"Breaking Dawn," however, I still have some issues with. I nearly stopped reading the book during the first half. While my friends assured me, "it will all work out in the end," I was highly annoyed by Bella's sudden resolve, as she was generally not self confident and lambish through the series. I get that there was the underlying message of her being able to be in control of her body, but I didn't really buy it- neither did Jacob. It was the first time in the entire series that I was "Team Jacob." In this instance, I actually liked this movie BETTER than the first half of the book (the last movie is split in to two parts) because it was able to rush through a lot of the "no I want the baby, I can't explain why- but I do" text in the book that made me scream.
Further, the ending was just OK. It was tied up neatly in a nice brown package with some twine...But there was no sacrifice. I'll save further critique for several months from now when the 2nd part of Breaking Dawn comes out, since I have many friends who only watch the movies- don't read the books.
Also, I'm not going to even address the constant critique of Meyer's use of the novel as an impetus to push her Mormon values on the readers. I read the entire series without knowing of this criticism and I never "got that" and I have some hardcore feminism/ Women's Studies in my background. I think it was just something for people to pick at. Get over it- it's fanciful.
I still recommend that people read this series. Despite it's incredible length (I think the shortest book is 400 pages? and the longest is over 600), it's an easy read and will suck you in to a wonderful world :)
Later I will discuss "The Hunger Games" books, each will get it's own post because each book is so intense and so different. Not that The Twilight Saga isn't- but I don't feel like reviewing THAT many books ;)
xo
andrea
The premiere novel, "Twilight," was published in 2005- the year I graduated college. During that time I didn't read much at all, except non-fiction, and this just didn't show up on my radar. In fact, nothing showed up on my radar until October 2011 when I noticed incessant "Breaking Dawn: Part 1" trailers.
Four books and three movies had been released without my noticing. This becomes important, because by the time I made the fateful decision to "just download 'Twilight' on my Kindle," I knew NOTHING. Well, not nothing. I knew there was a vampire, a warewolf, and a girl (ahh the old story). I knew I had seen conversations about "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" but I, A. Didn't know who was who and B. Didn't know why there were teams. I also only vaguely recalled seeing a preview for one of the movies on TV, which I now know was "New Moon." That was it. Well, I had also seen previews to "Breaking Dawn: Part 1," so I then knew Edward was the vamp, Jacob was the wolf, and there would be a wedding and some disfiguring pregnancy. It was all fairly out of context.
I mentioned to my friend Jessica, "I think I'll download 'Twilight', have you read these books?" I was met with a brief silence followed by, "are you kidding? you neverreadthemohmygod." She told me to read "Twilight" and get back to her.
It all started so innocently....read a book...
I was friggen HOOOOOOOOKED! And, technically speaking, I still can't explain why (and neither can my other literary-inclined friends).
"Twilight" was, I'll say it, poorly written- technically. I don't mean technically as people use to imply air quotes. I mean the technical style of writing was-maybe not poor- but fair at best. I could have easily written that book in high school- if not sooner. I know that this was Stephanie Meyer's first novel, and it was written for the YA audience, but I feel the publishing house could have polished her skills. If Bella "shrugged" her coat off or on one more time I was going to mail Mrs. Meyer a thesaurus. It's interesting to note, however, that the writing at the end of the novel was better than at the beginning- like she had to be warmed up. Further, the technical writing in each book got better...But, again, oddly, it didn't matter- I kept reading! That means something...
However, the book had me hooked. The emotions Stephanie Meyer was able to write about were so spot-on for a teenage girl, it was like I was thrown back in to high school. When she described being touched by Edward, it was real, electricity that everyone feels- despite the fact that hers was more- because he was a vampire.
After I read "Twilight," I HAD to read New Moon, and since all the books were released, I didn't have to wait. I would read the book, watch the movie, and move on to the next book. The "Twilight" movie was ok, but soooo much of that book happened in Bella's head, it would have been impossible to have an exact copy- it was good for people who did and did not read the book.
I finished the series in 8 days. "Eclipse" was my favorite book of the series because there was a lot of action, a lot of back story, and a lot of interaction between Jacob and Edward- which hadn't happened in the previous 2 stories. "New Moon," was my favorite movie adaptation of all 4 movies that have been released so far. "New Moon" was incredibly depressing and emotive. I thought they did a fabulous job with the acting, direction, and sound track to tie it all together for the movie. I could watch "New Moon" all day.
The series is INCREDIBLY romantic, on a young adult level. You can feel the urgency and passion in Edward's words and actions toward Bella, the physical heartbreak and longing in Jacob, and the constant confusion and unfamiliar feelings of Bella.
"Breaking Dawn," however, I still have some issues with. I nearly stopped reading the book during the first half. While my friends assured me, "it will all work out in the end," I was highly annoyed by Bella's sudden resolve, as she was generally not self confident and lambish through the series. I get that there was the underlying message of her being able to be in control of her body, but I didn't really buy it- neither did Jacob. It was the first time in the entire series that I was "Team Jacob." In this instance, I actually liked this movie BETTER than the first half of the book (the last movie is split in to two parts) because it was able to rush through a lot of the "no I want the baby, I can't explain why- but I do" text in the book that made me scream.
Further, the ending was just OK. It was tied up neatly in a nice brown package with some twine...But there was no sacrifice. I'll save further critique for several months from now when the 2nd part of Breaking Dawn comes out, since I have many friends who only watch the movies- don't read the books.
Also, I'm not going to even address the constant critique of Meyer's use of the novel as an impetus to push her Mormon values on the readers. I read the entire series without knowing of this criticism and I never "got that" and I have some hardcore feminism/ Women's Studies in my background. I think it was just something for people to pick at. Get over it- it's fanciful.
I still recommend that people read this series. Despite it's incredible length (I think the shortest book is 400 pages? and the longest is over 600), it's an easy read and will suck you in to a wonderful world :)
Later I will discuss "The Hunger Games" books, each will get it's own post because each book is so intense and so different. Not that The Twilight Saga isn't- but I don't feel like reviewing THAT many books ;)
xo
andrea
Friday, April 27, 2012
Starting Over...
...We've been here before. With my apologies for my inconsistency. Mommybloggers have my respect because I just can't find the time- really, I can't! I posted before Quinn's birthday, had ideas for more posts, but they never came. I've been reading book after book, which is cut in to my blogging time. No blogs came.
Then. I. broke. my. leg.
Last Satruday night.
Moms, I'll give you a moment to let your eyes readjust and your lower jaw to find your mouth again. As moms, we know that anything that physically incapacitates us is one of the Horsemen, just awful. I won't get in to the details of how it happened- there aren't many, danskos + wet floor= broken fibula and torn ligaments/tendons in ankle area. This translated in to surgery to place 3 plates and 10 or 11 screws to get everything back in alignment.
Here I sit. On my couch. I'm going to have to start it all over. I had just gotten in to a great diet/exercise routine that was producing visible and consistent results. Now I have to/ get to start over. With PT. Taking it slow. building up strength and endurance. Listening to my body. Taking it Slow. Want to get 100%.
Since November I've read 11 books. The Twilight Series (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn), The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mocking Jay), Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, Fifty Shades Freed), and Wintergirls. I was bitten by the series bug and just read and read and read. I finished Wintergirls this afternoon and loved it. I'm going to start A Prayer For Owen Meany today.
I didn't read much fiction since I finished the Sweet Valley High series in middle school, aside from required readings. When you're a sociology major in college, you read lots and lots and lots of non fiction in the form of demographics, case studies, anthropological memoirs...But I'm reminding myself how much reading fiction is so relaxing, is better than TV, and is so vital to the "undumbing" of civilization.
While I'm healing I'd like to discuss the books I've read, am reading, and will take suggestions on which ones to read. I read quickly. One must when one has 3 toddlers and nap and bedtimes equal reading time. My husband is being FANTASTIC with this broken leg nonsense and has stepped in to the Mr. Mom role well- but not without the incredible support from our family, friends, church, and community- everyone is just wonderful. I'm going to focus on continuing to journal my food so I don't gain weight whilst I sit on this couch. Reading and blogging will help as well.
I hope to post tonight with a brief discussion on the Twilight Saga. :)
xo
andrea
Then. I. broke. my. leg.
Last Satruday night.
Moms, I'll give you a moment to let your eyes readjust and your lower jaw to find your mouth again. As moms, we know that anything that physically incapacitates us is one of the Horsemen, just awful. I won't get in to the details of how it happened- there aren't many, danskos + wet floor= broken fibula and torn ligaments/tendons in ankle area. This translated in to surgery to place 3 plates and 10 or 11 screws to get everything back in alignment.
Here I sit. On my couch. I'm going to have to start it all over. I had just gotten in to a great diet/exercise routine that was producing visible and consistent results. Now I have to/ get to start over. With PT. Taking it slow. building up strength and endurance. Listening to my body. Taking it Slow. Want to get 100%.
Since November I've read 11 books. The Twilight Series (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn), The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mocking Jay), Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, Fifty Shades Freed), and Wintergirls. I was bitten by the series bug and just read and read and read. I finished Wintergirls this afternoon and loved it. I'm going to start A Prayer For Owen Meany today.
I didn't read much fiction since I finished the Sweet Valley High series in middle school, aside from required readings. When you're a sociology major in college, you read lots and lots and lots of non fiction in the form of demographics, case studies, anthropological memoirs...But I'm reminding myself how much reading fiction is so relaxing, is better than TV, and is so vital to the "undumbing" of civilization.
While I'm healing I'd like to discuss the books I've read, am reading, and will take suggestions on which ones to read. I read quickly. One must when one has 3 toddlers and nap and bedtimes equal reading time. My husband is being FANTASTIC with this broken leg nonsense and has stepped in to the Mr. Mom role well- but not without the incredible support from our family, friends, church, and community- everyone is just wonderful. I'm going to focus on continuing to journal my food so I don't gain weight whilst I sit on this couch. Reading and blogging will help as well.
I hope to post tonight with a brief discussion on the Twilight Saga. :)
xo
andrea
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Then the tears came...
I cried in church last Sunday...as I was speaking...in front of everyone. Rather, I couldn't finish what I WANTED to say because the tears cut me off and filled in the rest.
Nearly 2 weeks ago Quinn had tubes put in his ears. Big deal, lots of kids get tubes- right? Not so much.
When I would tell people he was getting tubes they would say, "ah, ear infections?" And I'd have to explain that he's only had 2 or 3 ear infections in his 4 years of life, and not the 14 a year that often ignites talks of tubes. Quinn failed his hearing test at school...then again at the audiologist. The audiologist stated that Quinn couldn't hear much below 45 decibels, which is a relatively normal speaking volume-except for in this house ;) The ENT said that there was a significant fluid build-up behind his eardrums- no real "reason" like 7 million ear infections...just poor drainage with stuffy noses, etc that most of us don't notice.
After Quinn's surgery, specifically right when we got home at 10am and proceeded to my bedroom to take a nap, he heard the cat eating- presumably for the first time. He sat up in bed and said "WHAT'S THAT SOUND?!" Describing this specific revelation in Church cracked my voice and I couldn't share that Quinn cried when I yelled from one room to another with him standing right next to me- because it hurt his ears, or that the next several days were filled with walks to the bus stop that made him stop dead in his tracks to look around at where any given sound came from.
Quinn's speaking volume is gradually getting lower too, and our house is becoming a quieter place as well. I have to pay attention to his new sensitivity. If I snap loudly at him, he's been driven to tears. If the house gets loud and full of commotion, he seems to either retreat or overreact as if it's sensory overload (which it is).
It's another new way of life around here, as my big man hits FOUR YEARS OLD TOMORROW!
Birthday post will come tomorrow :)
Love you buddy!
xo
andrea
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Like climbing Mt. Everest...
The title of this post comes from a blog I was just introduced to. Her January 4th post (the first one I read) hit so close to home that I posted it on my Facebook page as "the best commentary on motherhood I've ever read." Here's the link for you to get caught up... http://momastery.com/blog/ ...All caught up? Awesome, right?
Might I add that motherhood, some days, is like climbing Mt. Everest WHILE IT'S ON FIRE, and other days it's like you've grown wings and can soar up it.
The Chronos moments are those like I summarized in my run-on paragraph describing my hiatus. Those are all snippets of time, and things that have happened and we've just moved on.
The Kairos moments we can see on most days, but describe the summation of parenting- of mothering. I highlight mothering because it IS different. Yes, growing a child doesn't make one a mother. But, for those of us who grew, nursed, and are raising our children- it's MOTHERING. Mothering is, and will likely remain, the single most spiritual connection with God I will ever have until I meet Him myself. Raising children gives you a direct line to the Big Guy. Not only because children are more spiritually attuned than the rest of us, but God GAVE them SPECIFICALLY to us. I think about that sometimes when I'm having a particularly difficult day. I think "well, if someone else could be doing it better I'm sure God would have given the kids to them...press on!"
I hope you take the time to read that post- it's really great, and is truly the only reason for this post :)
Carry on fellow mommy warriors ;)
xo
andrea
Friday, January 6, 2012
Stop all the clocks...
...Thank you W.H. Auden...Well, I only wish we could. Then, we could ignore the fact that I haven't had a post since JULY. July? Seriously?
I'd call this a hiatus. Before I typed that word, I thought, "I can't truly call it a hiatus because I didn't KNOW it was going to be a hiatus." In truth, I had no intentions between then and now of posting- alas it was a hiatus. And, I found a great quote to help bookend the time away, "Thus began a break of undetermined length and meaning." (Jacob Slichter).
I like the "...and meaning" part of that quote. What did my hiatus mean?
I can tell you what I DID during that time: Quinn's hair grew back, I started working as an Aide in a Pre-K 3 classroom at a CATHOLIC school (much more on that later), Paige and Aiden turned 2, I'm still not losing weight, I stopped trying to lose weight, I started trying to lose weight, marriage counseling (cue the gasp), Quinn started Head Start, Quinn was evaluated by the Committee on Preschool Special Education, he was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder/Sensory Seeking, Quinn subsequently failed a hearing test at school, then again at the audiologist, leading to our appt in a week with the ENT to see if tubes in his ears will fix the significant hearing loss apparently caused by extreme fluid build up behind his ear drum, friends have become pregnant with 2nd babies, my baby brother got engaged to his FABULOUS girlfriend, people have come out of the closet, people have locked themselves in the closet, people forget where the closet is, people think the closet matters, I read the ENTIRE Twilight series in 10 days, and have seen all 4 movies that have been released thus far- 3 of them many more than one time, Christmas happened in all of its yuletide glory, and here I sit, January of 2012 the year the Mayans ran out of room on their calendar... ;)
But, what did that all mean? I've become a better mother, hopefully a better wife, but I've become one that realizes she NEEDS to write. Something. Every. Single. Day. Writing has always come easily to me. Poems, short stories, this blog. However, when life gets busy and I forget that writing connects ME to MY life...I get all disoriented, disillusioned, and lots of other nasty dis- words. My ONLY New Year's resolution is to write more. I hope you all get to see most of it- I've always been an open book- that's how people learn and grow. I hope as I sort out my subconsciously planned hiatus, you can be there with me and we can all move forward, and be better.
Let us not, "pack up the moon and dismantle the sun." as Auden depressingly writes in one of my favorite poems of all time. Rather, lets grow together- be better together.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." ~Aristotle
xo
andrea
Thursday, June 23, 2011
...And that's why you don't take your 3.5 year old for a last minute haircut.
...picture to come..
Last Thursday my parents were meeting me and the 3 kids in Glens Falls so we could do a quick lunch and they could take Quinn to their house for the weekend. Yea, they're awesome like that, I know I'm blessed (read my previous post regarding going home my own self).
Anywho, Quinn was looooooooong overdue for his summer buzz cut. We do this because he has ridiculously thick and heavy hair (exactly like both of his parents) and you can almost see heat radiating from his head. I called my normal hair place (Contemporary Images- which ROCKS) and they didn't have any spots that morning. I contemplated sending him to his BeeDee and YeYe's house all scruffy, but when another hair place in town said they had an immediate opening, I immediately brought Quinn in.
Problem 1. Not giving Quinn enough notice. With most toddlers, but especially Quinn, great notice must be given when going to do something new or out of the ordinary. Such preparation usually puts off tantrums. Usually. We had little time for notice on this day.
Problem 2. Going somewhere new. This was a problem for both of us. Quinn has had his hair cut before, but not at this place- and I hadn't ever been there either. The place was kind of loud and cluttered and she told Quinn he could have a lollipop when he was done.
Problem 3. I didn't bring a lollipop with me for him.
Problem 4. I didn't tell the lady to shove it and give him one anyway.
Problem 5. He wanted to sit on my lap but didn't want to wear an apron and the lady was all anal about him getting covered with hair. I almost screamed "JUST CUT THE FUC*ING KIDS HAIR, I'LL VACUUM HIM OFF!" I told her I didn't care 900 times, then she calmed down- but I needed a Xanax.
Problem 6. He was figety and she clearly didn't cut kids' hair as often as she may have thought she did.
Problem 7. I didn't tell her to give him a lollipop.....again
Problem 8. The Coup d'état. She finished the back and sides of his head and moved to the top, changing the guard on the clippers. She put the clippers down on his head. AT. WHICH. POINT. the guard FELL TO THE FUC*ING FLOOR and left a nearly BALD spot on the top of his head...a roughly 2.5 inch square.
She instinctively said "oh, he jumped!" forgetting that he was sitting on my lap and he, certainly, did not jump. He moved, but not enough to knock the guard off....And, if he had jumped, he wouldn't have a bald spot the size of a frog.
I took a deep breath and told her to finish normal and we'd deal with the bald spot later. I did not, in fact, lose my shit on her because, what would that do? The hair. was. gone. She felt horrible, insisting it would fill in in a week or two (we're on week 1 and there's almost a shadow).
She said she wasn't going to charge me and I wanted to say "damn straight, you should PAY ME!" but I said "thank you, it's ok, it's ok...." maybe I was trying to convince myself it was ok?
Either way it's over. And I doubt I'll go back.
Lessons to take away from this ill-fated mission?
1. Notice, notice notice.
2. In the absence of notice: lollipops, lollipops, lollipops
3. In the absence of both of these? Reschedule.
xo
andrea
Last Thursday my parents were meeting me and the 3 kids in Glens Falls so we could do a quick lunch and they could take Quinn to their house for the weekend. Yea, they're awesome like that, I know I'm blessed (read my previous post regarding going home my own self).
Anywho, Quinn was looooooooong overdue for his summer buzz cut. We do this because he has ridiculously thick and heavy hair (exactly like both of his parents) and you can almost see heat radiating from his head. I called my normal hair place (Contemporary Images- which ROCKS) and they didn't have any spots that morning. I contemplated sending him to his BeeDee and YeYe's house all scruffy, but when another hair place in town said they had an immediate opening, I immediately brought Quinn in.
Problem 1. Not giving Quinn enough notice. With most toddlers, but especially Quinn, great notice must be given when going to do something new or out of the ordinary. Such preparation usually puts off tantrums. Usually. We had little time for notice on this day.
Problem 2. Going somewhere new. This was a problem for both of us. Quinn has had his hair cut before, but not at this place- and I hadn't ever been there either. The place was kind of loud and cluttered and she told Quinn he could have a lollipop when he was done.
Problem 3. I didn't bring a lollipop with me for him.
Problem 4. I didn't tell the lady to shove it and give him one anyway.
Problem 5. He wanted to sit on my lap but didn't want to wear an apron and the lady was all anal about him getting covered with hair. I almost screamed "JUST CUT THE FUC*ING KIDS HAIR, I'LL VACUUM HIM OFF!" I told her I didn't care 900 times, then she calmed down- but I needed a Xanax.
Problem 6. He was figety and she clearly didn't cut kids' hair as often as she may have thought she did.
Problem 7. I didn't tell her to give him a lollipop.....again
Problem 8. The Coup d'état. She finished the back and sides of his head and moved to the top, changing the guard on the clippers. She put the clippers down on his head. AT. WHICH. POINT. the guard FELL TO THE FUC*ING FLOOR and left a nearly BALD spot on the top of his head...a roughly 2.5 inch square.
She instinctively said "oh, he jumped!" forgetting that he was sitting on my lap and he, certainly, did not jump. He moved, but not enough to knock the guard off....And, if he had jumped, he wouldn't have a bald spot the size of a frog.
I took a deep breath and told her to finish normal and we'd deal with the bald spot later. I did not, in fact, lose my shit on her because, what would that do? The hair. was. gone. She felt horrible, insisting it would fill in in a week or two (we're on week 1 and there's almost a shadow).
She said she wasn't going to charge me and I wanted to say "damn straight, you should PAY ME!" but I said "thank you, it's ok, it's ok...." maybe I was trying to convince myself it was ok?
Either way it's over. And I doubt I'll go back.
Lessons to take away from this ill-fated mission?
1. Notice, notice notice.
2. In the absence of notice: lollipops, lollipops, lollipops
3. In the absence of both of these? Reschedule.
xo
andrea
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Family and Funny Stories
Hi Readers!
Let me say, first, that I am SO looking forward to this weekend. I will be heading- by MYSELF- to my parents' house for the weekend. Why, you might ask? BECAUSE! No, all kidding aside, I was supposed to go to the Cornell Reunion but that was going to cost a few hundred dollars that I don't have. This was going to be my birthday present, a weekend away- alone. Then I thought, why not go to my parents' house? I can actually RELAX there and get a free meal or two ;) (because parents are awesome like that).
This all started last Labor Day weekend. I was supposed to go to a friends baby shower, but she ended up having the baby VERY early (everyone is fine now). Since I had planned to go away anyway, I went to my parents' and had a BALL.
1. My parents are still together. They've been married for almost 31 years and have been together longer (since HIGH SCHOOL).
2. They're not idiots (despite how this blog may have read if blogs existed when I was in high school).
3. They're young, and awesome and I love them AND LIKE THEM EVEN! lol.
4. They live in the house I grew up in and there's a bed in my "old bedroom" that my mom now uses for her sewing room.
All kidding aside, there's nothing more comforting then going "home"and getting to be the kid for a weekend, even if you're 28. Bonus, my parents have awesome friends (like I've mentioned before) and I'll get to see some of them. AND GO TO TRADER JOE'S AND THE KICKASS FARMER'S MARKETS AROUND!
Moving on.
While I still don't understand Quinn- he's hilarious. He says things that make me laugh on a daily basis. This is what happens when you're learning a new language and you know no other language haha. We were outside yesterday and he was pointing out shapes. He pointed to the bedroom window and said (I'm going to type it exactly the way it came out of his mouth),
"That is the shape of a square....And there's the rocks...We have to jump over the stones to get the monkey away from the drum." (moving on to a stick in his hand) "This is like a saxaphone (twwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet tweeeeeeeet) oh, this look like a dog.......this look like a wide-mouth bullfrog (tweeeeeeeeeeeet tweeeeeeeeeeet)......."MOMMY! LOOK, THE FLYING DRAGONS!" (dragonflies)
The end.
xoxo
andrea
Let me say, first, that I am SO looking forward to this weekend. I will be heading- by MYSELF- to my parents' house for the weekend. Why, you might ask? BECAUSE! No, all kidding aside, I was supposed to go to the Cornell Reunion but that was going to cost a few hundred dollars that I don't have. This was going to be my birthday present, a weekend away- alone. Then I thought, why not go to my parents' house? I can actually RELAX there and get a free meal or two ;) (because parents are awesome like that).
This all started last Labor Day weekend. I was supposed to go to a friends baby shower, but she ended up having the baby VERY early (everyone is fine now). Since I had planned to go away anyway, I went to my parents' and had a BALL.
1. My parents are still together. They've been married for almost 31 years and have been together longer (since HIGH SCHOOL).
2. They're not idiots (despite how this blog may have read if blogs existed when I was in high school).
3. They're young, and awesome and I love them AND LIKE THEM EVEN! lol.
4. They live in the house I grew up in and there's a bed in my "old bedroom" that my mom now uses for her sewing room.
All kidding aside, there's nothing more comforting then going "home"and getting to be the kid for a weekend, even if you're 28. Bonus, my parents have awesome friends (like I've mentioned before) and I'll get to see some of them. AND GO TO TRADER JOE'S AND THE KICKASS FARMER'S MARKETS AROUND!
Moving on.
While I still don't understand Quinn- he's hilarious. He says things that make me laugh on a daily basis. This is what happens when you're learning a new language and you know no other language haha. We were outside yesterday and he was pointing out shapes. He pointed to the bedroom window and said (I'm going to type it exactly the way it came out of his mouth),
"That is the shape of a square....And there's the rocks...We have to jump over the stones to get the monkey away from the drum." (moving on to a stick in his hand) "This is like a saxaphone (twwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet tweeeeeeeet) oh, this look like a dog.......this look like a wide-mouth bullfrog (tweeeeeeeeeeeet tweeeeeeeeeeet)......."MOMMY! LOOK, THE FLYING DRAGONS!" (dragonflies)
The end.
xoxo
andrea
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Boys oh Boys
Hey fellow readers!
Boys are a funny species. What surprises me most about Aiden and Quinn is that, although I always wanted just 2 boys, it never occurred to me that 2 boys wouldn't be alike haha. And, if you've ever spent a millisecond in my house, you'd learn that Aiden and Quinn might just be polar opposites.
While Paige is the spitting personality image of Quinn at this age, Aiden is SO different and so-peaceful. Sure, he gets his fair share of toddler hair-pulling and poking in, but he has so much of his father's personality in him. He's so "whatever."
Now, Scott's dad tells me that Scott was a wild little boy, which helps to account for Quinn's insanity. However, Scott now is a giant teddy bear. EVERYONE who talks to me about him mentions how laid back and mellow he is for a large fella- and that's how Aiden is. Aiden doesn't get lots of attention in this blog or even in pictures because he likes to keep a low profile. He's a "fly under the radar" type of guy. It's just this type of personality that made me say to a friend, "Aiden requires the least physical maintenance of all my children, but he will likely require the most emotional maintenance." Aiden is, as I always mention, devastatingly sensitive. His huge brown eyes fill with tears at mention of the word "no" and he shrieks in terror when someone gets too close to his personal bubble. But , he gives the best hugs and will sit contently for long periods of time. Eons compared to "the other two" lol.
I used to say that Paige was our bonus child because I wanted 2 boys. However, it's clear to me that Aiden is the bonus, because he brings a bit of peace to my day and a snuggle when needed :)
I love you Aiden! Thanks for giving me a break- please don't wear black eyeliner and black lipstick in high school........
Boys are a funny species. What surprises me most about Aiden and Quinn is that, although I always wanted just 2 boys, it never occurred to me that 2 boys wouldn't be alike haha. And, if you've ever spent a millisecond in my house, you'd learn that Aiden and Quinn might just be polar opposites.
While Paige is the spitting personality image of Quinn at this age, Aiden is SO different and so-peaceful. Sure, he gets his fair share of toddler hair-pulling and poking in, but he has so much of his father's personality in him. He's so "whatever."
Now, Scott's dad tells me that Scott was a wild little boy, which helps to account for Quinn's insanity. However, Scott now is a giant teddy bear. EVERYONE who talks to me about him mentions how laid back and mellow he is for a large fella- and that's how Aiden is. Aiden doesn't get lots of attention in this blog or even in pictures because he likes to keep a low profile. He's a "fly under the radar" type of guy. It's just this type of personality that made me say to a friend, "Aiden requires the least physical maintenance of all my children, but he will likely require the most emotional maintenance." Aiden is, as I always mention, devastatingly sensitive. His huge brown eyes fill with tears at mention of the word "no" and he shrieks in terror when someone gets too close to his personal bubble. But , he gives the best hugs and will sit contently for long periods of time. Eons compared to "the other two" lol.
I used to say that Paige was our bonus child because I wanted 2 boys. However, it's clear to me that Aiden is the bonus, because he brings a bit of peace to my day and a snuggle when needed :)
I love you Aiden! Thanks for giving me a break- please don't wear black eyeliner and black lipstick in high school........
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
It's about time!
So I've been ridiculously off the blog radar. I don't understand how stay-at-home moms or even working moms have the time for full time blogging! I find myself oddly busy for someone who doesn't work outside the home!
Anywho, I will post tomorrow about kid stuff (including a ridiculous 3 year old). But tonight I want to blog about my 21 day cleanse. Today is day 7.
I decided to do this cleanse because my weight loss hit another plateau and I knew my body has had enough. I've been doing the same things I was doing the last time I had to lose weight (2003) and it wasn't working anymore. A lot about my body has changed since 2003. I have had 3 children. Including twins. My body, my hormones, and my metabolism don't know what they're supposed to do anymore!
Why Kathy Freston's 21 day cleanse? Well, as you may remember, I read her book "Veganist" and fell in love with Veganism again as an idea. For years I was a vegetarian but thought Veganism was ridiculous. However, something speaks to my spirit about Veganism now...Maybe because I'm a mother...something has changed.
Anyway, I wanted to choose a cleanse that seemed intense but realistic. For 21 days I've given up the following: caffeine, sugar, gluten, alcohol, and animal products. I figured alcohol and animal products would be a no-brainer, no problem, caffeine would be intermediately hard, and sugar and gluten would be tough- but for different reasons. I have a sugar addiction, which I didn't realize the extent of until Day 1, so I knew that would be at least challenging. Gluten, I assumed, would be tough because I know gluten is in EVERYTHING. It's used as a protein and a filler...It's extremely processed. It's the protein removed from wheat ('tis the gluten from wheat hehe)... More on the process of making gluten here.
Day 1: I woke up at 445 to head to the gym. Half way through the workout I realized I wouldn't have my after-shower cup of coffee. I instantly got annoyed. I only have one cup of coffee a day so I figured I'd get over it. I was wrong. I got home from the gym and half way through my brown rice, almond milk, and dried cranberry breakfast I was smashed with a nasty headache and a horrific attitude. That's when it hit me how addicting caffeine is. One measly cup a day was enough to keep my flesh happy.
I napped while the kids were napping that day. I don't know that I had any other choice. Anyone wanting to try the cleanse should start on a Saturday. That's my recommendation.
By evening on Day 1, a feeling of uneasiness and anxiety came over me. Then, again, it hit me- sugar. This is the time of day when I'd indulge in some plain graham crackers with nutella, a leftover cookie, or some other carby sugary delight. Not tonight. I felt like absolute crap and went to bed. "Fu*k this" I thought.
Day 2: Morning! When my alarm went off I realized that I didn't toss and turn at all the night before. Then I realized that I DIDN'T realize tossing and turning was something I had done. Could this have been from no sugar or caffeine to eff with my body? Time will tell. While I had the slightest hint of a headache left, the trainwreck in my brain had been cleaned up. Notice how Day 1 I didn't complain at all about gluten? Turns out gluten and sugar go together too often, and carbohydrates that are gluten free (like rice and beans) are more filling.
Day 3: More of the same but I started to do something that can only be described as awaken. I felt clear and energized. This was exciting.
Day 4: My birthday. Long story short. I worked at Mr. Mikes and ate NOTHING that they cook- which is good. My mom bought some ice cream to share for my birthday which I treated myself to, along with 2 pc of wonderful chocolate. The icecream was SO SO...wont get it again (red velvet cake by ben and jerrys) and....I SLEPT LIKE SHIT! That ice cream was the first sugar I had in 4 days and my body CLEARLY rejected it (thanks body!)
Day 5-7: I had some chocolates left which I limited myself to 3 pc a day. Then I realized some cravings were returning. I put the chocolate in the freezer to save for when the cleanse is over- victory.
14 days to go!
I've been eating avocados nearly every day. Essentially it's the only fat I'm getting. Days like today, when I had no avocado ( sad face) I ate some extra almonds. Fat is insanely satisfying and fat doesn't make you fat- so that's that. hehe. Avocados on salads, in sandwiches (made with brown rice bread) or mashed up in guacamole to be eaten with gluten free rice crackers, or tortilla chips (corn tortilla chips like most are) are so great.
I encourage everyone to find a cleanse and try it.......I think I might have a gluten sensitivity, but that will only be determined at the end of the cleanse when I try to put it back in my body.
We shall see :)
xoxo
andrea
ps- I could very well stay vegan at this point. More on that later.
Anywho, I will post tomorrow about kid stuff (including a ridiculous 3 year old). But tonight I want to blog about my 21 day cleanse. Today is day 7.
I decided to do this cleanse because my weight loss hit another plateau and I knew my body has had enough. I've been doing the same things I was doing the last time I had to lose weight (2003) and it wasn't working anymore. A lot about my body has changed since 2003. I have had 3 children. Including twins. My body, my hormones, and my metabolism don't know what they're supposed to do anymore!
Why Kathy Freston's 21 day cleanse? Well, as you may remember, I read her book "Veganist" and fell in love with Veganism again as an idea. For years I was a vegetarian but thought Veganism was ridiculous. However, something speaks to my spirit about Veganism now...Maybe because I'm a mother...something has changed.
Anyway, I wanted to choose a cleanse that seemed intense but realistic. For 21 days I've given up the following: caffeine, sugar, gluten, alcohol, and animal products. I figured alcohol and animal products would be a no-brainer, no problem, caffeine would be intermediately hard, and sugar and gluten would be tough- but for different reasons. I have a sugar addiction, which I didn't realize the extent of until Day 1, so I knew that would be at least challenging. Gluten, I assumed, would be tough because I know gluten is in EVERYTHING. It's used as a protein and a filler...It's extremely processed. It's the protein removed from wheat ('tis the gluten from wheat hehe)... More on the process of making gluten here.
Day 1: I woke up at 445 to head to the gym. Half way through the workout I realized I wouldn't have my after-shower cup of coffee. I instantly got annoyed. I only have one cup of coffee a day so I figured I'd get over it. I was wrong. I got home from the gym and half way through my brown rice, almond milk, and dried cranberry breakfast I was smashed with a nasty headache and a horrific attitude. That's when it hit me how addicting caffeine is. One measly cup a day was enough to keep my flesh happy.
I napped while the kids were napping that day. I don't know that I had any other choice. Anyone wanting to try the cleanse should start on a Saturday. That's my recommendation.
By evening on Day 1, a feeling of uneasiness and anxiety came over me. Then, again, it hit me- sugar. This is the time of day when I'd indulge in some plain graham crackers with nutella, a leftover cookie, or some other carby sugary delight. Not tonight. I felt like absolute crap and went to bed. "Fu*k this" I thought.
Day 2: Morning! When my alarm went off I realized that I didn't toss and turn at all the night before. Then I realized that I DIDN'T realize tossing and turning was something I had done. Could this have been from no sugar or caffeine to eff with my body? Time will tell. While I had the slightest hint of a headache left, the trainwreck in my brain had been cleaned up. Notice how Day 1 I didn't complain at all about gluten? Turns out gluten and sugar go together too often, and carbohydrates that are gluten free (like rice and beans) are more filling.
Day 3: More of the same but I started to do something that can only be described as awaken. I felt clear and energized. This was exciting.
Day 4: My birthday. Long story short. I worked at Mr. Mikes and ate NOTHING that they cook- which is good. My mom bought some ice cream to share for my birthday which I treated myself to, along with 2 pc of wonderful chocolate. The icecream was SO SO...wont get it again (red velvet cake by ben and jerrys) and....I SLEPT LIKE SHIT! That ice cream was the first sugar I had in 4 days and my body CLEARLY rejected it (thanks body!)
Day 5-7: I had some chocolates left which I limited myself to 3 pc a day. Then I realized some cravings were returning. I put the chocolate in the freezer to save for when the cleanse is over- victory.
14 days to go!
I've been eating avocados nearly every day. Essentially it's the only fat I'm getting. Days like today, when I had no avocado ( sad face) I ate some extra almonds. Fat is insanely satisfying and fat doesn't make you fat- so that's that. hehe. Avocados on salads, in sandwiches (made with brown rice bread) or mashed up in guacamole to be eaten with gluten free rice crackers, or tortilla chips (corn tortilla chips like most are) are so great.
I encourage everyone to find a cleanse and try it.......I think I might have a gluten sensitivity, but that will only be determined at the end of the cleanse when I try to put it back in my body.
We shall see :)
xoxo
andrea
ps- I could very well stay vegan at this point. More on that later.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Holy Week
Happy Holy Week everyone!
This is the week before the holiest of Christian holidays- Easter. Some people think Christmas is the most important holiday and, while it's important, it's not THE most important. Easter is what makes Christians Christians. It was Jesus fulfilling the messianic prophecy, "proving" it by rising from the dead on.............Easter :)
*Like my last "church post," this comes from my notes taken from our Palm Sunday sermon.
Preparation of Easter is traditionally Lent, the 6 weeks preceding Easter, beginning with Ash Wednesday and lasting the symbolic 40 days and 40 nights.
Last Sunday was Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday celebrants Jesus' triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. He rode in to Jerusalem on a donkey (we'll get to that in a minute) and people laid cloaks and branches (palms) on the road in front of him as a celebration/ welcome. This event in Jesus' life is mentioned in all 4 Gospels. Luke 19 :28-38, John 12, Mark 11, and Matthew 21.
Our Palm Sunday sermon focused on the question, "How do we prepare for Easter?" The answer(s) are: Do. Feel. Tell.
1. Do what Jesus says
2. Feel what Jesus feels
3. Tell who Jesus is
1. Do what Jesus says. Obedience to God and His word is something every Christian struggles with. It's part of my daily back-and-forth with God. Ex: "God! I knoooowwww I shouuullddd do this...buuutt...etc" The Donkey I mentioned earlier comes in to play here. Jesus told 2 of his disciples to go and get a donkey...essentially steal a donkey..and bring it to him. He told them that if the owner asked what they were doing to tell them that Jesus sent them. The Bible is not a script that was followed, the disciples didn't know what would happen, but they just OBEYED and this stubborn donkey was transformed itself and went willingly and carried the King in to Jerusalem. **To prepare for Easter we must practice listening to the "little voice in the back of our head," "our 6th sense," "mother's intuition,"- all watered down versions of "God." Forgive someone you know you need to forgive, ease up on someone that needs a break, stop the gossip...Do what Jesus says.
2. Feel what Jesus feels. Luke 19: 41-44 shows us that amidst the peoples' celebration of Jesus entering Jerusalem, Jesus is weeping over the people. His words of sorrow and warning were drowned out. He was offering words of warning (to what ended up being Titus leveling Jerusalem) and he was heaving in sobs, and they ignored. As believers we need to feel this internal heaving for those who haven't experienced the forgiveness and life that Jesus offers. We have the key inside us....and that leads us to #3...
3. Tell who Jesus is. If we tell- the WHOLE of humanity will move. It is our RESPONSIBILITY as believers to share Jesus with those who don't believe or haven't heard (yes, there are people in the world who haven't even heard of Jesus). God has charged US with spreading the name of Jesus. We don't need to do this by "door to door." If people know you are a Christian, they are watching you. They watch your actions, they listen to your words. We preach the gospel daily- and are to use words when necessary.
In closing, there is nothing in our "want to" that will bring us to a place of "yes" with God. We are sinful by nature and need God's help to get from "want to" to "just do." We do need to forgive, we do need to obey, we do need to preach the Gospel through actions and words. We do need to use Holy Week to bring a friend to church who hasn't believed before, or who doesn't know.
Have a Blessed Holy Week!
This is the week before the holiest of Christian holidays- Easter. Some people think Christmas is the most important holiday and, while it's important, it's not THE most important. Easter is what makes Christians Christians. It was Jesus fulfilling the messianic prophecy, "proving" it by rising from the dead on.............Easter :)
*Like my last "church post," this comes from my notes taken from our Palm Sunday sermon.
Preparation of Easter is traditionally Lent, the 6 weeks preceding Easter, beginning with Ash Wednesday and lasting the symbolic 40 days and 40 nights.
Last Sunday was Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday celebrants Jesus' triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. He rode in to Jerusalem on a donkey (we'll get to that in a minute) and people laid cloaks and branches (palms) on the road in front of him as a celebration/ welcome. This event in Jesus' life is mentioned in all 4 Gospels. Luke 19 :28-38, John 12, Mark 11, and Matthew 21.
Our Palm Sunday sermon focused on the question, "How do we prepare for Easter?" The answer(s) are: Do. Feel. Tell.
1. Do what Jesus says
2. Feel what Jesus feels
3. Tell who Jesus is
1. Do what Jesus says. Obedience to God and His word is something every Christian struggles with. It's part of my daily back-and-forth with God. Ex: "God! I knoooowwww I shouuullddd do this...buuutt...etc" The Donkey I mentioned earlier comes in to play here. Jesus told 2 of his disciples to go and get a donkey...essentially steal a donkey..and bring it to him. He told them that if the owner asked what they were doing to tell them that Jesus sent them. The Bible is not a script that was followed, the disciples didn't know what would happen, but they just OBEYED and this stubborn donkey was transformed itself and went willingly and carried the King in to Jerusalem. **To prepare for Easter we must practice listening to the "little voice in the back of our head," "our 6th sense," "mother's intuition,"- all watered down versions of "God." Forgive someone you know you need to forgive, ease up on someone that needs a break, stop the gossip...Do what Jesus says.
2. Feel what Jesus feels. Luke 19: 41-44 shows us that amidst the peoples' celebration of Jesus entering Jerusalem, Jesus is weeping over the people. His words of sorrow and warning were drowned out. He was offering words of warning (to what ended up being Titus leveling Jerusalem) and he was heaving in sobs, and they ignored. As believers we need to feel this internal heaving for those who haven't experienced the forgiveness and life that Jesus offers. We have the key inside us....and that leads us to #3...
3. Tell who Jesus is. If we tell- the WHOLE of humanity will move. It is our RESPONSIBILITY as believers to share Jesus with those who don't believe or haven't heard (yes, there are people in the world who haven't even heard of Jesus). God has charged US with spreading the name of Jesus. We don't need to do this by "door to door." If people know you are a Christian, they are watching you. They watch your actions, they listen to your words. We preach the gospel daily- and are to use words when necessary.
In closing, there is nothing in our "want to" that will bring us to a place of "yes" with God. We are sinful by nature and need God's help to get from "want to" to "just do." We do need to forgive, we do need to obey, we do need to preach the Gospel through actions and words. We do need to use Holy Week to bring a friend to church who hasn't believed before, or who doesn't know.
Have a Blessed Holy Week!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Things we said we'd never do...and a meatloaf recipe!
Good Evening everyone!
Let's start with the meatloaf recipe. A little background. I didn't like meatloaf as a kid. As most of you know, I rarely ate meat, and loaf form didn't fit the bill. However, as an adult I got to experiment with different flavors and I've come to enjoy it as a weekly staple in our household dinner menu. Always different, always good.
Yesterday's recipe was particularly excellent. Some ideas taken from an Ina Garten recipe. Mostly I just like to mix things up to see how they taste!
INGREDIENTS:
1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 c Italian style breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 large white onion
5 baby portabella mushrooms, diced
1 tbsp Montreal steak seasoning (I actually have a similar Pampered Chef version, but this is similar- any course steak/meat seasoning will do depending on your taste).
2-3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1. Sautee the onions in olive oil, with a pinch of Kosher salt until they're translucent, add the mushrooms and the Worcestershire sauce. Add another small pinch of Kosher salt and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Place ground turkey in a large bowl, add beaten egg, bread crumbs and steak seasoning.
3. Add sauteed onions and mushrooms to the bowl and mix with a fork (mixing with a fork is actually important, it keeps the loaf light)
4. With clean hands form the meat in to a loaf and place on to foil on a baking sheet.
5. Put 1/4 c of Ketchup on top (if desired) and spread with a spatula.
6. Cook at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. and enjoy.
**Sooooo....Things we thought we'd never do as parents! What are some things you do, or did, that you thought you'd never do? Or, maybe, some things you don't do, that you thought you might?
1. Bed sharing. We didn't do this at all with Quinn. However, when you have 2 newborns- a whole ton of sh*t goes out the window. While nursing the twins, they weren't waking up at the same time in the middle of the night always....So if I had already been up with Paige at midnight, aiden at 1..Paige at 2, Aiden at 3....Aiden got to nurse while I slept. He then fell asleep and would go back to sleep after Paige ate (a spouse is helpful in this case- to go fetch the crying child hehe).
2. Pacifiers. Quinn used his until my hormones while pregnant with the twins got annoyed when he was 16 months old. I threw them in the trash and that was that. With the twins I HONESTLY DON'T GIVE A DAMN! Why? Here's why. 1. They ONLY use them in their cribs. By only I mean we don't even let them use them in the car for long trips, they don't use them during the day (except once or twice when they've been sick). It's really only at night which is less than thumb suckers. I just don't care and it makes them happy and it's not a battle I choose to fight with now- I like sleep, so do they, win win. They'll be rid of them by the time their 2...or not ;) Again- I don't care. And I wouldn't care if a mom of a 3 year old told me their kid used one at night. Promise.
3. TV. I actually never had a rule for myself about this. Some days they hardly watch TV and some days it babysits them for long periods of time. There. I said it. If people watch responsible programming (like PBS or other age appropriate shows) then theres not a problem for me. But you better be reading to your kids at least 20 minutes a day :)
4. Food. This is actually something I stick to my guns on, with some relaxed days or minutes. They eat good food, junk food is a treat, not a staple, and it's all good.
So, what things do you do, or not do?
xoxo,
andrea
Let's start with the meatloaf recipe. A little background. I didn't like meatloaf as a kid. As most of you know, I rarely ate meat, and loaf form didn't fit the bill. However, as an adult I got to experiment with different flavors and I've come to enjoy it as a weekly staple in our household dinner menu. Always different, always good.
Yesterday's recipe was particularly excellent. Some ideas taken from an Ina Garten recipe. Mostly I just like to mix things up to see how they taste!
INGREDIENTS:
1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 c Italian style breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 large white onion
5 baby portabella mushrooms, diced
1 tbsp Montreal steak seasoning (I actually have a similar Pampered Chef version, but this is similar- any course steak/meat seasoning will do depending on your taste).
2-3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1. Sautee the onions in olive oil, with a pinch of Kosher salt until they're translucent, add the mushrooms and the Worcestershire sauce. Add another small pinch of Kosher salt and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Place ground turkey in a large bowl, add beaten egg, bread crumbs and steak seasoning.
3. Add sauteed onions and mushrooms to the bowl and mix with a fork (mixing with a fork is actually important, it keeps the loaf light)
4. With clean hands form the meat in to a loaf and place on to foil on a baking sheet.
5. Put 1/4 c of Ketchup on top (if desired) and spread with a spatula.
6. Cook at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. and enjoy.
**Sooooo....Things we thought we'd never do as parents! What are some things you do, or did, that you thought you'd never do? Or, maybe, some things you don't do, that you thought you might?
1. Bed sharing. We didn't do this at all with Quinn. However, when you have 2 newborns- a whole ton of sh*t goes out the window. While nursing the twins, they weren't waking up at the same time in the middle of the night always....So if I had already been up with Paige at midnight, aiden at 1..Paige at 2, Aiden at 3....Aiden got to nurse while I slept. He then fell asleep and would go back to sleep after Paige ate (a spouse is helpful in this case- to go fetch the crying child hehe).
2. Pacifiers. Quinn used his until my hormones while pregnant with the twins got annoyed when he was 16 months old. I threw them in the trash and that was that. With the twins I HONESTLY DON'T GIVE A DAMN! Why? Here's why. 1. They ONLY use them in their cribs. By only I mean we don't even let them use them in the car for long trips, they don't use them during the day (except once or twice when they've been sick). It's really only at night which is less than thumb suckers. I just don't care and it makes them happy and it's not a battle I choose to fight with now- I like sleep, so do they, win win. They'll be rid of them by the time their 2...or not ;) Again- I don't care. And I wouldn't care if a mom of a 3 year old told me their kid used one at night. Promise.
3. TV. I actually never had a rule for myself about this. Some days they hardly watch TV and some days it babysits them for long periods of time. There. I said it. If people watch responsible programming (like PBS or other age appropriate shows) then theres not a problem for me. But you better be reading to your kids at least 20 minutes a day :)
4. Food. This is actually something I stick to my guns on, with some relaxed days or minutes. They eat good food, junk food is a treat, not a staple, and it's all good.
So, what things do you do, or not do?
xoxo,
andrea
Monday, March 21, 2011
Faith...and doubt
This post is strictly about our sermon at church on Sunday (3/20). It affected me so deeply, I wanted to share what was preached, and open it up for discussion. Let me say that this isn't intended to become a theological debate between believers and non-believers. I would, however, appreciate a thoughtful and helpful discussion regarding the huge topic of Faith.....disclaimer over.... ;)
The sermon was based on the book of Joshua, Chapter 2, Verses 1-11. Anyone with a Bible handy, that's in the Old Testament, between Deuteronomy and Judges (ugh, Judges....). This portion of scripture introduces us to a most unlikely "Faith Giant" (discussed again in Hebrews 11 and in the genealogy discussed in Matthew)- Rahab the prostitute. Yep. There she is. An unlikely woman of Faith living among heathens. I won't get in to the whole story because it's best if you read it, but we focused in on Joshua 2:11: Rahab states (and please read the whole story for context) "When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." There, just like that, fact. The spies from Joshua's camp came and Rahab hid them, protecting them from certain death if they were found within the walls of Jericho.
Without "knowing for certain." Rahab lied and hid spies- she "knew" within her soul, that their God was GOD.
This lengthy background led to our "modern" discussion of Faith in general. And, in light of recent natural and man-made disasters and protests, and uprisings of the last several months, this is really important. I took notes during the sermon so I'll just write down things that were said, that I wrote down, and you can think about them in your own way.
*People choose to blame God when it suits them. How can you blame bad things on God if you don't believe in Him? If there is no God in your life, then you don't know what good/bad are.
*The presence of Evil doesn't NEGATE Good, it is a departure from Good. It PROVES that Goodness exists. If Goodness remains, so does God, and he is still in control. (Yea, Ill get to that in control of the bad stuff in a minute...)
*We (humanity) invited Evil in to the world. WE rejected God. He STILL came in Jesus because he LOVES us. We, again, rejected Him, killing Jesus. He came that he might know human suffering and pain. He knows pain, He gets it, he understands Evil and deals with it every second of every day. He doesn't see highlights of the news- he sees the billions of hurtful things that happen around the world EVERY DAY.
*Suffering is temporary. Goodness exists and always will prevail. It just makes sense to TRUST God because he is in control.
If He is in control- what of suffering? Let's take the almost obvious points first. There is man made suffering. We were given Free Will. We were given the opportunity, the invitation, to listen to God...we are also able to hear Satan as he pushes our buttons and whispers bullying words in to our ears. We make decisions. Satan is not omniscient- he can't pull the trigger, he can only tell us where the gun is.....
Now...if God is in control- what of the "senseless" suffering....Natural Disasters, cancer, illness in children, hunger, disease, etc?
....Folks, there is no answer. It stinks, and it's really hard for me to understand and accept. But he orchestrates it all....There is just no answer on this Earth. Our human brains couldn't process it if there was. The answer, and all other answers, WILL be revealed in grandeur on the Last Day....And, while I don't have all the answers, I know The One who does. I choose to have faith (belief without sight) that all things will work out for good- even if they don't seem good.
I'll take a bad day with Jesus over an eternity without Him.......He has shown his hand at work over and over and over in my life, in both Good and Bad...
People sometimes marvel at my apparent mental stability in having 3 toddlers. I think they think I'm kidding when I say I pray constantly. It's not even a joke..I am praying constantly, giving Thanks where Thanks is due and trying to learn and grow in the word so I can continue to be an example of what his Love can do for us. I'm not just a "mellow" person- anyone who's known me for long enough knows that. And the addition of children doesn't typically calm people down- but the addition of Jesus does...
xo
andrea
The sermon was based on the book of Joshua, Chapter 2, Verses 1-11. Anyone with a Bible handy, that's in the Old Testament, between Deuteronomy and Judges (ugh, Judges....). This portion of scripture introduces us to a most unlikely "Faith Giant" (discussed again in Hebrews 11 and in the genealogy discussed in Matthew)- Rahab the prostitute. Yep. There she is. An unlikely woman of Faith living among heathens. I won't get in to the whole story because it's best if you read it, but we focused in on Joshua 2:11: Rahab states (and please read the whole story for context) "When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." There, just like that, fact. The spies from Joshua's camp came and Rahab hid them, protecting them from certain death if they were found within the walls of Jericho.
Without "knowing for certain." Rahab lied and hid spies- she "knew" within her soul, that their God was GOD.
This lengthy background led to our "modern" discussion of Faith in general. And, in light of recent natural and man-made disasters and protests, and uprisings of the last several months, this is really important. I took notes during the sermon so I'll just write down things that were said, that I wrote down, and you can think about them in your own way.
*People choose to blame God when it suits them. How can you blame bad things on God if you don't believe in Him? If there is no God in your life, then you don't know what good/bad are.
*The presence of Evil doesn't NEGATE Good, it is a departure from Good. It PROVES that Goodness exists. If Goodness remains, so does God, and he is still in control. (Yea, Ill get to that in control of the bad stuff in a minute...)
*We (humanity) invited Evil in to the world. WE rejected God. He STILL came in Jesus because he LOVES us. We, again, rejected Him, killing Jesus. He came that he might know human suffering and pain. He knows pain, He gets it, he understands Evil and deals with it every second of every day. He doesn't see highlights of the news- he sees the billions of hurtful things that happen around the world EVERY DAY.
*Suffering is temporary. Goodness exists and always will prevail. It just makes sense to TRUST God because he is in control.
If He is in control- what of suffering? Let's take the almost obvious points first. There is man made suffering. We were given Free Will. We were given the opportunity, the invitation, to listen to God...we are also able to hear Satan as he pushes our buttons and whispers bullying words in to our ears. We make decisions. Satan is not omniscient- he can't pull the trigger, he can only tell us where the gun is.....
Now...if God is in control- what of the "senseless" suffering....Natural Disasters, cancer, illness in children, hunger, disease, etc?
....Folks, there is no answer. It stinks, and it's really hard for me to understand and accept. But he orchestrates it all....There is just no answer on this Earth. Our human brains couldn't process it if there was. The answer, and all other answers, WILL be revealed in grandeur on the Last Day....And, while I don't have all the answers, I know The One who does. I choose to have faith (belief without sight) that all things will work out for good- even if they don't seem good.
I'll take a bad day with Jesus over an eternity without Him.......He has shown his hand at work over and over and over in my life, in both Good and Bad...
People sometimes marvel at my apparent mental stability in having 3 toddlers. I think they think I'm kidding when I say I pray constantly. It's not even a joke..I am praying constantly, giving Thanks where Thanks is due and trying to learn and grow in the word so I can continue to be an example of what his Love can do for us. I'm not just a "mellow" person- anyone who's known me for long enough knows that. And the addition of children doesn't typically calm people down- but the addition of Jesus does...
xo
andrea
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