Desk Job Health Tips

It's surprising how little you hear from writers about how to keep fit. Maybe that's cause we are busy brainstorming and writing and promoting and all that jazz, but it's something maybe we ought to talk about more. Cause writing requires a lot of sitting and a lot of sitting often ends up in bigger pant sizes and a myriad of potential healthy problems. For me, personally, fitness is a battle. I don't love exercise, I don't look forward to it, and I love food--mostly high calorie bad-for-me food. I don't have a weight problem, but I truly believe that's because I work at it even though I don't want to. And I'm 15 pounds heavier than I want to be--than I think I should be so I'm not someone who can not consider the implications of good choices. Last week, I was challenged by Nuts. com to blog about what I do to keep healthy during the work-week. They would provide a graphic and tweet out my post. After I opened the email I laughed and snapped this picture:

Not only was I at my office that day, but I had thought ahead and brought healthy snacks too. So, basically, her timing was perfect :-)  I offered three of my favorite stay-healthy-during-the-work-week-tips and incorporated it into the following graphic with some of their tips. Here's what they put together for me:

I've printed this out to keep as a reminder, not because I'm going to forget my own suggestions, but because making good choices are easier when it's at the forefront of my mind. I do the same thing with favorite quotes and family pictures to remind myself what fuels me and what matters.

I'd like to expand on a couple of these tips:

Keep healthy snacks on hand, no junk food! ~ If I bring M & M's to my desk, I will eat M & M's. If I bring wheat thins, I'll eat the whole box before the day is out. If I bring almonds, I'll eat those instead--and almonds tend to fill me up. I love the black pepper flavored Harvest Snaps Snappea Crisps. They are a yummy, healthier version of a potato chip. I not a big fresh fruit person, but I like bananas and I like clementines. I also like string cheese and I love nuts--you can find some great work-snack options at nuts.com as well as some really yummy recipes for things you can make-and-take. It doesn't do a lot of good to bring healthy food you don't like, so find those healthy things you do like, bring them along, and don't keep junk food around. Chances are, you'll eat what you have on hand. Rocket science, I know. :-) Do I always do this? No. But I am always glad when I do.

Eat a protein-packed salad for lunch! ~ You can get a salad anywhere these days. Fast food, sit-down restaurant, bring it from home. I don't like low fat dressings--too much chemical stuff--but I truly believe a full fat dressing on a good veggie and protein loaded salad is going to be better than a cheesburger. Wild Coyote ranch is my favorite dressing, as is Good Seasonings Italian that you mix up yourself. Make sure your salad's got some chicken, shrimp, salmon (my favorite) or hard boiled eggs. I love nuts on my salads. One of my quick-grab salads is the California Protien Cobb from Zupas with their fresh herb vinaigrette. I don't like chicken, so I ask for extra hard boiled eggs instead. My favorite home salad is baby spinach, fresh blueberries, walnuts, feta cheese and Italian dressing. By making a "rule" that I'll always eat a salad for lunch, I guarantee I'll have some veggies that day--veggies are not something I gravitate to naturally. I end up feeling full but not heavy and can pat myself on the back for a making a good choice. Do I always do this? No. but I am always glad when I do.

Stay hydrated! ~I drink water all day long. I have a favorite water bottle--insulated so the ice stays all day--and I drink one in the morning, 2-3 during the day and another in the evening. I get between 80-100 oz of water a day. There is no limit to the good that plain old water can have for you. If you don't like water--consider adding some lemon, cucumbers, strawberries, or raspberries. A few dried craisins can make it yummy without adding a bunch of artificial colors and flavors or calories. If you currently drink soda, start with subbing one soda for water and then in a few weeks sub another one. Try room temperature water, try it with ice. Find a cute water bottle that fits in your car cup holder and is easy to transport. Do I always do this? Yes. I always drink water all day. I bring my water bottle with me everywhere and fill it up anywhere with a soda fountain or drinking fountain. Easiest good choice I make in a day. 

Exercise! ~ I take a hot yoga class about once a week. It has remedied some aches and pains, especially in my hands and wrists, and I truly believe it is a super-packed-vitamin for me. It's good for my body, my brain, my emotional center, my spirituality--all of it. I don't LOVE being in class, but I do it anyway and know it's good for me. Do I go to a class every week? No. But most weeks I do and when I skip a week, I notice a difference in the way I feel when I wake up and the way I manage my thoughts and emotions. 

I also have a home-work-out that includes a 7 minute warm up and a 25 minute interval work out that I do a couple of times a week. I use this 7 minute work out app on my phone for the warm up and then do the Body For Life interval work out which has been my favorite quick work out for almost 15 years. If you do the math, that's 32 minutes start to finish--possible to do before I head to the office. I work up a sweat, I get a good full body work out, and can then go on with life. Do I always do this work out twice a week? No. I've only started this up again in 2016 but so far I'm liking it and most weeks I do this 2-3 times a week. I've been doing it with my kids before school and they are liking it too (when they wake up.)

Take Vitamin D and B Complex! ~ I recently learned that Vitamin D supports good sleep, since I've been taking it every morning I'm sleeping better at night. Vitamin B gives me energy and mental clarity. You might take other things--I do too--but I think these things are "Good for everyone" basics. Find a good brand. Do I always take them? No. I forget sometimes and I get out of habit, but I try to and I notice a difference when I do it. 

In conclusion: I might do all these things, and come home and make brownies--but I believe home made junk food is better than store bought. I might go days between eating veggies. I might go a full week without a work out. But when I make one good choice, it is easier to make another one, and when the good choices build upon each other it gets easier and easier and I FEEL better. That's what healthy choices are really about for me, feeling better. That I feel better in my size 8 jeans counts toward that solution :-) I will make no apology for wanting to look good. I'm turning 42 years old in a few months, if I don't give my looks and my health some attention I won't have either one. 

I encourage you to go to nuts.com and take a peek at the great products they have. I've already made some upcoming gift decisions based on their fabulous gift packs and I've put in an order of some of my favorite things I know will help me toward my own goals. I appreciate quality and I love convenience--they've got both. And if you feel so included to share your OWN healthy work-place habits, that would be welcome too!

What do you do? I would love to hear what it is you to do keep healthy during the work week! Thanks for reading. 

My Report: 99 Yoga Classes

In August 2014 I decided to act upon the advice I'd received from several practitioners and try yoga, like for real. NOT using DVDs I would do until the phone rang or I got sick of it (i.e. ten minutes.) NOT taking a class every five years  But really giving yoga an effort that would allow me to determine if yoga was something I would want to have a part of my life in the future. I decided 100 yoga classes in a year would be truly immersing myself into the practice.

Since today is November 8, and I'm only at 99 classes so I didn't quite hit that goal. But I am ready to sum up my results.

Most of the yoga classes I did were Bikram, which is a hot yoga. The room is heated to 105 degrees and you go through a series of 26 specific poses two times each, holding them for one minute the first time and then 30 seconds the second time with breaks in between some of them. The Bikram classes work every bone, muscle, ligament, tendon, and system of your body. It lasts 90 minutes and at the end I am drenched with sweat--like dripping-from-my-elbows-drenched-with-sweat:

What was hard:

• My studio is 20 minutes from my house, add a 90 minute class and minimum 30 minutes to get showered and ready after it's done and you're looking at almost 3 hours. You can't NOT shower after a hot yoga class, and the studio I go to is the closest one to my house and furthest north studio in the state of Utah. Working 3 hour blocks of time into my weekly schedule was so hard. Every week it was hard. Never got easier. I set countless goals to do a class 5 times in a week and it never happened. The most I ever did was 4 classes and it required many other things put on hold.
• I'm not overweight, and I didn't do this simply to try to get "hot" (no pun intended) but I expected that working this hard would drop 10 pounds in a year (maybe 25 :-)). The classes are hard sweaty work--cardio and strength training--so I expected some weight loss as a bonus. I did notice some changes in my body--which I'll put in the "what was good" portion of this post--but I did not lose even five pounds that stayed off through the year. Yes, I may have added muscle, but remember that my pants are still fitting the way they did when I started. And, no, I didn't make significant changes to my diet so that certainly was a factor, but still.
• I think I had a semi-unconscious expectation that yoga would mellow out all my anxieties and mood spikes, that the practice in and of itself would "fix" certain feelings and emotional overloads. It did help, but it did not turn out to be a magic pill for me. Perhaps because I didn't take on all these other lifestyle aspects of yoga, but regardless the emotional change wasn't as significant as I hoped it would be. 
• The classes are stressful for me. Stressful to get to, hard for me to focus in, hard for me to enjoy. I loved the accomplishment, but I never got to the point of feeling excited that I was able to go to class. I'm saddest about this "con", because I wanted to love yoga with my whole soul.
• I never experienced the emotional release that I hear many, many people have with hot yoga. I don't know if this means I'm too uptight or what, but I really thought by the end of my goal I would have those moments of insight and release I've heard a lot about.
• I have been doing long distance running for about six years, but struggled off and on with back, knee, and arch issues/injuries. I started training in the summer for a fall season race and since I'd been doing yoga for about 8 months I felt pretty confident that I was in good shape and would avoid injury. But I messed up my knee, and my arch, and ended up with six weeks of weekly chiropractor visits to deal with them enough to run my race. I know that yoga isn't a fix-everything, but I was disappointed to still have the injuries when I had felt as though I was working my body in a way that would avoid exactly that. That said, I am getting older and maybe I'm just not meant to be a runner anymore. 

What was awesome:

• Yoga was absolutely good for my body. Although I didn't lose weight, I have gained flexibility I did not have before. Little aches and pains I often felt in my hips and back have disappeared. I have had a rounding of my upper spine--early kyphosis--that has been remedied to the point I can see the change in my posture and no longer get upper back pain after writing. The tightness in the left side of my neck that kept me from being able to turn my head all the way to right is gone. I've never been flexible, and to anyone else I probably still don't look flexible, but I am more agile than I have ever been in my life. The "work your whole body" aspect of yoga has been great for me and something I absolutely feel in the days after a class. 
• On the nights I had yoga, I slept better. On nights I didn't have yoga I would still struggle as I have for the last few years. When I cut out artificial sweeteners in September, sleep got even better. I have slept better the last six weeks than I have for years. A good night's sleep is priceless.
• Prior to these classes I had some intermittent numbness in my hands, not surprising for a writer, but concerning. I would also have my hands swell up from time to time and get pain in my forearms, especially my left. One of the first improvements I noticed was that the achiness went away after just a few classes, and I honestly have not had numbness or tingling even once since starting my practice. Lotus pose works specifically on your arms, elbows, and wrists and I think it made a significant difference for the health of my hands. I hope it will help me to avoid carpal tunnel that afflicts so many other writers I know.
• I found quickly that the poses I was best at were those that were strength-based, like chair pose. As I continued with yoga I got even stronger and the shape of my body changed. My shoulders are more defined, I can see the outline of my biceps, my waist is a bit smaller and my legs are more defined. If I had lost ten pounds and fit in my pants better I could better appreciate this :-) But I do feel and look stronger than I did in the beginning. 
• I am a naturally competitive person but yoga is competitive only with yourself. At first it was really hard not watch everyone else in the class and judge myself accordingly, but I learned that every body is different. The guy who can't get his leg up in tree might have an amazing camel. Someone might have a tight spine, but great flexibility in their joints. It was good for me to forgive myself my limitations, take confidence in my strengths, and not feel competitive with the other people in the room. I eventually didn't even feel competitive with myself; if my head-to-knee was better two weeks ago, I was okay because I knew I was doing my best that day. 
• I feel more gratitude for my body than I have in a long time, even without the weight loss. You watch yourself in the mirror throughout class, which was hard for me at first because I would be so critical. In time, however, I have gained acceptance and gratitude for this body I have and the things I can do with it. Seeing so many other body types in class was also very validating in the realization that taking care of my body isn't only about how it looks, it's how it moves and works and how it will take care of me thirty years from now. 
• While yoga didn't fix my mood swings, I am definately more emotionally centered. I feel that I better cope with stress than it did, and I learned breathing exercises which help me to physically calm myself when I need calming outside of class. Even though yoga itself is often stressful, I do feel the mental/emotional benefits stay with me long after the class is done. 
• Other than a couple of classes where I was not hydrated enough and came home trashed, I didn't have anything more than a minor cold for an entire year. I'm not someone who gets sick a lot, but a few times a year I battle strep or some respiratory thing, but I didn't this year. Yoga is said to boost your immunity and I think in my case it did that. 
• I would often use my savasana (laying on your back with arms at side, palms up) to pray. It was not so formal as most of my prayers and though I didn't have the emotional breakthroughs I had expected, I had some spiritual meditation that I had not expected and which was very sweet to me. I grew closer to my Savior through this meditation and had moments of great peace and relaxation during which I felt wonderful communion with Him.

My final answer:

This was a good experiment for me. I don't think I'll ever be a true "yogi" whose life centers around the practice, but I do plan to take a class every week for the good of my body, my mind, and my spirit. If anyone is interested in trying hot yoga for themselves, I recommend that you plan to take 5 classes before you decide if you want to continue. No exercise is a quick fix, but it took me about this many classes to recognize the benefits in my day to day life. Know that there are all shapes and sizes--some days I felt like the oldest fattest person there, and other days I was the youngest and trimmest, usually I was one of many middle-aged people like myself that aren't going to be on a magazine cover any time soon but are learning to love what they have more than they have. I also recommend that you read THIS article from O Magazine and check out Luisa Perkins BLOG where she blogged about her 60 classes in 60 days, which is amazing!

Writing Spaces Series: Writing Rooms

Thank you for joining me for the third and final post in the Writing Spaces Series. I hope you had a chance to read about "Writing Spots" and "Writing Nooks." Now we get to explore some "Writing Rooms" or home offices, or writing studios--whatever you want to call dedicated rooms set aside for writing. 

Aaron Jordan:

The proverbial man cave—a spare bedroom in the basement where I can seclude myself from the rest of the world in self-absorbed isolation—provides an ideal writing environment.  A small white IKEA desk against the west wall with a roll-out tray for my ergonomic Microsoft keyboard caters to my creative comfort.  Along the north wall, five Billy bookcases, also from IKEA, contain the tomes that make a townhouse a townhome.  On one of those bookcases, within arm’s reach, stand the dictionaries, grammar guides, and how-to books that inform the writer’s craft.  Of critical importance is the swiveling Amazon Basics Mid-Back Mesh Chair that allows me to rotate effortlessly from keyboard to reference books and back again.  A couch along the east wall is a great place for quiet, cozy reading, a sine qua non of any writer’s lifestyle.  The only missing luxury is an above-ground window that I could look out of to collect my thoughts or to distract myself now and then.

            The best thing about the writer’s man cave is the feel of the place, the soul-satisfying sensation that you are at home, in your element, doing what you were born to do, with the hope that your words will benefit readers as well.

Jennifer Moore

I write in the car at soccer practice, in the waiting room of the fencing gym, outside on the picnic table, at my kitchen table, propped up by pillows in bed, on a chair in my husband's study, on the couch during a football game, my parents' cabin...pretty much anywhere. But here's where I'm the most productive. This is the writing nook in my office. My research books for the project I'm working on, and outlines--in case I need to look back--are right behind me, as well as character pictures on the bulletin board.

My white board has a list of tasks I need to do, but I mostly keep cute magnets on there. and pictures.

I have a beautiful antique sugar bowl on the desk to sweeten my tea, and if you zoom, you can see a little Wonder Woman, a model cannon, Lego Shakespeare and a Klepht soldier next to it, cheering me on.

I also have stool to rest my feet on, and a space heater beneath the desk because that window gets cold in winter!

I try to get up into the office every morning by 9 and stay in there with no interruptions until 12. But, of course life happens. I like the morning hours. I feel like my brain is more alert.  

Tara Mayoros:

So much ridiculousness goes on in this space. I have to purge clean it at least once a week. It's always a mess. Always.

The windows are east facing and in both sunshine and moonlight, the mountain views inspire me.

I teach guitar and paint and plant flower gardens in this space. But above all, it is where my stories come alive. This space has glass doors so I can close off the turpentine smell, play loud music, write in peace, and contain the mess, while still keeping an eye on my crazy kids.

If I am ever stuck on any project, in any art form, I've found that organizing my workspace will almost always rekindle the spark. But to be honest, when this room is so messy that I can't even open the door, you can find me typing on my laptop pretty much anywhere, especially in the mountains.

Marlene Bateman:

My husband and I remodeled our house six years ago and now I have a wonderful little office, which was previously our formal dining room. I have a nice L-shaped desk, so everything is nearby. My son talked me into getting two monitors and now, I couldn’t live without them. I’m near a window so I can look outside to my backyard.

I have a second ‘office’ outside. We have a little gazebo, which is my writing oasis in the late spring, summer, and early fall.  We have a large lot, about half an acre, with bushes, trees, a garden, and lawn, so I’m surrounded by greenery.  I love it! My husband put up blinds on two sides and I put up a dark fabric drape to cut down on the glare while I’m working on my laptop. I sit on a cushioned swing, with a table nearby that holds stuff such as pencils, pens, a bottle of water, and a jar of small candy treats, (for me) and doggie treats for my faithful companions, who come out to keep me company. There’s Brandi (pictured) a Welsh Corgi, Snickers, a dachshund (also pictured) and a Westie who stood off to the side when I took the picture. I also have several cats, and they come out too, either to curl up by me on the swing, or sprawl beside the dogs on the large pet bed I keep there.

Maria Hoagland:

On days I'm going to draft or revise, I like to be pretty much anywhere but in my office. I find the internet too much of a distraction! So I'm usually in a park if the weather is cooperating, but the couch in this office is pretty comfy too. Still, I love my office (or my half, because I share the room with my husband who works from home a lot of times--talk about a distraction!). This is where I do all the business aspects of my writing. In front of my computer, I have three boards--one for my editing and formatting business; one for anything media related like reviews, my website, and my two blogs; and one for writing, which usually ends up being random things I need to add to my current WIP. On the wall to my right, you will see what my family lovingly refers to as my "stalker wall." These are pictures of the main characters in my WIP. It helps me keep track of their physical characteristics, try out their names (you can see one whose name has changed, if you look closely), and their quirks and characteristics jotted down on sticky notes beside their photo. Around the corner is my "Save the Cat" type outlining system. As I go along, I will move things around, see where I have plot holes (which will then be filled in with a bright sticky note to remind me it needs to be added). I use these sticky notes to start off my outline in Scrivener before I start writing, but then they get shuffled around as I revise. I love being able to see all of these things at once--it helps me remember where I am, where I need to be, and helps keeps things fresh in my mind! Happy writing!

Josi S. Kilpack:

I actually have two offices--one at home (it used to be the nursery, complete with stenciled butterflies, but kids do grow up) and one in an office suite my husband owns. For years I was the accidental bookkeeper for a business we own, and my pay was staying extra hours when the work was done to write without home-distractions. I became quite spoiled by my office away from home and still do the majority of my writing there. I have some writer friends who live nearby and we'll get together in the conference room of the office sometimes for write-days (a Saturday from 8-midnight or weekday while kids are at school) or write-nites (evenings from 5-midnight) but I usually write here in this corner by myself. Obviously it's very organized and conducive for creative tasks. :-) This would have better fit in the "Writing Nooks" post but . . . well, it's my blog so I can do what I want :-)

At home my office has been the catch-all for the house for a long time, making it anxiety inducing to try and produce in the space crammed with too much stuff. However, with my recent redo I am trying to change that. I've put some of the business things like mailing supplies, none-writing books, stock books, archives etc into the closet of the room or into a guest bedroom downstairs. The things on the shelves are things I love, or books I use. The Chaise Lounge ($200 on Sears.com) is new and, I hope, a place I can read/research/long-hand brainstorm. I'm trying very hard to keep this room "inspiring" which mostly means free of junk so that I'm not tempted to spend all my writing time reorganizing crap. You can see the edge of my IKEA desk that has my current reference books handy. As for essentials when I write, I use my laptop, always have my water bottle, and I need relative quiet. I admire people who have learned to write with their family buzzing around them, I get too snappy and irritable to do that--I hate to be interrupted. Sometimes music helps, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes internet helps, some times it doesn't. I have no writing schedule (though I usually write/work about 30 hours a week), writing goals (though I do pretty well with deadlines), special chants or charms or techniques. I mostly take my writing day by day and work through whatever might not be working that day. I love what I do and the flexibility of it that allows me to be available to my family and spend a good deal of time in my favorite place--home. I'm hoping this home office will make writing at home a better option for me. Maybe I should do a report in a year. :-)

Thank you for joining me for this blog series, I hope you gained some ideas or insight on how to make your writing spot or nook or room conducive to your craft. We are all different, we need different things and will use different processes, but there is so much to be gained from peeking in on each other's lives and seeing if there isn't something they do that can help you with what you do.
Other posts in this series:
"Writing Spots"
"Writing Nooks"

Update and Blog Hop!

It is crazy to me to reflect on how important blogging was for me a few years ago. I spent hours reading blogs and writing my own every week. Now, I never get here. In a sense it's unfortunate, it was a great way to get into the thoughts of people who took the time to write about their lives. On the other hand, life ebbs and flows and things are always changing.

BUT, now and then a situation comes up that is worth blogging about. My readers have been due for an update and I've been quiet about what I'm doing after Sadie because it was new and different and I 1) Didn't want to take away from the excitement of my final Culinary Mystery 2) Didn't have a contract on my new project. But I have the contract now, signed and filed. And so this was a perfect opportunity for me to kill a few birds with one stone.

As stated in the title, this post is brought to you from a blog hop. Anna Elliott tagged me in her blog and I really enjoyed hearing about her projects and routines. Take a minute to check it out at www.annaelliotbooks.com. And thanks for tagging me Anna.

What are you working on?
I am getting my ducks in a row to have the final book in my Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery novel released this December. The series has been several years worth of work and as it came to an end I was ready to do something new. I had an idea for another clean mystery series, but when I tried to write it my main character sounded too much like Sadie. I decided, instead, to cleanse my palette and write something totally new. I submitted a few ideas to my publisher and the one they liked the most was a Regency Romance. If you go back in time with me to the very first story I ever wrote back in 1995, it was a Regency. It's terrible. But it was the first story I laid out on paper. I have long loved the genre and been really thrilled to see it revive these last couple of years. It was so fun to write something fresh, but in a genre and timeperiod I was already in love with. The title is "A Heart Revealed" and it will come out in May of 2015. I'm also working on a Regency Novella for one of the Timeless Romance Anthologies, as well as making progress on another full length Regency romance that will follow this first one through Shadow Mountain.

How does your work differ from others' work in the same genre?
In regard to my culinary mysteries, I think the biggest difference is the age of my protagonist--late 50's--and my focus on home cookin'. I'm not a gourmet, but I love having the "best" corn bread and the "tried and true" cookie recipe. I think both elements created a broader readership for the books and more relatability to kitchen-cooks like myself.
In regard to my Regency, I think my novel is different in that it is issue driven. Prior to my mysteries, my books were women's fiction or romance, but they were always driven by a modern issue. I guess when you're an author with lots of issues, you naturally put other issues into your stories. I can't give away the issue without giving away the book, but it's set in early 19th century London and Yorkshire and was so so so much fun to write. It is still first and foremost a romance, that's our main story, but I'm hoping that the women's fiction type of spin will be something my readers will both recognize and enjoy.

Why do you write what you do?
There are a bunch of answers to that, so I'm going to put them all down. I write what I write because: I love it (always important :-), the story builds as I think on it (many ideas fizzle out before I get to paper), I think readers will like it (both my mysteries and romances are clean), I think it will make money (I have a mortgage), it "feels" right, it appealed to me as a reader, and I think I can do it. Some days one of those reasons is bigger than the others--some days I'm writing for a check, other days I'm writing because it's fun, other days I'm writing because the story is getting so big in my head I have to let out some pressure.

How does your writing process work?
I am a work in progress when it comes to what kind of process works for me. Until recent years, I never outlined, but the last few mysteries required I make a plan to say on track with the series. I started the regency with just a synopsis, and then was able to stick to it pretty well--I've never done a synopsis before writing the book. I wish I knew what would work for me every time, but maybe that's what works for me--trying new processes and going back on old processes that work. My current process is a very basic outlining before I start and brainstorming sessions before each writing session. I'm writing about 3 days a week for 5-6 hours at a time. It sounds a lot more organized that it really is, but it's working so I'm going with it.

As for the author I'm choosing to tag, I hope you will hop over to the blog of my dear friend Nancy Campbell Allen. She is best known for her civil war stories and historical fiction series written under the name N.C. Allen, but is a multi-talented writer with some exciting things on tap. Please check her out at www.ncallen.blogspot.com

Last Five Books I've Read

Per a blog topic request I did a bit ago, one suggestion was my five favorite books this year. I'm not sure I've read enough books to choose my top five, so instead I'll put the last seven books I've read:

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

I'm not quite finished with this one yet, and I don't even know how to evaluate it exactly because of that fact. It is more literary than I usually read, and it's discussing books I've never read, but I am rather captured by it. I'm listening to the audio, which has a great reader, and I probably have another week or so before I finish. I have determined that I will never read Lolita, and I've learned some very intellectual evaluations of some other classics, and I am more grateful than ever to be an American. Reading Lolita in Tehran is a memoir from a former English Literature professor in Tehran before/during the revolution that turned a relatively progressive country into the Islamic Republic of Iran. Fascinating look at a culture different than my own, but also very interesting in light of different groups I see in our own country trying to control the actions of everyone else. I have heard that the end is intense, and I have a feeling I know what happens so we'll see how I feel when I finish it. Right now I would rate it a PG 13 but that might change by the end.

Mommy Tracked by Whitney Gaskell

This is a book about four different moms--different types of moms--and the struggles each of them are facing within their roles. The chapters switch between the four characters and I liked the way it showed such differing women and different problems. I liked that it wasn't a 'man hater' book nor was it a 'super mom' book. It was more like 4 women's fiction novels put into one, showing each woman and what she was up against. The stories were good, though most of these women live a more cosmopolitan life than I do and so there were some portions that I did not relate to well. And, at the end of the book I found that while I liked each woman a bit better than I had in the beginning, there wasn't a single one that I felt I really related to; that I felt approached the role like I did. Not that I do it right or they do it wrong, but I think because my lifestyle is different and my motivations are different, I didn't 'fit' within the relationships of this story. The writing was good although the author had a tendency to use adverbs in dialogue tags like "she said sarcastically" "He said loquaciously" "she said energetically" "He said darkly" "she said humorously" "He said charmingly" and I did tire of all those adverbs. This was a rate R book.

Come to Zion Volume 1 & 2 by Dean Hughes

This is a story about English converts to the Mormon church at the time of mass immigration to Nauvoo. The first book follows the individual characters through their processes of converstion and then their crossing of the ocean to come to Zion. The second volume shows the life in Nauvoo as the church is still trying to figure itself out and then loses its first prophet. I love Dean Hughs and I have the other LDS fiction series he's written and have enjoyed this one just as much. One of the things I love about Hughs is how much I learn through the stories he writes. He does a fabulous job of showing the details of times and places. I feel that I better learn the facts through seeing people live through these times. One of the things I loved, loved, loved about this story is the imperfections he allows us to see in the early saints. We so often put early saints on pedestals and believe that they were these amazingly perfect people of faith and character. I have never believed this was the norm. Yes, they had great faith. Yes, they made great sacrifice. Yes, they paved the way for so many of their posterity to benefit from both of those things. But they could not have been perfect. They had to have had doubts. And they had to have been taking their journeys for their own growth--not ours. That meant it was hard for them, it means they struggled, it means that some of them were jerks. I like that Hugh shows this. I'm a bit nervous about the next book because it will involve polygamy which is still a difficult thing for me to deal with, but I trust Hughs and am therefore willing to take this journey with him. These books are rated PG.

Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

This is a memoir about a girl who got lost in the Florida foster care system in (I believe) the late 80's--before many reforms were implements. The book covers her story from being a toddler taken from her dysfunction mother, to a child living in a variety of homes that were not equipped to truly care for her, to young woman finally in an adoptive family. It did not sugar coat anything but neither did it feel gratuitous. It was shocking to see how many times the system failed her, frustrating to see how ungracious she was when she got an adoptive family, and humbling to see those people who gave Ashley a chance to really change her course. My husband and I have recently become Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and this book was required reading in our training. Since then, our appointments have become official and we are working together with a child whose family is involved in a DCFS case. It is our job to report to the Guardian ad Litem about how they are doing, what's working and what's not. I've reflected on Ashley's story many times, looking toward those things that made a difference for her story. I listened to the audio version which was read by Ashley herself. For me, this was a paradigm shifting book and I highly recommend it. I would rate this PG 13.
 

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

I am not a Sci-fi reader, and I'm not a big YA reader. But the movie is coming out, I have heard about this book for years, and I decided to listen to it during a long road trip. I was reminded why I don't like science fiction, and yet I do agree that this book is more than that and it crosses that genre line. It's a story about a boy being trained to be a military commander in an intergalactic war. There were parts that were hard to listen to because of the fact that it was a little boy in the story, there were also parts that I would have liked more clarification on, but all in all I liked the story. My favorite part was toward the end, after the climax and many changes have taken place. Ender reflects on the fact that in order to know people well enough to beat them with his military tactics, he has to know them so well that he loves them. Which then leaves him torn between the feelings of empathy for his enemies and loyalty to his side of the war. I found that absolutely fascinating and for me it made the story both complete and important. The writing is fabulous, the story was easy to follow, and I am glad I read it. I listened to this on audio and liked that as well. If I were sitting and reading I'm not sure I could have stayed with it simply due to the genre not being one that I like. I listened to the first chapter of the next book, Speaker for the Dead, and determined that I will likely not read any other books in this series. Not that it's bad, but it's just not my thing. I would rate this book PG 13.

Farenhieit 451 by Ray Bradbury

I read this book many moons ago in high school and remembered liking it. I have talked about and heard about it many times since then. Recently, after mentioning a part of it in a presentation, I realized that I had heard about that part I quoted from someone else--I didn't remember it on my own. I decided to read the book again and I am so glad I did. I've heard people say that Bradbury is overrated--I disagree. I love his use of words. I loved the depth of this story, the reflections it made to our time right now, and the connection it gave me to the time when I had read this book the first time. I listened to it on audio and the reader was excellent but I want to get a new copy of the book and highlight some of the ways Bradbury used words. For me this is a beautiful story and made me want to seek out more Bradbury in the future. It also reminded me that while there are only so many words out there, the way they are put together can make them feel brand new. Included at the end of this audio were some thoughts from Bradbury about the book and some very interesting cases of censorship that had taken place with this book in the preceding decades. What irony. I loved hearing Bradbury's comments and learning how this story came together for him. I would rate this book a soft PG 13, more from ability to understand content than from anything of a sexual or violent nature.

As you can see, I am moving more and more toward audio books as the time to sit and read seems to be a more and more fleeting experience for me. It has allowed me, also, to 'read' books I likely would never have read if I had to sit down to do it. Sitting to read, for me, is an experience of intimacy and visualization--I will continue to reserve it for those books who are best enjoyed in that situation.

Questions From Dina, Answers From Josi

I put out a request on Facebook a couple of weeks ago regarding blog topics. I've just finished a book and that gets my fingers itching to blog, but sometimes I don't know what to talk about. I had several fun responses and I'll be covering them for the next little bit. Today, I'm going to answer several questions that Dina asked--I fully expect everyone to be wowed by my answers! :-)

How to keep three teen boys fed and full on a tight budget?

I do not have three teen boys--but I do have one and just keeping him fed and full can be a challenge. I had four brothers growing up (Those are my brothers in the photo) and I was amazed at how much food they could pack away. AND, I am one of nine kids raised on a school teachers salary--so home economy is in my nature and my nurture. So here are my suggestions and though I like to sound like an expert, I may very well have this wrong but I'm trying :-)

-Growing up my mom always made a lot of food for dinner so that we could have leftovers. She then somehow trained us to like leftovers for snacks. This kept her from having to prepare food over and over again and there was always something yummy in the fridge. It was usually something more healthy than traditional snack food, too.

-Years ago I bought this book, The Tightwad Gazette, which was published by a woman who was on Oprah as the biggest tightwad on the planet. I am amazed at the penny-pinching methods she used, but more than that I was really impressed with how dang happy she and her family were. They had made it into a family goal and they had fun with it. I haven't employed all of the tips, but several of them have worked their way into my lifestyle and the toffee recipe she makes at Christmas, is awesome! (and cheap)

-Fat and protein make people feel fuller longer. Not the kind of fat in a twinkie, but the kind of fat in meats, dairy, fish, coconut oil and olive oil. Try buying meats in bulk and freezing it, teach kids how to make a hamburger on their own, keep lots of canned tunna and chicken around which can easily be made into a casserole, sandwich, salad, or wrap. One chicken salad sandwich can do the job of six pieces of toast with jam. I've been working on helping my son recognize the need for protein with every meal--string cheese, hard boiled eggs, meat of some kind or another. He's gotten a lot better at it and admits that he is fuller longer--for instance I used to do Oatmeal for breakfast but he gets to 10:00 and is "starving his face off" so now I make sure I make some eggs too. Luckily, I really like cooking breakfast. When he starts with good protein, he doesn't seem to be hungry all day long. I also buy protein shakes and bars in bulk at Costco so there are quick grab things for him to take.

There you go--that is the gammut of my expertise on feeding teen boys :-)

 Things to do with exchange students for free?

We had an exchange student last year (pictured left), it was a lot of fun. I realized that while I had assumed he'd want to go to movies and bowling and that type of thing, he was as interested in just our 'community' as he was anything else. So, my suggestions would be go to different playgrounds--teenage boys always seem to be able to enterain themselves at those. How about Frisbee golf courses, hikes, and national monuments in your area. Going to state capitols, historic buildings, museums, and churchs can be interesting. Often we are so used to the things in our area that we forget how interesting they can be to someone else. I would never plan long trips because it might be 1) boring for them 2) overwhelming for them.

From the comments you made it sounds like you're already doing a lot of expos and things--those are awesome. You could also look into car shows, community theater, and local libraries that have events. Do you have friends that would give you guys a tour of where they work? Maybe call the news stations, sports arenas, and animal shelters for tours there too. And the more excited you are about something, the more excited they will be. And take lots of pictures!

Do you have Grandchildren? If so, what do you like and what don't you like about it? If not, what do you think about that time in your life?

I kind of have grandchildren (pictured left.) My husband and I raised his niece for several years and she has two boys. They are our grandchildren in the way that my husband and I are parent figures in my niece's life, but I don't think it's like a real grandchildren relationship in other ways because several family members helped to raise our niece and when she and her family married, his parents took that central role as grandparents for the boys and are quite close to them. She and her husband have divorced and he has primary custody now. She lives several hours away, so we don't get to see them very often. I have loved watching them grow up and it's always a treat to see them, but because of circumstances we aren't in their lives very often. 

I anticipate that things will be different with actual grandchildren, that I'll be more involved with their parent's lives and therefore more involved in theirs. I don't want to be the grandma who is constantly babysitting--I don't' know how I ever did it with my own now that they are past that point--but I'm looking forward to that time and plan to enjoy them very much. I'm getting closer to that point of life every year so it is something I ought to ponder on a bit more. :-)

What's your favorite color? Has it always been your favorite color? if not, what other colors have been your favorites and why?

My favorite color is black. It has been my favorite color since junior high. It's probably my favorite because I look good when I'm wearing it and it matches everything. I am a bit color-disabled. I'm not good at visual arts, which makes clothing and home design not a natural fit for me. For many years 90% of my wardrobe was black or white, then I added some gray (I know, craaaaaazy) and then some red. In the last few years I've gotten all colorful and have one item of almost every color, but I still love black best of all. I go back to it over and over. If I were to boil it down, it would be because black is an easy color. I have plenty of other things about me that are complicated, so it's nice that this one thing is not. I do remember being in elementary school and my favorite color changing all the time--usually because I wanted a favorite color that no one else had. Black might have served that purpose too.

Thanks Dina, I hope the answers were satisfying :-)

Today's Morning Pages

Morning Pages (also called Author pages) is a concept I first heard about in Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way. The concept per Cameron's book is that you spend some time free writing before you get to your actual writing. I tried it years ago and while I liked the concept (I talked about it on my blog back in 2007--here's the first post), I found that I would spend so much time with my morning pages that I struggled to find the time for my current WIP. I stopped doing it, went on to do many fabulous things, and then came back to it of sorts after a blog post I can't find now where a woman talked about writing about what she was about to write before she wrote it. She found that it clarified her thoughts and helped her focus, kind of brainstorming, kind of outlining, kind of therapeutic. So I tried and I loved it. These days, if I feel the smallest amount of reluctance when I sit down to write (about 85% of the time) I will spend a few minutes writing about how I feel about my writing and what I need to focus on. So, for no reason what so ever, I decided to type today's morning pages into my blog. For posterity sake, of course.

July 17, 2013

I made such great progress at first and then hit a wall. Not with ideas--just life. It's summer which means the kids are home and un-routined. I feel guilty leaving them and it seems I am always leaving. I hate it so much. I also had some edits and two rounds of Galleys for Rocky Road. We went to Jacob Lake to see Nanna {that's my oldest daughter who is working near the Grand Canyon for the summer} and the annual Teen conference. On top of that I've been working on organizing the upstairs study and my home office. There is just so much. My grand plan of writing 3 days a week this summer has become a not-so-funny joke. I have written almost nothing for 3 weeks. I'm rather pissed about it. If not for writing group I would be writing nothing at all--but writing group leads to editing which triggers my "This books sucks" and creates doubt about the excitement I had about this outline and the story. I'm already deviating from my outline which stresses me out. I feel like I need to rewrite my outline but that takes me away from writing the book and I wanted to have a first draft done by August. Argh! I am so tired of feeling the continual stress of a story and a deadline. I don't enjoy writing when it's all wrapped up in anxiety. I so want to enjoy it. I did for awhile--the outline was magical. I need to recapture that and I'm hoping to do so this week at the writing retreat the weekend. If I can update my outline and fix my current chapter I think I can get a ton done. I have today to prep for it. Stress!

I have an hour right now to get this chapter ready for writing group. I love the shoe scene but it isn't plot. I need to make it plot and I need to get right to Sadie calling Next Faces. I need to skip the Ji background stuff--we have enough of that already. It needs to be tight and the action and the questions need to be ramping up.

I'm on it

**I did fix that chapter, cut the shoe scene for now and cut some of the background. I presented it to my writing group who gave me great feedback and then I spent 2 1/2 hours rewriting that scene. I'm happy enough with it now to move forward in the story. Expecting great things at the retreat.

2 + 20 = Awesome.

Today, is my 20th wedding anniversary. Yes, we were married on April Fool's Day. Yes, we knew it was April Fool's Day when we chose it. No, he hasn't yet packed a bag and said he was just kidding (yet.) I was trying to think of what kind of post I could do to celebrate such an occasion and it got me thinking back to that day and all the awesome things it was. The carpet in the gym where we held the reception was orange. My dress was a rental I haven't seen since that day. Lee's cowlick wasn't properly tamed but he looked awesome in his tux. We shoved cake in each others faces, I hated the earrings I was wearing, and we honeymooned in Midway Utah--incidentally the hotel we stayed at is now a drug and alcohol rehab. Go figure. After our honeymoon, we came home and opened all the presents given to us by the family and friends who were so generous in helping us get on our way--we needed EVERYTHING and we got what we needed to start a life--one towel and pan and shower curtain at a time. I remember feeling a little overwhelmed by everyone helping us so much--for years and years those gifts gave back over and over again.

Thinking about the presents got me thinking about which ones have survived the twenty years, 7 moves, 4 kids and our niece we raised for several years, and  7,285 days of life we've shared since then. So, I did a little tour of my house to see what I had left. I was surprised at some of the things that had survived and sad by some things I looked for and didn't find. Here's my report:

 We were given these goblets by a friend who I can visualize in my mind but can't remember her name--she and I worked together at Olympus Clinic where I worked as a receptionist. She gave it to us with a black nightie and a bottle of Apple Cider. I have the nightie too but I'm sparing you :-)

I had a very good friend named Laura Rustad up through high-school. She always had a smile and a hug on hand for me, even when I didn't deserve it. Her mom owned a store in the Cottonwood mall that could print photos on just about anything. For my wedding, they printed a copy of our engagement photo on some fabric and then sewed up a pillow. This was on our bed for years before I realized it was going to get worn out or ruined so now it is in my cedar trunk. Such a thoughtful gift.

The women in my ward made quilts whenever anyone got married. Ruth Rands headed up this project for me--I had been freinds with her granddaughter for years and always loved going to Ruth's house. I think she was a bit dismayed when I told her my colors were black and white, but she did it anyway--each black square has a yarn X. The backside is black, with X's also--pretty intricate quilting in my opinion. Months after the wedding she talked to my mom at church and asked if I knew she'd made it, I'd never sent her a thank you card. I remember being embarassed about that, but I don't remember if I ever sent her that card. I sure hope I did. Many a child has used and loved this quilt. Currently it is used to create the "Man Cave" for the boy child.

I have no idea who gave me the set of four black coffee mugs--my colors were black and white--but for years they were the only mugs we owned. This is the only one that survived. It has held much hot cocoa over the years.

My friend Jenny Lunt (now Moore) made me this quilt--I couldn't beleive she knew how to do something like that. She threw me a bridal shower at her home and was so sweet and supportive of my wedding. Her sisters played the harp at my reception, the classiest part of the whole day. This quilt was on my bed for the first few years of marriage and has been used by many of my children over the years. A few years after we were married a kitten we had at the time pooped all over this quilt. My brother in law was staying with us and threw it in the washer without pre-treating the stain. I cried when I realized it wasn't going to come out, though it's faded over the years. It also had a jar of pickles broken on it once. No stain from that. I'm very thankful to have Jen's friendship too after all these years. She is a gift that has continued to bless my life.

I don't know who gave us this stool, but we have used it more than any other gift we received. It has been a part of us painting numerous walls, getting things out of cupboards, helping kids wash their hands and reach the potty. When I remember to give wedding gifts to new couples (I'm so bad), I usually give them a simple step stool like this. Like many things, it's nothing fancy but it has turned out to have great value through it's use.


My crazy aunt Buleah gave us this as a wedding gift--it's our wedding invitation matted and framed. I have loved, loved, loved having this keepsake. It's something my kids have very much enjoyed as well. When I can afford it, I love giving similar gifts like this as well--but it's pricey and takes some pre-planning so having those two things line up is a bit of a trick.





This is the dress I wore from the reception. I rarely bought retail anything at the time and my mom insisted I buy a NEW dress to wear that day. So I did. And I loved it. It was an excellent breastfeeding dress in later years. :-) I consider it a gift from my Mom because she helped me pick it out and paid for it herself rather than taking it out of my wedding budget which I was ridiculously cheap with.

I don't know who gave me this platter, I remember thinking I would never use it. I didn't use it for a few years, but I've used it for numerous events since then. It's one of the nicest 'dishes' I own. And I still have the box!

My Aunt Sandy and Aunt Anne, on my dad's side, hosted a shower where all the girl's on the Schofield side made this quilt. We originally tied it with satin ribbon bows, but I had to replace it with yarn after the ribbon frayed and things. This is another quilt that has gotten a great deal of use and serves of a sweet reminder of how blessed I am with wonderful women in my family.




My good friend Cindy Voorhees--and former Young Women's President--gave Lee and I this book. I read it cover to cover the first week we were married and revisited it many times, especially in those early years. Lots of great advice from a woman who has continued to be such a fabulous source of love and encouragement over the years.

I don't remember who gave me this either, but it continues to be my very favorite vase.  For many years it was one of the prettiest things in my house.







Most importantly is that after twenty years I still have that man I fell in love with. He continues to be the greatest gift in my life and one I thank my Father in Heaven for every day. On the day we made vows to each other and to God, I felt sure I could never love him more than I did in that moment. In the years since, however, I see THAT love as only the beginning. I had no idea how big love could become--no clue how much a part of him I would be one day and how big a part of me he would be too. He is my best friend. He is the keeper of my heart. He is a big part of my identity. He is my biggest fan and cutest cheerleader. I've no doubt that the next twenty years will be just as wonderful as these two decades have been for us.

Twenty years and counting!