F IS FOR FICTION

When I chose Fiction as my "F" word, I really wasn't sure what direction I wanted to take this post.  Was it that I always dreamed of writing fiction?  That I grew up reading fiction?  Well, that is kind of a Duh, no?  Most anyone who dreams of writing fiction grows up reading it.  Then I realized that this was another Circle Story.  What's that, you ask?  Seinfeld did it all the time.  The story started off here, and ended there, and it was actually One Big Ole Circle.  Hilarious.  I look at my life and see a lot of Circle Stories.  Yeah, not as funny as Seinfeld.  Moving on...

When I was in high school, and Oh-So-Certain of where I was going in my life, and my "Career Path," yada yada yada, I heard the story for the first time of my mother quitting college because... wait for it... she couldn't decide on a major.  At the time, I thought this was Hilarious (as in actually Laugh Out Loud Funny), and I told the story to anyone who would listen, and then doubled over, and practically rolled on the floor.  Sooooo funny.  How could someone quit because they were Undecided????  What in the name of Jesus was she thinking?  Bwahahahaha.

After one miserable Freshman year, I came to a very sad and unfortunate conclusion: I was wrong.  I was not going to major in Music.  That was not going to be my Career Path.  My Career Path was now this Blank Slate.  I was void.  So, I took a year of Core Classes, certain that something would come to me; I would find my answer.   I did not.  I finished up my Sophomore year with a whimper.  I distinctly recall sitting in my Guidance Counselor's office, and having The Conversation about "What are we going to do now," since Music was off the table, and I had to declare SOMETHING in order to choose my classes for the Fall.  Egads.  It was happening already;  I had turned into my mother.  Karma is a terrible thing.  It was taking it's revenge.  I wasn't laughing now.  I would never even be able to tell The Story again.  "Don't ask for whom the bell tolls.  It tolls for thee."  Well played, John Dunne.  Well played.

I chose English.  I chose my Major based on the fact that I liked to read. I had nothing else.  All I knew was that I wasn't quitting.  You can bet your sweet (fill in the blank) that I read a lot.  I packed that entire major into two years.  I read and read and read some more.  And when I wasn't reading, I was writing.  Good times.

Since then, I have tried my hand at writing fiction.  If you have read this blog for a LONG TIME you will remember the elation of when that process was going well, followed by the crushing angst of the crash and burn.  What happened?  I discovered that I did it wrong.  Turns out writing fiction is like booking a trip.  You absolutely must know where you are going.  Like a bonehead, I had a story fairly well plotted out, but I didn't have my ending all sewn up.  Now I feel like a moron saying it out loud because it seems... well, obvious.  So, I quit writing where I was and jumped to the end.  But, I could never make the two meet.  I don't think the constant migraine did anything to shore up this problem.  Eventually, my excitement for the project was outweighed by my annoyance.  That was when it got shelved. 

Of course, that isn't the first book I have started.  Or the first Idea For An Excellent Novel that has ever burned across my brain.  That is just the one with actual chapters and word count.  That said, I don't fancy myself a Great American Novelist.  I don't have this gift for weaving words together so lyrically that you will cry, though that would be lovely.  I just like to tell a rollicking  fun ride of a story.  Barring that, if you aren't bored out of your mind, I would say it is a win.

Until I muster the will to start again on The Book, this blog is my writing outlet... and I just don't see myself quitting.   Why?  Because it just isn't in me.  Now, that is truth and not fiction.

Fiction Rating: Passion, Phase, and Life Lesson (this one gets the Trifecta)

image found at www.weheartit.com

Are you a fiction or non-fiction reader?  When did the read you become an avid reader?  Have you tried your hand at writing?  If you are a published writer, did you publish the first thing you wrote or did you have several discarded novels lying around before you finally got it "right?"

Wednesday with Bullets

I was going to do another alphabet post, but you guys seem to like my bullet post style posts, what I have is mostly mish mash, so it seemed like a better way to go.


*For instance, right now I think Penny Can on Cougar Town is hilarious.
*You don't watch Cougar Town?
*How can this be?
*Oh yeah, you're Chris, and don't own a TV.
*Well, let me help you with some YouTube of Penny Can. This stuff cracks me up. It would be on my Thursday post, if I could work up the fortitude to roll one of those out.
*Roll the penny can footage:



*I love Ellie. She is the one that makes all of the crazy penny can shots. She is da bomb. I want to be Ellie when I grow up.
*H-Girl spent the night last week. It had its good and bad points. It scares me how much she has learned from her father. And I am not talking about the good stuff.
*She basically tricked me into taking her into the mall.
*Yes, I was tricked by a twelve year old.
*Yes, it still stings a bit.
*After she lingered over all of the things she wanted me to buy her... even after I told her before we left the house that I had NO money, we finally ended up at the bookstore.
*We spent over an hour mooning over jewelry. She was hoping I would cave. She never once asked, but she just looked pitiful. And once pointed out the matching necklace (the she didn't have)to the bracelet that she did (and was wearing).
*All of this after raiding my jewelry box at home and getting me to cough up several pieces of jewelry for her... moving on...
*So, after giving up on the jewelry at the mall, we arrive at the bookstore. That place is my personal weakness. I can turn down clothes all day long. Put me in a bookstore and that is like shoving an alcoholic into a bar.
*Naturally, we end up back in the YA section. She starts picking up various books and telling me that specific friends are reading this one and that one. She would like to read this one and that one. Then she says this: "Because I am all about the learning."
*I laughed so hard I nearly fell down and hurt myself.
*She followed it up with, "What? I LIKE to read."
*That only produced more laughter on my part. I started looking around for a chair because I had a kink in my side and it hurt.
*When I was able to speak again, I told her that she should call her dad and tell him just what she told me. I was willing to float her $15 if he would pay me back right away.
*He said he would. He also got a laugh out of that. Unlike me, he seemed to believe her line about being all about the learning.
*I find that interesting. One would think that a person who floats BS all of the time would recognize it in others more quickly. Apparently not. Who knew?
*Back to the trick... she told me that her aunt was going to meet us at the mall. Not true. Not even close. She just wanted to go to the mall and talk me into buying her stuff. Imagine my surprise when I find out that I end up having to take her all the way back to her grandparent's house. It didn't cut my driving at all. That is where her aunt was.
*So, I had H-Girl regale them with the tale of being all about the learning. They all laughed. Apparently, they were all shocked. Her older brother said he was going to read the book and quiz her to make sure she actually read it. Smart kid.
*That one day knocked me out in so many ways. Sooooo tired physically.
*So tired mentally. It really hurts me in the heart that H-Girl does these sorts of things. Her lack of honesty and the way she manipulates people without a second thought really disturbs me.
*As for me, I have been dreaming about sweets. Craving sweets terribly. I know what this means. I am stressed out. Severely stressed out.
*I bought two bags of M&Ms the last time I was at the pharmacy. It did occur to me that my Eminem fascination went from the person to the candy. H-Girl might not be the only "disturbed" individual out there...
*If you received the letter for my future non-profit website via email, please answer me this: did you copy/paste and send it to everyone in your address book, specific people in your address book, or no one in your address book? Whatever your choice, why? You can tell me in the comments or email me. My email is in the sidebar. Thanks.
*I really don't have much dirt. I am thinking about practicing Penny Can. Chris, can I call that exercise? It looks like so much fun to say "Penny Can" when you actually get the penny in the can.
*I really could have been a writer for Seinfeld. It was a show about nothing. I have got an excellent handle on that.

Feel The Love Bullet Style

Today is supposed to be Inspirational Music post Sunday. Or something like that. Honestly, with the Grammy Awards tonight, I am totally jazzed about music. However, I am exhausted and kinda migrainey. I really don't have a music post in me. So, I was thinking about a Bullet Point post instead. It might help me stay focused, since we all know I have a tendency to wander around. And you all get the junk. Good deal, right? Besides, I haven't done one of these in a while and they are fun.

*Turns out that while my ex was out of town a couple of weeks ago, the kids' bio mom sent H-Girl a text on Yahoo Instant Messenger. Apparently, H-Girl has had enough of bio-mom's not calling on birthdays, Christmas, and all that for the last ten years that one text wasn't going to be enough to mend the fence with her. And she let her have it.
*Bio-mom copied this instant message conversation and emailed it to my ex because she couldn't believe that H-Girl would actually say that she didn't want to talk to her.
*H-Girl confirmed that it was her and she didn't want to talk to her.
*Now, C-Man is bending over backwards to make up for H-Girl's lack and bio-mom is using it. Apparently, she is NOW calling C-Man all of the time hoping that this will somehow make a difference with H-Girl.
*It isn't working.
*However, H-Girl did have her belated birthday bowling party yesterday. That was interesting. When I arrived there were only two other people there. One was a cousin of H-Girl's that I knew and one was a woman and little girl that I did not.
*Turns out that the woman was someone my ex dated over the summer and is friends with his sister. Apparently, she is maintaining a relationship with the kids.
*She sure knew who I was.
*She went on and on about how she was going to pick up H-Girl after school one day so that they could have some girl time. She had called to see what she wanted and it was a comforter for her bed. Now they could get it together. Wasn't that wonderful? I wanted to puke.
*This doesn't make me a wretched person, does it?
*I tried to buy H-Girl said comforter for Christmas, but she kept spending her Christmas money on other stuff until it was all gone. Each time she bought something, I kept saying, "You won't be able to buy the comforter if you buy that." Each time she said, "But I want this MORE." And there you go.
*So, H-Girl arrives and sees the aforementioned ex-girlfriend sitting there with her toddler and walks over to her. The ex pulls H-Girl in close and tells her this plan of taking her shopping for the comforter. Her back is to me but I can see her nodding and can only assume she is happy with this gift. Again, I am feeling pukey. And somewhat guilt-ridden for feeling pukey, because this is a nice thing after all.
*Then, H-Girl turns around, sees me, and her face lights up like a Christmas tree. BEST GIFT EVER. She did not light up when seeing Miss Comforter Giver. Score One for Mom. Finally.
*H-Girl runs over and actually gives me HUGE hug.
*C-Man waves from the counter area and says, "Hi Mommy." Okay, this was less than stellar, but you can't win them all.
*I did mention to the ex that perhaps now that H-Girl was releasing all of her vindictiveness on to bio mom she might actually be nicer to all of the other women in her life who love her.
*Ex said he never thought of that.
*Hmmmmm.
*I had lovely conversations with the ex's aunt and his father. His dad is a really nice man. He actually is a supervisor at the water department (maintenance) and when I sold maintenance stuff I worked with some of the foreman who worked for him. So, I have known him for quite a while. Like I said, super guy.
*H-Girl won her bowling game.
*The ex won his.
*C-Man came in second place on his team.
*And I got H-Girl a book that is the second in a series. I got her the first one for Christmas.
*People, she was actually excited about it. I kid you not. I quote, "Is this the second one after the one got me for Christmas?"
*I didn't think it was possible, but I think I might have found the reader in that kid.
*I almost cried.
*Meanwhile, I brought a friend of mine with me to this thing and my ex was talking his ear off the WHOLE TIME during cake and presents.
*He was about ready to cry, too.
*By the time we were ready to leave, C-Man was full of hugs and "love yous." H-Girl was still loving mom. She was thrilled that I had watched her bowl her game. So, I was good for several hugs, lots of love yous, and she was even excited about a sleepover.
*Magic is alive.
*I asked my friend when we got in his truck what my ex had to say and he said, "I really couldn't tell you, but he is full of more bs than anyone I have ever met."
*That sounds about right.
*It was exhausting being married to the man, but that is another blog, which I probably won't write.
*It was then pizza and karaoke.
*It took over an hour for our food to arrive. That has never happened before. I was seriously hungry.
*I totally rocked Elton John's Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny).
*I was so tired when I got home that I didn't even have time for my usual insomnia. Can you believe that?
*I spent most of today lying around feeling exhausted, but not sleeping. And migrainey.
*Yah, today is much more typical of my regular life.
*Oh, and thinking about Marshall Mathers and the Grammys.
*He is up for 10 Awards. I hope you guys are cheering him on.
*I hope he wears something nice. No sweatpants or athletic pants at the Grammys.
*And a smile would be nice.
*Just sayin'.


image found at www.weheartit.com

BAGGED AND TAGGED!

Well, I have a story to tell you! I was just going along, and blogging my own business, when Mary the Food Floozie went and tagged me out. You heard me right. She went and tagged me out. Apparently, Leanne tagged her out with 19 questions, which she answered thoughtfully, and even managed to incorporate some youtube action. Normally, I am all over that. I don't know how I let this post get by me with no youtube action (I am mentally doing some head scratching right now, but trying to move past this salient point). Anyway, back to the topic at hand... she tagged me out. She answered the questions and then tagged four people to answer the same 19 questions. I was one of the four. Yep, I am one of her people. We are tight. Buds. Peeps. Pals. Sistas. Okay, I have worked that as much as I am going to for now. I might come back to it again later. Or not. So, here are the 19 questions and my educated, insightful responses.


1. if you have pets, do you see them as merely animals, or are they members of your family?

Definitely members of the family. Our dogs are getting older and I worry about it. No one can even talk about the passing of our family dog when I was growing up without a total breakdown. That involves tons of tissue and brings on a sinus headache on top of my pre-existing migraine. Yeah, people who love dogs as much as I do probably shouldn't adopt them knowing that I will probably outlive them. Probably.


2. if you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?

Well, this is going to be a reoccurring theme, I think. (I read the questions already.) My website is going to take off, which means people are going to respond like crazy to my email with doctor/medical information. When I get better I will take it to the next level and register it as a non-profit organization. Someone will offer to do a fundraiser and the dominoes will start to fall into place to kick off Phase 2: Forging Hope Houses. HGTV will agree to put it in their fall line-up and the fundraising race will be on. The race we will win, by the way. So, sometime in the next three years or so 24 houses will be coming to cities or towns near you. Assisting people in their journey from illness to wellness. Forging Hope Houses. Moving from a dream to a reality.


3. what is the one thing most hated by you?

Negativity (if I have to pick just one ~ all the other bad stuff blows off of it).


4. what would you do with a billion dollars?

I would Launch Phase 2 all by myself. I would convince HGTV to put it on the fall line-up, still fundraise, get celebrities to support it (people love their celebs), and pull approx 10 individuals or families off of the streets in 24 cities and put them in a house. 10 people who were misdiagnosed or undiagnosed to the point that they became so sick that they lost their job, their health insurance, and finally their house. You can't even apply for SSDI without an address. 10 people (some with, and some without families) will get a home. Three meals a day. A driver to get them to their medical appts. An address so that they can apply for SSDI. Their kids can go to school. Their spouse, if they have one, can apply for work. They can pay rent when their SSDI comes in (% appropriate), their dr bills, and put money back into savings, so that they can have something for a downpayment on car/home when they are well. The goal is to assist them on their journey from illness to wellness. Forging Hope House is The Assist in giving them their life back. Sick person walks in and well person walks out who can go back to work, or at least, have SSDI and be able to manage their life.


5. what helps to pull you out of a bad mood?

Laughing, singing, reading some of your blogs! Watching YouTube. I am a YouTube junkie. Oh, and MM. If you don't know what that means.... well, you haven't been reading this blog regular enough!


6. which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?

This reminds me of a blog I wrote about the "curse" I feel like I was dealt back in college. I had to choose my freshman year whether I would marry someone who I loved more or who loved me more. Either way, it was lose/lose. You loved him more than he loved you and you knew it. Or he loved you more than you loved him, and you knew it. Horrible choice. All of this after my terrible epic fail in Music Theory Class. It was one epic fail after another. Anyway, I reflected on this blog that I felt like it set up my whole life and all of my relationships. Destined to be in one relationship after another that was out of balance. And it was like I sensed it that day of my freshman year in college. Destiny weighing down on me just waiting to spite me in future years. Egads. BOTH ARE HORRIBLE. I have lived on both ends of this scale and they both SUCK MONKEY BALLS. I choose to never live this way ever again. How is that for you fate? Never again!!!!! Suck that. In other words, there is no blessing in either of those choices... if I wasn't clear enough.


7. what is your bedtime routine?

Well, I watch my soaps on weekdays on soapnet (to wind down) at least most of the time. Sometimes GH winds me up, but most of the time it winds me down. And I putz around on facebook while I am doing this. I have watched these shows for 20+ years... yeah, I am that old. So, I can multi-task and not miss anything. Every now and then something is so riveting that I have to just sit and stare, but most of the time I can do my facebook crap and and watch/listen to my soaps at the same time. Then, it is fill my water, brush teeth, pee (did you really need all of this info?), and then my nightly prayers. Then, I lie there. Sometimes I sleep. Usually I lie in bed and listen to my migraine until about 1am before I drift off. I think I have covered everything.


8. if you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your partner?

Currently in a relationship....hahahahahaha


9. if you could watch a creative person in the act of the creative process, who would it be?

I am trying to come up with something you'd believe, but you all know it is Marshall Mathers. After he pulled out his box of notepads on 60 Minutes, I am now riveted by how he takes an idea and runs with it. Does it start with a word? A phrase? Does he pull it off one of those notepads or it is something that just leaps into his mind? Does he pull the whole thing together in like 30 minutes or is it something that torments him for days? I know that sometimes an idea will grab hold of me and practically write itself. It comes out fast and furious. And, other times, it is like scraping the bottom of a very empty barrel. Painful. I suspect it is a mixture of both. Yeah, I admit I would love to be a fly on that wall. Well, not really a fly. Flies are gross. You know what I mean.


10. what kinds of books do you read?

Here lately I haven't been reading much of anything. The last books I read were some YA books I bought for H-girl. I vetted them to see if she might like them. I liked them, but that means nada. Normally, I read women's fiction. I will also read stuff on non-traditional health (shocking, I know). But, I also like James Patterson, particularly the Alex Cross series. And I have already gone on about how awesome Janet Evanovich is, so I won't bore you anymore with that. I am a recent Charlaine Harris fan. I was gobbling up the Sookie Stackhouse series until I realized I would hit the end in a couple of books, so I quit. I wanted to have something to savor. So, I haven't been doing much reading lately... except for you folks. Oh, yeah, and I keep reading Peter Drucker's book on managing a non-profit over and over and over again. Can we say obsessed?


11. how would you see yourself in ten years time?

Managing a very successful non-profit organization.


12. what’s your fear?

That I will allow my fear to cloud my judgement. Anything is possible, so long as you know that it is possible. It is when you stop knowing it that it stops being possible.


13. would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to visit outer space?

I don't give a rat's butt about outer space. I have a mission on this planet.


14. would you rather be single and rich or married, but poor?

Money is irrelevant. People, I am on a mission to save the freaking world.


15. what’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Well, before I can save the freaking world, I take my pain medication for my killer migraines. And then I claw my way to the bathroom.


16. if you could change one thing about your spouse/partner what would it be?

Magic wand. Appear.


17. if you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?

My name means "of shining fame." I can live with that.


18. would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?

I have tried to do that. Learned that I don't have that superpower.


19. if you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?

My friend, Mary, is pretty smart. She went with salad, so that she could go with all kinds of salad. Chicken salad, tuna salad, etc. I think I am going to be a copycat and go with that, too. I couldn't live on just ONE thing for six months. Seriously. One thing? I am already down to a size 4 peeps. You put me on one food item and I might just die. And I can't die now. I have BIG PLANS and I am not going out because I was so stupid I only ate one thing for six months. So, there you go!


Now, I have to pick four people to tag out. I am basing this decision on a couple of factors. I know that some of you just don't "do" these sorts of things. So, not getting tagged doesn't mean I don't love you. It just means I know you. And some of you need some love right now, and that is what this is ~ some tagging love. And there are others of you who I think will provide very funny answers to these questions. You can decide where you fall in my decision-making process. In any event, I look forward to reading your answers to these questions. You have been tagged...

Carol the Gardener

That One Girl at What Was I Saying Again?

JJ The Disconnected Writer

Purple Cow at Letters to Imaginary Friends (to get your new blog going!)

To make this easier, here are the 19 questions for you:

1. if you have pets, do you see them as merely animals, or are they members of your family?
2. if you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?
3. what is the one thing most hated by you?
4. what would you do with a billion dollars?
5. what helps to pull you out of a bad mood?
6. which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
7. what is your bedtime routine?
8. if you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your partner?
9. if you could watch a creative person in the act of the creative process, who would it be?
10. what kinds of books do you read?
11. how would you see yourself in ten years time?
12. what’s your fear?
13. would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to visit outer space?
14. would you rather be single and rich or married, but poor?
15. what’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
16. if you could change one thing about your spouse/partner what would it be?
17. if you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?
18. would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?
19. if you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?


image found at www.weheartit.com

FOR THE LOVE OF READING

I am going to give you fair warning. I am not exactly sure where this post is going. I should probably do that on every post. Except sometimes I think it is going one place and it ends up somewhere else. No one is more surprised by that than me. Huh. I still have reading on the brain. This is not going to come as a newsflash: there are some people who are readers and some people who are not. Some people read every day; they read journals, magazines, or manuals for their job or to learn how to do something. These people are not readers. They know how to read, but they don't read for the sheer joy of reading.

I could get into the whole nature versus nurture thing on reading. Yawn. Yeah, I am excited about that prospect. Once upon a time I would have sworn that if you read to your kid they would like to read. Now, I am less certain of that. You might sway the odds somewhat, but I think nature factors in there. Plus, I really don't care. Ooooh. Yeah, I am still feeling pissy about H-Girl. She isn't a reader and I read to her plenty. C-Man loves to read. So, I am going with nature. It is kicking nurture's ass right now. Moving on....


Let's talk about me. I have always loved to read. I can't remember a time when I didn't love to read. When we moved back to Ohio, and bought the house in the suburbs of Columbus, which is where we stayed until I graduated high school, my father thought it would be lovely if we heated it with a wood burning stove. There was also a furnace installed (Thank God). The wood burning stove would have been an awesome plan if 1) My dad bought enough wood to last the winter, and 2) He fed the stove during the night and at lunchtime so that the house wasn't freezing in the morning and when we came home from school.

As it happened, the stove was placed far enough out into the living room that you could walk behind it or sit behind it. If I was home after school, you almost always could find me parked behind the wood stove, back to the wall. I started with my homework, but when that was done, I pulled out whatever book I was reading and settled in.

In college, I remember distinctly the day my sophomore year that I stumbled across Jen reading a book for pleasure. That year I was taking all core classes because I had no clue about what I was going to major in. It occurred to me that I hadn't read anything for fun in forever. She had a slew of novels. I was dumbstruck. How did she manage it? It turns out her grades weren't that great, but I didn't know that. She let me borrow one. It was bliss. It was a Sidney Sheldon. I don't even remember which one. I skipped all of my classes that day. I just read. Of course, I couldn't keep that up, but it was wonderful.

I suppose that is why I majored in English. I had no clue about a major and I had to choose something. Why did I pick it? I liked to read. That is the long and the short answer. I got to read until my eyes about popped out of my head for the next two years.

Then I went to work for a publishing house. That is the equivalent of letting an alcoholic work in a bar. Did you know that if you work for a publishing house that there is no book that you can't get for free? None. Everything is yours for the taking. It is just one phone call away. And if you are really good at working it, you can extend that to things like CDs. I never even thought of that. One of my coworkers got a box of CDs in the mail and I just gaped at him like a fool. "How did you do that?" I asked.

He looked at me like the naive pet that I am. I know that he wanted to reach over and pet me like a puppy. "I sent them books, silly girl." Ah, some people know how to work it and some people know how to work it. My admiration went up like ten notches. It must have shown because he let me have a couple of the CDs. Generosity at work. However, he didn't track me down in the future to let me know when he got shipments of CDs. I really shouldn't dwell on the past. He did take me to a Rangers game. Although, I think that is because he is an avid hockey fan and was looking to convert me. Either way. Anyway, it's all better now. Moving on...

I don't remember books departing from my life until I got married, the kids moved in, and the migraines got bad. I had lots of things working against my reading at that point. It was all I could do to hold down my job, take care of the kids, deal with my husband, and try to sleep. And then there were the ongoing migraines from hell. So, there were painkillers at regular intervals just to keep my life afloat. After the divorce, most of the time the migraines were still really bad. Of course, my best times of day were late at night. My sleep pattern was totally messed up. And I was back to living on pain pills if I wanted to go anywhere.


In the summer of 2005, I went to Florida to spend time with my parents. This was before the move. My mother had done everything but tie me to a chair to get me to read Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. I started reading. I think I read a book and a half a day, and I laughed so hard I nearly peed myself. I felt better that week than I had in a long time.


In the last few days, I have read two Stephanie Plums (15 &16) and started the Sookie Stackhouse series. I am two down on that one. I can't say my migraines are gone, but they are somewhat better. Migraines are triggered in large part by stress. Reading is stress relieving for me, so it stands to reason that it would help.

Not everyone has migraines, but everyone has stress. Take a minute right now to think about what you love to do that relieves yours. Are you doing it? In other words, are you running your schedule or is your schedule running you?