I have been married to my husband Michael for a whole month as of today! It has been a month of wonderful fun and so much learning and growing. Michael and I have to keep reminding each other that we’ve never been married before, so we are both very new at it! It is great to be able to learn and grow together.

One of the things I’ve learned about myself is that I really do enjoy being a wife, and I feel like I am becoming more and more domesticated! Meaning I find every day that when it comes down to doing my homework or cooking dinner, I choose cooking every time. My homework is really starting to suffer from serious neglect because I’ve been spending all my time doing so much more fun and exciting wifely things. Not that I am a domestic goddess by any means, I still have a long, long way to go, but I am excited to keep growing in this area. Right now I have been trying all kinds of new recipes and I find so much  pleasure in having dinner ready for my love when he comes home from work!

Another thing I’ve discovered is that I’m a much more needy person than I ever thought I would be. I’m sure it is part of being newlyweds still in our honeymoon phase, but I almost can’t bear to be apart from Michael! Whenever he is gone and I am home alone, I feel so restless and uneasy and it is almost impossible for me to focus on anything, because I just want to be with him! I used to really enjoy time I had to myself and I had so many things I would do, but now I only count down the minutes until he comes home!

But after one month of marriage, I would have to say that I definitely love it! And I’m the luckiest person in the world that Michael is the one I am married to. I have never met a more loving and sensitive and fun and creative person in all my life. Every day I realize more and more how perfect Michael is for me, and I am so amazed that he wants to be with me too. It’s so amazing and wonderful to me that one month ago we promised to love each other and be with each other for an eternity, and that eternity together is only just beginning.

Happiness is all about perception. Most people walk on the hedonic treadmill their entire life and never find true, persistent happiness.

Welcome, the Hedonic Treadmill theory of Health and Fitness:

“According to the Hedonic Treadmill of Health and Fitness, as a person realizes more gains in fitness, expectations and desires rise in tandem, which results in no permanent gain in happiness.“

In other words, a person may begin with a goal to lose 30 pounds, then afterwards desire to lose an additional 10 pounds, then desire chiseled abs, then desire to lose that small patch of fat where the buttocks meet the hamstring.

“If only I could lose that small patch of fat I’d be so happy!” Wait, weren’t you initially happy with losing the 30 extra pounds? You were…until you saw Joe Six-Pack and wanted what he had.

Rather than dwelling on what you don’t have, appreciate what you do have. Change your perception and embrace gratitude, you’ll do a lot of good for yourself, and others.

Pat yourself on the back when you reach the end of a difficult goal and take more time appreciate the hard work it took to get there. You deserve it.

If you’re still lost, Check out this book on happiness, written by Dennis Prager.

Adjust your perception and look and feel better Nekkid friends.

I was extremely disappointed when I couldn’t go to the opening show but settles to go with Chris on Saturday.  After hearing all about the movie at work on Friday I decided I HAD to go see it and of course being the wonderful boyfriend Chris is, he took me.

We bought our 7:30 tickets at 6 and were actually surprised that there were tickets still left.  When we arrived back at the theater 30 minutes before showing, there was a line, a long, long line being as it was the only auditorium playing New Moon.  We didn’t think much of it and waited to be let in so we could get seats.

Turns out that the showing was sold out shortly after we had bought our tickets and the auditorium was PACKED!  I don’t mind this so much, but my god!  They were all teenage girls, not that I expected anything else, but I didn’t think they would be SO obnoxious, screaming and commenting every time Edward came on the screen or Jacob showed up with his shirt off.  I mean, really?

Other than the endless screaming and commenting by guys are girl about the “hotness” of the actors, the movie was awesome.  I’ll probably go see if at least once more in theaters, if not more and then I will buy it as soon as it comes out on DVD.  There were a lot of things changed in the movie that differ from the book for entertainment value, but I don’t think it ruined it in any way.  I would highly  suggest you read the books before seeing the movies next time if you haven’t already.

All in all, loved it, and Chris gave it the guy’s approval. ^_^  Which is all that really matters right?

ang muling pagbukas ng pintuan ng buhay sa kinabukasan
ay parang ilog na dumadaloy sa kalakhan ng karagatan

itong bagong yugto may katapat na mga bagong hangarin
tunay na kaligayahan tanging pangarap na magiging akin

at sa pag-iisa magugunita ang ilang dekadang paglalakbay
sa isang sulyap abot-tanaw na ang hantungan nitong buhay

tanging panalangin ko’y umabot man lang sa kinaumagahan
ang bagong sikat ng bagong araw ang syang nais kong masilayan.

Happiness is a form of courage.  ~Holbrook Jackson

Bucks County.  What a beautiful spot.  Tom took me there on a spontaneous weekend trip.  Very spontaneous.  No reservations.  Decided to go and one hour later had some things thrown in a bag for an overnight stay.

The bright sunny weekend was the perfect backdrop for the wonderful views of Bucks County.  I’m enamored with walking trails, and the area along the Delaware River by New Hope is one long, never-ending (or it seems like it) walking path.  Thanks to the canal system where horses used to pull barges up the canal along those trails.

Charming Inns and rustic homes line the drive.  Antique shops and restaurants are everywhere.  We stayed in a cute little borough called Stockton, NJ.  Just a handful of buildings made up the town.  After settling in, we walked the length of the town, and crossed the bridge over to the PA side, investigating our dinner choices.  The two Inns had cozy and well-appointed dining rooms, already lit festively for the holidays.  The local firehouse as an interesting option, and one of the firemen enthusiastically encouraged us to attend their spaghetti dinner (homemade meatballs, garlic bread, salad, cannoli and cookies) to help them raise money for a new truck.  The “garage” of the firehouse was decked out with folding tables covered with white plastic table clothes in the bright and functional surroundings.  If gregariousness alone were swaying our decision, that is where we would have dined.

But then we passed a Sicilian restaurant.  The perfect atmosphere.  Warm, cozy, friendly, all at the same time.  That is where we returned.  The couple sitting next to us were retired and had been coming to this restaurant for 3 years.  You can’t get a better recommendation than that.  We had an expansive dinner (in terms of time), starting with calamari.  I don’t think I’ve ever praised marinara sauce, but this was wonderful – made fresh, with chunks of tomato and not at all heavy.  Then we shared a Cesar salad.   And lastly we had a pizza with sautéed peppers, artichoke hearts, mozzarella, and prosciutto.  Heaven.  We couldn’t finish it all, and the server sent us home with leftovers and some birthday cannoli.

A long stroll the next morning after breakfast was the ideal end to our stay in Stockton.  And encountering a Corgi ensured not only a good day — but a good year ahead.

Amantha is smiling to herself. =)

(Salin mula sa sanaysay na To Be Happy ni Orhan Pamuk)

Palasak ba ang maging masaya? Palagi ko itong tinatanong sa aking sarili. Sa kasalukuyan, ito ang palagi kong iniisip. Kahit nasabi ko noon na lahat ng taong may kakayahang maging masaya ay masasama at mabababaw, kung minsan ay iniisip ko rin ito: Hindi, ang pagiging masaya ay hindi masama at minsan ay nangangailangan din ng utak.

Tuwing ako ay pumupunta sa tabing dagat kasama ang aking apat na taong gulang na anak na si Rüya, ako na ang pinakamasayang tao sa buong mundo. Ano ba ang pinakananais ng pinakamasayang tao sa buong mundo? Gusto niyang, natural, ipagpatuloy ang pagiging pinakamasayang tao sa buong mundo. Dahil dito, alam niya kung bakit mahalagang paulit-ulit na gawin ang isang bagay. At iyon nga ang dapat gawin, ang paulit-ulit na paggawa sa mga bagay-bagay.

1. Una sasabihin ko sa kanya: Sa araw na ito, tayo’y pupunta sa tabing dagat sa ganitong oras. Si Rüya naman ay pabibilisin ang oras. Subalit ang pananaw niya sa panahon ay medyo hindi pa lubusang buo. Halimbawa, bigla siyang pupunta sa aking tabi at magtatanong, “Aalis na ba tayo?”
“Hindi.”
“Aalis na ba tayo sa loob ng limang minuto”
“Hindi pa. Mga dalawa at kalahating oras pa.”

Pagkalipas ng limang minuto, muli siyang babalik at magtatanong, “Tatay, pupunta na ba tayo sa tabing dagat ngayon?” Kalaunan, gamit ang tinig na nanglalambing, si Rüya ay magtatanong “Aalis na ba tayo ngayon?”

2. Mukhang hindi na darating ang takdang panahon, subalit ito’y dumarating din. Sa ngayon si Rüya ay nakasuot na ng kanyang damit panlangoy at naka-upo sa kanyang de-gulong Safa na pambatang bagon. Sa loob nito’y mga pamunas ng katawan, karagdagang mga damit pampaligo, at isang nakatatawang lalagyang gawa sa buri na aking inilipat sa kanyang kandungan bago ko hinila ang bagon gaya ng aming nakasanayan.

3. Habang kami ay pababa sa masikip na iskinita, ibinuka ni Rüya ang kanyang mga labi upang sambiting ang isang malakas na Aaaaaah. Habang idinuduyan ng malubak na daan ang aming bagon, napapalitan ang kanyang sigaw ng Aaaa-aaah. Umaawit si Rüya kasabay ng indayog ng bagon. Pagkarinig nito, sabay kaming tatawa.

4. Pababa kami sa payak at walang mukhang daanan papunta sa tabing dagat. Nang aming iwanan ang bagon sa tabi ng daan papuntang tabing dagat, nawika ni Rüya, “Mga magnanakaw, ‘wag kayong lalapit dito.”

5. Mabilis naming inilatag ang aming mga dala-dalahan sa bato, tinanggal ang aming mga suot, at pumunta sa ga-tuhod na bahagi ng dagat. Pagkatapos ay sasabihin ko, “Hindi rito maalon, ngunit huwag kang lalayo. Hayaan mo muna akong lumangoy, tapos ay babalik ako at maglalaro tayo. Maliwanag ba?”

“Maliwanag po.”

6. Lalangoy ako at iiwanan ang aking mga iniisip. At kung ako’y magpapahinga, lilingunin ko ang pampang upang tingnan si Rüya suot ang kanyang damit pampaligo na nagmumukhang pulang mantsa sa dagat, at mapapaisip ako kung gaano ko siya kamahal. Mapapatawa ako sa gitna ng tubig. Siya’y kumakampay-kampay malapit sa tabing dagat.

7. Ako’y babalik. Pagdating ko sa pampang kami’y maglalaro ng (A) sipa; (B) sabuyan ng tubig; (C) si Tatay magpapatalsik ng tubig mula sa kanyang bunganga; (D) pagpapanggap na lumalangoy; (E) paghagis ng bato sa dagat; (F) pakikipag-usap sa nagsasalitang yungib; (G) at ngayon, huwag nang matakot, paglangoy, at iba pa naming mga laro na kadalasang ginagawa. Nalaro na namin ang mga ito, at ngayon ay muling lalaruin.

8. “Nagkukulay lila na ang iyong mga labi.” “Hindi totoo iyan.” “Nilalamig ka na, aalis na tayo.” Magpapatuloy ito nang kung ilang beses hanggang sa matapos ang aming sagutan at kami’y aalis. Magpapatuyo si Rüya at papalitan ang kanyang basang suot.

9. Bigla siyang kakawala sa aking mga kamay at hubo’t hubad na tatakbong humahalakhak sa gitna ng aplaya. At kung susubukin kong habulin siya na nakapaa, mapapa-aray ako sa sakit, lalo pa siyang hahalakhak. “Kung suot ko lang sana ang aking sapin sa paa, mahuhuli rin kita,” sasabihin ko. Ito lang ang nagagawa ko habang siya ay nagsisisigaw.

10. Pabalik, habang hinihila ko ang bagon ni Rüya, pareho kaming pagod at masaya. Pareho naming iniisip ang buhay at ang dagat sa aming likuran, walang sino man sa amin ang magsasalita.

sa pagdaan ng mga araw ay tila di na
maikukubli
damdaming ito’y di na kaya ng lubos na
pagkukunwari

pagkakataon nga lang ba o guhit nga ng
tadhana
isang malaking palaisipan na tunay na
nakakabalisa

at habang dito’t naghihintay ng takdang
panahon
ngayo’y tiyak na lulusob ulit sa muling
pagkakataon.

I can’t wait to go to Phuket this weekend =)  It’s gonna be a trip with me the preggy in a bikini! hahahahahaha gonna scare all the other tourists =)

I also can be like the model above mah… just with an extra bump =) *Delusions, don’t you love them*

BLISS!  I DEMAND IT!

Now that it’s Thanksgiving time, how about volunteering your time and/or money to those less fortunate than you. Look around, there are plenty of charities that could use you. Pick one and go for it! You’ll feel wonderful-guaranteed!

come visit me at facebook www.facebook.com/optimistgreen?_fb_noscript=1

Okay, here is my shot to make a more interesting blog, by actually providing examples of my melodramatic and polemical rants. I used to think that all the ideas I had were so clear and amazing to be self-evident truths; that people actually want me to support my claims, that’s absurd! Maybe this new idea will be the magic that may give me a readership statistic graph that doesn’t look like a flat line of zero views a day. Who says that cyberspace is a good place to rant?

Meh, whatever. I think that things are worth saying, and the first I’m trying to explore is where to find happiness, at least for a student in grad school. I’m on vacation now, taking a week at home away from school. Now I’m finding that this is not a common thing for those in academia though I have done it each year since I first entered college. I mean, I try to get a chance to get home as often as possible, just to see my family, to see those that provided so much for me to get where I am.

Reason 2 about what is bad about grad school is how it does not encourage these type of vacations, in fact, I find it kind of holds any vacation against you. This is based on the numerous examples I’m finding of other grad students and faculty that say that they are not traveling out of town for the break, caring less about seeing family or such and more about the work they can do. For example, I had a faculty member tell me that the break is a great chance to catch up on work. I think this is the expectation of breaks in this “high pressure academic environment.”

Can one find happiness doing these things? I think that one can find happiness doing research or the kind of work that comes from grad school, but the idea that you don’t have true vacations to escape and recharge is what distresses me. My poor advisor described working on his laptop at his vacation this summer in the beach, just to get a grant or a revision off in time. If I have time off from the endless series of inane meetings and hoops to do, I’m not inclined to use that as time to work. Where is life aside from work? Where is family, friends, or even that time to have yourself?

Another example: I recently had the privilege of listening to two professors talking about what they would do if they win the lottery. They would set up their own research institutes and just avoid the teaching responsibilities that they have to do. No vacations? I’m glad they love their jobs, but it makes me wonder if someone like me, who would probably do some different things with lotto money (give it away, maybe go to Africa and build wind turbines, maybe go to Hawaii). Now I don’t know what’s the most absurd here, the fact that these professors who are hired to TEACH at A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY are scoffing at the burden of teaching a max of 4 classes a year (and normally can escape this every couple of years with sabbaticals), or that they would want to work over everything else they could do to enjoy money. That’s their right and if it is their delight, I’m happy for them. But what about the majority of people, who have their joy from Thanksgiving dinner with a large and annoying family? Does that mean we’re stuck?

Or should the system change?

dearest blog,

I am so so so very sorry at what a slacker I have been as of late at keeping you up to date with all the random things that have been exciting me. I promise, I will do better. Things have just been so crazy in the Arnold household, but I think they are calming down, which means more time for being inspired and posting all the lovely little things that are making me happy.

A big one is this:

As part of my birthday (coming up in 1 week and 2 days!) I am going to be starting RedVelvetArt’s Online Style School Class. YAY! A description of the things we will be working on is on Elsie’s blog A Beautiful Mess. I seriously cannot wait.

Other things that are making me happy today – getting to see New Moon for a second time with two great friends who enjoyed it as much as I did.

Now I need to go make some dinner for the husband and I – and then, some cleaning, and Christmas decorating!

xoxo,

Rachel

‘There are times to cultivate and create, when you nurture your world and give birth to new ideas and ventures. There are times of flourishing and abundance, when life feels in full bloom, energized and expanding. And there are times of fruition, when things come to an end. They have reached their climax and must be harvested before they begin to fade. And finally of course, there are times that are cold, and cutting and empty, times when the spring of new beginnings seems like a distant dream. Those rhythms in life are natural events. They weave into one another as day follows night, bringing, not messages of hope and fear, but messages of how things are.’

- Chogyam Trungpa

In an effort to give you research-based viewpoints on complex life issues, I also want to never shy away from opposing views. Previously I posted and postured on a theory that explains why there seems to be a high success rate with interpersonal relationship building through computer mediated communication. This not only includes online dating sites but also mediums such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and e-mail. Today you will hear a different view from me and how maybe, virtual dating is causing an epidemic of failed relationships.

We want everything quickly these days – from fast foods to instant movies online. That is all fine and good, however when it comes to intimate relationship building, slow down! What is it with people these days? They are so quick to jump into the fire. It makes me wonder what the underlying force is that creates a nation of microwave marriages. Could it be that online dating implies urgency? God knows.

I have seen several cases of this hit close to home in the past few years. I have both a niece and a nephew that followed the just-add-water formula for finding mates. Both ended with charred results. The nephew came home with his finance after a weekend partying with buddies, the niece found her “match” through an online dating service and accepted his engagement ring inside of four months. They only saw each other face-to-face twice during this span of time. What the hell were they thinking? An even better question is, what the hell was their mother thinking?

First let’s look at the cold hard, sleeping-alone, facts. Depending on if you are looking at the Census Bureau’s statistic or the National Center for Health Statistics, marriages will fail between 42 to 50% of the time. Remarriages fare much worse. Psychology Today’s predictions state that remarriages will fail 60% of the time. After 10 years of marriage, the incidence of failure becomes far worse (if a second marriage will even last that long!) Research also shows that the possibility of a second divorce increases astronomically if the couple has been in a relationship for less than a year.

These are cruel statistics. So why are people ignoring this and jumping into the fire so quickly?

It comes right down to the fact that many people marry for the wrong reasons.

In first marriages, there are the traditional errors that we all are aware of, but still make: Marrying for money, family pressure, children (tick tock goes the biological clock,) even marriage for the wedding! I know women who actually have a ‘wedding scrapbook’ where they collect articles, swatches, pictures, contacts and phone numbers in order to plan their future, picture-perfect wedding BEFORE they even have a boyfriend!!

Erroneous second marriages have a different set of miscues. Loneliness is a deceptive motivator. Self-image needs to be fed after bleeding. It can be very difficult to think with a clear head. It is very easy to fall prey to irrational thought.

Because of this, there seems to be a sense of urgency to finding a relationship for people who have recently been thrown into unplanned singlehood. Whether it is for regaining self-esteem or showing the recent ex that “I can be a player too,” or even the fact that being alone in a bed is so foreign and the dog just ain’t doing it for them.

Slow down for God’s sake! You have to find out who YOU are before you can understand how you will relate to another.

In all this irrational chaos, there are people who seem to get it right.I recently had the opportunity to have a discussion with a wonderful woman I met right here in WordPress. She is a divorced single mom who refers to her significant other truthfully and honestly as her ‘friend.’ They share the same attitudes about relationships and life. They stay together by choice and without formal commitment. Their whole relationship is based on friendship, appreciation and trust. In that respect, she will tell you that marriage is unnecessary. They stay together for all the right reasons not because a simple ceremony and piece of paper tells them to.

Friendship first. Isn’t that really what matters? If you are going to position yourself in an agreement of “death do us part,” you better have the foundations laid for that. That takes time. That takes a gradual unveiling of understanding, openness, acceptance, respect, and trust. Well, being a good kisser is important too

The Internet is full of convenience. It has the power of rational connection with wonderful people but also for unnatural expediency with intimacy. Use the powers for good. Stop, look, and listen before hitting send on that next message. You don’t want people like me to post on their blog… What are you thinking?

Happiness is there for the taking.

All seasons are beautiful for the person who carries happiness within. Many of us spend our lives searching for happiness. In the end, some are fortunate enough to realize that it is not about having more or doing more or being more. It is about how we view what is already ours.

Be content with such things as you have.

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. Look around you today and appreciate the riches in your life. Even if your circumstances are troubling and your prospects slim, you can always revel in the vibrant colors of the morning sunrise or the amazing tenacity of a dandelion fighting to conquer its place in the grass.

Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.

Yes, action may not always bring happiness. But there is no happiness without action. Learn to appreciate what you have. For it is only when you begin to see and appreciate the richness around you, you will almost certainly find that you have a great deal more to be happy about than you once imagined.

Some of us spend a lifetime searching for happiness; looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addictions, religions, even other people hoping to fill the emptiness that plagues them. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within. So your best vitamin to be a happy person is B1.

I reckon, what we call the secret of happiness is no more than our willingness to choose life. As for me, the grand essentials of my happiness are; something to do, something to love and something to hope for.

2009 marks the first Christmas period where I have not worked in retail.  Although I am mostly grateful for this (since Christmas is a stressful time of year to be serving behind the counter, or generally to be doing anything), it did mean that I wasn’t really bombarded with the Christmas decorations and music that usually go up in stores in October, and therefore was not reminded to start organising my gifts and purchases until about last week, when I thought “Shit, it’s mid-November and I have not bought ANY presents.” In the last week or so I’ve started redressing that balance, and I’m starting to get a move on with it.  I have the added motivation of Gucci earrings.

Don’t be fooled by this fairly crude picture – the earrings are delicate and beautiful, just the right balance of style and elegance, neither masculine nor feminine.  Just… lovely.  A wonderful upgrade from my Armani Earrings (and who knows, maybe it’ll inspire a sequel song on my next album!).  However, this wonderful upgrade costs £240 (they are white gold and Gucci… and it will raise my fashion game) so I have therefore made a pact with myself that I will not buy them until my Christmas shopping is done.  There are a couple of reasons for this.

1. It’s kinda selfish to just keep buying things for myself when tis the season to give.  I love buying presents for other people, and I don’t feel guilty spending money on other people!
2. If I spend £240 on earrings, then it is possible (knowing myself) that I might physically run out of money before I manage to get everyone’s presents.  Which again, is kinda selfish when I could easily wait for the earrings a little bit longer.  It’s not like I don’t have anything satisfactory to wear in my ears for the time being!

So I am sticking to my pact. I also have the added incentive of getting my Christmas shopping done before December the 11th, because that is the date of our Christmas party for uni, and I would quite like to wear my new earrings to this Christmas party. Because then I will feel extra-special.

Anyways, this post isn’t meant to be about my Gucci earrings.  It is about Christmas shopping, and the fact that it feels almost strange for me not to be working in retail during this period, since it’s something I’ve done for the past 8 years.  I don’t miss the incessant Christmas music in shops, and I don’t miss the cranky customers nor the constant target-monitoring.  However, I enjoy the busy feeling going into the shops, and the excitement of everyone buying gifts for people they love – whether people get cranky about it at the till or not, I like the idea that everyone is trying to please someone else.  I don’t give to receive – I give to hopefully make people happy at Christmas with a gift that shows how much I appreciate them, and also that I have considered their personality and found them something appropriate.  In that sense, I am more a subscriber to the commercial meaning of Christmas than the religious meaning of Christmas (as long as it’s done with love and friendship as the primary agenda, rather than showboating, there’s nothing wrong IMO with buying someone a gift to show your appreciation of them).

“I’m feeling light this morning” I reported to my café friend, ”but why, I couldn’t tell you. No lottery win, not in love, no conventional Good News I could cite to explain this state. In fact, I’m still reeling from the loss of the hospice job.”

How is it, we mused, that some (!) people tend to lean towards the dark and disastrous side of living? Why is feeling ok or happy or light met with such suspicion? Is that what the Buddha referred to as dukka (from Sanskrit, for suffering or unsatisfactoriness)? And that it’s the core of existence and that we can recognize and, through practice, see past it?

At core, everything is without, is empty, my friend proposed, before we are born, after we die, even in the next moment: there’s nothing there until we make it into something. 

Are you talking about the stories we devise to define ourselves, our so-called small self?

Yeah, the projects, disasters, dreams, losses, and what-have-you that push and pull us through life. There’s neither happiness nor unhappiness, there just IS. Well, that’s what I think right now.

Zen teachers sometimes call it thusness or buddha nature: the true, immutable, and eternal nature of all beings.

Sounds good to me. D‘you wanna split a cinnamon bun?

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 “A great resource – worth the read” 2009-05-31
By P. Schuler (Dayton, OH)
Many people will disregard a good book if they find a few things in it that they do not believe or think are wrong. I don’t do that. The problem with all Natural/Alternative Medical books out there (and the problem with the medical care we get from the establishment) is that they don’t work together and instead just pounce on one another’s assumptions and findings. That just leaves frustrated and ill-informed consumers (not to mention consumers with questionable healthcare)!

This book does provide a wealth of information you don’t find in all natural medical books about hormones. It includes studies and findings in the back of the book and if you know how to read references well, you can see just what the limitations were and how the researchers came to their conclusion. Statistics that mention percentages must accompany the data of how many subjects there were (sometimes it’s one out of one or two out of two for a finding -which adds up to 100%). To this author’s credit, he includes this information – so you can agree or disagree with him without even needing to do your own research. The list of references is impressive and he gives websites to check.

Having said that, I did find a few “facts” in the book that I think are questionable or untrue – but this does not negate all of the other valuable information in it. What I like is that he discusses not only one hormone – but all of them. Many books will tout one magical “cure” for something, without explaining this cure’s effect on the rest of the body. Treating all of the hormones that are “depleted” I think may not be good for many people because the hormones have an effect on one another – he also does not speak much about the fact that taking hormones orally mean they have to pass through the liver. Skin creams bypass this. He does mention that the skin creams don’t offer as much of the hormone as is available with oral administration, but since the liver will not eat any of it up, more may not be needed.

 “Better than the $300 text book” 2009-05-23
By A. Johnson (Clarksville, TN United States)
This book is just awsome. It put all the pieces of the puzzel together (well at least the major ones) as far as the the workings of the endocrine system. As an advanced practice nurse the information was so compelling that it is extremely difficult to continue practicing using the current accepted guidelines that recommend toxic medications as first line therapy. Get the book then find a clinician who will work with you (MD,DO,APRN,PA-C). The endocrine system is extremely complex and requires delacate balance.

 “Must Read Book” 2009-04-06
By N. Dehmer (MN)
This is an excellent book. Everyone Woman (and man) should read this book! A great book to help figure out those health issues, naturally. If you want to take control of your own health and body, then this is a must read!

Buy Hormones, Health, and Happiness: A Natural Medical Formula for Rediscovering Youth Now Buy Hormones, Health, and Happiness: A Natural Medical Formula for Rediscovering Youth Now

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 “OK book, others are better” 2009-06-25
By garnet10
This book is really just an introduction to bio-identical hormones, but I feel there are other books where your money is better spent, like Uzzi Reiss’s book, Natural Hormone Balance, which I feel is the best of the bunch. After having read Dr. Reiss’s book, I realized I didn’t need to read any of the others.

 “life changing book” 2009-06-13
By M. Galagar (chico, ca)
I’ve been looking for an answer for my crashing fatigue and found this in a compounding pharmacy. It is an eye opening, informational book that will change your outlook on traditional insurance covered medications and ones that are made bioidentically. I am now on the correct bioidentical medication and it has turned my life around. A must read for those that are at the end of their rope trying to find an answer to a problem that many doctors are unwilling to address, due to insurance constraints.

 “A great resource – worth the read” 2009-05-31
By P. Schuler (Dayton, OH)
Many people will disregard a good book if they find a few things in it that they do not believe or think are wrong. I don’t do that. The problem with all Natural/Alternative Medical books out there (and the problem with the medical care we get from the establishment) is that they don’t work together and instead just pounce on one another’s assumptions and findings. That just leaves frustrated and ill-informed consumers (not to mention consumers with questionable healthcare)!

This book does provide a wealth of information you don’t find in all natural medical books about hormones. It includes studies and findings in the back of the book and if you know how to read references well, you can see just what the limitations were and how the researchers came to their conclusion. Statistics that mention percentages must accompany the data of how many subjects there were (sometimes it’s one out of one or two out of two for a finding -which adds up to 100%). To this author’s credit, he includes this information – so you can agree or disagree with him without even needing to do your own research. The list of references is impressive and he gives websites to check.

Having said that, I did find a few “facts” in the book that I think are questionable or untrue – but this does not negate all of the other valuable information in it. What I like is that he discusses not only one hormone – but all of them. Many books will tout one magical “cure” for something, without explaining this cure’s effect on the rest of the body. Treating all of the hormones that are “depleted” I think may not be good for many people because the hormones have an effect on one another – he also does not speak much about the fact that taking hormones orally mean they have to pass through the liver. Skin creams bypass this. He does mention that the skin creams don’t offer as much of the hormone as is available with oral administration, but since the liver will not eat any of it up, more may not be needed.

 “Better than the $300 text book” 2009-05-23
By A. Johnson (Clarksville, TN United States)
This book is just awsome. It put all the pieces of the puzzel together (well at least the major ones) as far as the the workings of the endocrine system. As an advanced practice nurse the information was so compelling that it is extremely difficult to continue practicing using the current accepted guidelines that recommend toxic medications as first line therapy. Get the book then find a clinician who will work with you (MD,DO,APRN,PA-C). The endocrine system is extremely complex and requires delacate balance.

 “Must Read Book” 2009-04-06
By N. Dehmer (MN)
This is an excellent book. Everyone Woman (and man) should read this book! A great book to help figure out those health issues, naturally. If you want to take control of your own health and body, then this is a must read!

Buy Hormones, Health, and Happiness: A Natural Medical Formula for Rediscovering Youth with Bioidentical Hormones Now Buy Hormones, Health, and Happiness: A Natural Medical Formula for Rediscovering Youth with Bioidentical Hormones Now

Do not smoke.

I don’t care what they say; smoking does look cool. Too bad its disgusting.

You know those scene people with the diamonds and the homies?
I’m not one of ‘em. I’m straight up G.

School was so boring. This is me, in class. I look so gross. Oh well, I was tired and it was the end of the day. English class…

I can’t wait till Wednesday afternoon. WHY?! Because thats when Thanksgiving break starts, of course.

OK, I think I’ve found the answer to why I’m acting so weird and can’t think straight: I miss Kori.

Yeah. Kori.

Aka the sweetest person ever born. Ever.

I love her and I miss her and I cant talk to her for like another hour or two

Who knows what she’s doing.

She’s fucking a man, isnt she?

Oh my God, I’m gonna kill her.

How dare she!

How dare I make such accusations.

She would never.

-knocks on wood-

nEW fAVORITE sONG- jUST BY rADIOHEAD.

My work with children often takes place in school libraries, an ideal environment for using metaphor and story-telling to help change state. Often this enables a fresh learning of profound truths.

And so this morning I was very interested to read an article by children’s author (and the man behind Purple Ronnie cards) – Giles Andreae.

The article title?

‘I lost the gift of joy for a while. Now I want to preach it from the rooftops’.

He courageously writes personally and honestly about his recent experience of clinical depression .. and how he began to ‘feel the sunshine’ again.

You can read the article in the timesonline here

And as part of his desire to spread his new found joy, Giles has written a delightful story which emphasises the values of kindness and compassion for both ourselves and others; ‘The Pig of Happiness’ – the animation is here ..

Working with children in the school library, as I do reminds me of the power of story telling to change state, and to teach profound truths.

On the train this morning I read an article by chidren’s author (and the man behnd Purple Ronnie cards).

The article title?

‘I lost the gift of joy for a while. Now I want to preach it from the rooftops’.

He courageously writes personally and honestly about his recent experience of clinical depression .. and how he began to ‘feel the sunshine’ again.

You can read the article in the timesonline here

And as part of his desire to spread his new found joy, Giles has written a delightful story which emphasises the values of kindness and compassion for both ourselves and others; ‘The Pig of Happiness’ – the animation is here ..

Have you ever gone out with your husband, significant other, or friends even though you really didn’t feel up to the challenge. Perhaps, you were feeling bloated, you were having a bad skin day, or you just didn’t have anything in your closet that made you feel awesome enough to go out into the world and be your confident self. But the person dragging you out told you that you were crazy, that you looked fine, that you were just overreacting, and they probably told you how beautiful you are and to get your head out of your ass. So you went!

And while you were out you saw other women out too and they surely weren’t bloated, they had perfectly perfect skin, and had on the most unintentionally cute outfits. They were after all really awesome women and you admired them for their uniqueness.

And then you realized something; as you sat and admired the eclectic mix of awesome women around you; laughing, conversing, and being engaged in their lives with what seemed like not a care in the world; these women were all unique and beautiful in their own way. None of them were perfect, yet they were all perfectly amazing. And then it hit you; you too were one of those perfectly amazing women.

It has been said that we are our own worst enemies and we are kinder to our friends then we are to ourselves. Perhaps this is why we need friends to remain truly happy. We need someone to remind us of our goodness. But if you are ever having a moment; remember there is always someone around you that thinks you are radiant, smart, a creative dresser, a kind person, a witty joke teller, a thoughtful mom, a good cook, a warm and nurturing person, a talented decorator, an excellent decision maker, and a committed friend.

Don’t be your worst enemy. Be your AWESOME BEST FRIEND! ♥

So you have a great life. Plenty of money, a loving spouse and 2.5 kids who are perfect in every way. The sun is always shining where you live. Your childhood was wonderful. In short, you have a perfect, smooth life and are envied by many.

If this were a Hollywood script, the movie would be short. Nothing would happen in it; there wouldn’t be a story to tell. In fact nobody would be even interested in it, because it’s not realistic and not based on real life.

I like listening to people’s life stories. And people like telling them to me. And I can honestly say that I’ve never heard that someones’ life was as described above. Not 1 person has come forward and told me that their life was perfect and that they never had had a problem.

Some people have plenty of money, yes that’s true. But then their marriage is on the rocks. Or their kids are on drugs. Or they have lived beyond their means and are about to lose all their money. Some people aren’t rich at all but have kids who do well at school. Some are poor as church mice and live in a small house but laugh every day and know how to create harmony within the family. Some have disabled children, and although the caring for these kids can’t be easy, they still find happiness and love in that relationship as much, if not more than parents who don’t have  disabled children.

So your life isn’t perfect. So you had a miserable childhood. So you married the wrong person and you went through a nasty divorce. Without wanting to diminish the hurt your life has caused you I still think there’s hope. Because all those experiences make you the person you are today. If you had lived a life without any hurt, how would you know what the word “compassion” means? If you’d always had money, how would you know what the word “budget” means? And if your kids were absolutely perfect that would mean you had raised not people, but robots with cotton wool in their heads instead of brains.

Life throws all sorts of things at us. From the moment we are born. And I believe that all those experiences can enrich us. How we deal with all those problems is another matter. You can turn bitter and let it fester. Or hold on to that hurt as if it were a gift. An unwelcome one, but at least one you know. Or you can look upon those hurts as unwelcome and ban them from your life and your soul. Do you still need them? Or have you dealt with them and learned something from them. Sometimes those hurts have nothing to do with us; but with the other, and the learning was for them.

Look deep inside you. Do you still need your hurts? If not let them go. Make place for your blessings.