Over Indulgence

I met a fabulous woman yesterday - Young, "not old"- and we had a lovely conversation as my Honey shopped for hair products.  Young was well traveled and wise.  During our exchange, she summed up the problems plaguing most humans, especially Americans.

According to this sagely woman, for one to remain in good health, it is important that you not eat to fullness.  It is better to eat 'just enough,' leaving a bit of room in the stomach for proper digestion.  So, too, it is with life.  We mustn't stuff ourselves to capacity, but take/use only 'just enough.'

Personal Growth

Initially, when I began this journal, I was going to showcase my crafting and art.  However, this has turned into a chronicle of my person growth.  I am not planning to stray too far from that, but I do want to add my crafty side as well. Unfortunately, my life has been so taken up with my studies and my family that I have not been altogether crafty as of late (unless you count my daily cooking projects)....

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Recently I read a quote that truly effected my outlook and energy placement in the realm of relationships.  Though I know not where the quote came from, or the exact wording, I am going to attempt to put it down here:

"Do not make a priority anyone to whom you are just an option."

When I read this, it was stated in a much more succinct and eloquent order, but you can get the  general idea from this.... Anyway, this really effected me.  I thought about it a good bit.  It seemed that there was a significant number of people who I sought to have involved in my life.  I would expend energy in trying to cultivate a relationship with these people, but I was the only one who was really putting energy and effort to make the relationship blossom.

This realization was/is very intense to me.  Knowing that there are already very amazing and wonderful people who make my friendship a priority, and any time that I spend chasing unfulfilled friendships was taking time away from cultivating true friendships, and (more importantly) spending time with my family.  This does not mean that I will not cultivate new friendships, I just won't get involved in a one-sided relationship anymore.  I will not make someone a priority, if I am to them just an option.....

Oh me, Oh my!

I don't know what it is about Fridays that make me feel sentimental.  Perhaps it is the whole "end" of the week thing.... Anyway, I have this little ditty kickin' up its heels in me brain.....

Flashback Friday

This week, I am not going too far back.  I am in a 'James' kinda mood though.  This is one of my favorite songs from them.....

Vampires and Presidents

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire HunterI have always been a bit of a history geek. I say 'bit of' because it is only certain eras  or individuals in history that I am interested in.  For instance, I am fascinated with Amelia Earhart.  Also, I study WWI history, but only from an Arab perspective, and WWII from the Japanese perspective.


One historical character I have always had a deep, abiding love for is Abraham Lincoln.  In high school, one might even say that I was a little obsessed with him.  I even went so far as to have professional senior photos taken of me beside a small statue of this illustrious, historic figure.  Knowing this, you may have some idea of the odd mix of emotions I fest as I picked up Seth Grahame-Smith's Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter.


As I sat for the first time , holding Mr. Grahame-Smith's sophomore novel,  I was all at once filled with curiosity, excitement, and apprehension.  The peculiar mix of emotions did little to dissuade me from reading the book, however.  In fact, I began reading it almost immediately.


Some books -okay most books- take a few pages to get started, a few pages before one becomes fully entrenched in the tale. Mr. Grahame-Smith wasted no time, however, in spinning such a yarn that would come to demand hours of the reader, even outside of the pages themselves. I was so engrossed in the story that I found myself considering his alternate reality. When not reading, I daydreamed about hunting vampires with Abe, or becoming part of the "Union."

That Grahame-Smith was able to closely follow the events in the life of the Great Emancipator, while interweaving an epic vampire saga, and not change any of the major events of history, is a credit to his storytelling. I am not one to add spoilers to my reviews, so I won't go any further. Just know that the mythology in this novel is fantastic and easy to sink into. I found myself wishing it were all real, that vampires really were to blame for one of the darkest times in US history....


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On a slightly different note,  and due to my absolute enjoyment of this novel, I believe that I shall have to explore the genre further.  The result is a book group.  We shall read the original literary works, and then their super extraordinary monster counter novel.  In addition, I have been throwing around a few of my one ideas:


- Love and Shapeshifters in the Time of Cholera
- Jane Eyre and the Succubus
- Crime and Punishment and Banshees
- Moby Dick and Captain Hook
- and.......

Flashback Friday

So a whole week has gone by, and I have not posted a thing!  Golly gee.... but I am gonna post twice today, as a way of making up for it.  Right now, I am giving you a bit of fun for your Friday... Give this video a gander.  Don't you wish you could kick up a heel with these hep cats?!  I do....

Flashback Friday

This woman is another of my heroes.  Her career is rich as is her voice.