Yes, I am posting for a second day in a row. Trying to make this a habit, ya know? So what is everyone reading these days? I have been reading tons of books I have found through the tall poppies authors: tallpoppies.org/bloom/. This group of authors rocks! If you go to their facebook page, there are tons of book giveaways but more importantly, you get to know the authors and they are really fascinating! Each week, a new author takes over hosting their page. You learn about what motivated them to write and the type of writing they do. I am currently about to finish Laura Drake's Days Made of Glass (excellent book!), recently finished (while fishing!) Kerstin March's Branching Out ( a great read!), and am about to start Cathy Lamb's What I Remember Most. Reviews to come!

I am hoping to keep up on reviews both here and/or at Goodreads. I should mention, I LOVE Goodreads. I never knew about all the giveaways and deals you can get through that site. The site makes it easy to keep track of books you have read or want to read, and allows you to write reviews of books you have read. I am a starving, just graduated, about to start paying a student loan the size of a car payment, type person, and I can use any deal I can get.

Anyway, more later when I can organize my thoughts and write reviews!

Cheers!

Trying this Out...Again

Wow, I am a horrible blogger, having not blogged in... who knows how long! I woke up this morning with an overwhelming urge to write. Maybe because my friend Courtney just started blogging again. It then sounded like a good idea that I had forgotten about.  I have not wanted to do so in quite awhile. So much has happened, it is hard to know where to begin.

So tonight's blog finds me overwhelmed, not in the best of health, and tired as hell. I have had to severely reduce some of the things I used to do anything to accomplish. Hopefully it is just temporary though. I'm working full time, taking two courses that are pre-req's for the Bachelor's in Accounting I am now pursuing. My classes are mostly what is overwhelming me (one of which is extremely difficult for me--Stats! Yuck!, and one that I am doing pretty well at--Financial Accounting-Yay!). I was recently diagnosed with a precursor to lupus. I have a 50% higher chance of developing actual lupus because my cholesterol is currently out of control. I'm on medication for life that is supposed to act as a barrier to lupus. Lately, I've had extreme pain in my limbs and have been majorly tired all of the time. Not sure if I'm working on a lupus flare, if it is the medication, or if I have just taken on too much and my body is starting to rebel.

I used to write two different blogs, but have decided to simplify even that. So this is it, people. This blog lives, and Fireside With My Savior will remain extinct. Once caveat, however. I used to separate my blogs...this one for general stuff, writing stuff, etc. The other for my spiritual insights, revelations, rantings...I think I partly did this so that those of my friends who were not Christians wouldn't be freaked out by my Christianly quips. But enough is enough. I am who I am and this blog is going to be about...well, everything...including my faith which is important to me.

I have been a horrible Christian lately too. I haven't been going to church consistently. I dropped out of bible study. I rarely read the bible anymore. And sadly, I have just taken a hiatus from serving until I get my life and act in order again. I've been doing so much that I've totally neglected my relationship with the Lord. And damn do I need Him right now. Can you say damn in the same sentence as the Lord? Oops, I did it again (as sung by Britney). Yes, I am still crazy if you haven't noticed. That is what makes me fun!

Nanowrimo looms next month. For those that don't know, it stands for National Novel Writing Month and the point is to write 50,000 words in the month of November. I'm going to participate. I'm not holding myself to that many words, just to writing at least something every day.

My goal in renewing this blog is: a) be healthier by letting off some steam, b) getting myself writing in the hopes of writing something significant that may actually be published!, c) to chronicle my journey to getting back to a better place spiritually (maybe it will help someone in the same situation?), and d) hopefully to entertain or inspire some folk.

So...here goes nothing!

I'm Back!

So I've been off the grid for about a week. I'm happy that some still read this (this being my blog) as of yesterday! Thanks for that!

It began last Sunday when I woke up with a killer migraine. I thought it was due to lack of sleep as I'd had a late nap that turned into a major snooze and then couldn't sleep til about 3:30 a.m. Got up early to work at church and my head felt worse and worse. Still had it on Monday. Migraine meds didn't help so I ended up getting a shot of Toradol from my doctor, which tuned it down a bit but it then came back. I did find out though that I should be taking 500 mg of riboflavin aka B2 to prevent them. Of course it is next to impossible to find B2 in anything more than 100mg. Thus, I must take five of them and they are hard to swallow. Enough about that though...

I realized from this migraine, which I may add I get them a couple of times per month...that maybe I need to slow down a bit. I'm always on the go to or from somewhere or planning for the next event whatever it may be. Once my migraine went away (I woke up Tuesday with it not nearly as bad), I decided to take it easy. I went to bed at a decent hour each night and have to say I feel really refreshed! I normally only get four or five hours of sleep but this week I got seven-ish hours per night. I didn't make all of the events or engagements I was supposed to, but I feel more normal than I've felt in...hmm, I don't even know how long.

This morning I had planned to do something that probably would've overexerted me, and I had every intention of doing it anyway, but I woke up with major sciatica and realized there was no way...I'm kind of bummed but maybe I am just supposed to be taking it easy and not overcommitting. Maybe God is telling me that this is a season to just ponder and not necessarily "do". Sometimes I forget prayer is just as important as "doing."

But anyway...

I've had my rest and now I think I need to re-commit to my writing. At least I don't have to get out of bed to do THAT! There is no reason I can't fit an hour into each day to write...whether it be here or my novels or short stories or poems. But I'm going to try to do all of the above without as much pressure. Life is too short to be worrying so much...