The Booker Award

I received this award from my hubby, Jeff Whelan, who had received it from a fellow author. This award is passed around from author to author (or to other bloggers) so that they, too, can share their top five books. Of course, in his very eloquent way of writing, Jeff beautifully detailed why each book was so important to him and what he was able to take away with him. To try to emulate him would be fruitless, so I'll just have to do it the way I know how...here goes!

For me, the merit of a book depends on how long it stays with me. For example, when I read a book, I give it all of my attention; however, a good book will suck me in and not let go--even if it has been years since I read it. Jeff had asked me to recall the books I read recently that I insisted he read at a future date. I remember telling him that, but I don't remember the books. So even though the books were good, it did not have any lasting impact on me. In essence, I have to look at how a book makes me think outside my comfort zone, forces me to view other realities, challenges my own ideals, and all around makes a difference in my life. I would also be remiss not to mention that I am a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing. I look for substance in the books that will stimulate deep and thoughtful discussions with my students.

That being said, I had a difficult time narrowing my choices down to just five (well actually, I took some liberties and made two sets of trilogies into just "2 books"--forgive me, I just couldn't pick one without the others.) So, after having slept on it, this is what I have come up with!

1. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. This book centers around a family, The Tucks, who accidently discovered a fountain of youth and the ramifications of never being able to die. Prior to reading this book, I pose the question to my students: "Who would like to be able to live forever?" The answer I receive more times than not is "yes". It is interesting to see that idea challenged as the read the book.

2.  The Giver by Lois Lowry. This book focuses on a Dystopian or possibly Utopian (you will have to be the judge) society where rules are of the utmost important and adhered to in order to maintain order in this community. Everything on the surface of this community looks perfect. This has been a tremendous book to share with my students. For example, a society without pain? That sounds fantastic, right? Hmmmm....makes one think a bit deeper about that...hopefully a reader will come away with a sense of the necessities of hardship and pain in order to promote healthy growth.

3. Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness: book 1: The Knife of Never Letting Go, book 2: The Ask and the Answer, book 3: Monsters of Men. This is probably one of the most unusual series I've ever had the pleasure to read. Instantly, I was hooked. Patrick Ness has invented this Dystopian society where people can hear your every thought--at least the thoughts of the men. Women's thoughts, however, are never heard. The way Patrick Ness shows us the struggle of these men is beyond description. You are, without a doubt, pulled into these novels, and its grip far-reaching and long-lasting--I still remember them in such vivid detail.

4. His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman: book 1: The Golden Compass, book 2:The Subtle Knife, book 3: The Amber Spyglass. The first book takes place in an alternate reality (maybe even a parallel universe to ours). People have daemons which are physical manifestation of their souls that are part of them. (Note to parents: I didn't understand the heart wrenching pain that people went through when their daemons were taken away from them until I became a parent and I had to leave my first born with a sitter while I went back to work.) Now, if you've seen the Golden Compass movie--I'm sorry--that was a horrible depiction of the book. They had such a wonderful opportunity to create a masterpiece, but failed miserably! So put all of your thoughts about the movie away, and enjoy the book.

5. And my all time favorite book, without a doubt is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In my opinion, there has never been a book that has explored society with such depth that I walked away from it feeling exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. The emotional, intellectual, and moral themes are so abundant in this book that scholars have spent years researching it. I have read it at least seven times, and I come away with something new EVERY time! What I really love about it is sharing this with my students. So many of them have come away with a deeper appreciation and understanding of life back in the 30s, that it has contributed greatly to their knowledge of the depression, oppression, racism, and humanity in general. This book has often been one that my students remember vividly in the passing years.

So there you have it! My five most favorite of all time. And now it's time to pass the torch. Here are the five people I have chosen to pass this award to:

1. Jen Vincent and Kellee Moye at Teach Mentor Texts
2. Roz and Patty at http://roz-patty.com/
3. Lindsey Mead at http://www.adesignsovast.com/
4. Kathryn Markolf at http://goodliferoad.com/
5. Susan Buchanan http://susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk/

 Please do not feel obligated to do this--only participate if you have time and inspiration to...this is just for fun! Enjoy!

A Blog with a Twist

I recently had the privilege of reading a book penned by co-authors Rosalind Burgess and Patricia Obermeier Neuman, called The Disappearance of Mavis Woodstock (a Val & Kit Mystery Series). I found myself glued to my Kindle, and when I wasn't, sneaking back to just read a page or two. It was over before I was ready for it to be, but they have another book in their Val & Kit book called The Murder of Susan Reed. I really suggest you check them out! Click on their names to direct you to their blog and their books! Enjoy!!!

Four Months Gluten Free!

I find it absolutely unbelievable that I've seen such benefit from becoming gluten free. The biggest plus, of course, is that my pain goes from non-existent to manageable. I have not had a huge flare up for over four weeks, even with gardening! That is just huge.

What it makes me wonder is how much of our diets affect who we are, how we feel, how we behave, and how we view the world around us. I have found that the world looks a bit brighter, even on bad days, than it did four months ago when I was in the throes of unmanageable pain. The medication that I take for managing my pain has decreased, and my hope is that the longer I'm on this diet, I will be able to cut it out of my life once and for all.

I look at the future with rose-colored glasses when I feel this good, which worries my hubby, since I crash when I have a flare-up. But I do believe with a positive attitude, my need for medication will be a thing of the past. (Jeff, if you're reading this: Don't worry, I'll take my medication so that I'm nice to be around!)

The only thing I miss on occasion is being able to go to a restaurant and order anything off the regular menu without a thought of what I'm putting in my body. I guess the up-side of this is that I am practicing being more mindful which of course brings me back to the present.

Note to everyone who is reading this: Please know I don't live this positively all the time , but it is my intention to catch myself when my mind goes in a bad neighborhood without backup, so I can calmly bring myself back to center and focus what is around me. I hope you all are taking the time to enjoy October and the beautiful leaves and their brilliance of colors. Namaste.

My First Addition to the Toothsome Story Game

 I get tagged to add FIVE WORDS ONLY to this ongoing story, I added my words here at this post, link my post to http://allaboutlemon.com/toothsome-story-game/ like so, then tag one other blogger to add their five words. My addition is the bottom line, along with the optional picture contributors can also add. I tag Martha Bourke!

Once upon a Toothsome Day,

a truck full of donuts

pulled up at Al’s house,

leaking glazed all bran crullers

which delighted all the birds.

Al however was rather perturbed.

The birds stole Al’s car

And made a fast getaway

Another Great Review of Space Orville

It seems lately that blessings keep pouring in--especially for my hubby, Jeff. He is getting wonderful feedback on his book Space Orville, and recently got another fabulous review! This one I had to shout out from the rooftops!

Enjoy your beautiful week, Everyone! Namaste.

Compartmentalizing Feelings

It seems that when I have time to blog, I go on a frenzy and blog all the time. But since school started up again, my teaching job and home responsibilities of course have become my priority. So I finally decided that I needed to blog about different parts of my life that are separate, but also make up who I am. Who we all are.

More often than not, I have not been able to compartmentalize my life: Family, work, friends, etc... If one area of my life was off, my entire being would be down the toilet. But yoga has helped me to be able to differentiate what is important at the current time: my family, my friends, my work, and my alone time. If one area is suffering, I try to remember that the people I am with at the moment (including myself) are the most important people in that given time and space. To not devote my all to those people would be cheating myself out of a wonderful experience. Each person that comes into my life has been put there for a reason. I do not believe in coincidences or accidents. The good and bad all have a purpose. How we choose to deal with each situation is up to us.

Again, I bring this all back to yoga. When I find myself in the middle of a maelstrom inside my head, I have to physically stop myself and breathe--and to do it well, I need to find a quiet place to close my eyes and breathe in healing energy, then as I exhale, remove all the negative thoughts and the weights that are on my shoulders. This mindfulness is vital if I am to stay centered within my day. Mantra for the day:  I will enjoy every encounter I have today and be present with all of my being. Namaste.

Three Months Gluten-Free!

I can't believe it...I just can't believe it. Here I am, 3 months gluten-free, and I have never felt better in my life! My joints hurt NO MORE! I mean it! It's amazing. My muscles don't cry nearly as much, though I do continue to take my medicine, but the pain is more of a reminder where I have been, not knocking loudly on my door.

For any of you out there who have hesitated, thinking this kind of diet change will be impossible, let me tell you this: You WILL no doubt have challenging days, but if you can make it through the first month, I know you will feel better. I am HAPPY! Not just content, happy! That for me is huge.

I have been baking bread to my heart's content and developing new recipes all the time. I have found that I really am the gourmet! So much fun to experiment, that even my kids and hubby have to admit that what they taste is pretty darn tasty indeed!

Update on Space Orville

My husband, Jeff Whelan, has been marketing his eBook Space Orville, and has quite a few reviews on Amazon that are really amazing. Check out his blog and this wonderful review. 

My Delicious Chicken Salad Recipe

A week ago a cast member of the play I'm in, "The Dining Room" (by A.R. Gurney), brought in some wonderful home-grown vegetables along with some oregano and Thai Basil. Wanting to use the basil right away, but having nothing to use it for, I found a small glass jar (4 oz.) and filled it with extra virgin Olive oil. I then cleaned the basil, muddled it a bit, and stirred it into the olive oil. I then put it in the refrigerator. (You can keep this infusion for a week.) The olive oil will solidify, this is fine. When you want to use it, simply scoop out a tablespoon or two and set on the counter for 15 minutes (if you're in a hurry, you can stir it until it melts.)

OK, that part out of the way, here's the delicious recipe I created--thought there may be a few of you who have these ingredients on hand and may want to try!

Ingredients

1-2 teaspoons of fresh dill seed (or weed) --I got this directly from my garden
1 Fage yogurt (Greek yogurt with honey--you will add the honey since it acts as an emulsifier)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed if you have it)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon of the olive oil infusion (described in first paragraph--I pulled out some of the Thai basil leaves and added them to the salad)

2 cups poached chicken cut in bite-sized cubes
1 large cucumber thinly sliced
1 small onion sliced in 1/2 rings
handful of red grapes, halved
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I toasted mine for 2 minutes in the toaster oven and they were perfect)


Mix the first 7 ingredients well. Add the remaining ingredients except the pecans.
Refrigerate for several hours. Toast pecans just before serving and sprinkle over top of salad.
Enjoy!

Youthful Yogini is Now 1 Year Old!

I just realized this morning as I was on hold with my vision care insurance company that it has been one year since I've started this blog, Youthful Yogini. This has given me a "hard" copy of my journey since last year.

It seems so often in life that we go by, day by day, on autopilot. Our morning rituals before heading out the door, working our allotted time, and then heading off for errands, or whatnot, before we go home and start the evening rituals. This blog, however, has enabled me to stop and examine certain situations and reflect on them. If I felt they had a good lesson, then I blogged about it. For example, my post on Weaving Imperfection into Life helped me to put the remodeling of my bathroom into perspective.

I also looked back and saw indications that I hadn't managed my pain before it got out of control. This prompted me to put together my Tips for Managing Chronic Pain. This continues to be my reminder that all is not out of control, and just by a little tweaking (or a lot, depending on the day), I can begin to get my pain under control. In that link you will find "recipes" to help make homemade hotpacks and coldpacks.

This blog has also opened up a new world to me: Indie Authors! My husband, Jeff Whelan, published his first book, a YA humorous science fiction novel, called Space Orville. Jeff started tweeting to promote his book, and in doing so, mentioned my blog to other indie authors. In the process I met some wonderful indie authors; one of whom, Martha Bourke, has become a good friend. I also had the pleasure to interview Kristie Haigwood whose story was a page turner as well.

I am amazed at how much I have learned throughout this year and how much I have enjoyed blogging. Initially I thought I would blog only about yoga, but as it turns out, we are more than just the sum of our parts. Wouldn't you agree?