Jessica's Reflections

21 Weeks

2012-02-13T00:04:00.000-08:00

As of today I am at 21 weeks. The baby's moving more. It still feels weird to me, especially when it's moving against the inside. I prefer the outward movements much more. Michael hasn't felt it yet. Mostly from bad timing. Every time the baby moves where it can be felt from the outside, he's asleep or somewhere else. Everything else is going fine, though. I'm starting to research childbirth classes and whatnot. The available ones around here seem to be Bradley, Hypnobirthing, and Hypnobabies. They all seem interesting, I'm just not sure which one will be best for me. I think I'm going to see if I can get the books from the library that go with each one and read through them to see which one resonates the most. I've read good things about all of them, so it seems like whichever seems like it fits best with the way my brain works would be the one to do.

I haven't been good about the belly picture/pregnancy documenting things. When I found out I was pregnant I intended to keep a journal and everything, but that totally didn't happen. So, I don't remember the date that I first felt the baby move or anything. I think it was around 16 weeks, but I'm not completely sure. I'm not really sure what else I would write about in a pregnancy update thing. Most of my pregnancy has been quite uneventful. I've been tired for most of it, but that's gotten a lot better lately. I'm still a bit more tired than normal, but I'm also growing a person, so I think that's to be expected. It's not the bone deep exhaustion that it was for so long.

In other news, I've started regular updates on our farm blog. You can check it out at smfarms.wordpress.com. That's where I'll be writing about all the happenings on the farm. It'll probably be updated more than here because this is where I post all my random ramblings and personal things. There may be some overlapping content, but the thrust of both blogs are fairly different. If you'd like regular updates from that one you can become a follower, or you can like the Sláinte Mhaith Farms page on Facebook, where I'll post when a new blog post comes out.

Confessions

2012-01-22T01:41:00.000-08:00

I think a lot about things. Lately I think a lot about pregnancy related stuff (who would've guessed?), but I think about other things, too. Mostly when I post about my thoughts I try to stick to the more normal things and stuff people expect you to talk about. But, tonight I feel the need to put out there the weird stuff and the stuff I feel weird about. Enjoy.

I'm finally at the point where I don't have to remind myself that I'm pregnant all the time. I guess I've told myself that I am often enough since October that it's finally sunk in. It's been about a week since I thought, "Oh, yeah! I'm pregnant." It only took 4 1/2 months.
I'm starting to feel the baby move. Not very much yet. More in the last day or two, but still not a lot. I have to say, though, that the idea of another being inside me moving around and poking me from the inside kinda freaks me out. Does anyone else find it slightly freaky? I've never heard anyone else talk about that. So, either it's one of those things that everyone thinks at some point and just won't admit it, or I'm in the minority and I'm the weirdo. Both seem equally viable to me.
In my last post I said that I was excited about being able to do fun things with my child. This is true. I'm also a little sad that it won't just be Michael and me anymore. We've been just us for 8 years. Part of it's the fear of change and the unknown. But with any major change, even good ones, there's always a part of me that's sad about leaving behind what was before. This is no different. I'm probably not supposed to say that, though.
Even though I tell people I'm excited, I haven't really been super excited yet. As I said, I kept having to remind myself about the pregnancy, plus, with the exhaustion, it was all I could do just to get through the day and get the bare minimum done. Excitement? Who has energy for that? That's not to say there haven't been cool things. Getting to hear the baby's heartbeat is pretty cool. Part of it, too, is that I don't get excited in the way other people do very often or very easily. And major changes always seem really unreal to me until they've actually happened. Even when I'm preparing for them, it seems like a weird dream. It takes a bit for the new way of life to sink in and not seem so unreal anymore. Maybe I'll be more excited in a month or so or when I actually start getting things ready for the baby.
I don't plan on finding out the gender of my baby until it's born. I also don't plan on having an ultrasound. ACOG doesn't recommend ultrasounds unless medically necessary. As long as things continue in the normal, non-concerning way that they have been, I don't feel an ultrasound is indicated. Determining the gender is not a medical necessity. Plus, surprises are fun. Feel free to guess the gender. Guessing is half the fun in my opinion. And, in this case, you'll have a 50/50 chance of being right. Personally, I think it's a girl. Or a boy.
I break "pregnancy rules." I go tanning. I lay on my back more than just at my prenatal appointments. I find it uncomfortable after a bit, though, so I don't do it for very long. I take a regular multivitamin not a specific prenatal (my regular multivitamin meets the recommendation for prenatals, except it's a bit lower in iron, so I take an iron supplement, too.) I drink raw milk. I've been doing so for almost two years and suffered no ill effects, so I'm not worried about it. I occasionally have steak and I don't cook it well-done. I don't eat deli meat from the grocery store, though. But, I generally don't eat deli meat anyway whether I'm pregnant or not. Except the occasional Jimmy John's sandwich.
I'm planning on a home birth. I know many people freak out about home birth. I have done a lot of reading and research on the subject and looked at both sides of the issue. I did most of this reading when we were first talking about having kids in the near future. I have a midwife that has a high success rate and a low incidence of problems. I feel confident that she will recommend a hospital birth if she feels it's necessary, and I trust that she's neither overly alarmist nor overly cavalier in her attitude toward labor, birth, and the safety of the mothers and babies in her care. She has lots of experience in hospitals and at home. The woman knows her stuff.

Eleven

2012-01-20T00:57:00.000-08:00

My friend Katrina tagged me in her post, so here goes.

First Things First… The Rules:

You must post the rules.
Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
Tag eleven people and link them on your post
Let them know you’ve tagged them!

Eleven Fun Facts:

1. I'm learning to sew. I got a sewing machine for Christmas and I've been playing with it ever since. I've wanted to learn to sew for a while, and since I'm now pregnant I figured I better get started. In my world, moms should know how to sew.

2. My first instrument was the piano. I started when I was 5 at the beginning of kindergarten. I decided I wanted to play the piano the Christmas prior to that when we were at my grandparents' house and most of my cousins could play the piano. I wanted to play, too. So, several months later, my parents procured a piano and found me a teacher. Thus began my musical career.

3. I make my own yogurt.

4. I often wish I had the ability to teleport. I don't think I'd like to be able to read people's minds, but teleportation would be an extremely handy skill. I used to think the Star Trek method of beaming people would be nice, but after reading The Hitchhiker's Guide trilogy (in 5 books), I'm not so sure that would be such a nice way to travel after all.

5. I like seeing new places, but I don't really like the actual traveling part. Whether it's flying or driving, it's just not that much fun. With flying you have all the airport security silliness and you're at the mercy of the airline for the entire time. With driving it takes longer and I can't read because I get carsick. I suppose that's why I fantasize about #4.

6. I make my own soap and lotion bars. I'm trying to find a good shampoo bar recipe, but I haven't found one yet.

7. I'm a hermit. I don't leave my property very often. I go outside pretty much everyday because I have animals to take care of, but I can go for days without getting in a car and going anywhere. If my students didn't come to my house, I'd also go for long periods of time without seeing anyone except Michael. Probably once the baby comes that will happen, since I will be taking time off from teaching.

8. I'm excited about having a kid to do all the things that are fun to do, but not so much fun as a childless adult. Like going to the pumpkin patch, trick-or-treating, sledding, building forts, and so many other things. It's difficult for me to imagine what life will really be like, and it's strange to think it won't just be Michael and me in a few more months, but I think there will be a lot of fun stuff. I know it's not all rainbows and unicorns, but I'm excited about the fun stuff to come.

9. I still like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And I still eat them sometimes.

10. My favorite part about college was finding people who got me. I never tried to be anyone other than who I am, but I didn't really fit in very well growing up. I had some friends, but even they didn't always really get my sense of humor a lot of the time. It was nice to find people who I could be goofy and quirky with and they didn't give me weird looks because they were the same way.

11. I'm a voracious reader. Sometimes I go through spells where I don't read very much, but then a switch flips somewhere and I can't stop reading. I'll easily read entire novels in a day or two (of the 300-500 page variety) and just keep going until I've fulfilled my need for books. I'm in the middle of one such spell right now. Though it has calmed down the last couple of days. I'm currently finishing Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams. It's the 5th book in the aforementioned Hitchhiker's Guide trilogy. And, for the record, if you've seen the movie and haven't read the books, you should read the books, they're way better.

Here are the questions Katrina posted for me:

1. If you won a gift certificate good for a year’s service from either a maid or a private chef, which one would you choose? I would get a maid. I hate cleaning. I can deal with cooking, but cleaning is awful. What would be better though is if I got both, even if it were only for 6 months.

2. Name something you’ve done that was totally out of character for you.

3. Imagine we discovered a life-sustaining planet and a way to get there in a five year space journey. If invited to go, would you be willing to leave behind your life on Earth to explore a new world? (Your family can go with you, of course.) It depends, really. What's the condition of the Earth at the time of discovery? I'd say probably not. Mostly because I'm a hermit and don't like to go anywhere. And 5 years is a long time to travel to get somewhere.

4. If someone gave you $500 on the condition that you somehow use it to help someone in need, how would you spend it? I'd probably sit on it for quite a while looking for someone specific to help. While I think charitable organizations are great and serve a definite need, I would want to find a person or family that I could specifically help.

5. What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen? The Ninth Gate. It started out interesting and about halfway through it starts going downhill fast.

6. If you lost your U.S. citizenship and had to relocate permanently to another country, where would you go? Why? I've actually thought about where I would go if for some reason we felt the need to leave the country. The United Kingdom is appealing because they speak English and I've always wanted to spend a lot of time there. Chile is an option because I've actually spent a fair amount of time there and would be happy to go back. If we had to flee or leave quickly, we'd probably go to Canada first, then decide on where we really wanted to be after that.

7. What’s your guilty pleasure? The book equivalent to chick flicks. They're like candy for your brain.

8. Who would win in a street fight between the Black Eyed Peas and the Fugees? Umm...your mom? I have no idea.

9. If you could go back in time and change just ONE decision that you’ve made, what would it be? (I’m not talking about mistakes, but about a time you had to choose between two or more paths.) I honestly can't think of anything. I'm pretty happy with my life and where it's going.

10. What superpower would you like to have? Teleportation.

11. Do you have a weird body quirk? What is it? I have a birthmark on my right knee. It's actually darker now than it was when I was little. When I was a kid and played in the dirt a lot, my mom used to try to scrub it off in the bath because it was light enough to pass for dirt. It never did come off.

Since the very few people that I might tag have already been tagged, I will not participate in that aspect of this. You're welcome.

Pregnancy Update

2012-01-18T23:43:00.000-08:00

So, I'm now 17 weeks and 3 days. I have felt the baby move twice now. It's certainly not a regular occurrence at this point. In a few more weeks I'm sure it will be.

I'm starting to have more energy again. I've made it through several days in a row without taking a nap. In fact, I haven't taken a nap since last Thursday. I think that's the longest I've gone without a nap this pregnancy. I thought about taking one today, but decided I felt tired from staring at a computer screen for too long and decided to go for a walk instead. It wasn't a very long walk (just around the back of our property), but that's the first time since October that the thought of doing something requiring physical activity didn't make me want to curl under a blanket and go to sleep. Not only did I not want to crawl into bed and go to sleep at the mere thought of physical activity, but I actually got all bundled up and went out. And I felt better for having done it. I enjoy walking in the snow and I haven't really gotten to do it this winter. Since we have snow now and I have a bit more energy, it looks like we'll even get to try out our new snowshoes this weekend.

It really helps that we've discovered the culprit for my extreme, bone deep weariness. My blood test results came back and my midwife called me last week to let me know what they said. Most things were pretty normal, but my Vitamin D level was at 13. For some perspective, people develop rickets at 10 or below. The bare minimum for recommended Vitamin D levels is 30 and 50-70 is considered optimal. I was at 13. So, I started taking 4,000IU of Vitamin D supplements daily. And I've started going to a tanning salon.

I know, I know. Before everyone freaks out about me cooking my baby or how tanning gives you cancer, let me say that I put a lot of thought and research into this and my midwife is totally on board, as is my husband. Tanning beds will not cook a person or their unborn baby. The salon I'm going to uses electronic beds (rather than the older style magnetic beds). The electronic beds don't get terribly hot, so the risk of overheating (which, as far as I can tell, is the only real concern) is minimal. So far, they're just pleasantly warm. Plus, if I feel too hot, I can turn off the bed and get out, simple as that. The electronic beds have a ratio of UVA/UVB light that more closely approximates natural sunlight (the magnetic ones tend to have a higher UVA output.) UVB light is what causes your skin to produce Vitamin D. UVA light is what oxidizes your skin pigment and potentially causes damage. Having a balanced ratio is important. Also, sun exposure is not what causes skin cancer. Overexposure, i.e. sunburn, eventually can cause skin cancer. The more frequent and the worse the burns, the greater your chances of developing skin cancer. In a good tanning salon, they will set your tanning times so that you don't risk getting burned and will slowly work you up to optimal exposure levels for your skin type, Vitamin D production, and tanning preferences. I'm not so much worried about the actual tan (I don't really change colors anyway), but UVB exposure produces far more Vitamin D than a supplement or food source can possibly supply, and it's in a form that the body uses much more readily than that of an oral supplement. Altogether, the supplements and the tanning, are making me feel much more like myself. I'm not completely back to my normal feeling self, but I'm well on my way. And for that, I'm quite thankful.

To My Unborn Child

2012-01-15T03:46:00.000-08:00

Dear Baby,

I know you like our midnight snacks. I'm not entirely opposed to them myself, especially when they include hot chocolate (which is fairly frequently). However, this whole keeping me up all night thing has got to stop. I can't even feel you yet and you're already wreaking havoc with my sleep schedule. That's just not fair. And sometimes you just mess with me. Like tonight. You let me fall asleep at a reasonable hour (9:00 pm or so), but then decided I needed to get up at 11:30 pm. It's now 3:45 am and I'm still awake. That's just not right. We're going back to bed now, and we'll stay there for quite a while, okay? We have things to do tomorrow (well, today, I suppose) and Mama needs more than two hours of sleep for that to happen. And let's try not to repeat this tomorrow night. I'm okay with staying up until midnight or a bit later to give you your midnight snack (you seem very insistent on that point), but I'd like to go to bed by 1:00 so we can get our beauty rest.

Love,

Mom

Reader Poll

2011-12-13T01:37:00.000-08:00

So, I have a question. If you could have one thing from Harry Potter, what would it be?

Personally, I think I would like a house elf. Someone to do the dishes and laundry and general household chores that I very much dislike. And since it would be my house elf, it would put things away where I want them to go, instead of in the wrong place.

Although, the ability to do Mrs. Weasley's spells that cause the dishes to wash themselves, food to cook itself, the knitting to knit itself, et cetera would also be pretty awesome.

Hmm...difficult choice.

What would you choose?

I Might Be Turning Into a Vampire...

2011-12-12T01:37:00.000-08:00

But not a sparkly one. Because vampires don't sparkle. Or glitter, or whatever.

Okay, so maybe that's not true. The part about me turning into a vampire. The other part is definitely true. Vampires don't sparkle. But, I don't seem to be able to sleep at night anymore. I sleep mostly from sometime early in the morning, until as late as I can manage. On the weekend that seems to be between 10:00 and 10:30. On the days when Michael works, I have to be up by 9:00 because I have to give my goats hay and unfrozen water. While 9:00 or 10:00 might sound luxuriously late to you, please bear in mind that I often don't go to sleep until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, and then I tend to wake up between 6:00 and 7:00 for a while, just for fun. Whether I nap during the day or not makes no difference. Yesterday I took a mid-afternoon nap, and I had a really hard time going to sleep. Today I did not take a nap at all, and I still am having a hard time going to sleep. Normally I'd have taken something by now (lying awake in bed for four hours isn't my idea of a fun time), but since I'm pregnant, I can't. Well, I suppose I technically could, but I shouldn't. Either way, the result is the same. Me awake at 1:30 in the morning.

Also, my baby apparently likes midnight snacks. Maybe that's why I can't go to sleep any earlier than I do. I have to awake for snack time. Tonight I decided I would try warm milk. Except I don't really like plain warm milk, so I made hot cocoa instead. Yes, I use milk to make hot cocoa, because it's delicious. I also use a Starbucks cocoa mix that my mom got me that only has cocoa, sugar, and vanilla and if you try to use water it doesn't taste good (or so I'm told). Before I got that, I would just use my own cocoa, sugar, and vanilla, but the premixed kind is nice, because I only have to measure one thing instead of three.

So, I think I'm getting tired enough to go back to bed now.

Thoughts on Pregnancy

2011-12-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

So, I'm still in the tired phase of being pregnant. I've had my first prenatal appointment with my midwife last week. I really like her. Michael came with me and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat via doppler. That made it feel much more real. Prior to that it seemed really surreal. It still does to a certain extent, but not quite as much.

Mostly it's just weird to me to think that this time next year I'll have a baby. Since I've never had one before, I have difficulty imagining what life will be like. I mean, I read things, and have friends with kids, but still...it's hard to imagine. I suppose that's totally normal.

Today I was thinking about the fact that I'll be able to twist their sense of humor to match my own. I know it's a while down the road, but it'll be fun to have someone laugh at the same crazy stuff I find funny. Michael finds some of the same stuff funny as I do, but he doesn't have the dark twist to his humor that I have. Sometimes I miss having someone with my penchant for dark humor around.

Anyway, so that's what I'm thinking so far.

Why I Like Baths

2011-12-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

So, I really like taking baths. Especially when I'm tired or don't feel great, which, lately, seems to be all the time. Part of it's that whole first trimester of pregnancy thing and part of it's that I'm sick. So, I seem to be taking a lot more baths than showers, especially this week. I know some people think that baths are for children or that you can't get as clean in a bath as in a shower. Both of these thoughts are completely untrue. First, I have a very large bathtub. Way too big for a small child when filled up completely. This bath is obviously intended for adults. Second, if the nasty, filthy, smelly raw wool can get clean from being soaked in hot soapy water, I see no reason why I can't. I'm much less dirty and smelly than raw wool. So, here is a list of the reasons I like to take a bath:

You can lie down in the bath. I suppose you could lie down in the shower, but then you'd have water hitting you in the face, which is not very nice.
You're completely surrounded by warm water.
It's relaxing.
You can watch a movie, read a book, or play games on your iPhone (as long as you keep your hands out of the water) while in the bath. I wouldn't try any of those things in the shower.
If someone calls while you're in the bath that you want or need to talk to, it's much less awkward to answer the phone than if you were in the shower.
You don't have to stand up.

When showering seems like a monumental amount of effort, a bath is a nice alternative.

Let Me 'Splain...

2011-11-26T23:12:00.000-08:00

No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

It's been quite a while since I posted here. Lots of things have happened in the meantime. We visited my brother and his family in Colorado, I started a new job, we bought a house, and now I'm pregnant.

Yes, that's right. I'm pregnant.

Apparently most people decided that I wasn't ever having kids. I never said that, so I'm not sure why that was decided, but they were wrong.

Anyway. We bought a house on 5 acres in July and have three Lamancha goats now. The whole house buying/moving in process was very time consuming and more than a little exhausting. We've finally finished painting the house (except our bedroom, which isn't a priority), and are starting to feel more settled. Since it's the weekend after Thanksgiving, we started decorating for Christmas. I've been pretty tired and unmotivated to do very much recently. I'm looking forward to getting my energy back, which everyone assures me will actually happen. It's getting better, but I'm still very tired most of the time. But, the tree is up and we have lights on the outside of the house. We didn't quite get enough, so we'll be going back to the store tomorrow for a couple more strands to finish the front of the house. There are no ornaments on the tree yet, only the lights. But, I like a lit up Christmas tree. The house is definitely starting to look and feel more like our home, rather than just some place we live. We have a couple of pictures hung, but need to do more. We'll get there.

Anyway, more updates to come about the pregnancy.

Review of The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson

2011-03-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

I finished The Lost Continent the other day. It is an enjoyable, though not an intensely compelling read. It is an interesting look at America through the eyes of a citizen who has been living abroad in England for quite a while. It begins as the search for an idyllic place that Bryson later decides is an amalgam of different places. As he visits different cities, he adds parts of them to his vision of Amalgam. But, as the trip progresses, it becomes less of a search for something specific, and more of an exploration of the continental United States.

Bryson's commentary is often scathing, particularly when dealing with the ubiquitous fast food joints, run down gas stations, and places that cater solely to tourists and thus lack character or soul. I do think he must be a fan of Catch-22 though. He comes up with some interesting (fictitious) names - there's the Battle of Lickspittle Ridge, which featured General Goober (who shot himself in the armpit) and Lieutenant-Colonel Bowlingalley, who fought against opposing forces led by Pillock. Some other place names include Dry Gulch, Cactus City, Coma, Doldrum, Dry Well, and Sunstroke. There are many more sprinkled throughout the book. Sometimes it's hard to tell if he's being sarcastic or referring to an actual place. Though, with actual cities named things like Toad Suck, that's not too surprising. But the naming conventions are what makes me think he must be a fan of Catch-22, which has characters named Lieutenant Scheisskopf and Major Major Major Major. (If you don't know what Scheisskopf means, you should type it into this German-English translator.)

Anyway, Bryson's ramblings regarding travel, tourists, and American towns inspire me to preserve some of my own experiences. For your reading pleasure, I present the following:

In the spring of 2006 Michael and I moved to Boston. We didn't last very long there; we moved there in late May/early June and left mid-December. I generally tell people we were there for eight months, but it really wasn't even that long.

While we were there my in-laws came to visit in October. We had a lovely visit and they took us to Camden, Maine for a weekend. It was the last weekend before everything closed for the season, so we got discounted things from the shops and got to stay in little cabins overlooking the ocean. We got up early one of the mornings to watch the sunrise. This was my first experience of an Atlantic beach. It was rocky and there were little tide pools all over. It was late October and it was cold. At the height of the season I'm sure Camden is overrun by tourists, but so close to the end of the season it was lovely. The people there were all residents (we were the only guests at the resort where we stayed) and were very friendly as they were looking forward to several months off. It was a wonderful time.

On the way back I convinced everyone that we should stop in Salem, Massachusetts. You know, the famous one. Home to the notorious Salem Witchcraft Trials. In late October. October is peak season for Salem. It's a cute town and I would've liked to have spent more time there. As it was, Michael had to be at work that day at 4:00 pm and we were still a couple hours outside of Boston. There was a museum about the Salem Witchcraft Trials that looked like it would've been interesting, but you could only go as part of a guided tour and they were all full. So we poked around the burial ground then made our way to Nathaniel Hawthorne's house, which is said to have been the inspiration for The House of the Seven Gables. Now, I've only read (and I use the term loosely) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and I didn't enjoy it. I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a Hawthorne fan. But it was a cool old house and sounded interesting. It, also, was only available by guided tour, and the ones available all took place after we needed to be back in Boston.

The thing that struck me as the most ironic was all of the people dressed as witches and the witch-related shops and the similarly themed convention going on at the time. The Salem Witchcraft Trials were to stamp out witchcraft and it is now a place where it is celebrated and cashed in on. I'm not sure, but I think the ground was moving a little while we were in the burial ground. Perhaps a few of those people were rolling in their graves.

Simple Pleasures

2011-03-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

I went for a walk this morning. The sun was shining through the clouds at the beginning, but was soon covered over. It was fairly chilly, and there's still snow on the ground. It's old snow, crusty and frozen. There was a light skiff of graupel on the ground. I also noticed some new green grass pushing its way through the leftovers from the fall in the swales. And the birds are out and singing. Two signs that spring is on its way.

The Bed Story

2011-03-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

So, after Michael and I got married we purchased a bed frame for ourselves with money from our wedding. A couple years later, we sold all our furniture before moving to Boston.

In Boston we slept on an air mattress for a few months. This was because we were subletting a studio apartment and knew we weren't going to be there for very long. After we moved into our other apartment, we bought a mattress from a liquidation warehouse. It's a California king, with regular king size box springs and a metal frame. This is what we've had ever since.

For quite a while Michael has been wanting a real bed frame ever since. A few weeks ago he started looking online to see how much it would cost to buy a bed frame. Since we have a California king, it's quite expensive. Way out of our price range. So, we decided to build one. Michael looked around online and found a picture of one someone else built to get an idea and figured out a schematic for our own bed frame. We bought the lumber and hardware Presidents' Day weekend, and sanded and stained it over the next couple of days. We assembled it on Wednesday that week, and here are the results:

Book Review: Dracula

2011-03-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

***Spoiler Alert*** I reveal the ending of the story, so if you don't know it and don't want to, don't read this post.

So, I've been a slacker again with the blogging. I have some things I'd like to record for prosperity, but just haven't gotten around to it. So, for now, we'll talk about Dracula by Bram Stoker.

As I've said before, I was pleasantly surprised by Dracula. It's written in epistolary form, which means the story is told via letters and journal entries. This device gives Stoker the ability to write the story from multiple points of view without undue confusion. I think it could be annoying if every book were written that way, but Stoker does such a good job with it that I didn't find it distracting at all.

The story begins with Jonathan Harker traveling to visit Count Dracula in his castle in Transylvania. On his way there many people warn him that he shouldn't go, give him things to ward off evil (a crucifix), and feed him garlicky food. He's travelling on business, though, and insists that he must go. At first Dracula is very cordial, but as time passes Jonathan realizes that Dracula has no intention of letting him ever leave. He does, however, make his escape and return to England, but not before Dracula has had himself shipped there. Dracula gets to England and begins to wreak havoc in the lives of Jonathan's friends.

Anyway, the opening chapters are very suspenseful, but the pace slows a bit in the middle. It's still interesting, but not quite as compelling as it was in the beginning. Nearer to the end of the book, when the main characters are hunting Dracula, things get moving again. Dracula visits Mina Harker, Jonathan's wife, and so the vampire hunters are extra motivated to kill Dracula so that Mina doesn't turn into a vampire. In the end, they catch and kill him just before sunset as Dracula has almost been returned to his castle.

I found the ending to be a bit anticlimactic. They kill Dracula, and then it's pretty much over. It's not a great battle, as Dracula is still in his coffin (or, box of earth), and so cannot fight back. Which is good for the people trying to kill him, but somewhat less exciting than a modern reader is used to. Mina is free from the influence of Dracula and she says enough to fill up a couple more pages after the account of Dracula's death and then it's over.

The other thing that struck me as dumb on the part of the male characters is their exclusion of Mina from the hunting of Dracula. She has helped them get together everyone's story of their various experiences with Dracula directly or their experience with those affected by him. At that point they leave her out of the hunt and don't tell her anything. But they leave her with no safeguards. They don't make sure she has a crucifix, or a communion wafer, or garlic flowers at her door and windowsill...none of the provisions that had been made to protect others previously. So, obviously, Dracula goes for her. I can kind of understand them wanting to leave her out of the hunting, as it was dangerous and they wanted to protect her. But, if you want to protect her, why not leave her with protections as well? Silly men.

I also thought it interesting that the stake driven through the vampire's heart doesn't have to be wooden. A metal stake or a blade works just as well. Also, the vampire's head must be cut off and the mouth filled with garlic if it is a newly made vampire (if it's an old one, it's body will turn to dust). I also thought it interesting that vampires only go for members of the opposite sex. Dracula (a man) only goes after women. The female vampires that he's made only go after men. That trend doesn't necessarily hold true through the rest of the vampire genre that I've experienced.

Books on Wednesdays

2011-01-12T20:28:00.001-08:00

So, I missed Monday and Tuesday, but I'm here now, and it's Wednesday, so that means I'll talk about books. And type in run-on sentences, apparently. And fragments. It makes up for the run-on sentences.

Anyway. Books. I'm still reading Dracula. And The Lost Continent. I've made progress, but haven't finished. We'll talk more about those when I'm done with them.

So, I'm going to talk about what I want to read next. I'd thought about going with Frankenstein next, but it's written in epistolary form (the story is told via letters), and I'm not sure I want to read two books in a row in that style. So, maybe I'll go with one of the Bronte books. Or Stevenson. Treasure Island sounds like fun. Any suggestions? Any books I should read that aren't on my list of Victorian Literature (they don't have to be Victorian)? What about you guys - reading any good books?

Late Again

2011-01-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

So, I'm late in my self-imposed Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule once again. Not a great track record given that it's only the first week of this. Ah, well...things happen. It's still three times this week. But, yesterday was fairly busy. It included practicing, cooking, teaching, driving, knitting, and hanging out with some friends. We went to their house last night and played games and generally had a good time.

I also finished one of the sweaters that has been languishing for a while. I need to wash/block it before I get proper photos taken of it. I took a few pictures of myself with it on, but that is not the easiest thing to do. Here are a couple of the better ones. I have couple ends that need to be woven in, but otherwise it's finished.

The pattern is Sophia from French Girl Knits and was knit in Knit Picks Swish DK in white. I started this little sweater a few months ago, and got pretty much done with it before I stalled out. It's been a fairly frustrating sweater from the beginning. It starts with the sleeves, and I decided that I would just go ahead and start it with the recommended needle size, and if I didn't get the gauge called for it wouldn't be that big of a deal to rip it out and start over. Now, it's common for me to have to go up a needle size from that recommended in a pattern, but I had to go up three sizes for this one. That means I knit one of the sleeves four times before it finally worked. There are only so many times a person can knit the same sleeve before beginning to lose a grip on her sanity. Anyway, from there it wasn't too bad. I knit the two halves, grafted them together, and realized that I didn't have another size 8 circular needle long enough to knit the collar. The collar had to be knit separately and then attached to the rest of the sweater. It was at that point that it got put down and didn't get picked up again until this week. I borrowed the necessary needle from my mom and finally got back to it. Knitting the collar was fine. No problems there. Attaching it was an exercise in frustration. I didn't read all of the directions and things weren't matching up, so I had to undo a lot of what I'd done. Then I read all the directions, but misunderstood a crucial part, and so had to undo a bunch of it again. Then, it was still all screwed up, so I completely detached the collar, counted all the stitches, and realized my stitch count was a little bit off on the body. Not enough to make a difference in fit, but enough to make attaching the collar not work out quite right, combined with my inability to follow the instructions. Anyway, I finally got it all put together, and now it's done. I gave my mom her needles back today.

Books, Take 2

2011-01-05T21:52:00.001-08:00

Here we are for another installment of Books on Wednesdays. Last week I discussed Dracula and my feelings about the vampire genre and over hyped novels. I'm still reading Dracula and enjoying it. The story is told entirely through letters and journal entries. For me, it's an interesting device that allows the story to be told from multiple points of view without being confusing.

I'm also reading The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson. I haven't picked it up in a few days, but that's largely due to the fact that I was out of town over the weekend and have been fairly busy since I've been back. I haven't been reading much of either of my books. Anyway, The Lost Continent is the story of Bill Bryson's quest for the perfect American small town. You know, the kind of town you see in movies and TV shows from the 50s. He's snarky and somewhat caustic, but of you've ever spent time in small towns (or in the specific regions he visits) you know how true some of his observations are. He's making the trip as an adult, but comparing his current trip with his memories of family road trip vacations as a child. It's a funny and entertaining read. If you're looking for something light that will make you laugh, this book will fit the bill.

What about you? Any good book recommendations?

Happy New Year

2011-01-04T21:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm a bit late with my Happy New Year post, but, better late than never, right?

So, here it is. I've decided to make New Year's goals this year. They're just like resolutions, but they're called something different, and it makes me feel like if I don't do them perfectly it's okay. The point of setting a goal is to get closer to an ideal, not to achieve perfection. Resolutions feel like enforced perfectionism. So, there's my rationalization. Take it for what it's worth.

Here are my goals for this year:

Blog more often. I've been pretty good about it lately, what with NaBloPoMo in November and all, but I'd like to keep it more regular. It's fun for me to look back at old posts and remember what life was like at that time. I'm planning on at least three times a week, with a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. As you can see, it's Tuesday and I'm just now doing this, but like I said, it's a goal. I'm moving toward and ideal. Pretend this is Monday for the purposes of this post if it makes you feel better.
Get back into a good practicing schedule. I've been a terrible slacker about this for the past several months. Since October, really. I need to get back on track.
Stop eating out so much. This means cooking more at home. This will help on two fronts: budgetary and health. I feel better when I eat home cooked food rather than fast food (shocking, I know), so it makes sense to do that more. This also means I need to do better about grocery shopping. Lately I haven't been doing very well with that. So, that will have to change.
Finish my current knitting works in progress. I'm planning on not casting on another item for myself until all the current ones are finished. We'll see how long that lasts. Currently the count sits at five: three sweaters, a pair of slippers, and a pair of socks. I will be knitting things for others that are not included in this.

So, that's what I have so far. I'll probably come up with more as the year progresses, but for now I think this is good. I hope your new year is starting off well, and that you achieve all your goals for yourself.

Books and Such

2010-12-29T09:01:00.000-08:00

I've been reading a lot more lately. I've finally jumped on the vampire bandwagon and started reading....
Dracula.

That's right, Dracula by Bram Stoker. I've never read it before, and I decided to participate in an online read-along/knit-along that's reading Dracula for the book and knitting something red for the knitting portion. It's technically not supposed to begin until January 3, but I'm cheating and starting early. So far I've read the first four chapters. It's intriguing and suspenseful and nothing like I expected. Although, my expectations were not very clear, anyway, as I'm not a big aficionado of the vampire genre.

My limited exposure to vampire stories includes watching the movie Interview with the Vampire while in college (which is also a book, but I haven't read it) and reading the books Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck by Christopher Moore (both subtitled A Love Story). I never had a strong desire to watch Interview with the Vampire when it originally came out, but one night my room mate and I walked into our dorm lobby and people were watching it. We saw enough to get intrigued, but didn't finish it then since we'd come in about half way through the movie. We rented it at some later point and watched the whole thing. Good flick, but not enough to make me obsessed with vampires. I read the Christopher Moore books, because I'm a Christopher Moore fan. If you've never read him, I highly recommend Fluke and The Stupidest Angel. I also thoroughly enjoyed Lamb: the gospel according to Biff, Christ's childhood pal, but that one might put some people off more than the others. It is very tongue-in-cheek, but I didn't find it offensive in a personal-attack-on-my-religion kind of way at all. Just remember--it's fiction. It's not meant to be an accurate representation of history.

I know the current vampire book craze is Twilight and its attendant sequels. I haven't read them. And I really have no intention of reading them. I've heard lots of people say they're wonderful (I've also read some not so complimentary reviews), and they just don't sound that interesting to me. Part of it is my natural inclination to resist things that seem overly hyped. I resisted Harry Potter for a long time for that same reason. Anytime a bunch of people come up to me and say, "You have to read this book!!!!" my response is, "No I don't; and you can't make me." I did eventually read the Harry Potter books after seeing a couple of the movies and enjoying them. And I liked Harry Potter. But, I saw the movie previews and thought the movies looked good. I liked the movies, and so I read the books. The previews for the Twilight movies don't interest me, and so I don't feel compelled to read the books. I'm just not that into the whole vampire thing.

Anyway, while poking about online, I discovered the blog Words, Words, Words. The author of said blog is hosting a Victorian Literature Challenge for 2011, and since I'm already reading Dracula, I thought I'd participate. Here are the details:

This challenge will run from 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011.
Participants can sign up at any time throughout the year.

Read your Victorian literature.
Queen Victoria reigned from 1837-1901. If your book wasn't published during those particular years, but is by an author considered 'Victorian' then go for it. We're here for reading, not historical facts! Also, this can include works by authors from other countries, so long as they are from this period.

Literature comes in many forms.
There are so many Victorian reads out there, including novels, short stories, and poetry. One poem doesn't count as a 'book': pick up an anthology instead!

Choose your books.
List your books before you begin, or pick up titles along the way. It's up to you! You can review them if you choose to, but it's not necessary. If you don't have a blog, that's fine! Link to a Facebook, or a page somewhere where you can list what you've been reading. If you can't link up, no problem - feel free to just comment and enjoy.

Spread the love.
Post the reading challenge on your blog - make your own post(s), or stick the button on the side of your page. The more the merrier, after all. Let's build a big community of Victorian literature lovers!

Choose from one of the four levels:

Sense and Sensibility: 1-4 books.
Great Expectations: 5-9 books.
Hard Times: 10-14 books.
Desperate Remedies: 15+ books.

I've decided to participate at the Great Expectations level. Here are my books:

Dracula by Bram Stoker
Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells

Depending on how things go, I might bump up to the Hard Times level, but for now I'm satisfied with this list. Anyone want to join me? To participate officially you can sign up at the Words, Words, Words blog (linked above), or you can just read some Victorian Lit with me and post comments around here. I think I'll make Wednesdays my book update day. I'll post about what I'm reading or just finished, and you all can contribute your thoughts and suggestions as well. Happy reading!

Christmas Recap

2010-12-28T09:55:00.001-08:00

Michael and I agree that this Christmas was one of the best ever. Beginning Christmas Eve with a busy buy enjoyable day attending church and spending time with Michael's parents and continuing through Christmas Day, which was relaxing and full of laughter, love, and good food at my parents' house. The only downside was that Michael's dad came down with something and couldn't make it Christmas morning. We both got loads of great stuff, including iPhone4s, new Ariat boots, books, shirts, nice cookware (to replace my old, not so nice cookware), books, candy, and a big Longaberger basket. The gifts I made seemed to go over very well. The only thing that wasn't a perfect fit was Allyson's hat, which was a little small (it seems she may have inherited the Bruner big head gene). Fortunately, it can be remedied by attaching an elastic band that will go under her chin to secure the hat on her head (like a large party hat with flowy fabric attached to it). On to the photos!

Opening our iPhones on Christmas Eve:

My basket (which is now full of yarn):

Our new boots:

And now for everyone else's presents:

Mom's Socks:

Dad's Socks:

Donna's Socks:

Mike's Socks:

Amy's Socks:

Justin's Socks:

I don't have pictures of Justin and Amy with their socks because those were delivered to Colorado yesterday by my parents. I have been assured that they fit well, and the recipients like them.

The rest of the day was spent talking, laughing, eating (lots of eating), and enjoying each other's company. So, that was my Christmas. How was yours?

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T20:48:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! It's nearly 9:00 pm on Christmas Eve, and it's been a fairly busy Christmas Eve at that. But, it's been good. We spent the evening with Michael's parents. We enjoyed a nice Christmas Eve church service this afternoon, went to dinner, and walked around downtown enjoying the Christmas lights. Last night Michael and I drove around looking at Christmas lights around town. I very much enjoy Christmas lights.

I think the fascination with lights around Christmas has to do with the fact that it's the darkest time of the year. The Winter Solstice has just passed, and while the days are getting a bit longer, the return of the light is barely perceptible. The little lights that we string around our houses and adorn our trees are little symbols of hope. Knowledge that the light will return, and it will once again be warm. The tiny lights are comforting in the darkness of winter.

I think that fascination with the light is why I like that we celebrate the birth of Jesus this time of year. While he wasn't actually born in December, he was the coming of the light. He is the personification of the hope represented by the tiny Christmas lights. The Light was here and will come again. And when it does, we won't have to worry about the darkness anymore.

So, enjoy your Christmas. Spend time with your loved ones, enjoy your presents, have a few cookies, and reflect on all of your blessings.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Random on a Wednesday

2010-12-22T21:32:00.000-08:00

It's currently snowing. Unfortunately, the highs during the day are above freezing, which melts the snow. Then it gets cold at night and freezes, making the roads slippery. This morning, the leafless trees were outlined in frost. It was very pretty.

Michael and I went cross country skiing on Sunday. We purchased our equipment from thrift stores for a grand total of $35. It's perhaps not the greatest equipment, but it's cheaper than renting. We went up to the cross country ski trail on the Fourth of July Pass. The snow was only a couple inches deep at best, so it wasn't actually groomed, and all the natural topography of the trail was obvious through the snow. This made things more difficult than if there's been a good base that was groomable and even. We went for about two miles. I keep hoping we'll get enough snow to go again on Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas, but the forecast is not in my favor. Anyway, here are some pictures from Sunday:

I've finished my Christmas knitting! As of this morning, the last toe was grafted, the last ends were woven, photos were taken, and all of the socks were lovingly laid on tissue paper, placed in boxes, and wrapped. They're all under the Christmas tree, where they've been since this morning. I also put the finishing touches on the princess hats for my nieces. I felted them on Monday and let them dry for the last couple days. All they lacked was the fabric veil to drape down the back. This afternoon my mom and I went to the fabric store and picked out some sheer fabric with sparkly things all over. Very pretty, and quite the perfect finishing touch to the princess hats. Mom hemmed them for me so they wouldn't fray and they were attached to the hats. And here they are!

All I have left to do is Michael's hat, which may or may not be done by Christmas Day. I started it this morning, but had to rip it out and start over because it was turning out too big. So, I restarted and completed one row. I'm also making some little toys for Allyson's birthday, which is a few days after Christmas. They're quick and cute, but they have to be done before Mom and Dad go down there the day after Christmas, so I've been working on them a bit more than the hat. In any case, it's only Wednesday and the important Christmas things are done. That means I won't be up until all hours on Christmas Eve frantically finishing things. What a nice feeling.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2010-12-11T20:11:00.000-08:00

I saw this last night when I was driving home. I'm sure it actually says "Peace on Earth," but it sure looks like it says "Peace on Farth." I was wondering where or what Farth might be.

Anyway...

Christmas is officially two weeks away. The Christmas knitting is progressing. I got the yarn for the rest of my projects in the mail on Tuesday and immediately cast on for the hats for my nieces. I finished the knitting for them in two days per hat. They're going to be felted, but that hasn't happened quite yet. I'll be doing that in the next couple days. For now, here are a couple pictures in their unfelted glory. I've included a normal hat that I made for Michael for scale comparison.

The pink one is for Allyson and the blue one is for Lauren.

After these I have two pairs of socks to churn out. I hope I can manage a pair per week. We'll see how it goes. One pair might end up being finished on Christmas Day. I also still need to wrap the presents that are finished. The socks for my parents and my mother-in-law are done. My father-in-law's socks are on the needles. At least, the first one is. I need to go get a good book to read while I knit. His socks and my brother's socks are both going to be plain stockinette (based on the assumption that men don't really want fancy looking socks), so they're not particularly exciting for me to knit. Reading while knitting makes the knitting go faster. My sister-in-law's socks are pretty much done. I still need to close up the toe and weave in the ends of the second sock, but that won't take long once I get to it. Speaking of that, I still need to weave in the ends of Allyson's hat as well. You'll get to see official photos of all these things in just over two weeks. Even though pretty much everyone knows what they're getting, they don't know what they look like, and aren't allowed to see them before Christmas.

A few days ago my friend Juanita invited me over to her house to decorate gingerbread houses. She'd gotten a couple of kits and hadn't gotten into them yet. When I told her I'd never decorated a gingerbread house before, she decided that I needed to be initiated. Here are the results of my first attempt:

Here is Juanita decorating hers:

And here is her masterpiece:

I have to admit that Juanita's skills are far superior to mine in regards to gingerbread house decoration. But, for my first attempt, I think it looks cute. I also managed to burst the frosting bag that I used for piping on the frosting. It was fun, and we decided to bake and decorate a cake for our next adventure in pastry decorating. I'm not sure when that will happen, but be sure I'll take and post pictures when it does. (Given my unfortunate lack of prowess with the piping bag, it might be an interesting looking cake.)

Our Christmas decorations are up. All we lack are some presents under the tree. Soon enough, that will be taken care of as well.

Carpet Cleaning

2010-12-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

Michael decided that tonight he is cleaning our carpets. He went to Home Depot before I got back from teaching in Athol to get the carpet cleaner. Pretty much all of our living room furniture is packed into our kitchen, and we are effectively barricaded from entering said kitchen. I'm currently in our bedroom while he cleans the living room carpet. I suppose we'll have to frolic barefoot across the small expanse of carpet that separates the bedroom from the bathroom. Hopefully I won't be experiencing an insomniac episode tonight. If I do, Michael might just have to deal with me having the light on, since he will have rendered it impossible for me to go hang out in the living room until I get sleepy. I suppose I could scamper to my studio, but it's not very comfortable in there, and the desk (the only thing from the living room not in the kitchen) is in there. The plan is that we'll be able to let the living room carpet dry over night, then move the stuff from the studio and the bedroom into the living room (after replacing the living room furniture) to clean the rest of the carpet. This will make for an interesting couple of days. At least we're leaving some of the larger, more unwieldy items in place, such as our king size bed, the entertainment center, and the book cases in my studio. But, in the end, we'll have clean carpets at least.

Letters

2010-12-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

Dear Weather,

The rain was really not necessary. We've had lots of snow, and I, for one, would prefer for it to stay cold and continue snowing. Warming up enough to rain really only makes things worse. All the packed snow turns to slush, which makes the roads dreadful. And you know you'll only make it freeze overnight, which makes the roads even more dreadful the next morning. And then you'll make it snow some more, so the nasty icy stuff will only be covered with snow, making things yet more horrible for driving. Apart from the unpleasant driving conditions (and the fact that my car is beyond filthy now), it's just miserable. You can go outside and play in the snow, even when it's actively snowing. Who wants to go outside and play in the slush and rain? No one. It's not fun at all. Dry cold is much more bearable than wet, nasty cold. So, shape up, please. No more of this nonsense. At least not until spring. Then, you can rain and make the snow go away. Preferably overnight.

Sincerely,

Jessica
_________________________________________________________________

Dear Man Who Plows Our Parking Lot,

I appreciate that you did eventually plow the slush for us tonight. It would have been appreciated if you'd done so earlier in the day. The fact that there were 6 to 8 inches of slush on the ground at any given point today made getting up the hill that is the driveway quite difficult. I'm just glad no one was trying to get out while I was trying to get in, as the snow/slush/whatever was pushing me around, and I had difficulty controlling my car. And if I stopped, I doubt I would've been able to get the rest of the way up. In the future, please be a little more on top of things.

Sincerely,

Jessica
_________________________________________________________________

Dear People In Charge of Plowing the City,

Plow! The residential streets especially need it. I should not be scraping the underside of my car on huge mounds of slushy snow as I'm driving. Please see to this immediately.

Sincerely,

Jessica