Human Textuality | People + Words = Stories

February 8, 2012 · 1:00 pm

Soapbox: Healthful Reminders Part 1 of 3

I’ve eaten more desserts in the past few months than I have in the past several years combined. I’m allowing myself this indulgence while I’m pregnant… consolation for the little (and gladly suffered) physical discomforts my dear daughter is causing.

But here at week 34, my season is quickly drawing to a close. In six weeks (okay, maybe eight or 12) I’ll probably start thinking about getting my body back to it’s pre-pregnancy shape and range of motion.

I felt like I needed a little refresher and motivation, and so revisited something I wrote just over a year ago. Originally part of a health plan I was working on with my mom, it’s been polished a bit to share with you here:

This really isn’t “health nut” stuff – it should be common sense. It needs to be the way we think about food.
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Tagged as animal products, diet, eating healthy, health, whole grain

February 6, 2012 · 4:10 pm

First Baby Shower!

Alright, I promise not to ramble about every baby shower we have, but I would like to use this occasion to announce the official opening of the Miss. M. Countdown.

We’re now at 34 weeks, and the shower season has begun. The next few weekends will see us spending time with our wonderful friends and family, who are so kindly throwing us parties and buying us gifts.

Yesterday was the first, given by my husband’s step family. It’s rare that I get together with just the ladies from this crowd, so it was fun to sit around and eat girlie food and cake while looking at socks with bows and hooded towels.

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Tagged as baby shower, pregnancy, registry gifts

February 3, 2012 · 1:00 pm

The Varied Topics of Ghostwriting

I’ve done a lot of ghostwriting over the past few months. Most of this is typical content work that ends up somewhere in the back stacks of the Internet, driving traffic to the client’s web site.

My name is not on this content work, and that’s alright. It’s not usually masterpiece quality – just something to pay the bills. I simply take the money, as well as a little bit of amusement in the random things I’ve learned over the week.

For example, I’ve researched vintage cars, tourist attractions in Indianapolis and a college prep school in Dallas. I’ve become very familiar with the concept of online DJs, the process of renting a dumpster and what one would look for in a criminal defense attorney.

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Filed under I'm a Professional

Tagged as content writing, editing, freelance writing, ghostwriting, word count

February 1, 2012 · 1:00 pm

Why I Love Yoga

I used to make fun of yoga as a typical, trendy form of exercise. Back then, my exercise was walking off the double cheeseburgers while I served them to my tables.

Then, one summer, very post-waitress and about to give up meat, I actually gave it a try. Words were eaten that night.

I think my first blissful sentence afterward was “If everyone in the world did yoga a few times a week, there would be no more war.”

Why do I love yoga? Here:

I love yoga because it is versatile. No matter what your physical situation – young, old, male, female, pregnant, arthritic, diabetic, tense, short, tall, overweight, underweight or perfectly healthy – there is a yoga that is designed for you. It can be fast and sweaty or slow and cooling.

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Filed under Health

Tagged as balance, exercise, Jenny Cornero, pregnancy fitness, stress reduction, yoga, Yoga for Health

January 30, 2012 · 1:00 pm

Preggo Pics

Yes, we’re doing pregnant pictures. My husband decided early on that we’d do the belly shot weekly. We’ve held to that pretty well, though often it’s every other week.

I anticipate quite a fun animation of my growth by the end of this happy project.

Of course, the belly pics are strictly for documentation, and leave a bit to be desired in the aesthetically pleasing and flattering departments.

Happily, my best friend is a talented photographer. And the pictures she takes are highly original – these are not going to be typical studio pictures. We did the shoot in her stately 1900 home, making use of turret windows, leather walls and marble fireplace. I cannot wait to see the finished product!

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Filed under AutoBio

Tagged as awkward pregnancy pictures, belly pics, photography, pregnancy, pregnancy pictures

January 27, 2012 · 1:00 pm

Fish: Part 2 of ?

It’s been a while… here’s Part 1.

I awoke with a start to the flapping sound of wings. The gull that had been digging though the crumbs of my basket, scared by some shift of the wind, rose high into the air above my boat.

I immediately thrust my head over the side to look for what I both hoped and dreaded to see. But there was nothing more than water bugs and sediment, ripples from the breeze. I felt relief, but under that a curious disappointment.

My attention quickly changed when I realized I’d been on the lake much longer than I’d planned, and that there was no doubt a group of concerned family members wondering where I was and why dinner wasn’t ready. Only briefly did I worry about knocking anything – or anyone – in the head with my paddle as I made my way to the beach.

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Filed under Searching

Tagged as family, fantasy, fiction, Fintan, fish, mer people, mermaid, sea life, stranger

January 25, 2012 · 1:00 pm

What’s a VOC, and Why is it Evil?

No, this is not about the Dutch East India Company (“Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie”). It’s about chemicals.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been on my mind a bit lately as we’re in the process of painting and decorating the nursery. Things I’ve read mostly say that painting while pregnant is probably not dangerous if you only do it once or twice – it’s the people that have regular exposure who need to worry.

But the sources also recommend letting someone else do the painting if possible, just to be safe and minimize exposure.

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Filed under Health

Tagged as cancer causing agents, CDC, EPA, indoor pollutants, indoor toxins, paint, pregnancy, VOC, volatile organic compounds

January 20, 2012 · 1:00 pm

In the Office

There is a small part of me that likes being in an office.

And that part is alive and well… about six hours a week.

Luckily for me, a friend of mine needed someone to answer phones in his law office three days a week, two hours at a time. The part time job fits perfectly into my schedule, is an easy way to earn some extra cash and gets me a little social time during business hours.

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Filed under I'm a Professional

Tagged as freelance, law office, office work, part time job, secretary

January 18, 2012 · 1:00 pm

“I’m Sooooo-o-o Tired…”

The title is a Beatles reference, in case you didn’t catch that.

I’ve been thinking about sleep a lot lately, mainly because I’m reading a book about fostering healthy sleep habits in babies and children. I would love to have a child that sleeps through the night, in her own bed, before one year of age, please.

Anyway, in that spirit, and because it’s cheat-with-links-Wednesday, I give you an article about sleeping on negative emotions: