Books

Reading and Relaxing

{I look a little depressed in the photo, thankfully, I am not..just sleepy!}

My Oh My, I have been sooo tired!  Not sure if it is the meds I am adjusting to, or if there is truth to what every medical professional has told me, that fatigue after cancer treatment can last months, up to a year.  I suspect it is the latter, as many of my BC friends who are in this “after treatment” phase are having the same issues.  We all seem a bit surprised by it.  I think you just expect to feel better, because life just keeps going and starts to feel pretty normal again.

I AM learning how to relax, be ok with low energy, and ok with a home that is not always picked up just so.  I have a stack of dishes in the sink right now, sheets in the dryer that need put on beds, and closets and drawers that are getting cluttered.  I’ve ignored them and I am at peace with that–not normal for me!

I have loved grabbing a book while relaxing–at least my mind can feel productive.  We have had a few rainy, dreary days here in Nebraska, perfect reading weather.

Here are my latest finds at my local library:

After the Diagnosis: Transcending Chronic Illness
After The Diagnosis-by Julian Seifter, MD
Transcending Chronic Illness
Cancer is not necessarily a chronic illness, but I have read more and more that doctors are starting to treat it as one, similar to diabetes, where people can manage it with meds and diet for years.  With my high reccurance rate, I do plan on treating my cancer like it is a chronic illness, keeping up a very healthy lifestyle because of it.
German Boy: A Child in War
German Boy-A Child in War by Wolfgang W. E. Samuel
This was recommended to me by a friend.  I love learning about history and other cultures through true stories.  I also love to learn how others have overcome pain and hardship in their lives.
The Homesteading Handbook: A Back to Basics Guide to Growing Your Own Food, Canning, Keeping Chickens, Generating Your Own Energy, Crafting, Herbal Medicine, and More (Back to Basics Guides)
The Homesteading Handbook-Abigail R. Gehring
A back to basics guide to:
Growing your own food, Canning, Keeping Chickens, Generating Your Own Energy, Crafting, Herbal Medicine and More!  Yes, I’d love my own chicken coop…I’m really a farm girl at heart:)
Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World
Veganist by Kathy Freston
I like her approach, Veganist means not fully vegan, but leaning toward that lifestyle, being more purposeful about eating plants.  I saw her on the Oprah show and thought she recommended too many processed type vegan foods to replace meat (like tofu sausage).  I didn’t not care for that part of her approach, I would rather eat less real meat, and focus on eating more plant foods, getting all colors of the rainbow in as much as possible.  I have been inspired, lately, to make the vegetable the main part of our meals with the meat portion as the side dish.  
The Coconut Oil Miracle (Previously published as The Healing Miracle of Coconut Oil)
Loved this book.  It shatters the myth that all saturated fats are bad for you.  This plant based saturated fat is actually very good for your health.  I love that coconut oil is a high temperature oil and I use it often in cooking, baking, sauteing and even frying.  I also use Organic, Pure Coconut oil as an all over body moisturizer, it is heavenly!
The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother's Hidden Life
The Good Daughter by Jasmin Darznik
I am on the last chapter of this book.  Loved.
“Raised in California, Darznik never imagined that her mother Lili lived another life completely in Iran before marrying Darznik’s German father. Lili was married off at 14 to Kazem, a man who would prove to be violent and abusive. Lili gave birth to a daughter, Sara, but when Kazem’s abuse escalated, Lili knew she had no choice but to flee his house and seek a divorce. The move cost her Sara, as Iranian law dictates children stay with their fathers. Lili decided to go to school in Germany to become a midwife, but the sudden death of her father forced her to come back to Iran to earn money for her own and her brother’s schooling. When she returned to Germany, she drew the attention of the earnest German engineer who became her husband and the father of her second daughter, Darznik. Taken from tapes her mother sent her after Darznik discovered a photograph from her mother’s first wedding, Darznik’s memoir is a beautifully recounted homage to her mother’s life and struggles.” –Kristine Huntley
Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook: Crazy Delicious Recipes that Are Good to the Earth and Great for Your Bod
Skinny B#@*! by Kim Barnouin
“Crazy Delicious Recipes That Are Good To The Earth And Great For Your Bod”
Ok, so I don’t care for the title of the book (sorry to offend anyone), but when I opened to the recipes I had to get the book and check them out more closely.  Easy, healthy, and beautiful photos.
Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook: 100 Great Recipes, Photographs, and Voices
Foodista– 100 Great Recipes, Photographs, and Voices
Best of Food Blogs Cookbook
It had the word “blog” in it, so had to get it.  Eager to see if any of my blog community “friends” are in there!
Food Trucks: Dispatches and Recipes from the Best Kitchens on Wheels
Food Trucks by Heather Shouse
Dispatches and Recipes Fro The Best Kitchens On Wheels
I don’t know, this book intrigued me.  Again, I love learning about other people’s lives.  Each chapter is a different city and story, with recipes of street food that sound amazing.
What are you reading?
Got any good recommendations for me??  Please share!
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  • Little Brick Ranch
    May 23, 2011 at 2:30 pm

    You definitely have a well rounded group of books there! I am a big fan of the Skinny Bitch books (though, like you, not always the titles) because they bring a lot of information regarding our food sources and where they come from…sometimes too much!!

    Ill have to try coconut oil as a moisturizer!! I never thought to do that.

    Enjoy your time relaxing. After what your body (and mind) have been through it is perfectly dandy to let the dishes pile up and the beds to go sheetless. It will all get done in time.

  • Barb
    May 21, 2011 at 1:19 am

    Hi Amy,

    I read you blog often but haven’t commented in the past. This might seem really random, but your header photo inspired me to re-do our kitchen in a soft taupe, with jars of beans, rice, pasta, etc for decor. I was overwhelmed by too much color and “stuff” on the walls and sitting on countertops and above my cabinets. We just love our new look, thanks for the idea!

    Be well, be blessed~
    Barb

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