Myopia

I have used 'myopia' as a post title because I am amazed at how many people's viewpoints are totally myopic. I have joined a migraine/headache facebook group and most of the posts are about how awful they feel and give lists of drugs they are taking. Tentatively I have suggested several natural methods they might try including visiting an osteopath, changing their diet, exercise and only using medications when absolutely necessary. 

I have experienced life long migraines and have seldom taken any kind of drug to help it. Now that I am discovering from David Buchholz's book that many of the things I like to eat and drink are triggers I am beginning to reduce what little medication I take. I wish they would not follow the American dream of drugs, ER rooms and more drugs and at least try some natural methods. 

I am still reading the headache book but think I am near the end as I have been told that it concludes with lots of recipes. A wholefood diet seems to be the best, it is just the snacks which are more difficult. 

I have finished The Runaway  on my VRS, just a lovely story to follow through to its inevitable end. I have been unable to return to A Farewell to Arms so deleted it, downloaded two more books from the RNZFB library and have started reading a book called Flying Colours.



It is an inspirational story of the use of art to challenge and awaken a group of severely disabled adults. I think it is a book I will really enjoy given the subject matter and that my daughter is a disabled artist. The power of art to unlock parts of the brain we seldom recognise is amazing.

I need to go through the books on my talking book machine to see what I have had there for too long, what I am no longer interested in and have a deleting session to make way for other interesting books. Life is too short to read books that one cannot wait to turn the next page of and are conversely disappointed when one reaches the end.

The dogs seem to be enjoying the cold nights and bright clear, sometimes frosty, mornings. The days are tending to dull by lunchtime but all in all I am coping well this winter and am enjoying all the new opportunities it brings.

Feeling Better

While only a week into the 123 Heal Your Headache programme the removal of coffee and hard cheese seems to have already helped. It is a book I keep recommending to people but I am sure people on the migraine FB page are sceptical. The amount of drugs they are taking is frightening.

I have not read much except the headache book lately but have just found some new FB writers pages to explore. A job for later today. I feel that writing is slipping out of my grasp and I need to do some every day, even if it is just a short piece which can be continued.

Again recommended books are filling up my kindle app, I am sure one day it will say full. The latest is:

 

Set in 1099 during the crusades, crowds of people have gathered to hear the mysterious copt. The book reveals who we are, what we feel and our hopes for the future.


The third of Susan Cutsforth's books, I cannot wait  to hear more of her adventures renovating their home and living the good French life in France. I love her books, so chatty yet so aligned with the way we from the antipodes think about the wonders of Europe.

Freezing

It is freezing here today! There was a huge frost early this morning and the day has remained crisp and clear. It seems like a great dog walking day, perhaps Jay and I should go out soon into the cold.

I could not follow Ernest Hemmingway's book so left it and moved on to an new but perhaps less erudite read.
 
I think a book like this makes a much better read as I can listen if unable to sleep and remember what has happened in the story when I wake in the morning. Talking books are not meant to always be one of those books we 'should' read but more along the lines of entertainment. Now that I can download any book at will from Booklink I am hoping that I can delete those I feel unable to continue reading.

I am still engrossed in Heal That Headache  and really need to get to the part where all of the 123 steps are explained. While the new FB group I have joined about migraines and headaches is enlightening, I do wonder at the difficulty some of them are having with their headaches. Is it just that we are lucky here in New Zealand that people listen to us when we explain our symptoms or am I once again 'different' because I take such and interest in finding ways to get well.

I need to move the large pile of books I have in the spare room and start reading them and finding recipes for my new diet. Eliminating so many things is really difficult but I do need to find new recipes which will allow me to live on the recommended wholefood diet. At least much of it is for only a few months and I intend to read other books on the topic. Perhaps I should start a headache blog!

Lackadasical

After another visit to a neurologist I have been put on an elimination diet. Alison asked me to buy the book Heal Your Headache and it is fantastic. So far I have removed coffee and all suspect seasonings. I have started taking fish oil again and have to take magnesium, Vitamin B and Feverfew. I must remain on the diet for 4 months and then start adding in different foods again. I will be stunned when I find out what could be causing these ongoing migraines and am happy to remove this from my diet in the meantime.

 

I am only a short way through the book but have already found that issues I have put up with all my life may be connected to my migraines.

Last night I finished listening to:



I think it would make a wonderful movie with scenes of France interspersed with the tale of love and loss. Apparently the movie rights were purchased but the film has never been made. 

My WLM Facebook group keep recommending wonderful books which I am so tempted to buy. I have started writing these in a journal so I can purchase them when I have read a few of the books I already have on my kindle. If my head clears it will be wonderful to be able to read more voraciously.  

 
  I recently purchased this book on special from Amazon, Julie is a FB friend and is one of the authors on the WLM group.



This is a book I have never read and felt obliged to. I started it in the middle of the night and have not got the gist of it yet so may have to rewind some of my VRS to find out what happened in the beginning. 

Enthusiastic Days

Last winter I was most unhappy. This year I am so busy with the normality of life and the many things I planned to avoid the winter blues that I cannot keep up. I have new cookbooks I have not opened, magazines still in their wrappers and piles of coffee table books to peruse. Life seems to catch up with me each day and the evenings are for reading, TV and relaxation.

I am still struggling with Zealot,  why I do not leave it and read something more interesting I do not know. It is really just a plethora of bible verses interspersed with elucidation from the muslim author. I had assumed his analysis would be more detailed and academic but I feel this is similar to those bible discussion booklets that always bored me to tears.

I have come to such a halt in my writing I am considering starting another short piece and making a commitment to write at least 1000 words per day as other authors seem to. I need to read my writing manuals and find ways of dealing with procrastination, perhaps setting a finite date may be of use. I have so many unfinished short pieces that I also need to complete them.

I seem to have downloaded a plethora of new books for my kindle lately. I think I need to use my list of possible purchases more often and not fill my kindle with books I may not read for a while. Among those downloaded are:
 





The last book fascinated me as I am wondering if a service dog for PTSD is as loyal and dedicated as my golden retriever guide dog Jay. I think I may need to leave the bible dissertation for a while and read something enjoyable and relaxing.

Lazy

I am not sure that the title of this post adequately reflects the last week. I have been very busy researching and writing a literature review for CCS Disability Action on disability and access. This has taken up most of my time apart from lunch with a friend and a 'drawing room' concert at Waikato University on Sunday. The next few days are really busy with Dio, more research and meetings. I feel so much better this winter than last but am regretting not having some time for creative writing and art journaling.



I have struggled to get involved in this book which by all reports is amazing. I think my days have been so busy I am finding it difficult to concentrate late at night when I turn my VRS on. Set in the 1930's between the two world wars, it is the story of Anne who embarks on a new job and a new life and ends up having a torrid love affair with a married war veteran. I may need to take my VRS to work to be able to listen to it at any length.

I keep being drawn in by the free memoirs and other books offered on Amazon.com. Today I purchased



This is a travel memoir, a nature lovers memoir and includes passion, unexpected love, shocking loss and the discovery of a place she can finally call home. It appears to be a somewhat reflection of parts of my life so I need to get on reading Zealot on my kindle and return to books which grip me and which I cannot wait to return to each day.

I have also recently purchased:





I have to confess I won French Illusions in a competition during the summer fete on WLM Facebook site. I had to take a photo of my lava lava with a WLM sign beside it and hey presto, a new book to read gifted by the author.

France seems to be a continuing theme of my reading so perhaps I should note this longing and plan a holiday there in the not too distant future. I found France to be a wonderful tapestry of colour which spread out like a patchwork quilt from the train. I would love to return.



 



Dreams are free, just need to get my health organised first.

Rain

Rain, rain and more rain. It is heavy, driving and cold. Yesterday after attending a wonderful concert held by the music students at Waikato University it started to rain as I waited for a bus. It got heavier and heavier and when I reached my destination it was slanting and combined with a bitter wind. I set off for home but by the time I arrived I was wet through and Jay was frozen. I have to go out today to meet the guide dog instructor so I hope it warms up a little and the rain abates.

Another cluster of migraines has made it difficult to read on my kindle lately. I have finished  The Map That Changed the World and am now catching up with some magazines on my VRS. Readers Digest, North and South and probably Investigate Magazine.

I am finding belonging to several writers groups online that I get useful information for not only writing skills but also connection with other writers. The group Writers Write which emanates out of South Africa is very useful, I do wish I could go to some of their classes though. There must be other useful groups I could subscribe to but first I need to start writing properly again. Literature reviews and articles for Dionamic have taken up all my writing time of late.

I am still curious as to why people often prefer novels to non-fiction. I get very strange looks when I tell people that I prefer to learn something from my reading and they insist I can do that with a novel. I have decided not to tell these people that I prefer channels such as National Geographic, Discovery and the History channel on Sky TV.

I have begun a list of topics I wish to learn more about, such as France and French history, hopefully I will find suitable books to read about this. I must also learn more about Scotland, the programme Scotland Revealed is very interesting, just a pity someone rang when I was trying to learn more about Stirling.