January 31st, 2012
This month I have:
*Read 3 books:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (See my review here.)
Unbearable Lightness by Portia De Rossi (See my review here.)
Perfection by Julie Metz — A memoir about a woman who becomes a widow when her husband dies in her arms on the kitchen floor, AND THEN finding out about her husband’s secret life after his death. Gripping, perfectly written, and at times a bit crass. It is real life in words. Two thumbs up!
*Begun sewing an item of clothing
*Ordered 3/10 foods I wouldn’t have normally ordered (The Thai Crunch at CPK is to die for!)
*2/30 {especially} nice things for Rustin (When I was having a bad day too, bonus points right?)
*Out of PJ’s for 23 days
Wow. I didn’t cross a single thing off my list. Guess I gotta really work February.
Cheers!
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January 22nd, 2012
I picked this sucker up on a Saturday and was done by Wednesday. I couldn’t put it down.
I often joke that Portia is my celebrity girlfriend. When I first laid eyes on Portia’s hair on Ally McBeal, I knew I was done for, it was lust at first sight. She is the reason I picked up this book.
“I didn’t decide to become anorexic. It snuck up on me disguised as a healthy diet, a professional attitude. Being as thin as possible as a way to make the job of being an actress easier.”
I’ve always wanted to peek into the life of someone suffering from anorexia in Hollywood (don’t ask); I often wondered what their daily struggles must be like. This is exactly that.
She is very honest in her writing. So much that at times I found myself annoyed by her. It is very clear that this book was written not as a method to help someone else, but as a way of healing herself. That is what makes this book so lovely. The catch is that there are plenty of people, myself included, that were touched by Portia’s way of healing and this book, I have no doubt, has helped many others.
If you have ever been on a diet, you should read this book. If you have ever wondered what it’s like to be an actress in Hollywood, you should read this book. It’s like reading a diary, you know that it is honest and is written for the sole purpose of having a place to regurgitate the innards of your brain. It’s personal, disturbing, and shocking. And I guarantee that you will look at dieting and exercise differently by the time you reach that last page.
Overall, definitely a good read. I’m already wanting to read it again.
Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain by Portia de Rossi
*This book is 2/10 on my 30 before 30 list.
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January 16th, 2012
I like books that are real. That come from people whom don’t take sides and just tell a good story. I like books with a bit of controversy. That are complex and sad and make you feel differently after you’ve read them.
This is that book.
I got this book for Christmas from my darling husband because I saw it at the bookstore and HAD to have it right then. After he pried it from my hands, I was told I was not allowed to buy myself anything before Christmas.
Doctors took her cells without asking. Those cells never died. They launched a medical revolution and a multimillion-dollar industry. More than twenty years later, her children found out. Their lives would never be the same.
What the description left out is that it is also a book about self-discovery. About a family who is so blinded by anger they live their lives in a cloudy mess until this author takes them by the hand and leads them to places, even she, never expected. Out of anger. And sometimes into more hurt. It is a story of gain, buy mostly loss. It is tragic and wonderful. What this family has sacrificed so that science would never be the same, and that humanity can say they’ve been cured, is touching and also disturbing. (I also really like that the author becomes a character in the story.)
You must read this book. And then come back to me so we can chat. :)
Proceeds go toward the education of the descendants of Henrietta Lacks. A++++
Cheers!
*This is the first of 10 books I’m reading this year (even though my goal is still 30) for my 30 Before 30 List*
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January 5th, 2012
We stood in the kitchen as I pitched my new idea. Things like Skydiving, partying in Mardi Gras and traveling to the other end of the Continent rattled out of my mouth before I had time to stop them. Then he reminded me that I was British and I should scale it down a bit (any Eddie Izzard fans out there?). Sadly, he was right. Even my wildest dreams were a little too wild for us.
Today is my Birthday, yay! As I was sitting around thinking about what exactly being 29 meant, I imagined a girl swan-diving off the edge of a cliff arms wide open. I decided that 29 meant rearing up and galloping into my 30′s full speed.
So, I present… my 30 before 30 list.
*Read 10 books (Originally it was 30, but again… I’m British remember?)
*Meet 30 people
*Try 30 new foods
*Get to California
*Go on a hot air balloon ride
*Road trip with friends
*See the Grand Canyon
*Submit a photo to a photo contest
*Go to Lavender Days
*Go to the Tulip Festival
*Cook live crab
*Take G to Disneyland
*Go whale watching
*Reach goal weight
*Get out of my PJ’s for 30 days
*Take a cooking class
*Take a dance class
*Go dancing with Rus
*Do 30 nice things for Rus
*Throw a dinner party
*Sew an item of clothing and wear it.
*Visit my Grandmother’s grave
*Have a Pink’s hot dog
*Attend a concert
*Grow an herb/vegetable garden
*Go wine tasting
*Crochet/knit a blanket
*Take a self-defense class
*Volunteer at a homeless shelter
*Design something
And because my husband is a team player, he got me this fancy little notebook to keep my accomplishments in. :D
Given that I only have 366 days to make it all happen, I decided that maybe going to Rome and/or seeing the Pyramids would have to wait… maybe a 31 before 31?
Me: “Don’t you just love my lists?!”
Him: “SO much.”
Yea, he’s a keeper. ;)
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