Category: books

What integrity can look like…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay1 Comment
You guys have figured out, by now, how much I love movies. I would hope that, by now, you guys have also caught on to how passionate Chw and I are about marriage and saving/restoring marriages. As a sidenote, most people who read my blog know that I used to work the entertainment junket scene and have had the privileged of interviewing a good variety of celebrities… So-  
This past weekend I had the chance to see The Vow, starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum. Let me back up a bit though. Roughly a month ago I read about the amazing real-life story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter- whom the film was inspired by. Last week I caught Rachel McAdams on Ellen and found myself thoroughly impressed with how she continued to direct her answers back to Kim & Krickitt instead of simply promoting the film. That stuck with me, Saturday, as I watched The Vow. 
I left the film with definite mixed feelings. There were things I loved, and things I didn’t. It was hard to examine it from an entertainment standpoint, knowing just a bit of the truth behind it’s inspiration. What I did know was that so much was changed, and it made me really sad. {But, my 22 year old son was my date for the night and he loved it and wanted to cry- so there ya go.}
This morning I was blessed with the most amazing introduction to Valentines Day possible- I interviewed Kim and Krickitt Carpenter. I have to say, they are amazingly kind people to humor my blubbering and crying. I was about as unprofessional as I could have been, but that’s ok. Their story has moved and inspired me so much. That their marriage was impacted as it was- and they CHOSE to move through it because they had made a vow- just moves me. {And, let the record state- I was far more starstruck by the two of them than any celebrity.} 
I am going to post a little bit more about my interview with the Carpenters tomorrow, but I just really wanted to take a minute- in relation to the film, to summarize something they said to me…
“Hollywood is Hollywood. We knew their would be changes but we really do love the movie. We thought Channing and Rachel did an amazing job. We know how hard they worked to get to know us and study us, and learn how we are. They tell our story, spot on, in that way…” 
I have a new respect for actors. Specifically, for these two. At the end of the day, it’s a job. They do what they are told. Whether it is a true to life scene or not, they act it out because that’s what they are being paid to do. They went beyond their job, and still are in the PR for the film. What a beautiful gift, from them, to feel so strongly about telling the truth… 
I totally need to rewatch The Vow… Have you seen it? What did you think? 
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Why Women Need Fat…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay5 Comments
I have been compensated for this review and the opinions reflected in this post are my own and do not, in any way, represent Blogher… 
I am not one of those girls who enjoys sitting around and reading health books. In fact, when I fully realized exactly what type of book I had chosen to take on for the Blogher book club, I internally cringed just a bit. That was, until I cracked the pages of Why Women Need Fat by co-authors M.D. William D. Lassek and Stephen Gaulin. From that point on, I was hooked. Why Women Need Fat‘s authors take the time, (sometimes it may seem like a little bit too much time for me) to really break down why women store fat differently, seem unable to lose fat as rapidly as men and how we went from a butter and lard using nation of fairly fit people to the most obese nation in the world, in less than a hundred years… Informative, and written in easy to understand terms, Why Women Need Fat is really is a book for anyone who wants to get a better grasp on our food situation and weight crisis. 
I found myself, more often than not, reading from this books pages to anyone who would listen. While quite a bit of the information shared was stuff I already knew, at least to some degree, I still felt like I learned with nearly every turn of the page. The very second that I turned the last page and closed the cover, my 12 year old and I were pouring through our fridge and cupboards. To say that the content in this book truly affected our family’s life would be an understatement. 
One section, early on, addresses why girls tend to have fatter butt, thighs, and hips than boys. Somehow, rooting from what I don’t know, my youngest decided when she was around 10 years old that she had severely thunderous thighs. (she does not, by any means.) It has been her insecurity for the better part of two years, giving her an actual loathing for this part of her body. When I got to this section in the book, I called her over and we read the reasoning. For the first time, ever, I saw this freedom seep over her as she realized that this wasn’t some huge fault she had- but that it was simply a design for her that served an actual purpose. This blessed me ridiculously. 
From my own perspective, I too found encouragement and peace with myself. We are programmed, not only as Americans, but as women, to strive for skinny and consume only the low fat. With low fat and light food sales being at an all time high, shouldn’t the weight of our country not also be at an all time high? Obviously we’re missing something… This book has the key. I’ve talked about this before, but after I had my hysterectomy in 2000, my weight shot up fast. In the 12 years, since then, I have had multiple nutritionists and physicians reaffirm that I will never lose a significant amount of weight due to my natural hormone levels and more significantly, the shock that my body went through when it was instantly plummeted into menopause at 24 years of age. While I have always believed there had to be a way, the information in this book reaffirmed to me that getting my body to the place of eating as it should- when it should- (and NOT how a government or bazillion dollar industry would tell me to) was more important than anything. From that point, my body will slowly regulate to be however it should be. Is that heavier? Maybe. But it doesn’t matter… 
I whole heartedly recommend this book… (and actually, already have, to multiple people) It stresses the importance of WHOLE, REAL food and then goes on to back up WHY. My only complaint, if I had to have one, would be that it gets a bit repetitive… It didn’t really bother me though, because repetition is how we remember and I deeply need to remember everything I learned…
This was the PERFECT book for my year of Health! 
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One…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay1 Comment
I can’t even believe it, and yet- I absolutely can… 
Another month, another year. Fresh start. Fresh breath. 
Beginning… 
While I feel content, mostly… Perhaps not as much as i would hope but far more than i was before- i find fingers crossed and hopes high at this thing known as january one. 
first… first of something. 
first of everything. 
one. number one month, number one day to this newness that is not really anything very new at all- except for a clean calendar slate and well- let’s face it- we all know what the Mayans said about that… 
Leave it to me to get my junk figured out right before the timer dings… 
Oh well.
I don’t really subscribe to that anyway… 
Me– 
– I want, no scratch that… i NEED to read at least two books for me. Work aside… for me. I am a better me, a better woman and a far better writer when I read. 
– I need to create. i have a list of paper projects, gift projects and a few slightly more daring furniture projects to work towards. Wish me luck? 
– I plan to see. See the world through the lens of my canon. See films. See people. See life. 
– live life. 
– breathe. Through affirmations. through prayer. through yoga. through calming. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. {Please remind me, should I need it.} 
– and of course- the obvious: WRITE. I must write. there is no “like to” or option here. 
Capture– 
– bowls of soup
– new drink and the year’s first book
– icicles
– winter bundled children
– Kaileigh’s bday
– the tree
– Chw’s smooth newness
– our first meal, this year, as a family
– first snow of the year. (one way, or another)
– snuggles
Us– 
– back to educating… Bittersweet. I’ll look to sweet. I am blessed. I choose cherish. 
– We’ll think on Ecology and Conservation. 
– We’ll strive to manage. Manage time. Manage Money. Manage Goals and possessions. 
– We are starting a new allowance system. I’m excited. Gen’s excited. We’re all excited really. 
– Weekend away. 
– Family dinners. Conversing. Love. Support. 
– We delve into classic literature, again, together. 
– We step out and make friends. We try new things. We journey. We cherish. We breathe. {Must continue remembering…}
– focus locally. local shops. local restaurants. businesses owned by people, who work in love for real people. 
– community. outreach. volunteer. serve. 
Heart– 
– i forgive. Me. Others. Life. 2011. Me. Me. Me… Always me, me who damages the most. 
– breathe. 
– pray. 
– read. 
– love. 
– community. outreach. volunteer. serve. {rinse and repeat…}
– sleep. 
Home– 
– organize for schooling. Creative, practical and simple spaces. 
– stock up our tea supply. We’ve dwindled it down. 
– discard the excessive. 
– restock and organize pantry for better feeding of loved family.
– dance in the kitchen, laugh at the table. We need this, everyday. 
– cook together. 
– loosen the kitchen reins. 
Health–
– no soda. none. I’ve done it before. I’m doing this again. 
– cut back on wheat. a lot. 
– swim. 
– move. move in ways which help me love myself, not in ways in which I dread. 
– sleep. 
– breathe. {this is feeling repetitive.}
Love– 
– hold hands. 
– respect him. Consciously. Authentically. 
– kiss. 
– cook for him. 
– fold his socks. {which i hate to do.} 
– date him, and when we are dating- see him genuinely. 
– listen to him. 
– listen to him breathe. 
– recognize, remember and respect that he needs him time too. not for work, not with us in tow. 
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What I have read, and loved…

Published on by Mae @ RainydayinmayLeave a comment

Between being a wife, a mom, sick for the second half of the year and staying pretty busy with freelancing and reading for work- I didn’t have a lot of personal time for reading… When I did find time, {like over the summer when I read some really horrible books for books club} I often found myself disappointed. This is my (sadly small) list of books that I loved this year… 

Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington {novel}

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp {memoir/Christian}

Dash and Lily’s book of dares by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow

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The Magic Room…

Published on by Mae @ RainydayinmayLeave a comment
I was compensated for this BlogHer book club review, but the views expressed are all my own… 

The Magic Room is tucked into the second floor of a small town Michigan bridal boutique known as Becker’s Bridal. Once a bride-to-be has found the dress she loves, she is escorted to this room that is aesthetically designed to help her feel her most beautiful… 
It’s a lovely idea, this Magic Room, and it is the intended subject of Jeffrey Zaslow’s latest book, of the same title. Reading, at first, like a compilation of various news interviews and columns, what the Magic Room becomes is a story about life and living. From the personal and heart breaking stories of the six Becker brides he focus’s on, or the family tale of the Beckers themselves- the constant underlying theme to Jeffrey’s latest work is life. Somehow he manages to captures the perspectives of every person he mentions, in a way that is not at all unfocused, even though it seems like it would be. 
The early consumer reviews for the Magic Room don’t seem very favorable. I tried not to let that little Amazon star rating affect my perspective as I sat down and cracked the cover. I am really glad I didn’t because I fell deeply in love with this book. Perhaps I read it the way it’s author intended it- or maybe I got something different. I don’t know. I laughed with the funny, radiated a bit with the proud and beautiful and cried on multiple occasions with the heart ache. By the time I closed that back cover, I felt like I’d made 8 new friends and I knew that I wanted my daughter’s donning dresses from Becker’s Bridal- whenever their special days occurred… 
The Magic Room is a beautiful story for mothers. It is a beautiful book for daughters. It is poetry written in real life and circumstance. It taught me more in the afternoon that I read it, than I have learned from a book in a really long time. I am really looking forward to sharing this book with you, and engaging in the weeks of discussions ahead… 
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