Stacyverb

Bragging

For much of last year, my husband spent most days (and many nights) hunched over his drawing table, producing hundreds of illustrations. 

 

 

His clients were two publishing companies, each specializing in fun books for kids.  It was a lot of work.  Sometimes he didn't get much sleep.  Other times, he had to miss out on social occasions or other fun things because he was under the crunch of a deadline.  It's not for the faint of heart, this business of making the transition from unemployment to self-employment.

One of the books is full of simple science experiments for kids to try with basic items (baking soda, peroxide, food coloring, etc.).  The others are joke books that kept us groaning at the authors' bad puns for months on end.  Kids will love them.

Anthony will be modest and say he's not totally happy with some of his drawings, or grumble about how the pay for these jobs really isn't that great if you break it all down to an hourly wage.  To all this I say: WHATEVER.  He's getting paid to draw.  He's living the dream.

 

 

My husband is one of those people who just has a natural talent.  He puts pen to paper, and moves his hand around, and a picture comes out.  What he can do is like a superpower to me.

 

All that, and he's cute, too!

 

Yay, reading!

Reading has always been a huge part of my life, and I'm sad to say that I haven't done much of it in the past year or two.  Working so much last year especially, I would climb into bed and read for about 15 minutes and fall asleep, and usually that was about all the time each day I could devote to books. 

This year, I'm determined to make reading a higher priority in my life!  I'm actually getting up earlier in the morning, just so I can have some dedicated reading time.  I sit in my Ikea chair and drink my coffee and read, and that gets my day off to a fine start.

Over in my sidebar there's a little ticker that says "2012 Reading Challenge."  I snagged that from Goodreads (where technically I'm a member, but I don't bother writing reviews or anything like that--I just use the site to keep track of books I've read and want to read).  The reading challenge lets you decide how many books you want to read this year.  I set my goal at 30, which is very modest compared to how many I've been known to read in the past.  But considering I think I only read about a dozen books in 2011, 30 would definitely be a huge improvement.  Mostly I just like having the ticker there to remind me that reading is important to me.

The first book I've finished so far this year is American Rust by Philipp Meyer.  I loved this book so much.  A bleak but beautiful story about the people of a small Pennsylvania town that has fallen on hard times after the steel mill closed.  How do they get away?  Do they want to?  And if they try to, what are the ramifications of that?  And if they don't or can't, whose fault is that?  An act of violence near the beginning of the book sets the stage to examine all of these questions and more.

In Defense of Food

Recently I read Michael Pollan's book In Defense of Food. This summer, I got very interested in planning healthy meals at home (more about the why and how of this another time), and Pollan's philosophy about food grabbed my attention from the cover of this book: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

It's simple advice, but more complicated than it seems. Pollan's basic premise is that most of the things available in a typical American supermarket aren't food at all. It's a lot of packaged, processed, engineered “edible food-like substances,” but it's not food in the way that fresh produce or meat is food. That food-like stuff might be tasty, and it might keep us from starving, but what else is it doing to us?

For one thing, according to Pollan, it's keeping us from being able to enjoy eating. Packaged food, fast food, all of that--it's too convenient. It's meant to be consumed in a hurry, not savored. The experience of eating it is unsatisfying, which makes us want to eat more because our bodies know they haven't gotten what they need.

Which brings us to another good point--how much food do our bodies need? Probably not as much as we think they do. The American lifestyle of eating on the go, eating at our desks, etc., leads us to eat mindlessly and to be unaware of how much we're actually consuming. Pollan cites several fascinating studies from professor Brian Wansink, one of which was a survey that asked two groups--one American, one French--how they know when to stop eating. The Americans said things like, “When my plate is clean” or “When I run out of food.” The French people said simply, “When I feel full.”

Ah, the French. We Americans can learn a lot from them about the place of food in our lives. Pollan cites a survey conducted by psychologist Paul Rozin in which Rozin showed the words “chocolate cake” to participants and asked them for a word in response. Among French people, the top answer was “celebration.” The most common response from Americans? “Guilt.” Yikes.

I knew it before, but this book really drove the point home--Americans are really screwed up about food! Two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure are much more common here than elsewhere. We all know someone who eats nothing but take-out food, or someone who's on some crazy diet because they think eating fruit (!) is what's making them fat. Especially among women, we hear this kind of talk from each other all the time--feeling guilty about enjoying food, punishing ourselves in the gym for some dietary transgression (the idea that exercise = punishment is also really screwed up), talking about food in moral terms like “this dessert is so sinful!”

Food isn't our enemy, and the fact that it needs to be defended is pretty sad.  Eating should be a way to nourish our bodies, as well as being a sensory pleasure and a chance to spend time with family and friends. Pollan reminds us that without the distraction of food marketing or politically motivated “nutrition” claims, our bodies basically know what to do--eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

SSS, Days 3 & 4: Decatur Book Festival

Once again, with Labor Day weekend comes the Decatur Book Festival.  This modest little festival has grown rapidly in just a few years, and I hear it's now one of the biggest book festivals in the United States.

I work in Decatur, so I can attest that the festival sure did bring a lot of people into the area (70,000 was the rumor).  On Saturday I had to work, so I didn't get to see any of the festival.  I did wear some self-stitched clothes, though.

 

• Top: Hand-knit Sadie tank top
• Skirt: Thrifted
• Necklace: Abacus necklace, a Stacybeads design, available in my Etsy shop!)

On Sunday, Anthony and I ventured over to the festival and walked around for a bit.  Here's an adorable little someone we met...

Her name is Tootsie, and she is the inspiration behind a children's book called Tootsie The Nibble Hunter.  She couldn't have been a more charming, gracious hostess when we visited her booth.

 

Aaaaand then there's this.  Anytime he sees a wacky cardboard cutout with a space for his head, my husband can't resist posing in it, and I can't resist taking incriminating photos.  This Mike Luckovich cartoon was no exception.

 

Meanwhile, I was involved in the very serious business of being terrorized by "Bookzilla."  Maybe he was jealous of my self-stitched wardrobe?

• Top: Simplicity 5060, out of print
• Earrings: Not visible here, but trust me that they were beaded by yours truly!

Rainy days and Mondays

They DON'T always get me down.  Yesterday was a wet, slimy, windy day, but I didn't care.  It was my day off and I was quite content to watch the rain through the window and be glad I didn't have to be out in it.  The bright autumn leaves popped out so vividly against the gray sky.  My camera's still dead, so take my word when I say it was a beautiful sight.  I toyed with the idea of going shopping for a new camera yesterday, but rejected it due to the whole not wanting to leave the house thing.

I spent a nice chunk of the day doing some sewing.  If you're one of those readers who comes to this blog for sewing content, I'll tell you this: I'm on a bit of a skirt binge.  I finished one last week, worked on another one yesterday, and have another on deck.  The one on deck will be brown because I realized a brown skirt would be a very useful thing to have in my wardrobe (plus I have some nice brown faux suede in my stash).  Working on these quick simple projects is very satisfying.  I'm getting a lot done without getting bogged down.

Also on my rainy day I officially gave up on The Book of Ruth, which I'd been trying to read for a couple of weeks.  I came to the conclusion that I just didn't care.  The story didn't seem to be going anywhere and the narrator was irritating.  So, I started a new book.  I popped popcorn and made hot chocolate.  I had quality snuggle time with my kitties.  Ahhhhhh...cozy, rainy Monday.

That's (not necessarily) entertainment

Judging from the comments people have left here and/or have made to me in person about Tuesday's post, I'm not the only one who sometimes reaches that point where the things we do for fun end up feeling like chores.  And apparently quite a few of us are delusional optimistic about how much time actually exists, especially hobby/recreation/fun time.

Let's talk about this!

There are lots of ways I like to relax, but when I try to cram all of them into a weekend, I can't manage it (duh! see above point re: actual available time) and then feel stressed out.  Which basically sabotages the whole relaxing angle, obviously.  My current goals are about having more calmness in my life, remember?  Freaking out about getting "behind" on pastimes is ABSOLUTELY DUMB.

Knowing all this, recently I have:

• vowed not to start any major new sewing or knitting projects like tailored dresses or intricately cabled socks.  I'll start only simple, quick-gratification projects, and work on finishing the complicated long-term projects already in progress.
• declined several offers from friends who wanted to loan me books they thought I'd like, because I know I won't get to them right away.  (On a similar note, I'm checking out one library book at a time instead of a whole stack.)
• realized I only want to keep up with maybe two TV shows at a time.  Following anything more than that means either planning my downtime around TV (no thanks) or getting behind on episodes and trying to squeeze in time to catch up, which ends up feeling like a chore.
• cut back the Netflix plan to one DVD at a time.  When we had the two-at-a-time, we'd end up with a backlog and those little red envelopes would start taunting us (again, the pressure/ chore/obligation feeling).  Bonus: we save five bucks a month.

How about you?  How could you better manage your downtime?  Could doing fewer "relaxing" things actually help you feel more relaxed?

Shopping for banned books and more in Asheville

September 26-October 3 is Banned Books Week, a "national celebration of the freedom to read."  Libraries and book stores around the country are holding events this week to raise awareness of the fact that each year, individuals and groups attempt to have hundreds of books removed from schools and libraries.

According to the American Library Association, the most frequently challenged "classic" book in America is The Great Gatsby.  With this in mind, I bought a copy of it while I was in Asheville.  I've read it before, but did not own my own copy.  I got this one at Downtown Books & News, a great used book store on North Lexington.

Celebrate Banned Books Week by buying a frequently challenged book at your favorite local book store.  Share your favorite challenged books with young readers!  Check out this link for more ideas on fighting censorship in your community.

While I'm giving a shout-out to Downtown Books & News, I'd also like to mention some other businesses I recommend in downtown Asheville:

Beads and Beyond - gorgeous gemstones and lots more, in the cute little Wall Street neighborhood.

Chevron Trading Post & Bead Co. - also on N. Lexington, this bead shop had (among other things) probably the best selection of seed beads I've ever seen outside of a catalog.  They also had a comfy couch by a fireplace, great music playing, and a big, fat, friendly cat.  I did not want to leave!

Earth Guild - For the more esoteric crafts, this store on Haywood has lots of supplies that are hard to find anywhere else.  Spinning, candlemaking, basketry, rugmaking...just to name a few.  I bought some wool dye there.

Flying Frog Cafe - It's a fine dining establishment downstairs, but upstairs (where we ate) the Flying Frog Bar serves drinks and lighter meals.  It's on Battery Park Ave. and has a very eclectic menu.  The food was delicious and they made a really good mimosa (at dinner--how decadent!).

Malaprops - If you don't want to buy your books used from DB & N, buy them new at Malaprops!  A great little store on Haywood, just up the hill from Earth Guild, they also have a cafe.

Support small businesses at home and when you travel!

Reply from the author

Hello, loyal readers!  Just a quick note to let you know that I received a response about Handle With Care from Jodi Picoult this weekend.  To recap: I emailed her basically the same thoughts that I had posted here, although I refrained from dissing the ridiculousness of the story or her less-than-great writing.  I focused only on what I objected to as a reader with OI (I was also much calmer and did not use ALL CAPS or italics.) :)

Here is the reply I received from her, via her Blackberry:

Stacy...allow me to disagree. The reason Willow is silent till the end is because it allows th other characters to speak to her...she is the fulcrum of the book. As for her death...it is the ultimate lesson for Charlotte. It also is ironically the one time in her life that she is just like any other kid since her fall thru the ice had nothing to do with OI.
I am very proud of the fact that the OI Foundation has endorsed this book for its accuracy and hundreds of readers have become involved with OI walks etc after reading the book. I am sorry to hear that you felt differently about it.
Jodi Picoult

So there you have it.  Of course she stands by her work, which is the right thing for any writer to do.  But she doesn't seem to see how demeaning it is for the first character with OI ever to appear in a novel (as far as I know) to be used as a "fulcrum" who can teach some non-disabled character "the ultimate lesson."

I was telling Anthony (Adverb) last night, that this reminds me of those patronizing kinds of movies that appear now and then, in which, say, a white teacher goes into a black ghetto neighborhood and the experience somehow rocks the teacher's world and he/she learns all kinds of important things about his/herself.  One character's life circumstance becomes another character's life lesson, blah blah blah.

Props to Ms. Picoult for replying at all; I'm sure she gets a ton of email and could easily have ignored my comments entirely.  I wish the reply at least had acknowledged the validity of my perspective, but I'm still glad I sent her my feedback.  Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to do so.

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!!

Earring extravaganza!

First, thanks to everyone who left comments here, or on Facebook, or spoke to me in person about Handle With Care.  Several of you encouraged me to send my comments to Jodi Picoult herself.  I'll let you know if I hear back from her.

Okay, on to new business.  Fall is right around the corner (sort of) and that means it's time to clear out my remaining stock of Stacybeads summer items.  These are the last of my spring/summer earrings and you can save big!  All of these are at least 25% off of the original price, and most are at least 40% off.  Grab 'em while you can!  Shipping and handling will be $2.00 per pair anywhere in the U.S., or you can combine shipping to save even more.  Think ahead to holiday gift-giving, folks!  Just email me; to let me know which ones you want.

 

A. Onyx, quartz, 14K gold-filled beads and wires.  SOLD

B. Czech glass beads and sterling silver.

C. Golden jasper, wood, 14K gold-filled beads and wires.

D. Clear and indigo Swarovski crystals, sterling silver.

EARRINGS A, B, C, and D: $10 per pair.  Order here.

 

E. Wood, jasper, gold-plated wires.

F. Mother of pearl, sterling silver. SOLD

G. Mother of pearl, Czech glass, sterling silver.

H. Pearlescent Czech glass, seeds beads (hand-woven), sterling silver.

I. Mother of pearl, indigo Swarovski crystal, sterling silver.  SOLD

EARRINGS E, F, G, H and I: $10 per pair.  Order here.

 

J. Sterling silver and Czech glass.

K. Jasper, vintage wood and bone beads, 14K gold-filled posts.

L. Czech glass, 14K gold-filled beads and wires.

M. Mother of pearl, carnelian, 14K gold-filled beads and posts.

EARRINGS J, K, L, and M: $12 per pair.  Order here.

 

N. Czech fire-polish beads and seeds beads (hand-woven), sterling silver.

O. Copper, jasper, Czech fire-polish beads.

P. Lacquered seeds, Czech glass, 14K gold-filled posts.

Q. Sterling silver, Czech glass, wood.

EARRINGS N, O, P and Q: $12 per pair.  Order here.

In which I assault an innocent library book

[Warning: The end of this post contains spoilers.  I'll warn you again before you get there.]

When I heard that there was a new novel that dealt with the subject of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), I was intrigued.  This is the brittle bone condition that I have, and it's quite rare, so I was excited to see it represented in a book by a very popular author.

Here I'll pause to say that I'd never read any of Jodi Picoult's books before.  All I knew about her was that she writes what I perceived to be sappy family dramas--not at all the type of thing I normally read.  But I set aside my pre-conceived notions to read this because of the subject matter.

When I started the book, I was thrilled with it.  Picoult (or someone on her staff) clearly had done a lot of research on OI, and I was impressed with how realistically she portrayed the psychological and physical aspects of the condition.  (At times it was a bit too realistic--I did have a few PTSD-type moments while reading her graphic descriptions of fractures and emergency room scenes.) 

The story in Handle With Care centers on a little girl named Willow who has Type III OI (a much more severe form than what I have).  She's precocious and pretty tough despite being so physically fragile.  I definitely recognized my childhood self in her.  Other characters include Willow's parents and sister, her mother's obstetrician, and the lawyer the family hires for a controversial lawsuit.  The novel raises important questions about disability and who gets to decide which lives are worth living or not.  It all continued to seem very promising.  However, after a while, I had a major problem with the way the story was being told.

[Stop reading here if you don't want to know any more specifics about the novel or how it ends.  If you do read the book, please come back later and read the rest of this post and let me know what you think.]

Picoult writes the book from multiple points of view, alternating chapters told by Willow's mother, father, sister, doctor, and lawyer.  Did you notice anyone missing there?  Yup--Willow does not get to tell her own story or make her own voice heard.  This pissed me off to no end.  It absolutely reinforces one of the most frustrating things I experienced as a kid with a disability--being talked about like you're not there, as if you're a baby or an inanimate object with no opinions of your own.  (Never mind the fact that Picoult did an absolutely dreadful job creating individual voices for these disparate characters.)  The story kept taking more and more ludicrous turns (the lawyer's birth mother for whom she's been searching just happens to end up on the jury?  Puh-lease!) and the characters became less and less likeable, but I kept on reading.

But then I got to the end.  Ladies and gentleman, I don't endorse this type of behavior, but when I reached the end of this novel, I physically threw the book (library property--gasp!) across the room.  (It was unharmed.)  Because get this: the last chapter is finally narrated by Willow herself and...guess what happens.  She DIES.  She freakin' dies, in a scene fraught with very cheesy symbolism (the only kind of symbolism Picoult can write, as far as I can tell).  Infuriating.  Willow was the center of the whole story, but Picoult chose to make it be about the rest of the characters and how Willow's OI had affected them.  And then, of course, we can't have a character with a disability go on to live an interesting, productive life--nope, she has to die tragically.

I looked the book up on the internet afterward and saw that it has gotten many bad reviews.  But I didn't see any reviews written by anyone with OI, or anyone who mentioned specifically being upset as a reader with a disability, so I felt that I needed to put this perspective out there.  The world does not need any more patronizing portrayals of people with disabilities, especially kids with disabilities (don't get me started on the Jerry Lewis telethon).  I had hoped that such a popular author as Jodi Picoult could raise awareness of OI (which I'm sure she has), but do it in a way that was not belittling or demeaning to the population she portrays.  I was wrong.  Maybe if I want a book like that to be available to the public, I will have to write it myself.