"The School Of Essential Ingredients" by: Erica Bauermeister

"The School of Essential Ingredients" by: Erica Bauermeister was a breath of fresh air. It was first recommended to me by my mother. Her book club had read it and loved it, and then my best friend actually ended up borrowing my copy before I read it and also loved it. So needless to say it had been on the list of books to read for a while. 

I finally picked it up actually about a month ago. Having now finished the book I can now tell you that the best way to read this book is to never rush it. I read it a chapter or two at a time myself. Relishing the world that I was invited into. 

This perfectly lovely book is about life and learning to love yourself and the wonderful people that come into our lives. It is centered around a cooking class. In the process though we get a little snap shot into each person's personal story. We get a glimpse into their hearts and dreams. 

This is a book that you read outside in the shade on a warm sunny day.. not a hot day... or in a comfy chair on a drizzly day. 

This book was unique for me. i took my time with it. I read many other books in between its chapters. I enjoyed these easy glimpses into lives that are so normal. I felt like this all could be happening to people in the restaurant across the street. 

I recommend this book to adults. I loved it and will be giving it to a few friends. 

11 Day Book Challenge

Well, I have been in New England for the entire summer now, and it is time to go. Not that I didn't have fun selling arguably crappy footwear. One must know when the tide is changing though, and mine is changing quickly. 

With another move I am yet again going through everything that I own and deciding if I do actually still wish to own it. I have accumulated mostly clothing and books. The clothing doesn't matter though, because I have already filled one garbage bag full of clothes and shoes to donate to good will. 

The books are another matter all together however. 

You see my problem is that I buy them exponentially faster than I read them. I happen to be a pretty fast reader, so you can imagine how many books I have. I go through times when I have no inclination to read as well. My major problem however would be that I have iBooks on my iTouch and have found more than a few free books that have captured my attention and have taken me away from the ever growing pile of actual books. 

It is times like this that I wish I had a car. Then the weight of my bags would not matter. I am flying out to Phoenix on the 29th. I can fit everything I own in my luggage, but not under the weight. So my master plan is to ship my parents, who currently have a corner of the garage dedicated to my stuff that is mostly books, a box of the books that I have already read. When I went to gather all of them up though, I realized that I had only read six actual, physical, real books. This does not help with the weight issue all that much. 

So in an attempt to boost these numbers I am issuing myself a challenge. 

The Challenge: Read one book for the next ELEVEN days

Admittedly I am choosing books that are mostly small. I did put in one big book in the mix to be read on the only day off work I will most likely have between now and then. 

The Chosen Few: 

1. "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells

2. "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

3. "The Invisible Man" by H.G. Wells

4. "The School of Essential Ingredients" by Erica Bauermeister

5. "The War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells

6. "The Silent Sea" by Clive Cussler

7. "In a Witch's Wardrobe" by Juliet Blackwell

8. "Finding the Angel Within" by Pamela H. Hansen

9. "Paper Towns" by John Green

10. "Why God Lets Us Choose" by Stephen D. Nadauld

11. "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis

I am pretty confident that I can achieve this. It will be  a lot of reading all at once, but I think that only taking thirty or so books to Arizona is better than taking forty or so. 

Wish me luck!!! 

And keep an eye out for all of the reviews.

"Atlantis Found" By: Clive Cussler

Another installment into my favorite adventure series. Atlantis Found did not disappoint. Everyone's favorite NUMA team stumbles onto a plot by Hitler's secret progeny to bring about a Fourth Reich, and in doing so bringing about an actual apocalypse. I am not really sure how this happened, but have two books so closely read about the Nazi's coming back to haunt us is kind of funny to me. 

There is the same witty banter and awesome science in this novel as in all of Cussler's novels. I can't say he isn't predictable, but he keeps it interesting enough to have me completely in love with his writing and buying as many of his books as I can. I have a list of all his books I have on my iTouch so that I don't buy one I already own... again. Actually have done that a couple of times. 

There is one thing that I noticed about this book that I haven't really paid any attention to in the past. 

See, all of his books are set in the future. Cussler has been writing for so long though that most of his books that I come across (I don't search for them, I like to just find them randomly) are now our past. Which is a credit to him because the technology in his books do not come across as out of date. He sets it up however so that there are dates on some of the chapter headings so that you can see the progression of time and when in the future it is. The last chapter in this book takes place on September 10, 2001. I just found it a coincidence that the book all about stopping the murderous terrorist plot would end on the day before the actual terrorist plot went down in reality. It really has nothing to do with the book itself.... more just an observation I was noticing every time there was a date stamp. 

ANYWAY

I recommend that everyone read this book. It's a fast, fun, smart read. 

"Life Is What You Make It" By: Peter Buffett

So I occasionally meander across the book store isles to something other than the paranormal or adventure novels. I even will pass the travel essay section (which, lets be honest, is one of the best places in the entire store) and I make my way over to the "Inspirational" or "Self-Help" section. 

Due to a few twists and turns in my personal life, I ended up getting this book: "Life Is What You Make It" by: Peter Buffett. 

I LOVED IT!!!

This book is full of advice that you feel like you tell yourself all the time, but either do not actually tell yourself or are too stubborn to follow your own advice. 

I recommend that EVERYONE read this book. It is a fast read and worth the money in my book. 

He starts out with a few reality checks. Making sure that your not going to stay stuck where ever you are because of some delusion you have. There are also a few chapters about the definitions that society puts on us and how they are hindering us. How we need to step outside of the box. 

I must admit that a big reason that I related so well to this book was most likely because most of the life experience that he draws from is in trying to be a musician. I have no music ability, but I do/ have faced some of the same challenges in trying to be a writer. 

Another thing that had me loving this book was that in the process of applying everything that He has learned in life to the general population, Mr. Buffett manages to also call us out as a society. He points out that having a life run purely by money is where a lot of people get held up. There is a call to not have material things and money be the driving force in life. I love it. 

Read It. 

A to Z Simple Things to LOVE .... Tamera Edition

This is in no way an original idea from the beautiful mind of Tami. I have seen it a few times on the blogosphere lately, and decided to share my list with everyone.

The gist of it is that you choose one simple thing that you love for every letter of the alphabet. The idea is to choose just one.. but I couldn't narrow it down for most of these.  

A

Art... I feel like I have always been surrounded by art in one form or another. Even dabbled in it a little bit myself in High School. My Father is an artist, so are two of my best friends. Art makes me feel everything though ... and usually just at a glance.

B

Books ... this one is obvious. Half of this blog is about books that I have read. I love the way they feel, the way they smell, the way they look. I even love the weight of them. I love the way they open up worlds for us. I love the way they open up our own. I can find books on anything I want. I read everything as a result of this. 

Blogging... I wouldn't have the blogs that I have if I didn't love it. It helps me organize my thoughts sometimes. Lets be honest... sometimes they are pretty far in left field.  

Being Barefoot ... As much as I love shoes, I do not particularly like wearing them. If it was socially acceptable or even sanitary I would very rarely wear shoes.

C

Color... Color just makes me happy. So much can be told to the world just through color. 

Candy... I have the biggest sweet tooth on the planet. Just ask my dentist. I love probably 70% of candy that crosses my path.

Chocolate... I feel like this is self explanatory. If you need an explanation - then you will never understand.

Conspiracy Theorys... These truly entertain me. I even listen to Coast to Coast radio. I like anything that has to do with the government cover ups for Big Foot, UFO's,  the Kennedy assassination, the moon landing, Everything. 

D

Dreams... this is a rather whimsical answer, I know, but I am sort of obsessed with my dreams. If I remember them I usually end up analyzing them and/or writing them down for a story later on.

Dogs... I get along better with most dogs than I do with 80% of humans. They are the loyalist of the loyal. You have to respect that. 

E

Exercise... I need to do this more often, but when I do I love the Endorphin rush.

F

Family and Friends... I have been blessed with a great support system. 

G

God... I not only believe with all my heart that there is a God, but I know that He loves me and wants the best for me and helps me in my life to have the best life I can. We have had our ups and downs, Him and I, but in the end I love him still, and He I. 

Ghost Stories... I love everything ghosts. I am definitely a Ghost Hunters tv series junky. I personally feel like the dead have so many better things to do than mess with the living. That doesn't mean I can't love the stories that come out.

Green... This may be deeply rooted in my having grown up mostly in the Pacific Northwest. It is not just green there. It is ALL green, all the time. On top of that it is this dark awesome smelling green because it's usually a little misty during much of the year.

H
Hiking... hiking is the best way to get the blood flowing and get some fresh air into the body.

This is me basking in the awesomeness of hiking

Heroes... I love the comic book movies. I have never read, nor have any desire to read, any comic books. Yet I love every single one of the movies. Maybe it's the things blowing up, maybe it's the hope that we all can be something amazing and help save the world someday. Something that does not hurt them in any way is that all of the heroes are GORGEOUS (Ryan Reynolds).

Hugs... Everyone needs a hug right?

Halloween... This is my favorite holiday. Who doesn't love free candy .. not this girl. This girl LOVES FREE CANDY. I also love the decorations, and the costumes, and the history. But mostly .. it would be the free candy.

I
Ice Cream... Ice cream is like a hug in a carton. It is also a wonderful concoction where chocolate and peanut butter and thick creamy milk come together and melt in my mouth.

Imagination... This world would be a dark and dreary place without imagination. All of those books I love so dearly would not exist, and the lovely things in life would just be significantly less lovely.

J
Jokes... Who doesn't love a good joke? I am pretty sure it is medically proven to be good for you.

Jogging... I don't even know if I can really describe it .. but this would be my favorite form of exercise. I would say running, but the pace I go can only be termed as jogging.

Journals... I have an entire tub of finished journals. Although, mine tend to end up a quarter scrapbook by the time they are finished. I think that if nothing else we can hand down our life for the next generation to laugh at, lean on, and learn from. They also happen to be an ever expanding conduit of every emotion. They are the best friend that will never talk back, make us feel bad, or question our judgment. Yet when I look back through mine sometimes I still learn from them. I have my happiness, heart ache, trials, and triumphs in those pages. If you don't have one, get one.

K
Kicking Back... We can all use a moment sometimes to sit back and enjoy being. Just Being. I do it oh-so-well.

Keeping Up With Friends...  I move around a lot, so keeping up with my friends that I no longer live around is always fun. You learn who really means a lot to you and who you mean a lot to in return.

L
Laughing... this would go back to the Joke thing. It's good for the soul.

Lists... I make lists for everything. I have: To-Do lists, Shopping Lists, Schools to Apply to Lists, Lists of Bills, Lists of Books to read and to buy and to review. I have lists of run routes, story ideas, blog ideas, and photo ideas. I also have lists of hotels and of jobs and of adventures to go on. I would also like to point out that this is a rather long and detailed list that you are in the middle of reading.

M
Music... I love music. I love the sounds, I love the feelings, I love the messages and the stories that can be told. I love the soul you can sometimes recognize from the artist in them. I am one of those people that always has headphones in when I am alone in public.
*true story: I was in K-Mart one day, wandering around because I went there for something but had a ton of time so was checking things out. I had my head phones in and was listening to my iPod. One of the women I work with saw me and I guess was calling my name from behind and like following me around trying to get my attention. She finally caught up with me and saw that I was listening to music and not blowing her off and being rude. She was like "who listens to music while they shop?" I kind of stared at her for a second and was like "I do". I feel like these things should be obvious to everyone.

Movies... I love movies. They are books on big screens. I watch almost anything. I do not like gory though. People on meat hooks just does not appeal to me.

Mail... I rarely get regular mail that is not a bill. When I do though I get so excited. Even with e-mail I get a lot of crap in my inbox and so I love when I get a real email as well.

The Moon... It is a beautiful. It makes me happy to look at. To wonder what lies beyond.

N
Night... I have always loved the night. I love walking at night. The world seems more clear for some reason. If you go at the right time you have the world to yourself.

Ninjas... They are just awesome.

Nature... God's gift to us. It is beautiful. I love it from the mountains to the oceans. From the forests full of trees to the desert at NIGHT.

O
Organization... I live my life in a constant state of controlled ciaos, but everything has a place. Sometimes they have a place within a place. My shoes have their corner, my bills have their binder, my clothes have their suitcase. I even label what I call my "brain book".

The Ocean... I love the rhythm it has. I love the animals that inhabit it. I love the feel of the water on my skin, and the freedom that swimming in the ocean brings.

P
Presents... um .. who doesn't like presents. Strangely though, I would rather not receive them on my birthday.

Photography... The world opens up to us through photography. We can also take a piece of the beauty we encounter with us to experience again and share with others.

Planning... I make many a plans. I frequently plan and re-plan my life.

Q
Quotes... I love to hear what others have to say about life, the human condition, about staying steady, and about being good people. I love them so much that I have started sharing them with you on this blog. You can find them under the titles "Someone much wiser than I once said...".

R
Reading... It goes back to the books thing. I can read for not just hours straight, but DAYS straight. At the same time I don't have enough attention span to finish this post in less than 4 tries of sitting down and working on it. I thought it would be short and easy... I was wrong... and am a bit long winded.

Rain... I find it cleansing and comfy. Again... I did a lot of growing up in the Pacific Northwest.

S
*So I actually had a bigger list for this one. I will only expound on a couple, but here is the complete list: Story Tellers, Sleep, Sunshine, Smiles, Sushi, Spontaneity, and Star Gazing.

Story Tellers... This comes on many levels. The first would be the fact that I love being told a story. Both real and fake, there is a finesse that goes to good story telling, and not everyone has it. The other is that as an aspiring author I try to be a story teller.

Spontaneity... Wondrous and crazy things happen when you don't plan them and it is usually much better if you just embrace it.

Star Gazing... The stars link us to the past and future at the same time. They tell the story of our ancestor's Gods and at the same time they remind us and show us where someday I hope we get to go.  Plus they are just Gorgeous in their grandeur.

T
Trees... I do not even know how to describe how much or why I love trees so much. I have a board on Pinterest dedicated to them. They are strong and comforting and beautiful. They provide life to us. It's complicated.

Talk Radio... We get to hear regular people talk about what they care about. My favorite show is Coast to Coast at 1am. It's conspiracy/ paranormal topics mostly. I love it.

U
Umbrellas... They enable me to go on long walks in the Rain that I love so much.

UFO's... hehehe .. Aliens are my guilty pleasure. I love watching TV about them, and "documentaries" and movies. They are just fun. I do believe in them. I just do not think they have any particular interest in us.

V
Vacations... This is another one of those things that I would worry if you didn't like them.

W
Water... I have always felt at home in the water. It also happens that fat floats so I would really have to try to drown anywhere.

Writing... I am not an articulate person. I slur my word together and mumble horribly. I forget words that are so simple it's stupid. My friends have a joke about being able to speak Tami, and how my friend Rose is the only one who can consistently decipher what I say.When I write though, I am clear and concise. I can get my point across and no one is asking me to repeat myself because I have mixed up words in my head, or mumbled through an entire story about something crazy that happened at work. Things are less funny if you have to repeat the joke.

X
X-MAS... I couldn't think of something for X, but Christmas is my other favorite holiday. I don't even mind snow on Christmas. I hate it every other day, but not Christmas.

Y
YOGA!!!... If you don't already do this I would highly recommend you start. It is my favorite strength training. I always feel revitalized and more flexible. It also helps my allergies go away and my chronic cough not come around - and that is always a good day.

Z
ZZZZZZ's... Sleep is my friend. It lets me get through the day and helps my eyes not look too dark around the edges.

ZZ Top... Awesome rocker who will never go out of style. He is the coolest of the cool.

Zebras... I don't really have a particular affinity toward them, but they deserve a shout out as the first thing that comes to everyone's mind when you say think of something that starts with a Z.  

Love and Human Contact

Have you ever contemplated the need that we all have to be near other people? To know that there are others in this world that care for us. Now bear with me a second while I explain this random thought I had tonight. 

I am an insomniac. Well, maybe it would be more accurate to say that I am half night owl and half insomniac. As a result from this I find myself listening to late night talk radio on the good old AM radio. Hands down the most entertaining is the Coast to Coast show. It's conspiracy radio that mostly covers the topics of aliens, and time travel, and secrets to living forever, and government cover ups. The usual stuff that conspiracy theorists talk about I suppose. 

Tonight though, they had a woman on that has started a group?, community?, I am not really sure what to call it but the entire point is focused prayer/positive energy. It is call the White Light Express. I like how it works. They have all of these people that are apart of it. Someone will ask to be the focus of their prayers and/or positive thoughts (they refer to it as white light) for two weeks. From what I can tell most of the people that participate in this are strangers. They are from all walks of life, all different religions and non-religions, some do not even believe in any God at all. 

What I love about this is that it works. 

Now, I am a member of the LDS church myself. I believe with all my heart in a loving God that knows our individual plights and listens to our pleas. I also happen to believe in the power of positive thought. 

They are helping people go into remission from cancer. People are coming out of depression. they are having real results. Even if we take out the God factor. Think of that placebo effect. Say I am diagnosed with breast cancer. I am completely alone in life, but I hear about this group and so ask to be the focus. I then know that all of these complete strangers are out in the world thinking of the best possible outcome for me. I am worth it to this huge group of people. I know that I am loved and thought of and suddenly I am getting better.  

A similar thing was documented to happen in old orphanages. They noticed that the babies that were picked up and touched and loved did better and had a better chance of living than the babies that were ignored except for basic care. 

I just think it is really cool how if you think about it, if the world was turned upside down and for some reason there was no religion on this planet. We could still know that as human beings we are biologically better off if we love one and other and serve our brothers and sisters. 

Someone Much Wiser Than I Once Said....

"I am sure it is a great mistake always to know enough to go in when it rains. One may keep snug and dry by such knowledge, but one misses a world of loveliness."

-Adeline Knapp

I love rain. I am not sure if this a direct result of growing up in the pacific northwest, or if I am just a nostalgic soul. It is a beautiful piece of weather. The rain brings water to our crops that sustain us. It brings water to the rivers that entertain us, and humble us at the same time. The rain brings out those feelings of sorrow that we keep hidden inside us, but really need to let out. It helps us have cozy days and nights full of books, old movies, good friends, and warm beverages. 

The rain cleanses this Earth we some times take for granted, and simultaneously helps us clean our souls of the muck and the mud that may build up there. In the bathing of the land we see it come alive. 

The rain shows us that sometimes even mother nature must destroy to make way for the clean, the new, the beautiful. 

I went on a walk in the rain this past Sunday. It was needed. It was cleansing and healing and made everything smell better. There is just something about walking around and thinking about the things that generally avoid thinking about that the rain just seems to help with. 

I am curious if there have ever been any scientific studies about the connection between rain the human mind and thought processes. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way."

-Unknown

"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby."

- Langston Hughes

"What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why,

I have forgotten, and what arms have lain

under my head til morning; but the rain

Is full of ghosts to-night, that tap and sigh

Upon the glass and listen for a reply..."

-Edna St. Vincent Millay

Turns out there ARE Good Samaritans in the world

I have not ever given it much thought as to whether or not I ever expected a complete stranger to help me out in the world. A couple of weeks ago I was surprised though when it actually happened. 

I stated in a previous post, rather rant, that I had managed to lose my drivers license while traveling to a friend's wedding. I got through that weekend with out one. I happen to not really need one in my everyday life otherwise, now that I have no car of my own, so I procrastinated getting a replacement. 

I am glad that I did.

I randomly received this letter in the mail containing with it my long lost license. 

It was very unexpected, and very appreciated. 

So, THANK YOU Andy, from Colleyville, TX.

I am hoping to find an opportunity to pay it forward.

"The Athena Project" Book Review

"The Athena Project" by Brad Thor was awesome. 

I am a huge fan of 'thriller' books, and Thor does not disappoint. 

The basic outline of the book is that it is about an elite team of women in the US Military's Delta Force program. These are strong, powerful, intelligent women who do the jobs that men can't. They can take care of themselves and the rest of the world. Admittedly, I was a little biased by the premise. In a world with such a skewed view on woman hood I tend to latch onto anything that shows us women who can be both beautiful and extremely intelligence. 

What next made this book awesome was the science. The page before the first chapter starts includes this sentence: "The science in this novel is based on reality." I did not think much about this when I first read it. When I was done with the book though, I happened to drop it and it landed face down on that page. So, I read it again. My first thought? THAT IS AWESOME!!!

Why is that so awesome, you ask?

The plot line for this first book (which I am so very hopeful that it will turn into a series) was about this Athena team going after a group of very dangerous men that got a hold of some very cool experimental technology from WWII. You do not have to be a scholar to know that the Nazi's were interested in a ton of sketchy stuff, none of which was main stream. 

We are talking stuff you see in Star Trek. 

I recommend this book to everyone. 

People who actually like books about spies and tough chicks and real science with a little government conspiracy mixed in will enjoy it the most though.

Someone Much Wiser Than I Once Said...

"Our lives are made up of thousands of everyday choices. Over the years these little choices will be bundled together and show clearly what we value."

-Boyd K. Packer

The first time that I saw this quote, it was typed on a plain white piece of office paper sitting on a chair that I wanted to sit on at church. I assumed the woman who sat there from the previous group had left it there. I was sitting too far away from the garbage so I shoved it in my bag without even reading it. 

Two months later I hit a time in my life when the decision that I made was really not the most popular. 

I personally believe that things happen for a reason. I believe that people or things are put into our paths that will help us progress in life.  They help us build perspectives and make choices. 

I come across this again, many months down the road, and as a student of stories I see how small choices I made long before that monumental one prepared me to be here now, after the choice. I also see that ever popular alternate ending and how slight changes in those choices would have smoothed my path. 

Thousands of choices ... bundled together ... That should be entertaining.