More of life being Weird

So again, I haven't blogged in forever. My reasons are legit. I had another unexpected death of a family member. A death of a dear friend. And then I was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition. You know, fun stuff.

In my defense, I have been reading. And I have been writing (fiction). More on those topics later. But first, you guys, I got a dog!

Here is my newest fur baby. Meet D

She is an American Bulldog mix. Very sweet and jowley and slobbery.

I got her to motivate me to get my fat butt off the couch, so I can keep my ticker a'tickin. Also because J has all his life wanted a bulldog. Our local pound was overcrowded and having $1 adoptions, and D was the pooch we fell in love with.

The cats were not amused. Z fled to the basement and S full on trolls the dog when she is in her crate.

I've never owned a dog before, though J has. So I've been reading and listening to a lot of dog care and dog training books. Full disclosure, I'm a little iffy about Cesar Milan guys. His techniques sound good in theory, but they have no effect on D's leash pulling and fervor for small animals.

This book has been a balm to my new dog mommy nerves though.

All Dogs go to Kevin by Dr. Jessica Vogelsang. This is funny and heartwarming and soothes the occassional impulse to murder my new canine companion when she tries to murder my feline companions.



Also due to the heart condition and nasty things that showed up during one very fun ER heart cath test, my doctor has recommended I go on the Mediterranean Diet. And while I do enjoy olive oil, hummus, and the occasional glass of red wine, this is a diet in the traditional sense of the word. Not a fad, a lifestyle.

Naturally I went into Research Girl mode. Here are some of the books that have been helping me.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mediterranean Diet by Kimberley Tessmer R.D L.D.  Such a good primer! Because, let's be honest, I can be as much of an idiot as the next girl.

The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Amy Riolo. This has been a wonderful starter cookbook for me, especially in learning to use fresh ingredients in new ways.

Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews by Poopa Dweck. This is now strictly a Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, but it does expand on the flavors. I've just had to be careful about portion size and to steer clear of the "things stuffed with meat" category. Still, very tasty stuff!

To take my mind and heart off of all the badness going on lately, I've been doing a lot of writing. Here are a few books that have aided me on my journey.

500 Ways To Tell A Better Story by Chuck Wendig. This dude is seriously funny. I sometimes delve a little too far into the dark recesses of my brain while writing, and Chuck's humor is my antidote.

The Transitive Vampire by Karen Elizabeth Gordon. I didn't know that grammar books could be anything but dry before I read this. Goth for writers, man! Totally ghoul.

On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner. I'll just say it, because there is no way around it. And I may have made this point before. John Garner was a genre snob pure and simple. But he also knew his stuff. The combination of those two traits in this book are hilarious. Because I think, had I met him when he was alive, I may have seriously disliked the man. But his thoughts and advice on developing as a writer are beautiful.



That's all I've got for now. Next time, an update on my Writer's of Color reading list and some gems that I've read and reviewed. Hopefully it will not be years before I post again....