February 2011 | Page 2 of 5 | Kate's Point of View

Month: February 2011 Page 2 of 5

My Body Is Failing Me

On February 20, 2011

For the first time in my life, I am trying really hard to lose weight. Or at least get to a spot where I am controlling my weight. I’ve cared before but it wasn’t ever much of an issue.

Many months into dating Wonder Boy I reached one of my highest weights. (The result of eating out and spending too many days having TV marathons with Wonder Boy.) I’m lucky in that I have almost 6 feet of places to hide the weight so I don’t think many people noticed. Then work got crazy and at the same time I was planning a wedding and, very unintentionally, I lost 20 pounds way too quickly. That people noticed. It was enough that I had to go buy a new bathing suit the day I left for my honeymoon because all of mine were falling down.

I know there are people who really struggle with their weight. And they’re probably reading this and thinking, “Bitch.” Keep reading.

So over the last several months I’ve been gaining weight. Not a ton but enough that some really cute jeans no longer fit. It all began as I started a new job. I thought maybe the stress I had at my old job was the reason I kept the weight off. Also happening around this time was increased anxiety. I deal with anxiety all the time, but what I was experiencing was worse and more frequent. Then, and this is the kicker because I am … vain, my hair started falling out. Lots of it. Hairballs were rolling around our house and it wasn’t from the cats.

During all of this, I just kept addressing each issue individually. I thought my body was failing me. I thought age was catching up with my metabolism. I thought I was going crazy.

And then one blood test later, I found out I wasn’t so crazy after all.

It turns out I have hypothyroidism. That means my thyroid doesn’t produce enough hormones so my pituitary gland is working too hard and, basically, everything is thrown out of wack. Treatment is hormone replacement taken in the form of a pill every day.

I’m still processing this. I’m still pissed about it. It means I will be taking medicine for the rest of my life, both for the asthma I’ve had since grade school and now this. I’m happy my hair will come back (please, please, please). I’m grateful that my weight might be easier to control (the regular workouts coupled with a 1,200 calorie diet is killing me and making me crave really stupid things … like Nerds). Supposedly, when I hit the right dose of my medicine, my appetite should increase and my weight decrease. Have you ever heard of something so glorious!

Next week I have an appointment with my doctor and I’ll learn more. Until then, just working on acceptance.

Lady’s Slipper: Both a Shoe and a Flower

By Kate

On February 19, 2011

In books, reviews

The butterfly effect refers to how one small action can affect the future of everything, how one flutter of a butterfly wing can lead to a natural disaster halfway around the world. Or, in Deborah Swift’s The Lady’s Slipper, how picking one flower can disrupt an entire community.

Set in the eighteenth century England amidst a time of political turmoil, The Lady’s Sipper centers on Alice Ibbetson, an artist who is grieving over the recent loss of her baby sister. She starts to see joy in her life again after stealing away in the middle of night to steal a lady slipper, a rare type of orchid, so that she may preserve and study it. The man on whose land she found the orchid, Richard Wheeler, suspects her of the thievery but can prove nothing. Sir Geoffrey Fisk, one of Ibbetson’s art patrons, knows of the flower and starts to harass her to get seeds from the plant so he may grow more and profit from them. In very short time, the plant hiding in Ibbetson’s art room is ruling her life.

Although focused on reclaiming his lost flower, Wheeler, a Quaker, is distracted by having to constantly defend his religion and his fellow Quakers from religious persecution. Swift gives great insight into the bravery shown by the pacifist Quakers and the price paid for defending their religion. The religious and political tension she creates is carefully explained and has relevance still today. (Although not all of today’s issues end with heads displayed on stakes around the gaol!)

Throughout The Lady’s Slipper, Swift writes of things in such detail that you feel like you are holding the lady slipper in your own hand and seeing townspeople as if they are right in front of you. When seeing an orchid that Fisk wants Ibbetson to crossbreed with the lady slipper, she describes the new orchid:

The artist in her followed each part, the curving yellow column with its hairs bristling at the pink-tinged base, the halo of petals flaring like a sunset. … The red orchid was an imposter, Alice though – an imposter in outrageous fancy dress.

Swift deftly layers plots to build a story that is complex and engaging. The whodunit mystery of the stolen flower – although not a mystery to the reader – and religious turmoil lead into a tale of murder, wrongful death sentences and a love story.

If runs into any pitfalls, and it doesn’t see many, it’s in the ending of her story. As the book progresses, it gets more and more action-packed and fast -paced. And just when the storyline should climax, it turns unbelievable. Not all readers will be left disappointed because Swift does tie up every loose end and the “good” characters end up where they should.

But life isn’t that forgiving, is it? If one insect can effect weather throughout the world, and outcome of one plant can wreak havoc on a town, then certainly the outcomes of people will be affected as well, regardless of whether we like them or not.

Clouds

By Kate

On February 18, 2011

In uncategorized

Do you ever have a day where you’re pretty sure you’re just taking up space? When you feel like useless, distracted and unmotivated? That sums up how I feel right now. My head is in the clouds. I’m running through to do lists for the whole weekend. I’m working on motivation to get chores done. I’m resisting the urge to blow it all off and enjoy the beautiful weather outside.

In My Mind’s Eye

By Kate

On February 17, 2011

In rock

Last night I attended a Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band concert and it was fabulous. It was fun to be at a show where I knew so many people in the audience. And I pretty much adore Josh Ritter, as previously described, so it would have been hard for me to think the concert was bad.

But I can try to be objective. Sometimes a concert is not wholly about the artist. So many other factors come in to play: the sound, audience, place. That last one is the most vague but can be the most important. For instance, Songbird was at the show with us and commented that she thought she preferred the Josh Ritter performance at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. I’m sure it was. When you’re someplace special / exciting / unique, it makes the whole thing more memorable.

The concert I was at where I hugged Josh Ritter twice was pretty awesome because I hugged Josh Ritter twice. It was also in a huge field with way too few people but it felt like the band was playing just for you.

Last night was in an awesome venue. It’s super intimate with great acoustics and a fun place for shows. Objectively speaking, if something was off about the show it was the crowd. I don’t know if it was because it was a Wednesday night, or because people were as irritated as Wonder Boy was with the girl who kept yelling to Josh really loudly. Whatever it was, the crowd wasn’t on. It wasn’t electric. I didn’t feel the energy that comes off being surrounded by a large mass of people all dancing and singing along to the same song.

It was still good though. Really good. And it was the first show where I saw a singer accomplish a very cool version of call and response. Normally there is a part of the show where the audience is singing part of a song, unless you’re The Killers and missing a huge opportunity. Last night Josh Ritter had people singing one thing while he sang another. It was beautiful.

Know what else was beautiful? Me and Josh Ritter were twins. Not really but pretty close. Here is the shirt I wore (new purchase from Target):

Now see Josh Ritter’s shirt:

Pretty identical, eh?

Sunshine on My Shoulders

By Kate

On February 17, 2011

In uncategorized

People, have you been outside? If not, why the heck not? It is stunning out. Let me tell you what the 60 degree temperature outside means:

It has reached that time of year where people will start stripping down to not enough clothing just because they are excited to see sunshine. (Who can blame them?)
All of the light jackets I have been unnecessarily buying? I get to wear them!
Fresh food. I am salivating just thinking about it. Wonder Boy and I joined a CSA this years which means, we’ll have farm-fresh food every week.
We can grill out the above-mentioned food. Mmm. (See the picture below, which has been doctored to promote vegetarian grilling out, and get hungry.)
Beer on the front porch.
Sweet little starts are going to begin popping up from the soil, showing that things really are living in my yard.
And, most importantly, time for the MOPED!!!