what am i reading now?

I'll give you one guess.

The other day I was feel nostalgic for books that I have read multiple times and loved every second of reading them.  I'm trying to slog through the books that have been sitting on my tbr shelf, but I'm just not feeling it.  I did pick up a book by a new (to me) author and so far am loving it, but everything else just isn't exciting so far.

Yesterday I decided that I was going to reread The Hunger Games.  Then I picked up this new book (Heartsick by Chelsea Cain) and got into that so I put it off.

Then today Ms. Lauren over at Busy Bee Lauren wrote this post about rereading The Hunger Games together so I thought it must be meant to be.  If you want to join in the reading happiness you can participate in the tweeting madness that will occur starting tonight.  I'm @knowitnotsomuch and Lauren is tweeting specifically about the book here @TheLaurenGames Of course, you can follow me on twitter, but I'll warn you that my previous attempts to keep up with that junk have been grossly unsuccessful.  For this group reading thing it's best if you follow Lauren.

Maybe I'll post about each chapter as I go along, but I'm not making any promises 'cause I pretty much suck at bloggie follow through.  *sigh*

So get your books out and your favorite HG bookmark & let's get to reading!

maybe later

Since the last post I did back at the end of February I have not picked up a book.  Strange, right?  In the beginning of March a switch was somehow switched in me.  I didn't feel like blogging or reading or taking creative-ish pictures.  After a few weeks and then a month I greatly thinned out the number of blogs I read.  I went from reading somewhere around 60 blogs daily to now checking out 2.

Some might guess depression and I would tend to agree except that I've been down that road before and I know what it feels like.  And it's not like I'm too busy, I do have time to play silly games on my iPad or read news and watch Investigation Discovery.

What it really was is that I just didn't feel like writing anymore.  I felt like I had nothing that I wanted to share with everyone.  Things were perfect and I didn't want to spoil it by acknowledging it. 

Emma thrived in school.  She loves her friends, makes them easily and just soaks up all the new knowledge she is gaining.  Her progress is measured in leaps and bounds and now I am just amazed at this little wonder that isn't a baby anymore.  She is so aware of the world around her now and maybe a little too grown up, but she's also still my snuggly baby that wouldn't say no to some cuddle time.  She dances around the house and draws the most impressive pictures of anything that comes to mind.  She's six now and she's sewing her own quilt.  My mom has helped her a bit, but she's actually sewing it by herself.  She lucked out in the creative department.  And so did we.

And the baby is perfect.  She's a happy, two-teeth, not-so-little, rolling ball of joy.  Little O's not crawling (though she's thinking about it) but she gets to where she wants to go quick speedily by rolling around everywhere.  We've taken to using her car seat, baskets of toys and other household items to block the nooks and crannies she sometimes would get stuck in.  She is (at this point) scarily easy going.  She can go a whole day without naps and not completely fall apart.  She's quick to smile at the people she knows and thinks her big sister is the most amazing person in the whole wide world.  She gives me kisses and hugs and has a big smile for Daddy the moment she sees his face.

My kids are truly a blessing.

And I've immersed myself in it for the most part.  The last half of the school year was filled with fun things and it just seemed to go by so fast.  Now summer vacation is here and I've quickly come to realize that 24 straight hours 7 days a week with my eldest munchkin could possibly drive me insane.  She is a constant stream of noise.  She talks continuously for about 13 hours a day.  Continuously.  I know that it's just payback.  I'm pretty chatty, but dang people.

Today I picked up my first ever rented lens from Borrow Lenses.  It's a 50mm f/1.8 Nikon and I've taken about 10 pictures with it so far and I'm already in love.  It's amazing how different lenses change your whole outlook on something.  I've got this bad boy for a week and two days and I can't wait to really experiment with it.

I don't know why I chose today to start writing again.  I watched an episode of One the Case with Paula Zahn.  It's probably close to the 50th episode I've watched and for the first time I was riveted.  I was torn apart inside by these people and the loved ones they left behind.  It got me thinking and then it got my typing.

There's more, there's so much more it seems, but I don't want to write about that now.

Maybe later.

why i will avoid the pink

I'm sure you've all read about or at least seen a headline about the Susan G. Komen/Planned Parenthood hoopla.  If you haven't, basically this past week the nation has blown up over the Susan G. Komen's decision to stop funding cancer screening and prevention at Planned Parenthood.  The decision they said was based on a new policy to not give money to groups under investigation.  Currently, a Republican Congressman started an "investigation" into PP allowing SGK to create their new policy and stop funding to PP.

That day the web exploded.  Posts all over Facebook, Twitter & hundreds of blogs turned the web into a movement.  Even 22 Democratic Senators got into the movement, sending a letter asking SGK to reverse it's decision.  In one day Planned Parenthood reported donations of over $400,000 with a promise from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg of $250,000 more to make up for the $600,000 SGK would not be providing PP.  And donations are still coming in because despite SGK's very public 'apology' and promise to reinstate funds to PP they also went promising to continue grants to PP, just finish out the one they already had going.

I was incensed.  I am a staunch supporter of Planned Parenthood and not just because I am a woman and Pro-Choice.  I support Planned Parenthood because they provide health care for women who could not afford to seek that healthcare elsewhere.  When I was working as a waitress with no health benefits I visited PP on a regular basis.  Got everything I needed from them and they never once made me feel ashamed that I couldn't afford to pay much.  I always tried to pay something, but no where close to what those services would have cost me anywhere else.

And yes, 3% of PP's services are focused on abortion.  3%.  Planned Parenthood provides contraception, STD screening, care & prevention, prenatal care, cancer screening and prevention, primary care, adoption services, pregnancy testing and abortions.  But guess what?  Everything listed there is legal.  It's procedures and services that hundreds of clinics and hospitals perform everyday.

So to deny PP funds that go directly to cancer screening and prevention the Susan G. Komen foundation is denying women health care.  They are going against what they say they are about.

I started reading more about Susan G. Komen and came across this blurb about Behind the Pink Curtain and it was about that time that I decided there were better cancer groups to support.  Planned Parenthood isn't the only group who will soon not get funding from SGK.  The foundation will not support any group that supports or participates in stem cell research.  So they really aren't 'for the cure', are they?

I am not denying that SGK has done great things for cancer research as well as inspiring people worldwide to try to make a difference, but for now I'm supporting Planned Parenthood and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  I believe in stem cell research and I believe a woman has a right to take care of her body.  Like Balloon Juice said it is VERY easy to not support SGK.  All we have to do is look out for those pink ribbons.

*click to donate to Planned Parenthood*