I am Tallulah

Finally, after many years of will-I-won't-I, my first book of poetry has been published! Entitled "Naked", this book is a huge leap of faith for me. So far I've sold a few copies, and hopefully will sell more. Marketing is not my fortè.

I decided to self-publish through lulu.com, and I hope it was a good choice. I am still interested in traditional publishing and if I can get an agent interested in my work then maybe the book will end up on bookshelves in bookstores near you. 

Check out my book and have a look at the sample pages.

I detest Internet Explorer!!!!!

My blog is clearly visible using Firefox, but NOT Internet Explorer! All the images are just blanks with little red boxes in the upper left hand corner.

I think Internet Explorer does not like Tabulas.

I don't care WHY it's doing this.

Just make it stop!

It has been a dreadful week. I seem to have developed some kind of infection in my sinus/ears and have felt wretched all week. Finally decided I couldn't take it Friday and went to a clinic. As expected, the doctor was a quack, but after a three hour wait, she gave me a prescription for some antibiotics and nasal spray. Not sure I'm too keen on the nasal spray, but will give it a go.

This awful feeling has interferred with my exercise a bit, making it harder. Right now I feel like my neck is swollen a bit but it really isn't. Just that feeling of pressure. It makes a brisk walk more of a challenge.

Speaking of exercise, I have added free weights and floor exercises to my plan. If I understand this whole losing weight thing, in order to lower your metabolism, you need to add weights to the process. So, I have. I walk half and hour daily, although not the last couple of days due to this pressure in my head and neck. And I do the weights and floor exercises. In lieu of a walk, I do ten reps of walking up and down our flight of stairs. That might not seem a lot, but when you are out of shape, it's gets the heart pumping!

My goal is to lose at least 30 lbs by the end of June. I want to be healthier for my trip. Right now, that seems daunting as I feel like shit, but I have to believe it will get better. If the antibiotics don't clear up this pressure, then I'll have to go see my GP. Yes, the quack that didn't come to see my mum when she was dying at home. I hate the idea of seeing him, but we are so short of doctors in this area, I'm lucky to have one. I know that, so I may have to endure him to get to the bottom of this pressure issue.

At the clinic they checked my bp. It was a stroke-level 181/? I can't remember the bottom number, but the top number made me panic! They checked it 5 times, each time the number had dropped. Then they left me for an hour... I think they forgot about me, and I was beginning to get a little pissed off about it. When they checked my bp again it was 161/?. Needless to say, losing weight and getting more active will definitely help my bp.

My diet needs a bit of work. I have eliminated diet sodas, have only a tiny bit of sugar in my tea, no coffee (that is hard!), no enriched white bread, no enriched pasta or white rice. I don't use salt, and have eliminated almost all fats. I need more veggies and fruit, and I need to add a protein to each meal. I am so tired all the time and am not sure why, but the protein should help in that regard. It is portion control I really need to work on.

Not sure I'm on the right path, but at least I've lost 9 lbs so far. Just wish I felt a bit healthier. It takes time, no doubt, and I'm not the most patient of people.

Count down: 95 days to go until my UK trip!

Woke this morning to thunderstorms! The first of the season. Seems a warm front was colliding with a cold front, producing the lightning show in the sky and the resulting noise and rain.

In it's wake, the weather jumped from 6C to 20C !! What a difference! It actually felt muggy outside. I am a bit worried that this summer will be one of many thunderstorms and lots of heat and humidity. And I will not be here to monitor things. Dad and Amazing Brother always leave things to the last minutes and I worry that they won't ensure enough water for the cow and kitties this summer.

I am already worrying and I haven't even left!

Makes me wonder, too, what the weather will be like in the UK. They have had a couple of hot summers the last few years, so who knows. I was going to pack a rain coat but decided to buy it there, and a pair of wellies.

Countdown:  93 days to go! 

It was absolutely beautiful outside today. Warm, sunny, no mosquitoes yet. The red-winged black birds were trilling their spring songs. Robins and starlings were out and about. Squirrels and chipmunks were sunning themselves on fallen tree trunks. Even the trumpeter swans were still here, resting before the next trek of their migratory journey. Sadly, the tundra swans have moved on, as have the huge flocks of Canada geese.

That is one of the lovely aspects of living out in the country during spring thaw, because the fields flood and provide a resting place for these huge migratory birds. The unmistakable trumpet of the trumpeter swans, or the gentle whistles of the tundra swans is always a welcome sign that spring is here.

On my daily walk I took my camera this time and managed to capture the swans way off in the distance. I should have taken the camera out a couple of days earlier as they were closer and I would have gotten better shots.

Had a lovely surprise today. A visit from TD, who used to be minister at the church. I really loved working with him and as he left the church after our chat, I realized how much I missed him and his wonderful way of looking at the world. He is a creative man with amazing patience and his new church is lucky to have him. Thankfully he and his family are happy there. He has found a place that is supportive and nurturing, and a congregation that seems to have their religious priorities in the right place. So much better than he had here. He would be such a good addition to the congregation  here but they let him go, not understanding what a blessing he was to them. Their loss. 

Countdown:  92 days to go!

I have published my first book, a volume of poems entitled "Naked".

To view a sample and purchase a copy, check it out here!