I finished Fallen a long time ago but have never gotten around to writing its review.  The first thing I will say is I almost gave up on this book.  I really was not into in the beginning, but I figured I would give it 100 pages and if I still hated it I would move on.  Well there hit a point and I was sucked in.  This book is a story about the world post end of days.  It centers around a mother who is traveling with her own daughter, and several other children she has picked up along the way.  Each child seems to have a special ability (well everyone does it is a side effect of whatever brought the end of the world as they knew it).  She comes across a tribe of men and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her band of children safe.  This quickly turns into a love story, but it much more than that.  It is a love story and a story of survival.  What I think I loved most as although it was a love story, it wasn't your simple boy meets girl.  It was much more complicated than that.  The main character was still technically married and didn't know if her husband was alive or not, the man she fell for may or may not have helped bring about the end of the world, and there is the constant threat of death and destruction at every corner.  It really picked up and was a nice quick read.  It is part of a planned trilogy and I am eagerly awaiting the other two books.  Although not a five out of five definitely a solid four out of five in the ratings and a great quick read.

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One of things that I have been working very hard on in therapy and on my own for months now is to stop caring so much about what other people think of me.  To be confident in who I am an the choices that I make.  As easy as this sounds, it is hard.  This is clearly something I should have done when I was a teenager but I was to busy pretending to be happy all the time that I never did the growing up that most women do in their teens and 20's.  So now I have been taking my time trying to realize that the only opinion that matters is my own.  As I am starting to get away from the constant need to be in people's good graces, to be liked by everyone, to be everyone friends.  I feel like I am seeing the world for the first time.  I feel like I am opening my eyes for the first time.

Sadly, there are times that now my eyes are open I am not always liking what I see.  What I am starting to find out is the people who I cared so much about what they thought of me.  The people who I spent time obsessing about, analyzing conversations, hoping that I didn't upset them etc...I am finding that they are not always the greatest of people.  I don't mean that these people are awful individuals, that is not what I mean.  What I mean is that maybe they aren't as nice as I thought, maybe they aren't nice to others (which for me is a huge thing), or maybe they are selfish or self centered beyond all belief.  I have started to see that those who I spent so much time caring about are people who should not be getting my time and attention.  They don't deserve it.  Not to say that I need to cut out all these people in my life, I am just saying that these people who I have spent time caring about their opinion of me...well frankly they are in no place to judge me.  Also, if I am being honest I am in no place to judge them.  I am just saying that when I look at people without seeking their approval I see them in a different light...perhaps the light they should have always been cast in.  Needless to say all this self work is an eye opening experience. 

 

I am sitting here today enjoy my day off (it is a Jewish Holiday so I get the day off) it is cool and crisp. I had a manicure and pedicure and got my nails done in a lovely dark red color.  I am going pumpkin picking this weekend and to a mum festival.  I love fall, but it sort of just hit me that my summer is over.  My time with my family is not back to being limited.  Admittedly, I am having a rough start to the school year and the transition back.  I have a lot of grading, lots of pressures with new initiatives, and I find myself longing for the leisurely life that was my summer.  As much as I love fall and the new beginnings that it brings it has been a wee bit hard letting go of my summer.  Letting go of summer makes me let go of time with my kids and that is the hardest letting go there is.  As much as I know that I couldn't have been a stay at home mom with a baby....I think now I would give everything to be at home with my little Josie, to take Dylan to school everyday.  Yet, that is just not in the cards.  So I must bid farewell to my summer and move on to fall with a sad heart, but with the promise of all the awaits me.

A few months ago (yes I am very, very behind in my blog) I recieved a few snacks from Navitas.  They sent me Hemp Power Snacks and a 3 Berry Cashew trail mix.  Now I was not really optimistic about these snacks....when looking at the ingredients I wasn't holding out too much hope.  After trying them I really enjoyed the trail mix which was vegan and had a very nice selection of berries and nuts as well as Caro nibs.  It was very enjoyable and very reasonably priced at 4.00 for the bag.  Which for something with really really good berries and cashews.  Now, I will be honest I did not really enjoy the Hemp Power snack, it was sort of bitter and had an odd consistency.  Now mind you I am a consistency freak so there are a lot of things I don't enjoy because of texture.  So just to be sure I was giving the product a fair shake, I sent it home with a good friend who does not eat any sugar, glutten, and is a vegan.  She loved them and thought they were a delicious treat.  I thought the price of these snacks at 6 dollars for the bag was also a reasonable price.  Addition to what they sent me they also sell smoothie mixes, chia seeds, and other healthy foods.  So if you are in this healthiness journey and want to try a few new products why not head over twww.navitasnaturals.com.  

We all know what happens when bloggers, especially those who discuss weight loss go away!  Well I promise I am not gaining tons of weight...after a summer of not doing much other than working on me and family time, I am at the same weight I have been for over a year.  You know what I am ok with that, but that is another post for another day.  This school year has started off crazy.  Baby J who isn't really a baby has started at daycare/preschool and Dy is now in kindergarten and riding the bus.  This has made for a whole new schedule.  Plus we have several new initiative at our job that are overwhelming to say the least.  Add to that the first week of school the principal calls me down as says "hey lets do a trip with the freshman class, and since you are the freshman advisor you can organize it"....well it didn't happen exactly like that.  Since I love my Principal and I love the idea of a bonding trip I said ok....not realizing what planning a trip for almost 300 in less that three weeks would entail. I am so excited to go tomorrow, but I have been a crazy woman....like wild hair crazy woman.  I have stopped reading blogs, checking twitter, and have no idea what anyone on facebook is doing.  Shocking I know!!  Add to that I am suddenly sick and have lost my voice.  Any other time I would have called out sick the last two days but I can't because I needed to get ready for this trip.  I am hoping to enjoy myself tomorrow, take a sick day to get better on Thursday and finally start to get back into a routine.  I love a routine.  I need a routine.  I hope to catch up on my blog reading and blog writing soon.  How is everyone out there in the blog world??