Monthly Reading Inventory: September

I've always been a fan of historical fiction and have read my fair share of books based on World War II but none like this.

It's the story of Margie Bauer, a young girl who joins the Army Nurse Corps ahead of the U.S. involvement in World War II. She's called to duty in 1941 and assigned to Manila in the Philippines, far from the realities of war at first, but soon the Japanese start bombing and taking control of the island. Margie is among a handful of nurses left on the island to help treat injured soldiers. Eventually, they are taken prisoner by the Japanese and sent to an internment camp for more than a year. When the camp is liberated, Margie becomes victim to another crime but not at the hands of her captors. From there, the story follows Margie's journey home and her struggle to reacclimate to civilian life. She marries, has children, and finds a way to satisfy a hunger food could never fill.

"A Pledge of Silence" is based off of true stories from the war, although Margie is a fictional character. Author Flora J. Solomon did a magnificent job of crafting her tale. When I learned about WWII in school, the Philippines were not included in the lesson plans, and in most renditions of stories about the war the focus is on the male soldiers. Although this tale was grim at times, it was refreshing to read about the impact these female nurses had during the war.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Monday Motivation

In other words, if you want your dreams to come true you've got to do more than just sleep on them. Wake up and work toward them!

Dream >> Action >> Reality

Happy Monday!

Monday Motivation

What a great reminder. Just because you're in a certain situation or in a bad spot in your journey doesn't mean you have to stay there. Change your circumstances. The way your story ends is entirely up to you.

Happy Monday!

Body After Baby: The Struggle is Real

Recently I did a massive clothes clean-out. I went through absolutely everything in my closet and drawers and got rid of a lot of stuff. A good bit of it was stuff I no longer wear or wasn't really age-appropriate anymore, but there were also a lot of things I'd been holding onto even though deep down I knew I would never be able to fit back into them.

You see, I've always had this mental image of the way I thought I would always look. And, I suspect like a lot of women, I had some pretty unrealistic expectations about how my body would be after pregnancy.

I've never been what you'd call thin, and honestly I've never been concerned with that, but I have always been small with little to no effort. Now, despite changing my diet and making an effort, I'm no longer small. So when I stand in front of the mirror after my shower before I get dressed, I have a hard time loving the image reflected back at me. I don't see a woman with curves. I see a woman with extra skin, stretch marks, and a pronounced C-section shelf that all the sit-ups in the world can't fix.

So why am I telling you all this? For the past two years I've been struggling with body acceptance and just generally not feeling like myself. And as much as it hurts to say this, all the snuggles from my daughter and reassurances from my husband just don't make me feel any better about the way I look. That's because when all is said and done, the most important opinion is my own.

So instead of focusing so much on trying to change this new body, I'm trying very hard to change the way I think about it. A big part of that was changing the way I dress. A lot. I don't know if you've noticed the change in my infrequent Newsroom Fashion posts, but I've spent much of the past two years revamping my wardrobe, replacing my old basics with new, better-fitting versions and officially saying goodbye to anything from before age 25. It may seem trivial, shallow even, but learning how to dress this new version of myself has done wonders for my self-esteem.

I don't know if what I've been struggling with qualifies as postpartum depression. I am sure that I'm not the first woman to struggle with body image after having a baby, and I probably won't be the last. But I hope that by sharing my struggle, it will encourage other women to speak up and seek help if they need it. After all, we come out of pregnancy a different person than we went into it, and no matter what shape or size we end up being, motherhood is beautiful.

Monday Motivation

Bad days don't equal a bad life. I need to print this out and frame it.

Happy Monday!

Newsroom Fashion: Southern Fall

Here in the South, we really only get to fully experience one season - summer. So the fall-like temperatures we've had this past week have been glorious! It was the perfect opportunity to wear this leopard print tshirt dress. It's a good weight, has the right amount of stretch, and is so comfy! It also comes in more colors and prints. My shoes are several years old but I linked to a virtually identical pair below.

Details:

Dress - Old Navy

Shoes - old (similar)

Monthly Reading Inventory: July/August

There's a saying: Don't judge a book by its cover. But I'll be honest, this book's cover is what prompted me to read it, and I'm glad I didn't pass it by. The Dirty Parts of the Bible is different from anything I've read lately. It's almost like a folk tale, with saltier language.

It's the story of Tobias, the son of a preacher. When his father is blinded in an accident, Tobias sets out on a journey to find some money buried in an old dried-up well on his uncle's farm in Texas. After losing all his travel money in a whore house, Tobias joins up with an old hobo and starts train hopping. He finally makes it to Texas, finds his family's farm and starts looking for the money. He meets a girl who is cursed by an old Indian, falls in love, and finds himself.

The only "dirty" part about this book is the language and some crass jokes. So if that kind of thing offends you, this book isn't for you. But if a funny coming-of-age story is something you could get into, read this book.