#jonny appleseed posting
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i will admit i can be pretty annoying but everyone on this site is so damn serious. i literally got blocked by someone for saying "my Jonny appleseed could beat up your Jonny appleseed" like genuinely im sorry that you cant handle getting peeved off a little. your life must be hell if youre this upset about everything. "Why so jokey" - the seriouser
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Spades
Spades(Here) Clubs Hearts Diamonds
Starting a small series for the next few days, and I'll be at Fan X by the time the last of these post! I'm not making a full set, but these are the hypothetical face cards of the card deck! All characters depicted are OC's and I'll add more info about them under the cut!
Get Your Own Art!
Cat (Catherine) ~ King of Spades
Cat has had the most changes out the entire cast. Originally she was just a normal college student who found herself wrapped up in the supernatural world. Nowadays, she's the Tether to Cosmo, the Apple Dragon!
Her vibe is that classic, vintage, Americana feel, and she aspires to one day own a Harley. Cat is 4ft 8in tall, plays softball at the local college, and tries her best to stop Cosmo from getting her in trouble. She can bemoan how she got to be a Tether to such a lame dragon, but over time she learns to appreciate Cosmo and master his power!
Her main weapon is a baseball bat and she will take your kneecaps with it.
Mentor ~ Queen of Spades
This character is currently unnamed because I need to put more research into naming conventions. This character is Indigenous American, and I don't want to have something too stereotypical or something that doesn't fit. I designed him with ethnicity in mind because I don't see a lot of Indigenous American representation and I wanted to branch out!
He is the Tether to the Moon Dragon, who is constantly being hunted by the Sun Dragon. So, as you can imagine, he's on the move a lot! He's a biker who travels from Coast to Coast, doing odd jobs and living life on the road. He ends up teaching Cat a thing or two about being a Tether, and why she should respect her dragon. He can't stay long though, he has to keep moving.
Cosmo ~ Jack of Spades
Now, you may be wondering why an Apple Dragon, living on the west coast of America, is an Asian dragon. That's a fair question! Turns out, apples originally came from Kazakhstan, supposedly going through Russia, before finally landing in Europe! "American as Apple Pie" really takes on a whole new meaning huh?
Well, Cosmo followed a similar route! He's the sweetest dragon ever and really just wants to help out his friends. He'll stand up for what's right and help out those in need. Cause of this, he chooses his Tethers very carefully. Aldar Kose, Robin Hood and even Jonny Appleseed were all previous partners of his, and he believes in his Tethers even when they don't believe in themselves!
That being said, he's a tiny dragon and is often underestimated. He's a dragon of Apples, after all, not a dragon of anything important. But he doesn't need to be! He's happy with himself and he can look out for the little guys like him! And hey, if he can save the world in the meantime? Well that'd be just dandy!
(Also, yes, he is designed to look like an apple peel with chocolate on top, cause he's just so darn sweet!!)
#my art#original character#original characters#card design#character design#playing cards#spades#playing card designs#urban fantasy#dark fantasy#dragon tethers#tethers#dragon#dragons#apple dragon#moon dragon#cat#original story#Living with the Monsters#tentative name for now
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https://www.tumblr.com/ratsoh-writes/752689010008260608/any-headcannonslore-about-prominent-vila
That’s fine! Well do you have any general lore about her (like her place in Vila society or any event shes known for in your universe? Maybe she has a holiday or something (like Jonny Appleseed day or Colombus day)
Well if she was a historical figure, she’s obviously gone now. I don’t remember if I made a post mentioning her or not already. I’ll have to check my masterlist wip
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fuck lol its been just over three weeks since i posted
i am now SIX books behind on reviews, or to put it in a more optimistic way, SIX books over what is shown here!!! lmaoo!!!!
gonna do my best to document/backtrack (thank god for online library account records)
finished the rook on sept 24th and had already put the sequel on hold in audiobook format. wanted to find another book for the interim but i was so enamored with the rook that i literally had to just think about it until the sequel (stiletto) came through on holds. straight up moped waiting for it because there was no book serotonin coming lmfao
anyways then i was just LIVING over stiletto, started it sept 28 and finished it by oct 4th
read afterland and didnt love it so it took longer than i would have liked, finished oct 11th
listened to jonny appleseed by joshua whitehead on audiobook (narrated by the author!!) in two days (oct 12-13)
read all of shadow and bone on friday (15th), started siege and storm immediately. borrowed the trilogy from my dad but reread my own middle school era copy of shadow and bone, the rest of the series i never read because by the time they came out i wasnt reading as much :-( super cool to rekindle it and reread that first one though!
finished siege and storm (SO FUCKING GOOD) today (17th) and am starting ruin and rising immediately as well
after that im going to try and read the future is yours by casey frey but i might end up plowing through the six of crows duology instead, depending on how focused i am on that universe lol
hoooo boy this is a lot, i have some playlists for the rook files and am going to try and make some for alina once ive read the whole trilogy but might wait until i finish the universe and (FINALLY) watch the show? idrk
#reading progress update#original post#the rook#stiletto#daniel o'malley#afterland#Lauren Beukes#jonny appleseed#joshua whitehead#shadow and bone#siege and storm#ruin and rising#leigh bardugo
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Yeah ok but even back when I was like 8 and going to church weekly I still continuously mixed up joseph smith and Jonny fucking appleseed
#ok i knew who Joseph smith was#but i also assumed that the apple guy was joseph smith#sometimes i was just like 'apple guys name was joseph smith right?'#sometimes it was like 'yes og all American prophet j smith put fucking apples all over the place yup'#also since i dont care anymore i very frequently say jonny smith and i KNOW its because of this#yeah sorry im exmormon posting rn#i found the quadruple religious mormon texts book that my dads exwifes parents gave me when i got baptized#and for some reason ive decided to be uncharacteristically positive on the whole mormon thing#the book is really pretty. thats what im blaming it on. its a nice color and they like engraved my name on it#or... whatever you call it when its on a book cover#like i don't believe in the whole mormon thing. but the book is cool and i liked it as a kid and also i want to read it and see wtf it SAYS#because i spaced out for at least 65% of church class and i have shit memory#its Jonny appleseed and the lamenites#oh more positive church memories- sprinting around in the dark at 10pm when i was supposed to be on cleaning duty#yeah i dunno#🍪#religion tw
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April Wrap Up
Things I wrote:
3,007 words drafted and posted for The Couch Collection
40,762 words drafted in original novel draft
15,247 words drafted in A Season for Setting Fires
5,350 words drafted and posted for two secret projects: Rendezvous Receipts and Scone Strategies
Total words written: 64,366
Things I read:
Fiction:
This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
The Dating Plan by Sara Desai
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
Serena Singh Flips the Script by Sonya Lalli
My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christoper Paolini (DNFed at 30%)
Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead
Fanfiction (I read fic this month whaaaaat?):
Between Certifiable and Bliss by @heyjude19-writing (dramione, E, 4,500 words, WIP)
The Healer’s Guide to Transfiguration by @malpal132 (dramione, E, 15,506 words, complete)
The Perks of Farmers Markets by @niffizzle (dramione, M, 7,568 words, complete)
I Am the Ferret by @niffizzle (dramione, T, 4,702 words, complete)
Mutually Beneficial by orphan_account (dramione, E, 35,095 words, complete)
Five Days by raviesnake (dramione, E, 30,707 words, complete, reread)
Once More, With Feeling by @wetpretzel (dramione, M, 53,923 words, WIP)
Things I’m currently reading and writing going into May:
Several fic WIPs.
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
End of the Megafauna: The Fate of the World's Hugest, Fiercest, and Strangest Animals by Ross D.E. MacPhee
FINISH drafting original novel project (i’m thinking ~20k more). Then set on a shelf until June.
Begin poking around previously shelved accidentally-reaping-souls-for-the-devil novel again (i wouldn’t be mad about drafting 10k)
Draft 10k in A Season for Setting Fires
Post two (2!) surprises.
#everything you ever need to know about me is that i wrote almost 65k words this month and that number disappoints me#extrapolate my neuroses from there#april wrap up
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weeee thanks for the tag @lamonnaie!! :D
1- how many books are too many books in a series?
ehh definitely depends on the story, and how they're divvied up. but probably 8. i dont have enough space on my bookshelf or emotional investment for more than that.
2- what do you think about cliffhangers?
depends on if i have access to the next book immediately or not :D also it has to be done well, not just for dumb shock value.
3- hardback or paperback?
both have advantages for me. hardcover aesthetically and for travelling with a physical book (i am very particular about keeping my books in pristine condition), but paperback is usually a nicer/easier reading experience. i will say tho, if i have a series i do want them to all be either paperback or hardcover, that's where i really draw a firm line.
4- least favourite book?
christ uhhh, heart of darkness maybe? or ship it, crossed, zenith, love letters to the dead...i've loved more books than not, but the ones i don't like i really don't fucking like (don't get me started lmaooo).
5- Love Triangle, yes or no?
absolutely not, get that shit away from me unless they all end up poly and happy together.
6- the most recent book you just couldn’t finish
probably kings, queens, and in-betweens by tanya boteju. a problematic and massive disappointment of a book.
7- book you are currently reading
rereading six of crows and still working on chanel miller's memoir (it's been over a year since i started it, but due to the intensity of the subject matter i'm taking my time so i don't trigger myself lol)
8- last book you recommended to someone
i have genuinely no idea because i'm always reccing books, but maybe jonny appleseed by joshua whitehead as i made a post on my insta about it.
9- oldest book you read
probably heart of darkness? i think? hard to tell for books.
10- the most recent book you read ?
i'm making my way through the grishaverse again, and to catch up with the nikolai duology, so that would be ruin and rising! tho the most recent non-grisha book was one last stop by casey mcquiston :)
11- favourite author?
hmm maybe victoria schwab? or alice oseman or adam silvera or rick riordan or angie thomas...i cannot choose, i am too aquarius for this question!!
12- buying books or borrowing books?
both! i'm a book collector so i love to own physical books, but libraries are the coolest places on the planet so i'm all for both.
12- a book you dislike that everyone else seems to love
looking for alaska. i simply do not get the hype. maybe because i read it as a really young teen but even then, that's the target audience so...
14 - bookmarks or dogears?
bookmarks!!
15- The book you can always reread?
clap when you land by elizabeth acevedo, history is all you left me by adam silvera, any of the percy jackson books, good omens...i have a lot of comfort books lol
16- can you read while listening to music?
yes! i find it helps me focus more when reading too, which sounds really backwards but making playlists to fit the mood/listening to my fave songs helps create a comforting background noise that gets me in the zone (works for writing too!)
17- one POV or multi POV?
totally depends on the story.
18- do you read book in one sitting or in multiple days?
once again, depends on the book. some books just fucking drag, or i have to space out for self-care. but i'm a very fast reader, and can read most books in a day, when given the time to. i was known in elementary and high school for being the bitch who read 600+ page books in a day lmfao
19- who to tag:
if you see this and wanna do it, consider yourself tagged! and tagged folks, feel free to do this if yall want! @kermit-the-femme @capriciouscrab @throwing-roses-into-the-abyss @alittledizzy @omgthisisnotmyrealaccount
#tag game#this is a ramble#dont get me started on books i have too many opinions and i will extensively shout them dsjalkdjas
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🌾talk about your tbr tag🌾 thank you to @readsbymoll for tagging me! ⚡️next book you’re planning to read: nightbitch!! I have it out from the library rn but need to get through my book club book first (we’re reading jonny appleseed!) ⚡️latest addition to your tbr: stargazer by laurie petrou ⚡️most hyped book on your list: I think probably bunny by mona away - I keep seeing it everywhere ⚡️most daunting book on your list: omg east of eden for sure. everyone keeps telling me how good it is but it’s so LONG so I haven’t started it yet 🌾I’ve tagged a few people in the post but if you want to do the tag consider this as me inviting you to do it! 🌾ps swipe for poem #11 of hot poet summer! (at Abbotsford, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CgR_26Zp3-4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
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will the real Jonny Appleseed please stand up
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The most patriotic time of the year has come once more! That’s right! It’s 9/11 Remembrance Day, and while that’s not a good reason to celebrate for America, it is a perfect opportunity to talk about Little Miss R.W.B, Jonni Jones.
As you can tell from the pic above, she’s extremely American as McDonalds’ apple pie despite being born in British Columbia. I guess since she was born on July the Fourth, she figured she wants to be on the same lineage as Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, and Georgie the Gun-Toting Conservative.
So, yeah. Jonni is quite adamant in showing off her USA pride, but she’s more than that, believe it or not. She happens to be in Phoenixtrix (which she’s convinced that firebird is the bald eagle’s forefather) and knows that her group isn’t the most popular one out of the four. OK, I’m lying. Newt takes that honor, but nobody talks about Phoenixtrix that much.
So, whenever certain school events happen in the Academy, she’s always there sporting orange and yellow for a change. One time, I think she wore a giant chicken’s head she stole off of a mascot. It was quite grotesque and causes a school panic, but I like to think of it as one of the best to come out of the Academy, not counting my adventures.
Also, I’ve been hearing rumors that she’s related to Bennadonner, our school’s hobo/nightguard, and she didn’t point out that Scottish bum was her uncle or father. I’m researching online from the Academy’s archives to see if Bennadonner had anything to say for the matter. And before you ask me if I did remember it myself during my formative years, you can blame it on my cowlick, always picking and choosing which memories to keep. I guess that’s why I’m rediscovering those old documents and posting them on a public source (although DeviantART is basically the drawing on the refrigerator of the information super highway.)
This GF-related fan art is courtesy from @turquoisegirl35. Be sure to check her Gravity Falls stuff out! And be sure to follow me for more fun facts and when I finally find stories to share for the few of you sticking around.
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Friday Reads March 12
As I write this, I am still working on getting to the end of The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. By the time this post goes up, I hope to have finished the book. I found the book to be a contest of hearts. Nina is a young woman who arrives to the city to live with her cousin. She finds in the magician Hector someone to talk to. She also has magical abilities that she learns to control with Hector’s guidance. She falls in love with him, even when Hector seems to have other plans. The book is a historical fantasy story that has similar elements as The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. The Beautiful Ones will be released in paperback with a new cover design on April 27th, 2021
Books I am interested in reading for this Friday Reads are as follows:
1. The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews
2. Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
3. Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi
In The Flying Troutmans, Hattie returns home from Paris after getting dumped by her boyfriend. She learns that her sister Min is in the psych ward again, so she must learn to look after her Min’s children Logan and Thebes.
Fatal Grace is the second book in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, set in the town of Three Pines in Quebec, Canada. It follows the residents of the town after some time has passed since the first murder case that started the series.
Butter Honey Pig Bread was the runner-up for the Canada Reads book prize this past week. After four days of the literary contest, the winner was Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead. If I had made a bet, I would have won. Of the five books on the shortlist, Jonny Appleseed is the only one I have read. I have decided to read the other books on the shortlist, so will be starting Butter Honey Pig Bread in audiobook format. It tells the story of three Nigerian women, Kambirinachi and her twin daughters, Kehinde and Taiye.
#FridayReads#Booktube#ContemporaryFiction#Bookstagram#Mystery#BookTumblr#LiteraryFiction#Canlit#WeekendPlans#StayingIn
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THIS BOOK THOUGH. Early in July there was one of those twitter threads that blows up where the OP asked people to pick a country and list three current-ish books (available in English) that more people should read. The outpouring of recommendations was tremendous and I was frantically adding books to my to-read list. I looked up this book from Canada mostly because it was in the same list with JONNY APPLESEED, which I am always yelling about, so I had faith in the poster’s taste. When I looked it up on goodreads, I found rave reviews from two friends whose taste I also trust, so off to the library I went. (I know that was a lot of info, but I am always fascinated by HOW people find the books that they love.) . . I could not put this book down. I devoured it, and it kept leaking out into conversations with my husband about the slow-build sense of impending doom this book creates as well as psychology and survival strategies during a collapse of civilization in a winter climate. As I read, it was actually unbearably hot in my house, which you might think would undermine the everyone might freeze to death mood but actually for two days my brain was stuck on: EVERYTHING IS UNBEARABLE, HOW DO WE BEST MANAGE OUR RESOURCES SO WE DON’T DIE? . . In many ways this is an unusual apocalypse/post-apocalypse novel that evades a lot of tropes. The focus is actually more on Anishinaabe culture and history — at one point making explicit the way they have survived multiple apocalypses — the waves of death following the arrival of white settlers, the removal from their land, the removal of their children and the attempts to erase their cultural history. The legacy of all that is woven seamlessly into the book, infusing every page with a sense of reclaiming what has been lost, even before the power goes out. . Someday I will catch up with my book reviews and post a full write-up on goodreads, but in the meantime, I just had to rave over this book here. . Have you read this book? Was it on your radar before today? . . #moonofthecrustedsnow #waubgeshigrice #indigenouslit https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ZBLDRAefH/?igshid=1ca7ibvehlkpa
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jonny appleseed - joshua whitehead
final thoughts:
goddd i loved this book. it was super short but absolutely packed with emotional depth and resonance. i listened to the audiobook version which was recorded by the author and that performance was just SO strong, you could really hear the emotional connection ring true throughout. what i liked most was how the timeline was kind of muddled by memory, it really conveyed the way it feels to be going about your day and suddenly remembering something from the past super vividly. the portrayal of both urban and rez life for indigenous people was so well done, and the two spirit identity of the main character was so rich with experience, joy, and trials, that i literally could not hit pause. the resolution of the plot at the end, with jonny returning home and having a heart to heart with his mom had me sobbing on my living room couch lol. would highly highly recommend to any adult! (there is frank discussion of sex and sexuality throughout, so definitely good for 18+)
#jonny appleseed#Joshua Whitehead#bookblr#reading progress update#book review#book tag#original post#pride#literary fiction#contemporary fiction
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Tagged by @consultingzoologist to give you my 2019 year in review!
Top 5 Movies:
- Jojo Rabbit - Blinded by the Light - The Farewell - The Grizzlies - The Wife
Top 5 TV shows:
-The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel -Murdoch Mysteries -The Good Doctor - When They See Us - Kim’s Convenience
Top 5 Books:
- The Testaments by Margaret Atwood - Girl, Woman, Other by Berdardine Evaristo - The Red Word by Sarah Henstra - Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead - The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
Top 5 Songs:
- ‘39 by Queen - Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen - Dreamers Ball by Queen (I discovered a lot of Queen this year, OK?) - Somebody to Love by Queen (I also rediscovered songs I already knew) - Tatler Magazine by The Struts (a bit of a carry over from 2018 but I listened to it a lot)
Top 5 Positive Things/Moments:
-Did an internship at a small film festival (there were good moments and bad moments, but I think it was overall a good experience) -Got a new leather jacket - Had my ten-year anniversary of the first time I posted fanfiction online (I didn’t really celebrate it but it excited me to realize that) - Laughed a lot with friends and family - Alan Cumming replied to me in an Instagram comment In truth, a lot of stressful and not so great stuff happened this year so I’m sorry if any of these things seem shallow or unimportant but these were things that kept me going amid all the challenges.
I didn’t see enough 2019 movies in 2019 so I included movies I watched in that year (although it was really hard to pick just 5), with songs I just went with songs I listened to a lot. Books are a combination of ones from that year and ones I read from any year. I will tag @captainshakespear @inthedayswhenlandswerefew @brian-absolutely-can @fatbottomedboi @drivenbybri @ha-bloody-ha
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March Wrap Up
Things I wrote:
4,052 words in Well Said, Hermione. Finished and posted!
9,683 words in misc and secret projects.
15,995 words in A Season for Setting Fires (Soulmates multichap)
30,643 words in Untitled Original Novel draft
Things I read:
Fiction:
Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan
A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos
The Roommate by Rosie Danan
A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
The Removed by Brandon Hobson
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
The Switch by Beth O’Leary
Normal People by Sally Rooney
The Hillside by Jane Smiley
99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
To Have and To Hoax by Martha Waters
White Rose by Kip Wilson
Nonfiction:
Cosmic Queries: StarTalk’s Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We’re Going by Neil deGrasse Tyson
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth by Avi Loeb
Your Inner Fish: a Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body by Neil Shubin
Things I’m currently reading and writing going into April:
Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead
The Dating Plan by Sara Desai
Draft 25k words in Untitled Original Novel
Review and revise the first 30k of A Season for Setting Fires with beta
Draft 5k in A Season for Setting Fires
Finished and post 2 ( t w o ! ) secret projects
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The More You Seek, The More You Find
It’s Friday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!
My name is Mark W. and I am a Primal Kitchen® Mayo junkie. Not the hard stuff, mind you [Chipotle Lime]—just the plain vanilla grade: real mayonnaise made with avocado oil. I smear a dab on each bite of my morning hard boiled, all natural, cage free, free range egg. Throw in a handful of my nut medley and I am good till lunch time. I have come a long way down the Primal Path since that last spoonful of toasted oat cereal and glass of cranberry fruit juice for breakfast at the end of October in 2012. I shared that tale in my MDA Success Story posted on the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend in 2013.
After dropping 35 pounds following that initial wake-up call 5 years ago, I have settled into what appears to be my optimal weight of 168 pounds for the last four years—give or take a seasonal pound. But let’s review the numbers from that pivotal May 2012 blood test before continuing this updated Primal tale.
Blood glucose: 132 Glycohemoglobin (A1C): 7.3 Cholesterol: Total: 231 HDL (good): 37 LDL (bad): 148 VLDL: 46 Triglycerides: 229 Weight: 203
This photo captures a hint of that pre-Primal state back during my retro hippie phase—circa 2008 (note the progressing wattle under the chin).
Earlier this year I discovered a physician who formerly practiced geriatric medicine but now specializes in Functional Medicine and takes a more holistic approach to health care. He also happens to be fluent in Chinese medicine. He was impressed with my latest blood test results and even more impressed that I am 35 pounds lighter than I was five years ago—and have managed to keep it off!
New blood test numbers: Blood glucose: 98 Glycohemoglobin (A1C): (not in the test) Cholesterol: Total: 192 HDL (good): 51 LDL (bad): 127 (particle size not tested) VLDL: 14 Triglycerides: 70 Weight: 168 (ever since 6 months after going Primal) BMI: 15 (according to that fancy new scale in the bathroom)
I still need some minimal medical intervention to regulate my blood pressure, but the Rx is about 1/10 of my original dosage. One way to help relieve some of the stress that contributes to that high blood pressure is doing Yoga. One Saturday morning three years ago following a session in Yellow Springs (about 15 miles down the road), I was walking over to the local Farmer’s Market for some greens, and on the way I stumbled upon a Myofascial Release Therapist who now does wonderful things to help me deal with my 40-year-old injury. I think she is part Shaman.
I have conscientiously made an effort to adhere to the Primal Laws and worked at re-establishing Primal Connections: I ate more leafy greens in those first 5 months of being Primal than in the preceding 55 years. I took a 1/2 mile stroll out to the warehouse and back 3 times a day at work from where I retired this past July 1st after 21 years with the District and 30+ in the field of IT. I threw in some basic Primal Movements for good measure along the course—usually in the stairwell. (It now looks like I will end up becoming one of those post-retirement mall walkers!)
I have a shirtless riding mower tan and I make sure to steer clear of the poison ivy. I hoist 40 pound bags and boxes of softener salt and cat litter in and out of the car and into the basement. I hop on my 5-speed bicycle in season (up to 15+ miles now) and pedal on the stationary bicycle once in a while in the off season. I run around barefoot when it is not too cold, and I drink plenty of distilled water. Early on I installed the f.lux software on my laptop to help cut the blue light effect. Recent screenings have given the ‘all clear’ for the major plumbing system: no polyps and no GERD.
Of course, there have been some twists and turns over the last 5 years: cataract surgeries in each eye, a matching set of hernia repair scars, 3 or 4 colds including acute bronchitis. But the symptoms I experienced were minor compared to what they used to be, and I got over the ailments much more quickly—and with no meds! (except for the bronchitis). Even the effects of the anesthesia from my surgeries dissipated in only a couple of weeks instead of lingering for the typical 2 months.
Also during that time I have become a ‘model’ for others and have gathered a small following of converts. Like Jonny Appleseed, I have handed out dozens of tracts with a link to my original MDA Success Story, and have freely distributed nearly 2 dozen ‘starter kits’ to those individuals that were genuinely interested. The kits consist of three books that I have come to consider as a basic fundamental set for newcomers: Mark’s Primal Blueprint, Dr. William Davis’ Wheat Belly Cookbook, and the Carlton’s Rich Food, Poor Food—their ‘field guide’ to hunting and gathering in the modern day grocery store. I have actually amassed a small collection of around 40 books (including cookbooks) related to all things Primal/Paleo/Healthy Lifestyle—even one on plastic (think safe water bottles).
The Mrs. (who lost 25 pounds, btw) has also become a strong advocate for the cause by steering patrons to pick and choose from among the numerous Primal/Paleo selections in the ‘Health’ section at the local branch of the public library where she works. Our 2 sons, Paul, 27 and Brian, 24, have followed the Primal suit to a certain extent and are working to undo the effects of years of canned round pasta in tomato sauce and boxes of synthetic macaroni and cheese. Paul regularly prepares green or purple (or brown-ish?) colored smoothies, and Brian enjoys preparing meals at a forward thinking, though not totally Primal, gourmet deli in German Village. Even our cats are in good health and stay in shape on their grain-free diet.
But all those books and the starter kits are more than just publications promoting ‘self help’ fads. True personal growth must build on a solid foundation of physical strength and flexibility, and a Primal lifestyle both nourishes and builds up that grounded physical platform on which to build. And this is only the beginning ….
We continue to simplify our lifestyle and become more in touch with Nature. I wake up to the birds chirping at sunrise. We ditched anti-biotic hand soaps and are switching to all natural personal hygiene products. I have become a member of the Thrive Market. I jumped at the opportunity for an office window seat and kept the overhead artificial lights off. I obtained one of Esther Gokahle’s Stretchsit Cushions for the car while on my pre-retirement 45 minute commute. I joined a new tribe 3 years ago and expanded my musical skills at the same time by participating in a newly formed British brass band that competes in the North American Brass Band Championships. (I still play in the other one, too.)
Attending a few workshops and retreats on Yoga and Mindfulness (think Zen) have improved the effectiveness of my Yoga practice which for me is like meditation in motion. Integrating this with my Primal foundation has helped strengthen the connections that extend beyond basic physical needs. My musical performance has become more rich and expressive. Sure, I still get tired, but my work had become more productive with little or no afternoon coma or brain fog.
I see my recent retirement as more of a career move and an opportunity to explore employment in Geographic Information Systems with renewed interest, energy, and clarity that I would not have envisioned happening 5 years earlier. I am better prepared for this retirement transition on so many levels, including updating my resume to include my GIS degree from 2011. We even signed up for the less expensive minimal health care coverage (Bronze plan) since our medical needs are fewer, thanks to our healthy Primal lifestyle.
This is not the end, however. There is always room for improvement. It is easy to become complacent and think that we have ‘arrived’, but it is actually an ongoing journey. And even with a decent working knowledge of the Primal lifestyle, I had been contemplating re-reading Mark’s Primal Blueprint to make sure I was still on track. About the time I was ready to crack open my old hardcover copy, Mark decided to produce a new and improved (and larger) version of his book: The New Primal Blueprint. Perfect timing. It is a real thirst quencher.
Each of us is on their own Path, and the Primal lifestyle is flexible enough to accommodate each one. But there is also a basic common ground that we all share, and being part of the Primal Tribe is a great way to learn and grow and find support along that path. Looking back at my own progress, I can now see all the Primal connections that opened up along the way: That initial ominous doctor visit and blood test 5 years ago. Stumbling onto the MDA website after the ‘detox’ on our cruise. The trickle of health related books that became a flood of consistent new and expanded sources of information. The encounters with forward thinking health professionals. All the individuals that seemed to just ‘appear’ at the right time in their lives to disclose a need to improve their health, providing an opportunity to share my Primal story.
That Connection was there all along—and still is. I just did not recognize it. It seems that the more you seek, the more you find. So keep seeking, and Grok on.
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