Books Read in April

4 - yeah, I know but I have been in class for EOL training so I have not had much time. Also, I like playing with my cat.

Midlife Cancer - A Memoir - Pamela McColloch

The Dying Process - Katie Duncan

Wishful Drinking - Carrie Fisher

Sate of Wonder - Ann Patchett

​All new books, no re-reads and all good ones to boot!

My Grandmother she liked to be called, "Mom," came to me in my dream the other night. I don't mean I dreamed of her, I mean she visited me and it has been a long time since she has done that.  She died a long time ago but would often come when I needed some sort of help - she was always there to give me a loving boost of energy when I needed it.

So, in my dream she was sitting on the patio and inside the house I could hear festive type noises, I think we were having some sort of celebration lunch.  I told her she needed to come in and eat with us and she nodded but stayed seated in a patio chair.

She looked younger, like how I remember her when I was a kid - so pretty and kind.  She told me to come here and when I did she took my hands in hers and said, "look at me."  When I did, she looked deep into my eyes and told me that she was so proud of me. That I had become such a beautiful woman and that everything I have done was good and again that she loved me and was so proud of me.

I woke up shortly after that and I was just in tears.   I am almost at the end of the first part of my INELDA course and have been thinking about how to go forth into the death doula world and if I was doing the right things and she came at the perfect time to tell me that I was indeed doing the right things.

Thanks Mom - I love you.

​

It's been awhile since I've really updated here and much has happened.

Let me introduce myself for anyone popping by.

I am Christina and I am a magpie of all the things.  I love reading, writing and any kind of creative art. I walk the Shamanic Path (The Four Winds Society) and am a Psychopomp which led into my taking EOL classes with INELDA so that I can do both sides of the EOL journey with people.  

I just finished Day 3 of the INELDA course and am so humbled and honored to be in a class of amazing instructors and students.  The course is so perfectly tailored from start to finish and I have learned so much already - mostly that I still have much to learn ;)

The classes have taken what I thought of as "surface work," and instead taking me into a deep dive down under the surface to explore in greater depth many topics and beliefs.  The people I have been paired with in small groups have been the exact people I have needed to learn from at the perfect time and that sort of synchronicity tells me I am precisely where I need to be right now. 

While I do plan on being a full spectrum end of life care (death) doula, I plan on specializing in Grief work - especially with families of suicide or sudden/unexpected deaths.   With that in mind I will be going back to school - I found a program of sociology/counseling that will enable me to widen my scope in helping people.  I also want to be sure everyone has their Advance Planning and Advanced Directives paper work in order. 

I am still processing so much of the class and my brain is full of ideas bursting all over the place but right now I need to focus on some "Learning at Home" work - which is Vigil Planning. Specifically my own Vigil and how I would like my last days to death to look like.

Call me twisted but I am grinning ear to ear while thinking about how I want everything to be - Death doesn't need to be all sadness - this inevitable failure of being will happen to us all. Sometimes humor and a light heart can help take us where we need to be.  The next great adventure awaits - just, you know, not quite yet ;)

Books Read  Total 4

I know I know but I have been studying for me INELDA course which just started so book for fun - well all books are fun, but non study material has taken a hit.

Furiously Happy - Jenny Lawson  N  and I love her books

The Passage - Justin Cronin  R
The Twelve - Justin Cronin  R
The City of Mirrors - Justin Cronin  R

I am not where my stuff is at the moment so my books have been limited - but the Passage books are one of my favorite series.

Books Read 

I must be getting my brainpower back because I am up to 8 books LOL   

Tiger Eyes - Judy Blume

In Shock - Dr. Rana Awdish

The Fallen Stones - Diana Marcum

The Lobotomists Wife - Samantha Greene-Woodruff

Your Blue is Not My Blue - Aspin Matis

Life and Other Near Death Experiences - Camille Pagan

An Invincible Summer - Mariah Stewart

Goodbye Again - Mariah Stewart 

Books Read in January
13 total
I got my brain back Yay!

Visiting my parents this month and I didn't bring any books - yeah, I know - so I borrowed some and got some on Kindle

The Dark Archive - Genevieve Cogman  R
The Untold Story - Genevieve Cogman  N And Awesome and I am sad she is done for now with the Invisible Library story.

Left Behind - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins N (my parents books so I started the series LOL)
Tribulation Force
Nicolae
Soul Harvest
Apollyon
Assassins
The Indwelling
The Mark
Desecration

When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi R
Finding Peace at the End of Life - Henry Fersko Weiss  N

​

Barley is enjoying her vacation at my parents house.  We've been visiting for a few weeks and she has loved the huge spaces and playing with her shadow.   She is five months and about 6 ish pounds, though she feels heavier when she lands on my head at 3 in the morning.   She will be getting spayed soon and is in excellent health.

"No Death No Fear. They are not real."
Thich Nhat Hanh
​October 11, 1926 – January 22, 2022
I considered Thay my teacher who gave me the gift of Mindfulness and helped me learn to channel my anger into more appropriate places. My heart is sad to lose him but blessed to know he is soaring eternally free. Gratitude. No Death No Fear.

#thichnhathanh #thichnhathanhquotes #thaythichnhathanh #nodeathnofear #mindfulness #themiracleofmindfulness #soareternallyfree #ingratitude  

Postcards!

I've not seen postcards in stores in a long long time. But Rite Aid had a bunch of them so I grabbed some. I've been collecting postcards since I was a kid. My goal is to have one from everywhere but they seemed almost non existent so I stopped trying. Happy to see some again!

Don't have a case of the Mondays 😆🐈🎉

#postcards #postcardcollector #postcardcollection #postcardsfromtheworld #collectingpostcards #ilovepostcards #donthaveacaseofthemondays   

141 Total 
​So, here we go!

N - Newly read
R - Reread

January Books: (19)

The Dark Archive - Genevieve Cogman (Invisible Library series)  N
Another fabulous book in the series - I wish I could just fall into this world!

Widowish A Memoir - Melissa Gould  N

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone MinaLima edition - JK Rowling
I got this edition for xmas and it is just pure magical gold.  The illustrations really bring the book to life and it has all sorts of fun pop ups and add ins.

The Book of Bright Ideas - Sandra Kring

Life and other Near Death Experiences - Camille Pagan  N

Three Souls - Janie Chang

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See

Secret Language of Dreams - Fontana

The Death Class - Erika Hayasaki

Casket Chronicles - TA Walters   N

Earth Abides - George  R Stewart   N

Grateful American - Gary Sinise   N

The Pants of Perspective - Anna McNuff  N
Llama Drama - Anna McNuff  N
50 Shades of the USA - Anna McNuff   N
These three were a fun find - they follow Anna's adventures via running, biking and adventure and are just a fun read. 

Buddha and the Bee - Cory Mortensen   N
This one made me laugh out loud at times and cringe at others - but its a fun read about Cory going from the midwest to San Fran on his bike with literally no plans and minimal supplies.

Dreamspeak - Rosemary Ellen Guiley

Floating Feathers - Ross Zbar MD  N

The Map - Colette Baron-Reid


February Books: (8) - Yes, it's totally embarrassing but I was/am reading a handful of books all at the same time, so I finished only a few - March should be a big one though.  Also, I pretty much re-re-re-re- read all of my favorites - It's a comfort thing.

Brigid's Charge - Cynthia Lamb 

A Scattered Life - Karen McQuestion

The Long Way Home - Karen McQuestion

11/22/63 - Stephen King

The Institute - Stephen King

The Passage - Justin Cronin

Dreamgates - Robert Moss   N - and a fabulous book to add to my dreamwork/psychopomp collection

A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness

March
I did much better in March. I was reading a lot of books at one time last month - so I finished them all this month to total 15

A Touch of Darkness - Scarlett St. Clair  N

Death Walkers - David Kowalewski PhD  N

The Art of Death Midwifery - Joellyn St. Pierre   N

One Foot In Heaven - Heidi Telpner   N

Practical Shamanism - Katie Weatherup  N

Conscious Dreaming - Robert Moss  R

Later - Stephen King  N

Mortals Guide To Dying Well - Cindy Kaufman   N

The Colorado Kid  - Stephen King  R

Death Nesting - Anne Marie Keppel  N

The Purpose of Life As Revealed by NDE - David Sunfellow  N

Farewell: Vital End of Life Questions - Dr Ed Creagan   N

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Caitlin Doughty  R

From Here to Eternity - Caitlin Doughty  N

Being Mortal - Atul Gawande   N

You can tell I have been doing much studying of the End of Life Care/Psychopomp/Death Doula courses. Fascinating and humbling.


April I think sets a record at 20 books read. A lot were study books for End of Life Care/Psychopomping - I devoured those.

The Dreamers Book of the Dead - Robert Moss   N

Mr. Poppers Penguins - The Atwaters   R - but read LONG ago a fav childhood book

An Invincible Summer - Mariah Stewart   N

Consciousness Continues - Heather Dominguez   N

A Voice From Her Past - ML Bullock   N

The Sacred Power of Huna  - Rima Morrell    R

Through the Rabbit Hole /Explore Shamanism - Jan Engels Smith  N

The Shamanic Journey Beginners Guide - Gerry Starnes   N

Power Animals - Gerry Starnes  N

Summer Sisters - Judy Blume  R

Dogs and Goddesses - Cruise, Stuart, Rich   R

The Elusinian Mysteries a History - Charles River Editors  N

The Elusinian Mysteries and Rites - Dudley Wright   N

The Meadow Project - Trey Hudson   N

The Secret Power of Spirit Animals - Sky Alexander  N

Skinwalker Ranch - Conrad Bauer   N

A Beginners Guide to the End - BJ Miller and Shoshana Berger   N

Near Death Experiences - Conrad Bauer  N

The Big Beautiful - Pamela Duncan  N

​Moon Women - Pamela Duncan  R

May

Total - 9

N = N
R = Reread

The Puma Years - Laura Coleman  N  (this one was fabulous and I absolutely loved it)

On Writing - Stephen King   R

The Oracle Travels Light - Camelia Elias  R

Dying: A Memoir - Cory Taylor   N

The Medicine Bag - Don Jose Ruiz   N

Kindling the Native Spirit - Denise Linn  R

Advice for Future Corpses - Sallie Tisdale  R

​Imajica - Clive Barker   R

June
11 total
N = New
R = Reread

Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel   R

Hope - Marc Levy  N

Last Wish - Betty Rollin    N

House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski   R

Life after Life - Raymond Moody   N

The Menopause Manifesto - Jen Gunter  N

Running with the Demon - Terry Brooks   R

A Knight of the Word - Terry Brooks   R

(almost got the third one of the trilogy in there but didn't make it LOL)

Awakening to the Spirit World -Shamanic Path of Direct Revelation - Sandra Ingerman and Hank Wesselman   N

Mortuary Confidential - Todd Harra and Kenneth McKenzie   N

Books for July

And another slow-ish month. But I was doing a lot of studying on line, so the book count is lower.

N - New
R- Reread

Angelfire East - Terry Brooks   R

Urban Shaman - Serge Kahili King  N

Darwin's Radio - Greg Bear   R

Peony in Love - Lisa See   R

Hikertrash Life on the PCT - Erin Miller   N

Old Bones - Preston & Child   N

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern   R

Relic - Preston & Child   R

23 Books - Most read prior to that was 20!  Woot   Of course that means I wasn't doing much else LOL  August/Summer heat always makes me very seasonally depressed so books help counter that.

August
​

Reliquary - Preston & Child    R
The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds  - Selina Siak Chin Yoke   R
The Ice Limit - Preston & Child    R
Cabinet of Curiosities - Preston & Child    R
Riptide - Preston & Child    R
Shamanic Experience - Kenneth Meadows   N
Brimstone - Preston & Child    R
Plenty A Memoir - Hannah Howard  N
Dance of Death - Preston & Child    R
The Book of the Dead - Preston & Child    R
The Shining - Stephen King  R
The Wheel of Darkness - Preston & Child    R
Animal Medicine - Erika Buenaflor  N
Fever Dream -Preston & Child    R
Two Graves - Preston & Child    R
Healing with Shamanism - Jaime Meyer   N
The Tarot Shaman - Katz & Goodwin   N
White Fire -Preston & Child    R
Chakra Healing - Jessica Adams   N
Blue Labyrinth - Preston & Child    R
Animal Totems & Spirit Animals - Carly Van Heeder  N
Crimson Shore - Preston & Child    R
​You've Been So Lucky Already - Alethea Black  R

Books read in September - Total 17
N = New  R = Reread

Billy Summers - Stephen King   N  And OMG this book was so good.

Mary Twelves - ML Bullock  N

Broken (In the Best Way Possible) Jenny Lawson   N

The Bones of Marietta - ML Bullock  N

Footsteps of Angels - ML Bullock   N

The Fellowship of the River - Joseph Tafur   N

I Am A Runner - Maria Papalia-Meier  N

Out of My Head - Josie Blaine  R 

A Few Minor Adjustments - Cherie Kephart   N

When We Believed in Mermaids - Barbara O'Neal  N

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban  - JK Rowling R

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince -JK Rowling R

Piranesi - Susanna Clarke  N   ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK

Prisoners without Bars - A Caregivers Tale - Donna Figurski  N

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling  R

A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming - Tuccilo, Zeizel and Peisel   N

​Not Quite Enough - Catherine Bybee   N

October
Not Quite Dating - Catherine Bybee   N

Not Quite Mine - Catherine Bybee   N

Carrie - Stephen King   R

The Carrow Haunt - Darcy Coates   R

Where the Light Falls -  Katherine Keenum   R

The Haunting of Brynn Wilder - Wendy Webb  R

November
Total - 4

Flying on the Inside - Rachel Gotto  N
The Night Sister - Jennifer McMahon  R
From Here to Eternity - Caitlin Doughty  R
The Radium Girls - Kate Moore  N

December
One LOL

Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel  R

And that is my year in books.