Songs...

Some songs make me happy. Some make me sad. Some make me laugh. A lot of songs make me cry. A song just came on by Jimmy Eat World that took me straight back to the summer after high school graduation. Songs do that to me. Each and every song I've ever played has some sort of meaning to me. They remind me of times, places, people, feelings... anything. When I hear a song it's like I can be exactly where I was when it meant so much to me. Feeling those same feelings about those same people or same things... One person in particular ruined a very large amount of love songs for me when he broke my heart. It's so crazy because I'm somehow wired to put song and feeling together and I always have. I heard the song that my husband decided would be our song while we were still dating when I was at a party recently. I haven't heard it in awhile so it caught me off guard. So off guard in fact that I was stuck to my spot with tears in my eyes while in my mind I saw us in his mom's van holding hands, him singing his heart out to me on the way to Navy Pier. Music consumes my life in a way that nothing else does... There's a Dave Matthews Band song that always makes me feel really safe and calm and it's not even really a slow song. But when I was in high school I was blasting it in my room and turned it down when I noticed my dad was home. He asked me why I did that, told me to turn it back up and said "this is that Dave Matthews Band that you love so much? I like it. Keep it on. And turn it up!". During a time when I felt so angry with him, unsafe, stressed out, and just not good enough a song wiped that all away and I feel that sense of calm whenever I listen to that song. We even listened to it together while I was in labor with my son, and I felt that calm again. It's beautiful that music can tell a story in itself and in my life it can be used to tell my story. If my life were a movie my original soundtrack would be sick!



xo HG

Vegan or no? I need input.

I like to type to music, it's rather therapeutic. I'm listening to Michael Bolton. Yes, I said it! Anyway, I have been having some really serious stomach issues (severe pain, terrible digestion, nausea, vomiting), and food has a lot to do with whether or not I feel good or bad. I have been experimenting a lot with my diet and I'm pretty sure cutting out dairy all together could be really helpful. I have thought about going gluten-free or just dairy free, I have also thought about going vegetarian because meat can be really tough on my digestion, too. But, in the last week or so I have thought about going completely vegan. (Shocking!) I know. The ONLY problem I would have with that would be giving up my beloved... CHEESE! I don't really know how that would work... I know there are cheese substitutes but if you're expecting real cheese you'll be disappointed. So, I dunno. I guess I could start out allowing myself only cheese and then work my way up to taking it away? Help?! If anyone reads this, comment, ask questions, help me out. I wanna help my tummy and I think going vegan could work for me but I am very weary about giving up cheese b/c I really love it a lot... such hard choices in life!!! Should I or shouldn't I?


xo HG












HOLLER.