I just finished a rambling email (the bulk of which I want to share with you) to my friend, Sarah Wynde ~ author of the Tassamara series (which I just love). In my opinion, the series is the quintessential example of a happily successful marriage of genres (I’ll let you figure out which). You could (and still can) download the first book, A Gift of Ghosts , for free at Amazon, and the “quirky dedication” in the front matter sold me on it, and her, before I ever cracked the cover. In fact, I think my first email to her was entitled: “you had me at Eureka” for the pop-culture references that resonate with me which she uses so well throughout the series ~ and all the Tassamara stories never fail to reinforce that first reaction.
But wait, my story gets better, as my favorite stand-up comedian would say 🙂 [here’s the bulk of that email I was talking about, the part I wanted to share]:
Well, it’s been nearly two months since you opened my eyes to the effects of gluten, and nearly that long since I stopped eating gluten ~ and I can’t thank you enough for sharing your experience with me, because (it sounds like hyperbole, I know, but) it has literally changed my life!
I’ve been going to email you and express my gratitude and thanks for the last couple of weeks, but (shamefaced grin) I keep waiting for it to stop! Goofy as it sounds, I keep waiting to wake up foggy and feel worse as the day goes on instead of better!
It took 3 or 4 weeks to get the complete effect ~ and my husband, bless him, says it’s just because the weather and light improved so my SAD backed off like it always does BUT! that doesn’t explain how this rash I had on one foot for more than two years (literally!!! and despite trying everything under the sun, from prescription creams to OTC fungicides to apple cider vinegar to bag balm, ad infinitum!) suddenly cleared up *in less than 2 weeks*, or how come I have more physical energy as well as mental clarity, why I’m able to really accomplish creatively for the first time since before my hysterectomy two years ago . . . I could go on and on (I know, I already have ;-)) but I am just SO thrilled and thankful to you for sharing your experience with me!
I’m still having issues (a LOT this year), with my summer allergies (it is Indiana, after all ;-)), so I’m going to have to revisit what you said about paleo and see if that helps later on in the season. And I’m much more aware of the effects of what I eat or drink, particularly the negative effects of things I don’t have often, such as taste-alikes like flavored coffees from JL Hufford [good thing I don’t go to the mall often!] and certain kinds of sugars, which I no doubt need to give up for good ~ but for now, I am SO enjoying being myself again!
And I am SO grateful to you for taking the time to tell me about your experience. Thank you so much!
I’m also (like many, no doubt) waiting with bated breath for “Grace” ~ that series, and the denizens of Tassamara, make me feel heart-swelly and so satisfied at the end [except that, you know, it’s over! D-`: ]
… aaannnddd I got distracted! Went to your blog for the spelling of Tassamara and got into the last three posts 😉 and then was reminded that I needed to hie off to buy some Georgia peaches and pecans from a truck that would only be there selling them for 90 minutes, met up with my sister, who came back with me and visited for a bit and only now getting back to this ;-D Ah, life! Sometimes it’s SO fun!
Congrats on your Serenity! LOVE the name (of course ;-))
And on deciding to head-hop (never heard it called that before!) in Grace ~ lots of people do that in their writing and if you give a section break or something to indicate the switch in POV, it shouldn’t interrupt the flow. I struggled with that rule myself when I was first told that “it’s a big No-no! It confuses the reader! It breaks the flow!” etc. etc. I still have writer friends who are almost obsessive about it . . . me, not so much. Done properly, I think it actually adds depth. Or even not done “properly” ~ for instance, the first time I heard/saw the POV switch from one character to another in the same scene was in an “In Death” novel by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) when it jumped from Eve Dallas to Peabody. It didn’t jolt me out of the story, ’cause I knew who was “thinking” and as I mulled it over I thought: who am I to argue with Nora Roberts, yeah? 🙂
So, yeah, rambling a bit, I know but the point I really want to make is this:
I am truly amazed by the results of this gluten-free experience and by how easy it’s been to leave it out and still be able to eat almost anything I like, substituting other favs for the gluten-bearing ones. Eating a handful of Fritos, instead of garlic bread or sour dough, with lasagna or Mexican black bean soup, for instance.
I have also, in recent weeks, had some of the dishes I like (like cheese fondue) that do require the use of gluten-bearing breads ~ but I had just enough to satisfy that craving, and I paid very close attention to how I was feeling 3-5 days later, and the effects were minimal. BIG difference to how I was feeling when I was eating gluten-bearing foods on a daily basis.
And all because I “happened” [I don’t believe in coincidence, y’know 🙂 ] to see a post about her gluten intolerance experience on Sarah’s blog ~ and because, when I asked, she was generous enough to take the time to share her experience with me in detail.
I am SO thankful to her for that. So, this is me, paying it forward. <3 Thanks, Sarah!
See you on the beach!
Rebecca