New Fiction Friday: Vanessa and Her Sister

Virginia Wolf is one of the most prolific writers of the 20^th century. She was born into a family of writers and artists, and was closest to her sister Vanessa.  Vanessa and Her Sister is about these two siblings – who although troubled, were very close and continued to support each other’s work despite their differences.  Before picking up this book, I didn’t know much about her. I didn’t know much about her at all, actually, other than her name in the title of a play that became one of Elizabeth Taylor’s greatest movie roles.  She grew up in Middlesex, England, in the shadow of her sister, and two brothers who always seemed to be outshining her. Vanessa is Virginia’s lesser-known sister, and the main character of this fictionalized account of their lives.

Virginia was known as suffering from mental illness, and in the book has frequent breakdowns. Vanessa, a talented artist, was her caretaker. She was the only sibling who really understood the depth opf her problem, the root of her problem, and how best to care for her.  Their two brothers were not unsympathetic, they simply lacked the compassion that Vanessa seemed to have had an endless supply of.  And after the loss of their parents, Virginia’s care naturally fell to her older sister.

They were well known in their respective communities – art and writing, they both also contributed to a group known as the Bloomsbury Group. At the time, these were young people, who got together weekly to discuss art, politics, culture, and to gossip. One famous individual who was part of this group was John Maynard Keynes, the economist. Vanessa’s and Virginia’s father had been a proper English gentlemen, and his second wife had been their mother. They were raised in England’s privileged society, and when they passed the four siblings were well taken care of, and able to pursue their own interests.

Although Virginia was a talented writer, and throughout this book, which only chronicles her teenage years and into her 20s, she needed constant supervision, reassurance, and frequent confidence boosts. She’s a liability. She and Vanessa are the only two women who are really active in the Group, and they remain single while the rest of their peers, marry and settle down.  There are plenty of eligible bachelors, and they both receive a few proposals.  When Vanessa finally decides to marry, their relationship begins to change, and that’s where the real story begins.

I don’t have any sisters – but have always wanted one. Vanessa is a much better sister than I could ever hope to be. The things she does for her sister, and even her two brothers, are admirable. And throughout this story, the things that Virginia puts her through practically makes her eligible for sainthood. I love the story of this family, what they went through, their discussions on art, literature, and politics. I also love the transoformation of women’s roles that is portrayed in the book. These two were young women during the early part of the 20^th century, and though they weren’t suffregettes, they were strong and independent women, and the work of other women like them, helped to advance the women’s movement.

Although this is only a fictionalized account of their lives and their family, I am so interested in reading some of Virginia’s books.  I just picked up The Waves from the library yesterday, and I’m so excited to read it!

26 Books in 2016

I’ve seen quite a few reading challenges already this year – and they all seem so much fun!  Each challenge participants to read more – and read a variety of books, sometimes taking readers out of their comfort zones.  I don’t think I have a comfort zone when it comes to books – but with this list, I’ll be reading quite a variety of books.  This year I’m participating in 26 Books in 2016, which was started by BringingUpBurns.  I was super excited to get started this month, and can already mark two books off the list!  Not sure about the 24 books yet though…  Not sure what other challenges I’ll tackle next on the list.

Over Christmas break I read Vanessa and Her Sister, which I really liked, and with that I’m able to mark off a book about siblings.  For Christmas I got The Girl In the Spider’s Web, which was unputdownable, and clocked in at exactly 400 pages, so I can cross off book with 400 pages off.  I finished reading that book last night, and today started reading Dear Mr. You, which I am loving so far, and I’m studying the list to figure out what, if any, categories I can mark off.

Maybe I can even check off read a book from the library – for me, that’s the easiest, I usually only read books from the library!  We’ll see what comes next, I’m excited to try some of the other categories.  It’s not too late to join in, and this is just one of the many fun reading challenges I’ve seen online in the past couple of weeks.

Happy reading and enjoy!

Southern Made Fresh

I feel like I’ve been in a cooking rut lately.  For Christmas I got the Pioneer Woman’s latest book – Dinners, and am looking forward to trying some of those recipes.  Last night I tried her take on the classic cobb salad – and it was delicious.  For Christmas I also got Southern Made Fresh – which had been on my wish list for a while.  I also recently bought Rachael Ray’s new book Everyone Is Italian on Sunday, which I can’t wait to try.

Southern Made Fresh offers some new takes on Southern favorites: “vibrant dishes rooted in homegrown flavor”.  There are great, colorful pictures, that make all recipes look delicious.  Of course that’s probably the case with most great cookbooks – this one inspires me to cook!  Written by Tasia Malakasis, from Alabama, a seasoned Southern cook, and owner of Belle Chevre Creamery in Elkmont, Alabama.  So, she knows a thing or too about Southern dishes.  She also blogs at Tasia’s Table, sharing more delicious recipes there.

Some of the recipes include egg and chorizo quesadillas, which I made right away – my husband loves Mexican chorizo, and we both loved this recipe.  There are also recipes for buttermilk pecan pancakes (it’s the addition of the pecans I think that give these pancakes the “Southern” label), celery-apple salad, corn and crab fritters, yellow squash and zucchini gratin, buttermilk granola muffins (a basic muffin recipe with a bit of granola mixed into the batter, and a little more sprinkled on top).  My daughter loved helping me make these muffins – and we were able to use our own homemade granola.

One of the first recipes we tried was the Classic Tomato Soup.  It was the perfect thing for chilly weather, paired with a gooey, buttery grilled cheese.  I was also able to use the new immersion blender I got for Christmas.  For the picky eaters in this house, it was a great way to make it nice and smooth!

Classic Tomato Soup

2 T butter

2 C finely chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

5 ¼ C canned reduced sodium fat free chicken broth

1 t dried oregano

3 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes

½ C half and half

½ t table salt

½ t freshly ground black pepper

Garnishes: small fresh basil leaves, croutons

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 6 minutes until tender.
2. Add broth and next 2 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes or until thickened.
3. Slow stir in half and half, salt, and pepper.

If you were buried in snow over the weekend like we were (ok, so we just got an inch – but around here that’s a big deal!), this is the perfect remedy!  Stay warm and enjoy!!

American Wife

Just yesterday, one of my reviews was published online, and I’m super excited to share it today.  It was published on ESME, which is relatively new, and is an online resource for solo moms.  American Wife is about Taya Kyle, the widow of the murdered American Sniper.  As a former military spouse, she was a solo mom, now as a widow she has taken on that role again.  I am super excited that they posted my review on the book.  Here it is:

A few years ago, when the memoir American Sniper (HarperCollins, 2012)by former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle was released, I went out and bought a copy right away. I couldn’t wait to read the tale of the greatest sniper in American history and his war stories battling in some of the toughest fights in the war in Iraq. I didn’t expect to, but I loved the book. Though many aspects of his memoir have since come into question and are considered controversial by some, I still love it.

As a navy wife myself, I tried to understand the brotherhood he shared with his fellow SEALs. These men were his brothers who fought alongside him and who would give their lives to protect one another—not a concept that most Americans can understand. When Chris Kyle eventually left the SEALs and returned home after multiple deployments to transition to life as a civilian, he encountered a different kind of struggle. What drew me in most, though, was how I could personally relate to the stories he shared about his wife. He described her as somewhat reluctant to become romantically involved with him after they met, given the nature and reputation of Navy SEALs. And yet as much as I enjoyed American Sniper, Chris’s wife’s book resonated with me even more.

American Wife (William Morrow, 2015) is Taya Kyle’s story. It is part autobiography, part inside look at their life together, and, finally, a glimpse of her life after his death in 2013. The memoir is divided into sections about love, war, faith, and renewal. The section I adored most is titled “War” and is about how Taya lived her life during Kyle’s deployments to Iraq. I easily related to her words, and reading about her experience gave me an opportunity to hear from her about her day-to-day reality, not unlike other recent war-wife memoirs I’ve read. I’d already read her husband’s truncated descriptions of what her days were like in his absence, but I felt a void without hearing Taya’s insights, such as this one:

“‘I don’t want that on my shoulders,’ I answered. ‘Telling you not to live your dream. You love your job. But I also want to be honest. If you do reenlist, it will change the way I think about things. It will be different. I don’t want it to be, but I know deep in my gut it will be. You keep saying romantic things, things about wanting to stay and build your home here. If you go and reenlist, then I don’t know that I’ll think they’re true.’”

This passage broke me. It brought me to tears. Yes! Someone else gets it, I thought. I was glad she said this and vocalized this feeling to such a large audience. It’s something that I’ve said and felt so many times before. As a military spouse, you’re along for the ride with no say in decisions, and as career military members continue their upward journey in the military, the family does take the backseat. This is quite common. Because of these complications with balancing family with service, Chris ultimately decided to leave the military in 2009, with the surge in Iraq behind him but another surge raging in Afghanistan.

After Chris left the military, the Kyle family moved to Texas, which brought them closer to Chris’s family. Transitioning to civilian life was not easy for him, yet Taya remained supportive. They were able to buy a home in Texas, and he started his own company. With the success of his memoir, Chris was able to begin helping veterans—a true passion.

For Taya, Chris’s death in 2013 was devastating, and her world was shattered. Because of the book’s success and the nature of his death, the murder became national news. The final section of American Wife focuses on Taya’s attempt to carry on. It was heartbreaking, and yet a somewhat a familiar feeling to her. When he was deployed, she was a Solo Mom to their two children, but he left that all behind in an attempt to build a normal small-town life. And then, just a handful of years later, there Taya was, filling that same role of Solo Mom—only this time, it’s forever.

In Chris’s memory, Taya created the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation. Its goal is to help military members reconnect after deployment.

As If!

One of my favorite movies of all time is Clueless.  It is a classic movie, and having grown up in the 90s, it was my teen movie. I remember going to see it with a friend of mine and immediately loving it. Now, with the 20^th anniversary of that movie, As If: The Oral History of Clueless commemorates the movie’s milestone anniversary, all of its influence, and also explores the importance of the movie. Jen Chaney, a writer and journalist, conducted a series of interviews with the movie’s creators, writers, directors, actors and actresses, producers, and crew. It’s a fun trip down memory lane, and a reminder of just how great this movie is.

When the movie came out in the summer of 1995, I was still a teenager, and up until then, my generation hadn’t had it’s own teen movie. Yes, 90210 was still on, and was still really popular, and Party of Five and Melrose Place were just beginning. So there were teen shows, there just hadn’t been any teen movies.

The bulk of the book is made up of Chaney’s interviews with the movie’s writer and director, Amy Heckerling.  Heckerling had already written and directed a teen classic, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. That movie became the quintessential 80s teen movie, years before John Hughes would make his mark. Clueless became the quintessential 90s teen movie.  Here, she talks about the screenplay, casting process, production of the movie, and the movie’s premiere.  At the end, she talks in depth about the film’s ongoing influence. She also talks about the movie’s influence of Jane Austen’s Emma, which is what the movie is loosely based on. Emma was Austen’s matchmaker – and Clueless’s main character Cher takes on that role, in a hilarious and memorable way.

The movie became a cultural icon, and it’s still one of my favorites. It really launched Alicia Silverstone’s career, along with a few others.  One person missing from the interviews is of course Britney Murphy, but at the end of the book the stars of the movie, and Heckling herself, share their memories of her.  I loved reading through all of the interview, and it was interesting to learn that this movie that became so successful and so iconic, had trouble getting off the ground.  Heckerling shares the difficulties she had getting the movie made – but having learned that, I’m happy she overcame those obstacles!

This book is only for fans of the movie – and  those fans who read the book won’t be disappointed!

New Fiction Friday: Kissing In America

Based on the title and cover alone, I had to read this book. I read a brief review online of Kissing in America a while back, and had to check it out. After finally getting it from the library, I finished it over Christmas break and absolutely loved it. 16 year old Eva is the main character of the story. She lives with her mother in New York City, her mother is a committed feminist and college professor, who seems perpetually busy lecturing, meeting with students, and grading papers. Theirs is a strained relationship – she’s a busy single mother, and Eva is a teenager who has a hard time talking to her mother.  They are both haunted by a tragedy though, which makes their relationship even more troubled, her father was killed in a plane crash that remains an unsolved mystery.

Because of the accident, and also because she’s a single mom, Eva’s mom is overprotective, overbearing, and overwhelmed. It’s been two years since the accident, and even though it’s become the thing that defines them, they rarely talk about it.  Against all of her mother’s presence and, influence, she is a devoted romance fan fanatic – reading books by the hundreds. It was the only thing that seemed to bring joy in her life, until she met Will.

Will seems sweet and understanding, and she shares more truth with him than anyone else in her life. At first she lies about her father’s death, when he asks about his absence, and she’s used to doing that – just to avoid having to talk about it. She eventually tells him the truth, and he seems to understand, as he has lost someone in his life too. It’s because of his loss that he’s forced to move to California to start his senior year of high school with his dad that he hadn’t seen in years. It breaks them up, and it breaks her apart.

She and her best friend devise a plan to get to California during the summer, right before their senior year. Annie is set to be their class’s valedictorian, and auditions to be on a quiz show called The Smartest Girl in America. The show is taped in Hollywood, and Eva goes along with Annie as her guest.  It is the trip of a lifetime – traveling across the country by bus, they stop in some really interesting places.  Because Eva and her Mom refuse to fly, and being New Yorkers they don’t drive, the bus is one of their only options.

It was such a sweet story – even though the story of Eva and her mother center around her father’s death.  There is so much hurt – but there is also healing.  This trip helps Eva find out about herself, gives them distance and breathing room that they had never had.  It’s honest in the way the relationship between Eva and her mother is portrayed, but still hopeful.  I really enjoyed reading this book, and although there was very little “kissing” involved, there was all kinds of love.

The Big Short

I have become a fan of Michael Lewis. The first book I read of his was The Blind Side. It wasn’t something I normally would have read, but really wanted to see the movie version and thought I’d read the book first. Since then, I’ve read all of his books, the latest one Flash Boys, which I loved.  Now I’m anxiously awaiting his next book, though not sure when that will be.  I first read The Big Short a few years ago, shortly after it first came out. I’m so excited to see the movie version, but before seeing it, wanted to reread the book.

I remember taking economics in college, but not much of it actually stuck with me. I admit to knowing nothing about the stock market – so along with this book, I used Google frequently to learn more about the investing/stock market terms that Lewis used. I had no idea what value investing is (and kinda still don’t), or a mortgage-backed security, and wasn’t that sure exactly what a hedge fund is. So, reading this book (along with some of his other books) was like a learning experience for me.

At the center of the story is Michael Burry, who is incredibly smart, and seems to understand the stock market better than anyone. Once trained as a neurologist, he left medicine in order to pursue a career on Wall Street. Before starting this new career, he started a blog on the stock market, and become almost obsessed on Wall Street. His blog started to gain a lot of attention.  And from there, he decided to start his own hedge fund, with different rules than most hedge funds operated by. It was a risky move, and it was hard getting initial investors – he had virtually no experience. Had it not been for the death of his father, and a small inheritance he received, starting his own company would not have been possible.

So what exactly did Burry do that was so remarkable? Aren’t there plenty of hedge funds already out there? Yes, but he changed the rules. He also made a huge bet against Wall Street – a bet that no one wanted to make, but a bet many didn’t want to believe he would win. And he did win; he was able to identify a flaw in the economy – and what would ultimately doom the stock market – sub-prime mortgages. Burry becomes somewhat of a hero – in his ability to detect this flaw in the market. Unlike most of the major characters in the book, he doesn’t seem greedy. He is intrigued by the way the stock market works. He doesn’t seem in it just for the money – he did leave a promising career in medicine, after all.

This wasn’t my favorite Michael Lewis book, but I still thought it was pretty great. I think I needed the lesson on the economy, and I think most of us could. Things aren’t exactly explained in “lamen’s terms”, but instead he challenges readers to rise to his level. Instead of blaming politicians for their economic policies, we could gain a better understanding at the stock market, how it works, and what exactly went wrong before 2008 that got us in our current position. This is the perfect book for that!  Students of economics would probably learn more from this book than most textbooks.

I haven’t seen the movie yet – but I’m dying to.  My husband and I are planning to see it on our next date night.  He hasn’t read the book – but he loved the movie Moneyball, and we can’t wait!

Between the World and Me

“Black Lives Matter” has become another political issue dividing our country. Unfortunately, while some within the African American community use this as a unifying and empowering statement, that their lives are just as important as anyone else’s, others criticize the movement and this slogan, in that it might suggest that not all lives matter. Before we knew the names of Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, and Michael Brown, there was Prince Jones. Prince Jones was a young black man, shot in Prince George County, Virginia.  He had been a student at Howard University, was in the DC area, and before his death was chased through several precincts, as he was on his way to his girlfriend’s house.

Ta Nahesi Coates had been friends with Prince at Howard, and was deeply devastated by his murder. He’s a writer who grew up in West Baltimore, and has experienced racial profiling, and racial violence firsthand. This had a significant impact on his life – and it remains an influence on his writing. It’s something he talks deeply and personally about in Between the World and Me, which is addressed to his son. His son’s reaction to Michael Brown’s death reminded him so much of his own reaction to Jones’s death. It is personal, and touching, and challenges readers to put themselves into someone else’s shoes.

The book begins with a quote from Richard Wright, which includes a passage from which the title was chosen. Wright is known for writing Native Son, among other things, and once was a prominent and powerful voice in the African American community.  Native Son tells the story of Bigger Thomas, a young black man living in Chicago in the 1930s.  He has no father, little education, and no job, and this bleak life, and the way in which the world viewed young black men at the time, becomes a self-fulfilling sotry. It’s interesting that he chose this as his opener, Coates and his writing seem to have been influenced by him, as well as other African American writers.

“And one morning while in the woods I stumbled suddenly upon the thing,

Stumbled upon it in a grassy clearing guarded by scaly oaks and elms

And the sooty details of the scene rose, thrusting themselves between the world and me…”

He tells his son about growing up in West Baltimore, and never feeling in control of his body. The city and its streets were a dangerous place, whether it be at the hands of his parents, the police, or the streets themselves, he was vulnerable and at constant threat of violence. He attended Howard University, and it was there that he met his wife, and Prince George. He calls this place Mecca, indicating its importance to him, and the African American community. It’s also somewhat indicative of the influence Malcolm X had on his life, in his younger years he describes himself as more militant, although by the end of the book he seems somewhat softened.

In New York he began writing, and this is where his son grew up. He matured there, and he developed as a writer. He didn’t graduate from Howard, yet had been forever changed. There is so much truth to what he has said here about life in America, truth that needs to be heard. I was completely blown away by this book.  I had heard many good things about this book, and had even heard Coates interviewed.  I was still stunned by this book’s message.  It was real, raw, and heartfelt.  I was deeply touched, and after reading it I wanted to make everyone I know read it.  Unfortunately those who need to hear this message won’t be reading the book.  It’s an important one nonetheless.

New Fiction Friday: Orbiting Jupiter

A few months ago, I started following HMH Kids on Instagram – the account promotes newly released kids books, and I am tempted by all of their shiny book covers!  I try not to judge a book by its cover, but if I see a book that looks and sounds interesting, I have to check it out. One of those books was Undertow, which sounded promising, but the story wasn’t that great.  The latest of these books I read, after seeing its picture on Instagram, is Orbiting Jupiter, by Gary Schmidt. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I just finished it while we were on Christmas vacation, visiting family, and I really liked it.

The book focuses on Jack, a 6th grader who lives in Maine, whose family has welcomed a new foster child into their home. He is an only child, and he and his parents live on a remote farm. Joseph comes to them after having an incident in his old school, and having being taken away from his father who had been raising him alone. Jack had heard rumors about Joseph be his arrival on their farm, he had heard that Joseph had almost killed his teacher. Of course this turns out not to be true, but it just adds to the mystery surrounding Joseph.

He’s fascinated by this bad boy, and is forced to live, work, and go to school with him. His school friends think he’s crazy for attempting to be Joseph’s friend.  Jack’s mission then becomes changing their opinions of Joseph, just as it becomes Jack’s parents’ mission to love Joseph, and help Joseph. Joseph begins to heal through his work on the farm.  When they all learn more about Joseph’s life, they have compassion, and understanding. They learn about his relationship with a young girl (they were both 13), and how they became parents.

He wasn’t able to see the girl again, and was never able to meet their daughter.  Jack doesn’t quite understand Joseph’s mission to meet his daughter, but he decides to help him anyways.  His daughter’s name is Jupiter, which is where the title comes from.  Although Joseph knows he’s not ready to be a father, he’s not willing to give Jupiter away.

I really loved this story – and the characters, especially Jack.  I know kids can be cruel, and rumors can sometimes destroy someone’s reputation.  And that even happens to adults.  Jack is a kid who believes in the good – the good that is in all people.  And though his world has dismissed and discarded Joseph, he hasn’t.  The story has a sad ending (though of course I won’t give that away), but it somehow seems uplifting.  Gary Schmidt has won two Newbury Medals, and it’s no wonder.  This is such a great story – I’m now putting his other books on my TBR list!

The Best Gear for Runners

If your New Years resolutions included exercising more, we have something for you.  Want to hit the road running or walking with some new gear?  These things will come in handy!  Not all runners or walkers use fancy equipment some just go out and walk or run.  I don’t use super fancy equipment but what I have I love so I thought I’d share some thoughts on various equipment I use or would like to have.

Pedometer – my trusty pedometer, I’ve used a pedometer to track my steps per day for ummm a long time, LOL.  No, actually I noticed after getting married that the weight piled on as it does for some people.  I’d heard about walking 10,000 steps per day to help lose weight so I went out and bought a pedometer, a Walmart special – that was in 2001.  I’ve used them off and on through the years since then.  I totally love the one I have now.  It’s not fancy, it cost $18 when I bought it at Target, the same one is about $15 at Walmart but I had a Target gift card I’d been given as a Christmas present from a student.  I use the Sportline Digital Distance pedometer.  It doesn’t reset at midnight like some do and I have to personally write down the steps each day but I like keeping a log, so it works for me.

Pedometer apps – I thought I’d lost my pedometer not long ago and was in a panic bc I rely on it so much.  However I found an app that is pretty reliable.  Accupedo Pedometer, great thing is this app has both Apple and Android versions, it also has a widget you can keep on your homescreen to track your steps, calories, distance, and time, or you can pick a simpler widget.  You can edit your steps if it counts over or under, and you can adjust sensitivity which is awesome bc when I wear jeans I need it more sensitive bc the phone sits tight in my pocket, when I wear sweats I set it less sensitive.  There are other great apps but do your research and try them out for yourself.

Walking/running apps – There are a ton, I’ve heard great things about Map My Run, Map My Walk, and Runtastic but I use Nike+ and Runkeeper.  I started using Runkeeper because it seems to get along better with my phone’s GPS than Nike does, but I love using the numbers on Nike for goal setting and motivation so I use both. I use Runkeeper to track my walk/run and then just add it on Nike.  It works for me.  Find the apps you like and look for ones you can add friends, it’s definitely motivating!

Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) – I have a HRM only because my younger brother stopped using his and passed it on to me, but now I don’t think I could work out without it.  It’s an older model Polar with chest strap and watch.  There are days it doesn’t cooperate well but that’s usually because I didn’t rinse off the strap well or tighten the strap up enough.  I love that I can watch my heart rate, or my heart rate percentage which is great if you’re trying to stay in the aerobic range or maybe do intervals of aerobic and anaerobic.  I’ve been able to watch my progress and see how much faster my heart rate returns to resting/non-working out than it did months ago.  I can also see how much higher my heart rate percentage can go now before I get winded and have to slow down.  I also use the calorie count on mine as I do track my food and fitness trying to lose weight or right now maintain my current weight.  Not a necessary tool if you just want to enjoy running but I love the info I get from mine.  I’ve looked into the newer HRM/activity trackers and like the looks of the Samsung Gear and Fitbit Charge HR or Fitbit Surge, however all are well out of my price range right now, so I’ll stick with what I have.

Activity trackers – I don’t use one, though I’ve looked into them.  Last year when I decided it was time to get off my rear and lose weight and get healthy and in better shape I went looking.  As I already had the HRM I didn’t need that function.  I’m someone who does better when I see the progress so when I can see the actual step count so the Fitbit Flex was not calling my name.  I looked at the One and the Zip but my pedometer counts most of the same things and doesn’t cost nearly as much.  So far I’m staying without a tracker but if you find you want everything in one place, and I will admit the watch style trackers tempt me, then do your research and buy one.

Shoes – So I know you’re supposed to have good shoes, I haven’t bought new ones in a while.  I will be looking shortly bc it’s time, things are peeling off the bottom of mine LOL. You want shoes that are a the best fit – whatever your foot needs!

Insoles – So many options here too, I currently use orthotics designed for Plantar Fasciitis bc I was dealing with it for almost a year.  Running/walking and getting really good stretching in afterwards did more to heal it for me than any of the other recommended strategies, don’t know why but it is so nice to walk pain free again.  I’ve had gel insoles and they are awesome. I have shoes with memory foam insoles again wonderful.  This is again something that really comes down to what works best for you.

Walking weights – When you read about walking and running you see it is not advised to wear ankle weights or carry weights.  I have a set of 2 lb walking weights that I use occasionally when I am just going for a walk.  What I’d really like to have is a weighted vest for my walks, preferably an adjustable vest.  

Braces – Don’t use these without talking to a doctor and making sure that the reason you feel you need them isn’t something serious. You may need to work on form, think about where you are running (I recently discovered I have less pain when I run on grass than on sidewalks, which was kind of a DUH moment, but hey it happens LOL), or you may need to do some strength training for those areas.  I’ve now gotten off track haven’t I lol.  Ok back on track I have two knee braces, well more than two but I stopped using the sleeve brace a long time ago.  I wear what look like bands just under my knee, each one has an air filled tube.  I don’t wear them every time I run/walk or every day but there are days when I need just a little support, if I start to feel I need more than a little it’s time to back off and rest, walk only.  Usually a day or two of walking or rest and I’m better and back to running.

Racing laces – I’ve recently discovered these, they are a special type of shoelace that adjust to your foot automatically in your shoe.  They also make your shoe fit better, and more comfortable.  Or they’re supposed to be, I’ve only been using them for a couple of weeks.  They make shoes easier and quicker to get on, and make it impossible for your laces to come undone while running!

I know there is probably a whole lot more equipment out there that I know nothing about yet but that’s ok I think I have what I need for now and a wish list as well.  Is there any running/walking equipment you have that you love?