Hi, I'm Sylvia. I live on beautiful Vancouver Island in Beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Since coming down with a very determined case of myalgic encephalomyelitis, I now have quite a bit of time on my hands. What to do? Blog, of course!
Classical Bookworm is where I share my love of learning and of books. I am particularly interested in learning more about the things I missed out on as a science student, namely the arts and humanities. My plan is to study history and the classics of literature, art, and music chronologically and concurrently, starting at the beginning of human civilization. Learning is a joy for me, and I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do with my time.
Sister Earth is where I blog (infrequently) about nature, Christianity, Daoism, and peace. It’s all about harmony for me—harmony with nature, harmony with others, harmony with the universe. I’ve been seeking harmony since I was a child, first through the books of Tom Brown, Jr., which taught me that harmony with nature is possible. In young adulthood I encountered Daoism and its physical expression, taijiquan (t’ai chi ch’uan), which taught me new ways to achieve harmony with self, others, and nature. Finally, my quest for harmony landed me quite unexpectedly in the Catholic Church, troubled vessel of the most radical form of harmony: love your enemies. Any one of these—nature, Daoism, Christianity—would be enough for a lifetime of growth and sustenance. I am deeply grateful to have been led to all three.
When I’m not reading, blogging, or reading blogs, I enjoy a quiet life in the forest with, among other mammals, three adorable Rottweilers and an extremely fluffy cat. As an INTJ, I enjoy making impossible plans and then making new plans when I realize the old plans are impossible. Live without a plan? Impossible!
Footie
I love the beautiful game. Be prepared for lots of soccer-related posts and/or tweets during major international tournaments. Visca Barça and Go Whitecaps!
Chess
Inspired by Susan Polgar and her sisters, I started playing chess in December 2007. If you'd like a game, challenge me at The Immortal Game.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.; also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) is a chronic, incurable, disabling disease that affects just about every system in the body. It is classified as a neurological disorder and causes dysfunction in the neurological and endocrine systems (especially in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenals), and overactivity in the immune system. The symptoms of M.E. include overwhelming exhaustion, muscle weakness, post-exertional malaise, sleep dysfunction, muscle and/or joint pain, and cognitive dysfunction (especially confusion, difficulty concentrating, and short-term memory loss). Where was I? Oh yes. There are no effective treatments available yet, and spontaneous recovery rates are very low.
The symptoms of M.E. vary in severity between people and over time. Some people are confined to bed while others are able to work as long as someone else is doing all the housework. I am somewhere in the middle, unable to work but able to take care of myself as long as I am careful. By ruthlessly streamlining my lifestyle I am able to minimize my symptoms and have some energy left over for low-energy hobbies—like reading and blogging!
