January 2009
News, updates, & pronouncements from Pat Ballard,
the Queen of Rubenesque Romances

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. 
Eleanor Roosevelt

Something to think about....

It's my belief that making "New Year's Resolutions" is like dieting. They set us up for failure. So I don't "do" either.

I do, however, make sure that I have goals. Not so much goals with deadlines, but goals that I can "carry over," like cell phone minutes, if I don't get them accomplished in a timely fashion. I have to have goals―dreams―things to look forward to. Otherwise, I find myself feeling agitated and adrift.

When Joe, my husband, and I were in Texas for the Christmas holidays, he and his mom, Millie, got on the topic of age and "getting old." Millie is 83 years young. Joe told her that I was in denial about getting old. I quickly assured them that I'm not in denial about getting older, but I am in denial about getting "old." In my opinion, getting older is a matter of passing years, but being "old" is an attitude. Then I said, "When a person stops dreaming about the future, they stop living and start existing, and I don't ever plan to do that."

So, everyone, set some goals―but don't burden yourself with "resolutions."

One of my goals is to finish at least two of the three books that I have started.

Everyone have a wonderful, safe, happy and prosperous New Year!
 

A Word From Pat

A few days after having a wonderful combined Thanksgiving/Christmas meal with our son, Eric, and his family, Joe and I headed for East Texas for the Christmas holidays.

We had a warm, fuzzy time in Texas. We spent time with friends that Joe has known since grammar school, with his mom and brother Michael, with my brother Tim and his family, and my brother Paul.

Coming home we drove straight through on Sunday. It's 662 miles from Nashville to Frankston, Texas, so it's a long drive when you try to make it in one day. But we had a safe trip, and that's what matters.

And now I'm ready to get on with 2009. I've got things to do! How about you?

                                                     Love,

                                                                    Pat

Visit Pat's Place at www.patballard.com | Write me at patballard@bellsouth.net
 

New from Pearlsong Press:
Pat's first nonfiction book,
10 Steps to Loving Your Body
(No Matter What Size You Are)

As a young woman Pat Ballard almost died trying to starve her body into a societally approved size. In 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are) she shares the steps she created―and took―to heal the damage of years of dieting. Join her in celebrating size diversity, self esteem, positive body image, and health at every size.

Your body is a unique work of art.
There never has been, nor will there ever be,
another body just like yours.
Learn to love it and it will love you back.

More info at the Pearlsong Press website. (All copies of 10 Steps purchased from the Pearlsong Press website are autographed by Pat.)

Links About The Queen & Her Books

Pat's Place website
The Queen's Blog
About Pat Ballard
Dangerous Curves Ahead
The Best Man
Abigail's Revenge
Wanted: One Groom
Nobody's Perfect
His Brother's Child
A Worthy Heir
Pearlsong Press blog posts about Pat

Weighty Matters

Overweight women have lower risk of premature birth

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)―Among pregnant women at higher-than-average risk of premature delivery, those who are overweight or obese seem to be afforded some protection, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that of 253 women who were followed during pregnancy, those who were overweight or obese had a far lower rate of preterm delivery compared with normal-weight or underweight women. Just over 8 percent gave birth before the 35th week of pregnancy, versus nearly 22 percent of normal-weight or underweight women.

All of the women in the study were considered to be at higher-than-normal risk of preterm delivery because of previous preterm births or bleeding problems during the current pregnancy. But excess weight seemed to lower this risk, the researchers report in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

The reason may be related to differences in the frequency of uterine contractions, according to the investigators, led by Dr. Hugh M. Ehrenberg of Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus.

They found that normal-weight and underweight women tended to have more contractions between the 22nd and 34th weeks of pregnancy.

The explanation for this finding is not clear, but may have to do with the fact that body fat affects hormone levels, which may in turn affect the frequency of uterine contractions during pregnancy, the researchers note.

Whatever the reason, they conclude, the findings suggest that when doctors screen women for their risk of preterm birth, overweight women who show uterine-contraction patterns similar to those of thinner women may need to be considered high-risk for early delivery.

SOURCE: Obstetrics & Gynecology, January 2009.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081231/hl_nm/us_overweight
 

Reader Review of the Month

Editor's Note: We're now featuring reader reviews of Pat's books in The Queen's Proclamation. Post a review at an online bookstore, magazine, or public website and email us at proclamation @ pearlsong.com to let us know, and we'll consider yours for inclusion in The QP. 

The following review of 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are) was posted on the Amazon.com website by Judith Matz, author of The Diet Survivor's Handbook: 60 Lessons in Eating, Acceptance & Self-Care.

As a therapist, I know that the toughest part for most women in their journey to make peace with food is learning how to build a better body image. 10 Steps to Loving Your Body is a fabulous resource for doing just that. Author Pat Ballard offers her own wisdom, along with inspirational quotes from people such as Gilda Radner and Wayne Dyer. One of my favorites: "Begin challenging your assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile or the light won't come in." (Alan Alda)

If you are struggling with weight/body image issues, keep this book on your nightstand or in your purse, and open its pages often. It will be like having a kind and gentle best friend with you who wants what's best for you and knows how to help you get there.
 

Read an interview with Pat at The F-word (Food. Fat. Feminism.) blog.

Communicate with Pat via her "Amazon Connect" blog on Amazon.com!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/id/AC8LT66HFJQ1Y/ref=cm_blog_blog/102-0429066-5275365

Pat's romantic suspense novel Abigail's Revenge is featured on the Beautiful Portal website: http://www.beautifulportal.com/news.php?item.900034.8
and has been reviewed by AmaZe eMag: http://www.venusimaging.com/Magazine/2005/decjanrealistic/jennifer.htm

 An article on Pat has been posted at:
http://eastmanpublishing.com/epextra/articles/eparticle1007.htm.
And an EP Extra review of Abigail's Revenge is posted at
http://eastmanpublishing.com/epextra/articles/eparticle1011.htm 

Look for an interview with Pat on Lonnie Cruse's blog at
http://www.lonniecruse.blogspot.com.

Calendar of Events

New from Pearlsong Press—Pat's latest (and first nonfiction) book, 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are).

See http://www.pearlsong.com/10steps.htm to order. All copies purchased directly from the Pearlsong Press website will be autographed by the author.

Hear Pat on the air at Radio Free Nashville! Listen to or download the mp3 recording of Pat's June 23, 2008 guest appearance on the Health At Every Size show with Dr. Peggy Elam on WRFN Radio Free Nashville by going to http://www.healthateverysize.info/2008/06/june-23-2008-he.html.

Pat regularly guests on Radio Free Nashville's Health At Every Size show, which airs every Monday morning. She's usually in the studio on the fourth Monday of the month. The show is streamed live over the Internet 10-11 a.m. CST Mondays. You can also now subscribe to the podcast of the show (automatically receive the mp3 recordings of the weekly shows on your computer, iPod or mp3 player) via iTunes. Click on the "subscribe in a reader" button/link in the upper lefthand column, and select "Add to iTunes" or the podcatcher of your choice.

Listen to the live broadcasts over the Internet at http://www.radiofreenashville.org/. You can also listen to the live broadcasts through your telephone via UPSNAP.COM.  See the Health At Every Size show website or the Radio Free Nashville website for details. Davidson County, Tennessee residents can also hear the show live through the Secondary Audio Programming of Comcast cable's Channel 10.

For more on the show, check out the show blog at http://www.healthateverysize.info. You can also listen to or download recordings of some of the shows, including several with Pat, at www.pearlsong.com/audio.htm.

You can still hear the taped radio shows from Size Matters with Veronica, WCRS Radio, on Pat's website.

Show #1 discusses Pat's romance novels
http://www.wcrsradio.org/RadioStage/size/SIZE051.mp3

Show #2 discusses women of size and their sexuality
http://www.wcrsradio.org/RadioStage/size/SIZE052.mp3

And check out the photos from the Nov. 6, 2004 Mississippi Authors Festival that are online at The Queen's Proclamation blog and The Pearlsong Letter blog. (Click on the Mississippi Authors Festival link under the "Photo Albums" heading in the lefthand column of either blog to view the photos.) While you're visiting, post a comment on the blog!

Give someone a good read as well as support in loving themselves.
Pat's books make great gifts!
 

Read previous issues of The Queen's Proclamation at http://www.pearlsong.com/newsletterarchives.htm.
 

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