Jessye Gould
Bio
I'm an aspiring writer. I'm working on a few novels at the moment, and filling my portfolio with other pieces.
I'm married, with two cats (see my "adoption story" pieces).
Stories (15)
Filter by community
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a hormonal problem that is estimated to affect as many as 10 million people worldwide. While the exact cause is unknown, it is suspected that genetics and environment play a big role in the development of PCOS. Despite other concerning fertility affected disorders and conditions, PCOS is the leading cause of infertility in women, and the symptoms can be extremely damaging to your physical and emotional health.
By Jessye Gould7 years ago in Viva
Anxiety
I've published one article so far about the car accident that left me with brain damage and memory/depression issues. But I didn't really touch much on the anxiety of it all. Before the accident, I had some minor social anxieties, mostly to do with crowds. I hated being in crowds, because I always felt like I was going to be crushed. Irrational, I know, but that's anxiety, to me. I would almost always start to get a little panicky. I stopped going places that I knew would be especially crowded, preferring to stay safe at home.
By Jessye Gould7 years ago in Psyche
Adoption Number Three
Well, folks, we've expanded our family again. We have another boy in our midst. He came to us by way of a family whose cat had kittens and they couldn't keep the babies. It was a spur of the moment decision to bring him home, but once we made the decision and given him his name, it was all we could think about until the day we picked him up. In the true nature of our naming practices, my husband named the new baby. I wasn't quite sure about the name he chose at first, but once I met him, I knew it was perfect. My husband got the name from a radio host on a local station. Apparently, the man's last name is Brutus, and he got hooked on the name. Eventually, so did I.
By Jessye Gould7 years ago in Petlife
Writer's Block
I wish that I could say that I've been doing nothing but writing for the last few months, but I've found myself having to take time off from writing. Stress and life keep getting in the way for one reason or another, and I find myself sitting down in front of my laptop, and being physically unable to write. The problem with this is that I'm nearly halfway through my first real attempt to write a novel, and I can't help but think to myself, "Can I really do this?" or "Who would want to read anything I've written?"
By Jessye Gould7 years ago in Journal
Best Litter I've Ever Used
When my husband and I brought home our first baby, we used the cheapest litter we could find at the dollar store. As a kitten, Arno didn't mind it because it was litter, and he was being litter trained. But as he got a little older, I noticed he didn't seem that impressed with the litter that we were using. My husband and I went into Walmart and looked around at the other litter options, and had wanted to try a natural, non-clay litter. When we picked up the first bag, I wasn't sure how it would work. I had never used a natural litter, so I was skeptical. But when we changed out the old litter for the new, we found that Arno seemed to like it so much better. And he's not the only one.
By Jessye Gould7 years ago in Petlife
Living With Cats
If there's one thing I've learned about living with cats, it's that you don't own them. They own you. I am owned by two kitties. One of whom is shy, and the other is outgoing and playful. Mouse, the littlest baby, is outgoing, playful and full of energy. She naps through most days, gearing up for her short bursts of playing. Sometimes she can convince her brother to play with her, and sometimes, he just wants to be left alone. This article is going to focus mostly on Mouse, because she's the outgoing, stubborn one. She knows that she owns my husband and I, and isn't shy about making it known. Even as I write this, she's laying on my desk in front of me and my laptop, purring and cuddling with my chest where I'm leaning in to my desk. She knows that there are very few circumstances where I would actually move her. And I know that if she is comfortable, nothing will stop her from coming back. She's a cuddle bug. Most nights when she naps, she's napping either on me or my husband, or somewhere on the bed between us. She's never far away from one of us, and if she wants to play, one must bend to the tiny dictator's wishes.
By Jessye Gould7 years ago in Petlife
Raising a Stray (Pt. 2)
The hardest thing for me as a cat mom is to not be able to cuddle my babies when they really need the attention. Arno has always been cautious around people. I spoke a little bit in the first Raising a Stray piece about his origin story and what I thought might be the cause of why he's so shy. But I didn't cover what it's like in the day to day life with Arno.
By Jessye Gould7 years ago in Petlife
Raising a Stray
When we brought Arno home, we knew that he was going to probably have some problems related to being abandoned and having to fend for himself for the first few weeks of his life. He didn't have anyone taking care or him, in fact, we think he was the caretaker, and the one that went and got the food, because his sibling was much too sick when they were rescued to have taken on that role. Arno was a strong, relatively healthy boy, who was dealt a bad hand when he was born. I don't know what the first 8 weeks of his life looked like, but at 8 weeks old, we welcomed him into our family. He was quick to purr, but wasn't overly affectionate, because he didn't know how. My husband, Kevin, and I showered him with lots of love and kisses (when he tolerated it) and made sure he always had food, water, a litter box, and love.
By Jessye Gould8 years ago in Petlife
You Want to Be a What?
Most people know what they want to be when they grow up. "I want to be an astronaut/firefighter/police officer/scientist,” etc. But I didn’t have that kind of experience. Even at 24, almost 25, I’m still having moments of, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” In middle school, the answer would have been, “I want to be a writer.” That was seventh grade when my English teacher told me I had a knack for writing fiction. Class writing assignments came back with near glowing remarks, and the confidence boost was phenomenal. In high school, I was conflicted and changed my mind to “I want to be a teacher.” That lasted until my junior year, and I thought I might like to become a therapist after taking a psychology class. I was really interested in psychological science and brain chemistry until my senior year. When I graduated, I decided that I wasn’t going to go to college right away. I wanted to take at least a year and explore myself as an adult. I wouldn’t call it a ‘gap year’ because I didn’t do any traveling. I rebelled, doing things I hadn’t had the time or freedom to do while I was in school.
By Jessye Gould8 years ago in Journal
Growing Up in Vermont
Growing up in a small town in a small state is not as idyllic as everyone might have you believe. Yes, you know all of your neighbors, you can leave your door unlocked (hardly anyone ever really regrets it), and there aren't a lot of city blocks to navigate. On the other hand, your neighbors know your business whether you want them to or not, everyone knows that your door is unlocked, and you're likely to be stuck behind a tractor for a few miles because there isn't always a connecting street that will bypass it.
By Jessye Gould8 years ago in Wander
Another Adoption!
Well, since at least some of you have been reading the story about our adoption journey with our little boy, Arno, I felt it fitting to share the journey of adopting his sister. My husband and I have been looking around at animal shelters and humane societies since we moved about 3 weeks ago, because Arno has been a little lonely. Where we lived before, he had an older female cat who, while she didn't like him and was always hissing at him and cuffing him, was feline companionship for him.
By Jessye Gould8 years ago in Petlife
