I am a published author! Check it out here! I am the corresponding author with our HeartMath team at GRMC for The Heart of Grinnell for Alternatives in Health and Medicine. What a cool experience! I am grateful for all the help provided by Rollin McCraty, Institute of HeartMath.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Published!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Gray flannel and crisp white bonnets
Tonight I was at our local Wal-Mart... I know, it's all we have though... and in the next aisle I hear the sounds of children speaking in a language other than English. Hmm?? Sounds German to me? (You'd think after two years of college German I ought to recognize it.) Around the corner a little tot in a gray flannel dress and bonnet comes, with another girl, and a boy, and another girl, and mother with a littler tot yet in the cart, and father with one in his arms. We do not live far from Amish communities but it is not usual to see a young family like this one in our town.
In our WalMart, kid-boring things like toothpaste and shampoo aisles go directly into the pet section and a wall of aquariums. The sounds of joy these children let out made me smile no end. I had forgotten how a simple joy of a big tank of colorful fish can be. Their giggles were delightful.
They went their way and I went mine. I met up with them again in another part of the store. As I looked down the aisle, here were three girls in their dark gray dresses all looking at swimming suits. Have you ever seen girls swimming suits at WalMart? Can you imagine? The color is screaming neon and flower prints in pinks and purples. It was an amazing image to see these girls sneaking a peek and a touch of the fabric. Priceless.
In our WalMart, kid-boring things like toothpaste and shampoo aisles go directly into the pet section and a wall of aquariums. The sounds of joy these children let out made me smile no end. I had forgotten how a simple joy of a big tank of colorful fish can be. Their giggles were delightful.
They went their way and I went mine. I met up with them again in another part of the store. As I looked down the aisle, here were three girls in their dark gray dresses all looking at swimming suits. Have you ever seen girls swimming suits at WalMart? Can you imagine? The color is screaming neon and flower prints in pinks and purples. It was an amazing image to see these girls sneaking a peek and a touch of the fabric. Priceless.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
January 31, 2010
Basically on a dare five weeks ago, I had my first go at acupuncture. I was traveling and at the home of friends of one of my traveling companions. We were invited for coffee and acupuncture on Sunday morning. Michael is a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine and he set up the massage table in the eat-in kitchen.
"Now, who has not had acupuncture before?" he asked the group.
I was the only one who smiled sheepishly.
"I guess its me..." I replied.
We went into the kitchen and I got on the table wondering what in the world was about to happen. Michael has many years of experience and quickly put me at ease. He cradled my neck in his hands and began to tell me that my neck was "junky" - too much tension in my muscles. He said that the neck is the connection between heaven and earth and it needs to be open, less "junky." He really worked on my neck like I've kneaded a bowl of bread dough.
"You will want to take a Tylenol later because you are going to be sore." No kidding.
He then went to the microwave where he pulled out a tubesock filled with buckwheat hulls. He had warmed it in the microwave and then placed it under my neck...it was glorious. And smelled good and nutty, too.
"I want you to make one of these when you get home. Fill a tube sock with rice or buckwheat hulls and then heat it in the microwave at the end of the day. Lay on the floor with your shins and feet on the sofa, a pillow under your head, and your warm rice sock under your neck. Do this everyday and you will feel much better."
Then he took out the needles and explained how they are single-use needles, only for me... and began to insert them in various places....the tops of my feet, my hands, elbows, and ears. (The ears were the only ones I actually felt and even then it felt like a mosquito bite.) He had already put on some soothing music and told me to just stay put and relax for a while.
At the end of the time, he removed the needles quickly and helped me sit up. I got up feeling physically relaxed as if I had just had a massage, which I had. I was admonished to drink lots of water through the day, again just like a massage, to flush my system.
It's been five weeks since that Sunday morning in Michael's kitchen. The most interesting thing is that I have not wanted coffee since. I don't look forward to having that first cup in the morning. It is important to note that I could drink a 12-cup pot of coffee in a morning and really not think much of it. I am a coffee snob, but will drink whatever's around, but not anymore. The funny thing is, we never talked about coffee. It wasn't something I mentioned to him, it was an unintended side effect.
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to call a friend who is an acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner here in Grinnell. (Yeah, Grinnell, Iowa...isn't that cool?) I explained this whole coffee thing and that I am really intrigued by this. I mean, if I had that kind of result with something I hadn't even tried to achieve, what could this do for something I want to achieve?
I've had my first session with Anne. She asked me questions I've never even thought of before. I'm intrigued. I have noticed a change in myself in the past few days. It will be interesting to see where this all takes me, but I am eating differently as suggested and it is fascinating. I'll keep you posted on how this goes...
By the way, I am not enjoying coffee, maybe a cup or two of decaf on a Friday morning, but that's it. I am enjoying tea...
"Now, who has not had acupuncture before?" he asked the group.
I was the only one who smiled sheepishly.
"I guess its me..." I replied.
We went into the kitchen and I got on the table wondering what in the world was about to happen. Michael has many years of experience and quickly put me at ease. He cradled my neck in his hands and began to tell me that my neck was "junky" - too much tension in my muscles. He said that the neck is the connection between heaven and earth and it needs to be open, less "junky." He really worked on my neck like I've kneaded a bowl of bread dough.
"You will want to take a Tylenol later because you are going to be sore." No kidding.
He then went to the microwave where he pulled out a tubesock filled with buckwheat hulls. He had warmed it in the microwave and then placed it under my neck...it was glorious. And smelled good and nutty, too.
"I want you to make one of these when you get home. Fill a tube sock with rice or buckwheat hulls and then heat it in the microwave at the end of the day. Lay on the floor with your shins and feet on the sofa, a pillow under your head, and your warm rice sock under your neck. Do this everyday and you will feel much better."
Then he took out the needles and explained how they are single-use needles, only for me... and began to insert them in various places....the tops of my feet, my hands, elbows, and ears. (The ears were the only ones I actually felt and even then it felt like a mosquito bite.) He had already put on some soothing music and told me to just stay put and relax for a while.
At the end of the time, he removed the needles quickly and helped me sit up. I got up feeling physically relaxed as if I had just had a massage, which I had. I was admonished to drink lots of water through the day, again just like a massage, to flush my system.
It's been five weeks since that Sunday morning in Michael's kitchen. The most interesting thing is that I have not wanted coffee since. I don't look forward to having that first cup in the morning. It is important to note that I could drink a 12-cup pot of coffee in a morning and really not think much of it. I am a coffee snob, but will drink whatever's around, but not anymore. The funny thing is, we never talked about coffee. It wasn't something I mentioned to him, it was an unintended side effect.
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to call a friend who is an acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner here in Grinnell. (Yeah, Grinnell, Iowa...isn't that cool?) I explained this whole coffee thing and that I am really intrigued by this. I mean, if I had that kind of result with something I hadn't even tried to achieve, what could this do for something I want to achieve?
I've had my first session with Anne. She asked me questions I've never even thought of before. I'm intrigued. I have noticed a change in myself in the past few days. It will be interesting to see where this all takes me, but I am eating differently as suggested and it is fascinating. I'll keep you posted on how this goes...
By the way, I am not enjoying coffee, maybe a cup or two of decaf on a Friday morning, but that's it. I am enjoying tea...
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Wellness, College Style
A college wellness fair is an entirely different affair than I've been involved with in my ten years in healthcare marketing. I love being on campus, but it affects me in weird ways. I am now keenly aware that I am most certainly old enough to be any student's mother so my maternal feelings or at least "aunt" feelings are hard to conceal.
Big dogs for cuddling, children to color with, sharing tea and its healing properties, HeartMath, free hugs, and walking a labyrinth... sounds like my kind of wellness. And, by the time I left, I felt a little better about wanting to tell everyone to put on a sweater and go to bed early...
Big dogs for cuddling, children to color with, sharing tea and its healing properties, HeartMath, free hugs, and walking a labyrinth... sounds like my kind of wellness. And, by the time I left, I felt a little better about wanting to tell everyone to put on a sweater and go to bed early...
Sunday, January 17, 2010
It's Complicated
My good friend Anne issues an open invitation to the movies when something good comes along...She sends an email to all her women friends with the title of the movie, the day and time of the show, and a review from Rotten Tomatoes. The last movie was "Julie and Julia." I'm not a big movie person, but I enjoy going to the movies on Anne's movie-a-long. I think it is because we have a good time as a group of women, just meeting at the movies.
Today's movie was "It's Complicated." And the theater was filled with women of all ages... Only about four men in the place. I saw an 80 year old PEO sister, women from my church, all generations delighting in watching a gorgeous middle-aged Meryl Streep as the object of desire of two men... There just aren't a lot of movies like this one. And rated R to boot!
The best part was enjoying it, giggling, laughing, crying, and resonating with the emotions on the screen with a room full of women...reveling in a wonderfully funny movie, that celebrated middle-age love and S.E.X. (wink, wink)
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Colder than a....
Today's view from the porch is COLD.
It is ridiculously cold here. I laughed at the sports commentators covering bowl games in Florida talking about how cold it was there...
"Wow! It's only 56 degrees out here, JB! "
"I know! I wanted to take my family to the beach yesterday, and jeez, it was freezing!"
So, it was anywhere from -12 to -20 degrees (yes, Fahrenheit) this morning.
I suspect someone in International Falls, MN is making fun of me right now.
It is ridiculously cold here. I laughed at the sports commentators covering bowl games in Florida talking about how cold it was there...
"Wow! It's only 56 degrees out here, JB! "
"I know! I wanted to take my family to the beach yesterday, and jeez, it was freezing!"
So, it was anywhere from -12 to -20 degrees (yes, Fahrenheit) this morning.
I suspect someone in International Falls, MN is making fun of me right now.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
The Greatest Christmas Gift
I have not been out of my house for five days.
I had a twinge of guilt that I should go to church this morning. Since I usually work at church every Sunday morning, having an opportunity to worship elsewhere with no responsibilities really is very appealing. But that twinge quickly vanished, mercifully.
The Christmas Blizzard of '09 (I can hear it 100 years ago referred to as "ought nine") postponed our holiday plans with our family for a week. It was disappointing, but what a gift it turned out to be. All of a sudden, five days of unplanned time off stretched before me and it has been wonderful.
The past year has been non-stop. Two part-time jobs, my enrollment this fall in a licensed lay ministry class, staying centered with my kids, and all the other things that happen in life have kept me going at a break-neck speed. I know what time and what day it is by which workplace I am in at the moment. Evenings spent working on religious studies after kids have gone to bed.
I spent the day in sweats yesterday. Between working on my presentation for my class in early January, I played three full football games on the XBox with John. It was my idea that he and I set up a playoff tournament. We're supposed to have played the championship today, but we've only played five games and there are 16 teams. I am pretty proud of myself that I am holding my own three games to two. Considering I frequently have to look down at my controller to know what button to push, I'm doing well. The controller is simply an extension of John's hand and he instinctively knows all the bells and whistles. I'm holding my head high.
Stretching out the holiday into the next week is wonderful. It's the way it is supposed to be. I would imagine that a poll of most Americans would show that they believe the 12 days of Christmas begin on December 12 rather than December 25. From now until the Wise Men come on January 6, it will still be Christmas. I'll probably take down the tree next weekend, but there's still more celebration to come....
And tomorrow, life will return to an abbreviated state of normal. The kids are still off school, so I am the only one I need to get out the door in the morning. I'm using some comp time at church, since the Sunday School is also on break, so that will continue the feeling of vacation. Then on Wednesday after lunch, we'll pack up as we had planned to do last week, and head for Grandpa and Grandma's for Christmas and New Year's. I know I will enjoy it more now that I've had a week of Sabbath time.
Slow down, pay attention, enjoy this time...it changes by the moment.
I had a twinge of guilt that I should go to church this morning. Since I usually work at church every Sunday morning, having an opportunity to worship elsewhere with no responsibilities really is very appealing. But that twinge quickly vanished, mercifully.
The Christmas Blizzard of '09 (I can hear it 100 years ago referred to as "ought nine") postponed our holiday plans with our family for a week. It was disappointing, but what a gift it turned out to be. All of a sudden, five days of unplanned time off stretched before me and it has been wonderful.
The past year has been non-stop. Two part-time jobs, my enrollment this fall in a licensed lay ministry class, staying centered with my kids, and all the other things that happen in life have kept me going at a break-neck speed. I know what time and what day it is by which workplace I am in at the moment. Evenings spent working on religious studies after kids have gone to bed.
I spent the day in sweats yesterday. Between working on my presentation for my class in early January, I played three full football games on the XBox with John. It was my idea that he and I set up a playoff tournament. We're supposed to have played the championship today, but we've only played five games and there are 16 teams. I am pretty proud of myself that I am holding my own three games to two. Considering I frequently have to look down at my controller to know what button to push, I'm doing well. The controller is simply an extension of John's hand and he instinctively knows all the bells and whistles. I'm holding my head high.
Stretching out the holiday into the next week is wonderful. It's the way it is supposed to be. I would imagine that a poll of most Americans would show that they believe the 12 days of Christmas begin on December 12 rather than December 25. From now until the Wise Men come on January 6, it will still be Christmas. I'll probably take down the tree next weekend, but there's still more celebration to come....
And tomorrow, life will return to an abbreviated state of normal. The kids are still off school, so I am the only one I need to get out the door in the morning. I'm using some comp time at church, since the Sunday School is also on break, so that will continue the feeling of vacation. Then on Wednesday after lunch, we'll pack up as we had planned to do last week, and head for Grandpa and Grandma's for Christmas and New Year's. I know I will enjoy it more now that I've had a week of Sabbath time.
Slow down, pay attention, enjoy this time...it changes by the moment.
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