Soothing Benefits of Reading

I've always loved to read. My father was a serial reader, always had his nose in a book (would have made a great university prof) and when I was sick, often brought me a book to keep me occupied and cheer me up. Some of the books were too old for me, but I loved the feeling of snuggling into bed with a book on my knees.

I completely understand Book Clubs, and the need people have to talk about their reading experiences. Years ago, I was employed by a large company in Winnipeg. One of the women in the company was also a great reader and whenever we bumped into each other, in the hallways or the elevator, we spoke only about books: books we had read, books we recommended and books that had made an impact on our lives. I know nothing about her personal life, but I can tell you what books she read and loved.

Books connect us to each other in a special, intimate way. The books we choose, like or love say a great deal about us. My friend Marilyn and I both loved the book "Birdsong" by Sebastian Faulk and when we talk about it, we both get that faraway look in our eyes as we travel in our minds' eye back to 1914 France. No, we weren't actually there but we feel like we were and we also feel like we shared a special experience.

When an author actually writes the sensitive words of life experience, I feel that something inside me has been opened up and it helps me to appreciate the tiny moments of life. It's the small things we remember: the sunlight on a flower, the calling of a meadow lark, the stillness of a lake at sunset.

The written word reminds us of the mysteries and magic of life experience.

The woman in the photo of this blog isn't me but she looks just like me when I relaxed on a beach in Prince Edward Island a few years ago. The book I was reading?

Birdsong.

Healthy Eating

The other day I was munching on potato chips when a friend commented that it wasn't a very healthy food choice, especially given that I was blogging about healthy living. Busted!

I sort of shrugged with a, "Yeah well, so what?" attitude but I was actually embarrassed. The irony is that I rarely eat that sort of thing, not due to the obvious health implications but because I honestly don't care for the usual array of junk foods. Even the smell of Cheezies and barbecued chips makes me nauseous, and I cannot bear soft drinks.

While I was growing up, we never had that sort of food in the house. My parents nagged us constantly about healthy food choices and the miraculous benefits of exercise and fresh air. When we turned up our noses at suppertime liver, we got the standard reply about the starving children in Asia (I think it was Asia.). Of course, I repeated the same mantra to my own children.

I'm always perplexed that as a society we often choose not to follow a regime of healthy living. We still have to be coerced into not only joining a gym but using its services and in order to lose weight we have to be cajoled and pushed (Witness groups like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig.). Healthy food is readily available and even restaurant owners design menus for customers who are calorie/fat conscious. There is no shortage of books and articles dealing with nutrition, the dangers of obesity and a myriad of exercises meant to tone and strengthen our bodies. It wears me out just thinking about it.

When I was a kid, the world was much less scientific: you just did what your parents told you to do. You accepted their advice and admonishments based on faith, not scientific research.

Sometimes it boggles my mind to think about the nutritious value of each food group: how many vitamins, how many calories, how much fat and how many times will I need to run around the block in order to burn the calories away.

I still tell my (grown up) kids to eat healthy food and get lots of exercise and fresh air. (I'm sure they never tire of hearing this.) Sound advice doesn't have an expiration date.

Oh, I never did finish that bag of potato chips: I ended up throwing it into the rubbish bin.

The Healing of Lavender

Remember your grandmother (or your mother!) keeping lavender sachets in her lingerie drawers?

I used to have a hard time keeping a straight face watching my grandmother place delicate lavender sachets so carefully between the rows of knickers and bras. Maybe it was an "English thing"?

When I lived in England, masses of lavender grew in my front garden and my daughter and I often cut the stems and placed the fresh lavender in small vases. The house smelled so lovely!

I actually began using lavender when I was suffering terribly with migraines because I found that it made an excellent tonic, not only for the treatment of migraines, but in reducing emotional stress and tension. It has a calming scent.

"Lavender" comes from the Latin word "Lavare" which means to wash (Think of the French verb "laver".) as its aroma fills a room with a clean scent.

I love lavender and have little pots scattered around my house in which I burn several drops of the essence of lavender, mixed with a little water, in tiny "fusion pots". After a rough day, or a good yoga class in which every one of my muscles has been stretched, I luxuriate in the aroma of lavender. I sleep like a log and wake up feeling refreshed.

I wish my grandmother was still with us so that I could tell her that she was right and I was wrong, but I'm sure she already knows that.

Thank you Nana. I'll miss you forever.