Limbic

Isn't that an interesting word?  Limbic. It comes from limbus which mean a border or edge and it's used in medical terminology. I've been reading about it lately as it relates to an important part of the human brain which is kind of on the edge of/between two other important parts of the brain (I don't know if there is an unimportant part of the brain - probably not.) Some scientists say the limbic system is an outdated term since the things it includes and the functions it performs keeps changing.

This is one of the interesting things about this part of the brain, whatever you want to call it. It is the link between thoughts and physical reactions.  It is why thinking you are allergic to something is pretty much the same as actually being allergic to something.  It is why emotions such as fear can flood your body with hormones that trigger energy release, put some of your body systems in high gear and shut others down completely. 

I have often felt compassion for people with multiple allergies that are limiting their lives significantly. Do you know there are people that have to isolate themselves from just about everything including regular atmospheric air, most foods and even other people? It's called Multiple Chemical Sensitivities/Environmental Illness (MCS/EI). There are other conditions that have a connection with MCS/EI and can come along with it - fibromyalgia for one, depressive disorders, panic attacks, asthma, thyroid disorders, immune disorders. 

What you think can affect every function of every system in your body.  It is a fascinating area of study.  And because it concerns thoughts, emotions and the spirit, science is not the only authority speaking to it. There is more to "as he thinketh in his heart, so is he"  (Prov. 23:7) than meets the eye. It's why laughing is good for you.  It's why happily married couples live longer on average, and it's why being confident and secure feels better than being fearful and resentful.

Good times

My head is pounding, well no, more like being pounded if I'm describing the feeling.  Headaches are never all that much fun but at least they are not a death sentence (now that I think about that I hope it's not the case...).  I worked last night and didn't get much sleep, followed by a trip to the dentist for teeth cleaning so I'm not really wondering why I feel a little under par.  The wonderful thing is I am home in my quiet, air-conditioned house with no pressing tasks, so I'm going to hit the recliner for a nap.

But before I do that, I have the irresistable urge to write something because I've had a very nice weekend thru Tuesday.  It was Mother's Day weekend.  I'm never really sure what to expect from these holidays since it seems I often end up celebrating them in atypical ways.  On Sunday I got an early text that was heartwarming to say the least.  A 20-something Mexican man sent me a mother's day greeting from California that was such a surprise - but then, he is a pretty amazing kid.  His real mother has a gem of a son.  Hope she knows it.  The afternoon brought greeting from both my awesome and highly valued girls.

Another holiday blessing was my evening meal.  I planned it and cooked it myself, but not to feel sorry for me - it was fun.  When I have all afternoon to putter in the kitchen and pay attention to all the details, putting on a dinner is a relaxing delight.  Guests were my aunt and uncle Brennen, and the bachelor Carroll, and our monthly dinner partner Jack.  Jack is always aware of gentlemanly obligations and was trying to make up for my day slaving in the kitchen. He brought me wine, flowers AND candy.

 Doesn't get much better than that.  And pretty much everything I cooked turned out great.  I was testing a recipe that I'm using for Julie's graduation on the 25th. It was slow roasted beef brisket.  I was specifically watching Carroll because he often gives up on meat that he can't chew but he gave it a great score.  I was especially pleased with the dessert - a mango mousse with berry sauce.  Food is such fun when enjoyed at leisure in good company.

Monday's treat was dinner with my bestest girlfriend at Chiles, followed by the last session of my year long Bible study.  Tuesday's treat was having the day off and getting to visit another friend that I had wanted to catch up on.  As I was sitting in her home talking with her I got a text that my soon-to-be-graduated-and-looking-for-a-job daughter was in an employment interview.  We have been praying about this possible job for her for several months now and my friend and I put in one last request for a favorable outcome.  Shortly after Julie sent another text confirming the hire.  Wow, what a relief it is to know that she has that big decision behind her.  Lots more uncertainties will fall into place now that we know where she is going and what she will be able to pay for. I am not afraid to give credit to God who has been watching over this process for many years now - Julia Dietz, D.V.M. 

And one last little but marvelous thing. An orchid that I bought a couple years ago which has never bloomed for me, now looks like this.  It is a total surprise because it's not what I thought I was buying at all.  But it's so different from all my other orchids that I LOVE it.  

Now to get rid of this annoying headache.

Morning



A rare picture of me enjoying myself

 It's a lovely morning in the oneacrewoods.  Water is flying through the air (irrigation) which is still cool, soft, humid. I have spent some time in my outdoor office with my cereal, my books, and my computer. I hoped it might inspire a blog post but no, I got lost in facebook, catching up on comments from my most internet present friends. What a window on the world. And what a study of personalities it would provide (probably is already providing).  What are we revealing about ourselves when we post? What are we needing when we sit and read for hours?  What kind of friendship does facebook provide?  What kind of friendship is it replacing? These are the questions that I'm thinking about more and more as I see what a cultural change this social media has created. I'm not questioning that it has some value.

Last night I went to a party.  Parties are usually difficult for me, as are other group gatherings like concerts.  I often go alone to these kinds of things and am always amazed at how isolated a crowd can make me feel.  Very seldom does the crowd experience enhance my appreciation of an event.  Nevertheless I go to some of these things realizing there is a social obligation that I want to honor, or people that I want to support.  Similar to my facebook persona, I become more of an observer.  I have found that taking pictures is a good way to blend in and pretend that I belong to the event.

The party was a tea for women and girls and for me, it was my Mother's Day celebration.  It was very well done, with an Alice in Wonderland theme - actually the Mad Hatter was the star and everyone had to wear a hat.  Maybe that was the extra incentive that I had to show up.  How many opportunities to wear a hat does one get? And I had a hat that I like and never get to wear.  The excitement of the evening was something on one of the tables that caught fire and had to be doused with a bottle of water.  Candles are pretty but they are an open flame - just sayin'....




The food was especially beautiful




Excellent tea service



Hats were required



Like I said, the food was beautiful




The Cheshire Cat guarding the M&M's



Croquet activity

Get Out

more specifically, get outside.  This morning, in spite of having many things on the to do list, I went outside just to look at and enjoy the amazing things right outside my door.  I swept off my new pavers, pulled up a few weeds, did some arranging of chairs and table, and suddenly felt so at peace and satisfied. 

I have a lot of artful paths through my gardens.  They are bordered by flowers and grasses that I call lovely and good.  They seed themselves and spring up here and there, sometimes in the path. From time to time I take stock of how they are spreading and whether or not I like them where they are. If I don't like them, I pull them out. When I don't pay enough attention to them they can actually obscure the path or make it hard to navigate.  This is just like life.  I can draw some kind of lesson from my garden anytime I go out there and so can we all.  Get outside, get peaceful, look around, think and figure something out.

The Journey

I've often wondered how life here and now relates to eternity, to God, to the spirit world that we can't see.  My favorite cartoon is a picture of two goldfish in a tank, talking to each other. Says one "Do you believe in God?"  The other one answers "Yes, of course, who do you think changes the water every week?"  I think that's a pretty good illustration of how much we really know about God.

But now I've seen a better illustration that really peeks my interest because it is much closer to reality.  I tried to copy it here without success so I will include the text and a link to the site where the pictures can also be viewed. marchiano.ministries@gmail.com
Written by Sally Herman

 It starts with a picture of twins in the womb...

One says to the other, 

"Do you believe in life after delivery?"

The other thinks about it a bit and slowly replies, "Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later?"

"Nonsense," says the other.

This little one continued on with his rant..."There is no life after delivery. What would that life be?"

"I don't know what that life will be, but it has to be lighter than we have here! Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths."

The unbelieving one thinks a bit and exclaims.... "That is absurd! Walking is impossible. And eat with our mouths? Ridiculous. The umbilical cord supplies our nutrition. Life after delivery is to be excluded. The umbilical cord is too short."

"I think there is something and maybe it's different than it is here." the other replies,

"How can you say that? No one has ever come back from there. Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery it is nothing but darkness; anxiety and it takes us nowhere."

"Well, I don't know," says the other, "but certainly we will see mother and she will take care of us."

"Mother? You believe in mother? Okay then where is she now?

 "I believe she is all around us. It is in her that we live. Without her there would not be this world."

"I don't see her, so it's only logical that she doesn't exist."

To which the other gently replied:

"Sometimes when I am quiet I can hear her, I can perceive her. I can hear her breathe. Sometimes I even hear her voice. I really believe there is life after delivery. I believe one day, I will see her face. And, right now though I can't see her---she is giving life to me every day."

My Friends!

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him"

1 Corinthians 2:9

True

"Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or dark images you hold about yourself. They remember your beauty when you feel ugly, your wholeness when you are broken, your innocence when you feel guilty, and your purpose when you are confused."

a quote from Alan Cohen but I would have said it if I had thought of it first.

Imagination

Imagination. I've been thinking about it since watching Anne of Green Gables. I admire her devotion to it, and of course, her skill.  It might be a good thing to be more imaginative. It would certainly be easier to write interesting stories if I exercised my ability to think outside of the normal. I tried it recently to see if my mundande, everyday life would take on a new excitement.

For instance, one day at work I entered the bathroom to prepare some equipment and noticed a syringe on the counter.  We use them a lot to hold alcohol or peroxide to clean equipment.  On closer examination this syringe had something dark in it.  Strange I thought. As I worked my attention wandered back to the syringe and then my imagination kicked in.  The dark thing had legs and was really quite large.  It looked like a roach, in fact, it was a roach.  How desperate it must have been to have crawled somehow into that really tiny space. Roaches are ancient insects with a survival rate like no other.  Did this one know he was doing something stupid from which he would never recover? Did he do it on a dare? Did someone leave this item on the counter for me to discover with or without a roach in it?  Let imagination run.

So how much of this is factual?  All of it so far.  I haven't written the imaginative part yet.