Tonight is the big night in terms of my written reflexology exam...and so of course today I am procrastinating. Odd corners uncleaned for "a coon's age" as I hear people locally explain extended length of time (and not, thankfully, any sort of racist comment as I discovered in my investigation)...well, these uncleaned corners are suddenly sparkling. (Though producing a shimmering whole house would indeed be the true feat.) Unmade phone calls are suddenly happening, and stacks of papers left about being rifled through...ah, good ole procrastination...
Ironically Denis Waitley's article entitled "Six Behaviors That Increase Self-Esteem", discovered this morning in my inbox, would be unlikely to agree with my current avoidance technique..."Fifth, respond to difficult times or depressing moments by increasing your level of productive activity. When your self-esteem is being challenged, don’t sit around and fall victim to “paralysis by analysis.” The late Malcolm Forbes said, “Vehicles in motion use their generators to charge their own batteries. Unless you happen to be a golf cart, you can’t recharge your battery when you’re parked in the garage!” "
Guess it's time to leave the garage...
Monday, November 29, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Too long it has been
Too long it has been since I sat in this seat, penning a message to send out to the blog universe. It's beginning to sound like a rhythmically repeated cycle of a statement. Busy-ness, ah busy-ness. Such an unhealthy reality.
Sadness and philosophy aside, for it is only me creating this insanity (moi and my lack of ability to speak the word "no" - I am learning, yes, I am learning, and it is amazing how much easier it becomes the more I repeat it).
Day of the Dead passed. So called due to our finds, all within mere yards of our property, of a decapitated mud-coloured bird and a squirrel, almost flawless yet absolutely for sure in a state of rigor mortis. We spent a lot of time investigating the incredibly intricate bumps and pads of squirrel paws, the size of sepia stained teeth, and the black formless orbs with missing eyeballs. No touching, of course, but the kids and I were in awe of God's creativity.
A weekend away at Crieff Hills - a so-called "retreat" though my brain worked harder at deciphering speaker comments and questions regarding "multiculturalism" than normal. Stuffing myself with freshly made bread at every meal, still warm and dotted with sunflower seeds, I could only be grateful for the kindness of the friend who blessed me with the weekend away. And the proximity to her and her wisdom, along with the honesty and realities of so many other women. Why can't women be so opaque in "normal" settings? Don't we all know that not a single person lives a perfect, continuously happy, life?
And an upcoming reflexology exam on Nov 29. What is Raynaud's Phenomenon again? What does the Parasympathetic Nervous System do? Arggg...this thinking thing is certainly hurting my head!
Sadness and philosophy aside, for it is only me creating this insanity (moi and my lack of ability to speak the word "no" - I am learning, yes, I am learning, and it is amazing how much easier it becomes the more I repeat it).
Day of the Dead passed. So called due to our finds, all within mere yards of our property, of a decapitated mud-coloured bird and a squirrel, almost flawless yet absolutely for sure in a state of rigor mortis. We spent a lot of time investigating the incredibly intricate bumps and pads of squirrel paws, the size of sepia stained teeth, and the black formless orbs with missing eyeballs. No touching, of course, but the kids and I were in awe of God's creativity.
A weekend away at Crieff Hills - a so-called "retreat" though my brain worked harder at deciphering speaker comments and questions regarding "multiculturalism" than normal. Stuffing myself with freshly made bread at every meal, still warm and dotted with sunflower seeds, I could only be grateful for the kindness of the friend who blessed me with the weekend away. And the proximity to her and her wisdom, along with the honesty and realities of so many other women. Why can't women be so opaque in "normal" settings? Don't we all know that not a single person lives a perfect, continuously happy, life?
And an upcoming reflexology exam on Nov 29. What is Raynaud's Phenomenon again? What does the Parasympathetic Nervous System do? Arggg...this thinking thing is certainly hurting my head!
Friday, November 5, 2010
The first Day of Snow/School
Tromping to school, fluffy flakes poured down. "It looks like dust, Mom!" [which, of course, is worrisome and slightly horrifying because he knows what dust is from the hordes of it lining our shelves.]
"Stick out your tongue, Mom, " he excitedly demanded. "Stick it out and catch the snowflakes!"
And so I did. So we did. Marching along, tongues stuck way up and giving our hyoid bone a workout (check that out for terminology inserted into regular speak!), we made our way to school. Who can't be fascinated and grateful and overwhelmingly excited when huge nickel-sized flakes are tango-ing on to your cheeks, into your lashes, on to the bits of neck exposed despite scarf tie?
We were excited for another reason too. Other than Halloween festivities and spring water day, this was my first day of volunteering in the kindergarten class. Feeling almost nervous as I readied in the morning I wondered what it would be like, being back in my previous work-type environment? Had I crazily committed to help out weekly? Would I fall right back in love with a career I had been so passionate about? What would it be like???
"Stick out your tongue, Mom, " he excitedly demanded. "Stick it out and catch the snowflakes!"
And so I did. So we did. Marching along, tongues stuck way up and giving our hyoid bone a workout (check that out for terminology inserted into regular speak!), we made our way to school. Who can't be fascinated and grateful and overwhelmingly excited when huge nickel-sized flakes are tango-ing on to your cheeks, into your lashes, on to the bits of neck exposed despite scarf tie?
We were excited for another reason too. Other than Halloween festivities and spring water day, this was my first day of volunteering in the kindergarten class. Feeling almost nervous as I readied in the morning I wondered what it would be like, being back in my previous work-type environment? Had I crazily committed to help out weekly? Would I fall right back in love with a career I had been so passionate about? What would it be like???
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Blank Bone's connected to the Blank Bone
Learning all of the body parts for reflexology is a crazy change of pace for my dusty cranium...so here is my attempt to really ingest the Lymphatic and Immune Systems....my speech from last night's ToastMasters meeting...
Ah…AHHH…CHOOOO [dramatic sneeze]
Oh. Excuse me. Did you know, Chair, ToastMasters & Guests, that if that was a true sneeze (I know, my acting is impeccable but it was fake, but IF it was real…) the germs could have flown…SPEWED… 12 to 15 ft!
Now that you’re wriggling in your seats, anxious to get to the nearest anti-bacterial station and lather yourself with all that watery stinky-ness, I’m going to tell you about what your body already has in place to protect you.
Here is a precursor, a warning really, to any anatomy Einsteins out there…not being a biologist myself, merely a reflexologist-in-training, this is going to be a severely simplified version of…
[“unveil” body “amp” of immunity system on overhead]
the “Immunity Community” better known as the Lymphatic and Immune Systems. These guys are movers [move imaginary box sideways] & warriors [make punching motions in air]. Using gravity and muscular contractions they move all sorts of crap – more scientifically known as fluid, waste products, toxins, debris, fat. And after they work all day moving [move imaginary box sideways] they spend all night fighting [make air punches]…these defenders identify foreign materials and destroy them. They should be applying to CSIS…okay, maybe the CIA and FBI are better at identification and destruction than our mounty-looking moose-loving spies, but you get the picture!
Let me introduce you to the Lymphatic Family members of the Immunity Community. Lymph & Lymph vessels; Lymph Nodes; Thymus; Tonsils; Spleen and Appendicitis. [Point to what written on overhead, side of System picture]
First up… Lymph, a whitish, watery fluid. [point to where located on overhead and then hold up picture fairy with “lymph” written on it] I want you to imagine a fairy-like creature that gets whisked around your body, almost romantically…they get picked right up out of their capillary bed [show overhead], and, still in pjs, rushed to lymphatic capillaries, lymphatic venules, veins – all before breakfast! Here, though, romanticism ends as they are harshly dumped into terminal vessels (terminal as in airport not as in “dead”), called the Right Lympahtic Pearson Duct – oops, I mean, Right Lymphatic Duct and the thoracic duct.
Now let’s meet Lymph Nodes [point to spot on overhead and then hold up picture of football with “Lymph Nodes written on it]…they live in kinda yucky neighbourhoods: armpits, elbows, knees, groin and below the jawline. Not the best locale in the Immunity Community perhaps but alas…the Lymph Nodes, despite unappealing homes, play 2 roles: defence & formation. Sounds like a football move!
And introducing…Thymus. [point to where located on body and then hold up Bill Gates picture with “Thymus” written on it] Bill Thymus Gates as I have lovingly knicknamed him as he is the Bill Gates of the Immunity Community. Many think he’s lazy because he’s retired by early childhood and turning into fat – he reaches his largest weight at puberty – a whoppin’ 35 g (that’s about 7 nickels) [show stack] Truth be told, he worked REALLY hard before retirement – before the body was born he was already producing T-Lymphocytes (commonly called T-cells) with his magical hormone called thymosin. He lives in the Mediastinum (appropriate for a Bill Gates wannabe) – a wonderful space in the chest cavity between the lungs, prickly sternum, and tall bony vertebral column. He may retired early but like Bill Gates and the world of technology, Bill Thymus Gates plays a crucial role in the Immunity Community.
Next up…Tonsils. [show where located on body and then hold up sign of “bouncer” with “Tonsils” written on it] I always thought we had a mere two tonsils but how many do we really have? [look around for answer, repeat back] Six! Six tonsils. This mouthy fellow, Lingual, is a bouncer. Does a fabulous job of strong-arming (or strong-tonguing in this case) bacteria – stops them from entering the clubs where he works – Club Nasal and Club Oral. His friends, Palatine, who bounces at Throat Dissco, and Adenoid Pharyngael, who works in Posterior Pub, which is in downtown Nasal Cavity…are both amazing at keeping out bacteria as well.
Spleen. Mean Spleen. [show where located on body, then hold up vampire with “Spleen” written on it] The largest lymphoid organ in the body…you don’t wanna mess with Mama Mean Spleen. She removes what she doesn’t like in 2 ways: filtration (her top-notch famous lymphocyte filter) and phagocytosis, which is, yes, as bad as it sounds. Outright engulfment, ingestion, digestion of enemy particles. Yes, she’s into cannibalism. And yes, she’s a bit of a vampire with her habit of drinking blood. Perhaps “Mama Mean Spleen Eat You Up and Swallow that blood” may be a good name for her…she holds up to 1 pint of blood! ONE PINT…and she isn’t even that big!
And last…and yes possible LEAST…think of worms. Vermaculture. Heard of it? Composting with worms? I am NOT suggesting there are worms inside you, though perhaps if you’ve been to Mexico lately? And I would certainly hope they wouldn’t be in your lymphatic and Immune system – yikes! I’m talking about the Vermiform Appendix [point to where it is on body, and then hold up worm with “Vermiform Appendix” written on it]. Vermiform appendix is a wormlike structure attached to the cecum that possibly plays a minor role in the Immunity Community. Not a big player perhaps but still there showing up to duty 24/7.
Ah…AHHH…CHOOOO [dramatic sneeze] I’m sure you’re not as scared now….but just in case your Immunity Community’s on holiday, or gone on strike…here’s some watery stinky handwash….
Ah…AHHH…CHOOOO [dramatic sneeze]
Oh. Excuse me. Did you know, Chair, ToastMasters & Guests, that if that was a true sneeze (I know, my acting is impeccable but it was fake, but IF it was real…) the germs could have flown…SPEWED… 12 to 15 ft!
Now that you’re wriggling in your seats, anxious to get to the nearest anti-bacterial station and lather yourself with all that watery stinky-ness, I’m going to tell you about what your body already has in place to protect you.
Here is a precursor, a warning really, to any anatomy Einsteins out there…not being a biologist myself, merely a reflexologist-in-training, this is going to be a severely simplified version of…
[“unveil” body “amp” of immunity system on overhead]
the “Immunity Community” better known as the Lymphatic and Immune Systems. These guys are movers [move imaginary box sideways] & warriors [make punching motions in air]. Using gravity and muscular contractions they move all sorts of crap – more scientifically known as fluid, waste products, toxins, debris, fat. And after they work all day moving [move imaginary box sideways] they spend all night fighting [make air punches]…these defenders identify foreign materials and destroy them. They should be applying to CSIS…okay, maybe the CIA and FBI are better at identification and destruction than our mounty-looking moose-loving spies, but you get the picture!
Let me introduce you to the Lymphatic Family members of the Immunity Community. Lymph & Lymph vessels; Lymph Nodes; Thymus; Tonsils; Spleen and Appendicitis. [Point to what written on overhead, side of System picture]
First up… Lymph, a whitish, watery fluid. [point to where located on overhead and then hold up picture fairy with “lymph” written on it] I want you to imagine a fairy-like creature that gets whisked around your body, almost romantically…they get picked right up out of their capillary bed [show overhead], and, still in pjs, rushed to lymphatic capillaries, lymphatic venules, veins – all before breakfast! Here, though, romanticism ends as they are harshly dumped into terminal vessels (terminal as in airport not as in “dead”), called the Right Lympahtic Pearson Duct – oops, I mean, Right Lymphatic Duct and the thoracic duct.
Now let’s meet Lymph Nodes [point to spot on overhead and then hold up picture of football with “Lymph Nodes written on it]…they live in kinda yucky neighbourhoods: armpits, elbows, knees, groin and below the jawline. Not the best locale in the Immunity Community perhaps but alas…the Lymph Nodes, despite unappealing homes, play 2 roles: defence & formation. Sounds like a football move!
And introducing…Thymus. [point to where located on body and then hold up Bill Gates picture with “Thymus” written on it] Bill Thymus Gates as I have lovingly knicknamed him as he is the Bill Gates of the Immunity Community. Many think he’s lazy because he’s retired by early childhood and turning into fat – he reaches his largest weight at puberty – a whoppin’ 35 g (that’s about 7 nickels) [show stack] Truth be told, he worked REALLY hard before retirement – before the body was born he was already producing T-Lymphocytes (commonly called T-cells) with his magical hormone called thymosin. He lives in the Mediastinum (appropriate for a Bill Gates wannabe) – a wonderful space in the chest cavity between the lungs, prickly sternum, and tall bony vertebral column. He may retired early but like Bill Gates and the world of technology, Bill Thymus Gates plays a crucial role in the Immunity Community.
Next up…Tonsils. [show where located on body and then hold up sign of “bouncer” with “Tonsils” written on it] I always thought we had a mere two tonsils but how many do we really have? [look around for answer, repeat back] Six! Six tonsils. This mouthy fellow, Lingual, is a bouncer. Does a fabulous job of strong-arming (or strong-tonguing in this case) bacteria – stops them from entering the clubs where he works – Club Nasal and Club Oral. His friends, Palatine, who bounces at Throat Dissco, and Adenoid Pharyngael, who works in Posterior Pub, which is in downtown Nasal Cavity…are both amazing at keeping out bacteria as well.
Spleen. Mean Spleen. [show where located on body, then hold up vampire with “Spleen” written on it] The largest lymphoid organ in the body…you don’t wanna mess with Mama Mean Spleen. She removes what she doesn’t like in 2 ways: filtration (her top-notch famous lymphocyte filter) and phagocytosis, which is, yes, as bad as it sounds. Outright engulfment, ingestion, digestion of enemy particles. Yes, she’s into cannibalism. And yes, she’s a bit of a vampire with her habit of drinking blood. Perhaps “Mama Mean Spleen Eat You Up and Swallow that blood” may be a good name for her…she holds up to 1 pint of blood! ONE PINT…and she isn’t even that big!
And last…and yes possible LEAST…think of worms. Vermaculture. Heard of it? Composting with worms? I am NOT suggesting there are worms inside you, though perhaps if you’ve been to Mexico lately? And I would certainly hope they wouldn’t be in your lymphatic and Immune system – yikes! I’m talking about the Vermiform Appendix [point to where it is on body, and then hold up worm with “Vermiform Appendix” written on it]. Vermiform appendix is a wormlike structure attached to the cecum that possibly plays a minor role in the Immunity Community. Not a big player perhaps but still there showing up to duty 24/7.
Ah…AHHH…CHOOOO [dramatic sneeze] I’m sure you’re not as scared now….but just in case your Immunity Community’s on holiday, or gone on strike…here’s some watery stinky handwash….
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