When you imagine your life five, ten or twenty years down the road, who are you? Is your future self the woman you are today, just with more wrinkles and perhaps a different mailing address? Or does your future self feel like an entirely different person, someone you haven’t met[…]
All posts under Self-Care
Stop the Abuse. Self-Care Through Intuitive Eating
The first letters of the words ‘Intuitive Eating’ are capitalized. Programs and brands always are–think Weight Watchers, the Zone Diet and the latest craze, the Ketogenic Diet. Nevertheless, the capitals are a bit disappointing because I think of Intuitive Eating as the anti-program. It is the light at the end[…]
The Five Unders of Women and Heart Disease
Answer me this. If you feel as if there’s an elephant sitting on your chest, you should a) call the zoo and ask if Dumbo has gone missing. b) wake yourself up because you are dreaming. c) get to the hospital. You may be having a heart attack. C’mon. You[…]
Enjoy Hunny and Hopefulness on Winnie the Pooh Day
When it’s eleven o’clock this morning or thereabouts, I hope you’ll join me in a little something to revive ourselves. Bread, honey and, if you wish, some condensed milk will do nicely. Eating will help us with that eleven o’clockish feeling and simultaneously allow us to toast A.A. Milne on[…]
Have You Started Death Cleaning Yet?
“I’ve never seen the settlement of an elderly person’s estate that didn’t involve at least one Dumpster,” said an estate lawyer. If you have helped with the post-death cleanup of a relative’s worldly possessions, you know the lawyer’s words are true. Margareta Magnusson, an elderly Swedish artist and author, would like[…]
Be Willing to Leave Your Baggage Behind
My dad was a master of the profound pithy saying. One of his favourites was, “When the building is burning, leave your baggage behind.” Dad usually offered that sage nugget of wisdom during work crises. It was a reminder that the war was more important than the small battle; that[…]
Proud to Be a Blood Donor Despite First Time Embarrassment
I have always wanted to be a blood donor, but I didn’t get around to doing anything about that desire until a few months ago. Now I have given blood twice. My plan is to be a regular and reliable blood donor, thanks to last week’s good experience. After my[…]
7 Great Reasons to Spend Time Alone
“I want to be alone,” said Greta Garbo in the movie Grand Hotel. I hear it, with Garbo’s accent, as “I vant to be alone” accompanied by a dramatic hand to the forehead. Maybe that’s because I crave any chance to spend time alone. I’m a woman who enjoys periods[…]
Engage in Your Version of Stone Therapy
I first learned of stone therapy from my friend, Bob. Bob had done exemplary work for a mining company for much of his adult life. About ten years before he was due to retire, he got a new boss. The two men didn’t get along. When Bob returned from a[…]
It’s National Scrabble Day. Want to Play?
Every other Tuesday throughout the winter and early spring, I meet up with a friend. We take turns hosting, which means preparing lunch. We also take turns winning (although she wins about 65% of the time) as we play one or two games of Scrabble. Since today (April 13th) is[…]