Healing Elements

A few years ago, I was having dinner with my friend Anita. We talked about what we would do if money weren’t an issue, as in winning the lottery. We would have to buy lottery tickets in the first place; but what if? We both mentioned traveling more and agreed regular facials and massage would be a must. Nothing we mentioned seemed extravagant at all, even if we had won the lottery. Days later, thinking it was interesting how neither Anita nor I were over the top on anything we talked about, I mentioned this conversation to my husband, Dennis. He just looked at me and said, “You could do that stuff now; you don’t need to win the lottery.”

What was top on my list? Schedule a massage. My friend Phyllis had been going to a local massage therapist at Healing Elements for some time and raved about how skilled Jennika Brewer was. At the time, I was seeing an acupuncturist monthly, so I decided to alternate each month between acupuncture and massage. I found my body seemed to respond in a more positive way when I had massage. I had been doing acupuncture for a number of years and had felt I wasn’t getting the same benefits I had initially. After a few months of alternating between the two, I dropped the acupuncture and have been going to massage appointments at 4-6 week intervals ever since.

Prior to Dennis’ comment, I thought of massage as a luxury, not as something clinical like acupuncture. I was wrong. They both deal with well-being. Just what is well-being? Simply put, a state of being, in that it embraces a state of being happy, a state of being comfortable, and the all encompassing state of wellness - all healing elements.

While I haven’t ruled out heading back to acupuncture if I feel the need in the future, having a massage on a regular basis has become one of my priorities. It doesn’t matter whether I have an issue I am dealing with or I just want the peace and relaxation that comes with a massage. It is truly a healing element as are my other priorities: meditation, working out, and eating well - which altogether helps me embrace happy. When my well-being is in balance, I feel my best and can be my best for whatever comes my way. No extravagance there!

Smile photo courtesy of Fergus MacDonald

Patience, Gratitude, and Blackberry Jammy

After what has been one of the warmest and driest summers on record for the Pacific Northwest, this past weekend we abruptly cooled, and the rains moved in with a series of storms in the western part of Washington State. Our power was knocked out at the onset of the storm and it’s still out four days later. Having a generator relieves a few of the issues when losing power, but having patience and gratitude goes a long way in keeping us on track with the day-to-day disruptions.

When I was running in-between rainstorms yesterday, it smelled as if I was running on a trail through the woods. When in fact I was running on a paved road near my home. After the storm, the considerable debris from the cedar and maple trees lining the road made for a different type of run for me. As I dodged left and right, around and over debris, I was creating a strong woodsy scent along my way. By the time I finished my run, I was in a wonderfully happy mood. When I run, I generally feel happy, but I can honestly say I felt as if I didn’t have a care in the world. Even though I was longing to take a hot shower, but without electricity, a cold and let’s just say invigorating shower was what was on tap for me.

Prior to the recent storm, I have been enjoying my runs filled with the heady scent of blackberry jam from the large clusters of shiny, juicy berries aging on the vines in my neck of the woods. I am keenly aware of the scents around me from season to season, but now I'm thinking there has been an intense amount of aromatherapy going on around me as I run. When I researched aromatherapy and the scent of cedar, I found it to be a stress reliever. Well hallelujah, just what I need right now.  I also found the scent of blackberry to be strengthening and exhilarating, as well as a mood balancer. Wow! Combine that with the cedar and no wonder I was feeling so great after my run yesterday.

While one never knows what disruptions the day may hold, I will strive to hold onto my patience whether the power is up and running or not. And hey, I can always hit the road and enjoy an aromatherapy-inducing run if I find my patience waning. Through all this, I will continue to be grateful for many things. Even though I have found myself to be less than comfortable these last few days, I can grin and bear it when taking a cold, invigorating shower knowing the storm has slowed the fires burning out of control in eastern Washington. On a personal note, I will be grateful for a hot shower when the water heater warms up once again. And lastly, in the next few weeks I will be grateful for and celebrate running as those jammy berries age a bit more to the blissful aroma of blackberry wine in the mood-balancing last weeks of summer.

Just in case you were wondering - yes, I have eaten handfuls of those beautiful berries. And if that doesn't fill one with gratitude, I don't know what will.

Blackberry photo courtesy of Colin

Back Off

In the last few months I have been getting ready for a yard sale, and the preparation for this event gained momentum in the last two weeks. Priorities being what they were, I needed to focus on the job at hand - yard sale. Which meant I was not able to do the things I normally do and that included writing. Allowing myself time to write and post on my blog is important to me, and I miss it if I’m not able to. But, in order to simplify and not find myself running hither, thither, and yon, trying to do it all, I focus and back off from everything else - even the things I enjoy. This focus on simplicity and priorities helps me sort out the complicated, helps me get things done, and helps keep my sanity - seems like a win-win situation.

Backing off may sound counterproductive to moving forward, but it’s not really. In the end analysis, backing off guides me to re-evaluate that which I do. It helps me see what I do in perspective. It helps me prioritize what I normally do on a daily basis and appreciate the doing.

The yard sale is behind me and I can focus on getting caught up on the things I backed off of. I know there will be new priorities in my near future, and once again I will need to back off of my normal responsibilities. Until then, I will be glad to resume whatever normal is for me.

Connection photo courtesy of Viewminder

Returning History

One never knows where the road ahead will lead.

In 1805 and 1806, Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery passed through what would eventually become Fort Benton, Montana Territory, on the Missouri River. My husband’s Great, Great, Great Grandfather, Sergeant Patrick Gass, was a member of the expedition, published the first journal, and was the last member to die in 1870.

In 1868 my Great, Great, Great Grandfather, John Peter Carolus, traveled the Missouri river by steamboat from St. Joe, Missouri, to Fort Benton, Montana Territory. In 1870 his son Jacque (Jacob) made the same trip with his brother George.

On March 13, 1993 my husband purchased an antique book binding press with the markings: Wells Fargo, Fort Benton, Montana Territory. We have since found that Wells Fargo was in the community of Fort Benton from about 1866 to 1870.

In the fall of 2013 my husband and I took on the mindset - we are moving! Those three words became great motivation to purge and clear a path forward as noted in my post Puzzling Moves. Since then, we have made major headway by donating, selling, giving, recycling, and tossing. What we have enjoyed the most on this part of our journey is the donating and giving. Thus, what to do with the book press?

“For it is in giving that we receive.”

St. Francis of Assisi

On July 16, 2015 we arrived in the community of Fort Benton, Montana, to return the book press. We met with historians from the Fort Benton/Great Falls area who were thrilled to receive the press, and to meet with a descendant from the Corps of Discovery. With the guidance of the Executive Director of the River and Plains Society, Randy Morger, we toured the heritage complex: old Fort Benton and the Starr Gallery of Western Art, Missouri River Breaks Interpretive Center, Hornaday Smithsonian Buffalo, Museum of the Northern Great Plains, Museum of Agriculture, Homestead Village, and the Museum of the Upper Missouri. While in Great Falls, we toured the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center and were guided to various landmarks from the expedition by Don Peterson, a Lewis & Clark Foundation member, author, and historian. For anyone familiar with the expedition, we saw Decision Point, Great Falls, Great Springs and several of the Lewis & Clark portage sites.

Our recent experience in Montana was a trip of a lifetime for us both. Although we were returning history, our family history was brought home to us. While we continue in the process of downsizing our past to create a better future for ourselves, it has been remarkable what we have experienced, and look forward to wherever the road may lead.

I would like to personally thank Ken Robison, author and historian at the Overholser Historical Research Center in Fort Benton for introducing us to Randy Morger and Don Peterson. With all the history and new friendships, we hope to return soon.

Photo courtesy of Ken Robison

Coma Song

What’s your coma song? If you don’t know what it is, think about what song or type of music makes you move, wiggle a toe, or bob your head. Can’t think of anything? Come on, you know what I’m talking about, when you can’t seem to sit still whenever the song is playing. Perhaps you are ashamed to admit marching bands hit your groove thing. It’s okay. Whatever it is that makes you twitch, it has coma song written all over it, so to speak.

So now that you have a coma song, what should you do with it? You want to make sure your family and friends know what your coma song is in the event you should ever end up in a coma. I have even included instructions for my coma song in my Health Care Directives. Yes, in those documents you can make sure particular music, even marching, is played should you ever be in a coma.

For example: I can’t sit still when Billy Idol songs are playing, and it's not like I even had any of his albums; but nevertheless, that is the music I want playing should I ever be in a coma no matter how old I am! If there is any possibility that I can journey back from the depths of a coma, Billy will make it happen. So, once again, what’s your coma song?

Tuileries, Paris photo courtesy of Clark family archives