Starry Sky Ranch

The Mag Bath

About that magnesium. I hesitated to add that bit yesterday, but since it is such an integral part of my regimen, keeping me mobile and well, I included mention of it.  I'll elaborate some, include a hefty sprinkle of links, and you can explore and see if this is something you'd like to adopt.  For starters, it seems most of us are deficient. Symptoms and causes vary: gut absorption issues, low vitamin D, soil depletion, stress, hormonal fluctuations, aging, autoimmune conditions, and calcium levels.  I am grateful for my alternative community of midwives way back in the day who pioneered magnesium supplementation.  Still, absorption, we are coming to understand, is not a given in all of us.  For this reason it is worth exploring the best types of mag for your condition. I've tried many and change them up regularly, just in case.  Right now I have a new one that is sourced from a variety of these.  

Dr Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle, has a video here which gives more information. 

There is reason to believe we can absorb some magnesium through the skin. I did not find that to work as well as the primary source of delivery over time, however.  This is an extra for me but it does seem to give special relief to joints and surface muscle.  Following my physical therapist's suggestion I began making a routine of soaking in epsom salts or Magnesium crystals several times a week.  It was not an instant miracle and I did not rise from the tub healed and whole.  I have noticed though, when being faithful, there are more good days than bad and I am able to make progress again with range of motion.  And, honestly, a nice warm bath is an inexpensive little luxury that soothes and refreshes tremendously so there's nothing to lose here. Add a few drops of essential oil fragrance and some music on your phone and you have a mini spa break.  (side note: I received an actual spa break as a gift once and honestly I'd rather be home and alone any day.)  

So that, my friends, is my magnesium public service announcement.  All common disclaimers apply.  I am not a doctor and do not play one on tv.  Do your homework.  Experiment.  Be well!

I'll also mention I totally understand that access to a bathtub is also not a given.  I grew up in a semi-decrepit 1917 house which still had its original clawfoot tub.  We did not have a shower then, mind you, nor did we always have sufficient heat in the room, but it was indeed a fabulous tub.  For the next two decades we were in and out of midcentury government housing units which often had low, boxy tubs, not given to soaking.  It has been a blessing to have had soaking tubs in various rentals and homes over the past ten years when they became less an extra and more vital to my health.  

 

Time to think

"...the way of thinking he had worked out in his solitary life had been completely eclipsed by the petty concerns that now beset him... 

When he got home in the evening he would jot down in his notebook four or five essential calls to be made or appointments at fixed times. The mechanical management of his life, arranging his day so as to get everywhere on time, absorbed most of his vital energy.  He did nothing and thought nothing - had no time to think.  All he did was talk...

He was sometimes annoyed to find himself saying the same thing on the same day to different audiences.  But he kept himself so busy for days on end that he had no time to reflect that he wasn't actually doing anything."

Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

You'll forgive me if I am still mentioning War and Peace, given it's length and depth and breadth.  I will be plugging away for some time yet and, ironically, I started to come to the same conclusions mentioned above.  Talking can eclipse thinking, precluding clear, uninterrupted thought entirely. It can eat into the time we had for study or work or creative pursuits.  The solution seems obvious: less talking, more thinking. 

Chatter is at our fingertips, literally, today with social media.  Conversation itself is wonderful, but if we are to have anything worthwhile to say it needs to be supported by a counterweight of meditation.  This was getting away from me due to all the "mechanical management" life has required.  I am setting small goals daily in my own notebook for exercise, magnesium soaks, prayer, and reading. This brings back balance and finds me filled with meatier thoughts to share versus the meme mindset I was slipping into.  

Different ages and stages of life of course come with different challenges.  Clear thought and the reading of difficult books was not as feasible during the years of night nursing and endless loads of laundry. This chapter of life requires less of some tasks and more of others.  The physical workload eases as children grow (and sleep more) however the challenge of transitioning to parenting adults and aging (ourselves and those we love) call for more recollection.  It doesn't seem optional anymore.  We make time or we are quickly running on reserves, or worse. 

Wherever you are, I hope you are feeding that beautiful mind of yours.  While doing all the planning and organizing it is worth considering in which ways that "vital energy" of ours might be being depleted, even by delightful pastimes. We can keep ourselves so busy we don't recognize all that is not being done. 

Read

Think

Talk

....all done best in that order, I've decided.

Present Imperfect

I sat musing in this very unfinished space and snapped a picture of my clock, hanging once again in this new place.  An online friend, who has gifted me with years of conversation over literal life and death matters, as well as lighthearted, day to day commentary, had carved out a little time in her travel to visit in person, here, this morning.  The glow pouring in over my rag-tag, thrifted everything mirrored the warm feeling I had after her visit and reminded me of the soft, grainy images a past me used to enjoy in old Victoria magazines.  

Much in the present is still in the process of being shaken up and coming together again.  Some parts are a little worse for wear for that. It's not all magazine polished. Like my friend and I were saying, this happens at this stage of life, whether you move or not. Living is a messy business. I thought back to a Joyce Meyer book I read the other day.  She said,

"Our joy does not have to be based on our circumstances."

The author went to explain that we can enjoy our life while God works on our problems. We sometimes need that permission. I can confuse being worried with being responsible and put off these little opportunities because I or my house or my kids or my circumstances are "not there yet."

I decided it is not irresponsible to share moments of joy even when other parts of life are still works in progress.   We do not have to wait for a "future perfect" to appreciate a little bit of pure light shining in on us.  All the parts will never be perfect at the same time anyway.  Ever.  It would be such a shame to stop noticing the parts which are.  

 

Market Day

It’s a known fact I have an aversion to retail anything whereas I will happily sift through flea market and junk shop bins and shelves for hours just for a few treasures. Fortunately a few of my kids have inherited this thrill of the hunt and are happy to hang out with me on these foraging missions.  I’ve been eyeing up some new sources for rusty iron gate and garden salvage pieces.  Thought you might enjoy a peek at the market. Bonus picture of most unique pets included:

 

The Correct Thing

The Correct Thing for a Citizen

It is the Correct Thing:

For a citizen to remember that he owes a duty to the community in which he lives.

To know the difference between statesmanship and political wire-pulling.

To remember that a trickster holding office is a standing reproach to the community which permitted his election.

To let love of country be second only to love of God.

To know that the very least a loyal son his country can do is cast his vote for good men. 

To contribute cheerfully to all public enterprises.

To remember that a bad Christian never made a good citizen.

To answer in the negative Scott's immortal question:

Breathes there a man with a soul so dead

Who never to himself has said

This is my own, my native land?

 

It is NOT the Correct Thing:

For a man to think he can rightfully live only for himself.

To claim the benefits of citizenship, and to shirk its burdens.

To think that rights have not their corresponding obligations. 

To imagine that it is unworthy of a gentleman to take an interest in politics.

To think that a man entitled to the ballot, who holds aloof from the polls and then talks about political corruption, is not partly to blame for such a state of affairs. 

 

                                                                    The Young Man's Guide, Fr Lasance 1910

 

* this wonderful book was addressed specifically to young Catholic men, hence the limited scope of the terminology.  

 

Give First

Part of starting over is establishing or, in the case of a return, reestablishing your relationships.  It is important to unpack in a timely manner for your own sake and your family.  Order is good.  It dispels that disorientation so pervasive during a major life change. However, relationship is crucial and we can bless and be blessed even during the most chaotic times.  In fact, very often the best remedy for our own stress is stepping outside of it for a short time and tending to someone else.

Yesterday was the traditional feast of the Visitation. One of the very first stories we have of Our Lady describes her doing just that. She had been given news of a larger-than-life vocation which was to shape not only the rest of her days, but all the world.  True to form, she picked up on the part of that announcement that hinted at an opportunity to meet a need.  Her cousin had conceived in her old age. There was a baby coming. She set aside the stress of her own life and went where she could help.

Later, I reread a passage by Emilie Barnes, always encouraging:

"The world waits until someone gives before giving back; however, Scripture tells us to give first, then it will be added unto us. We can do this with our love, affection, material things; with our friendship, help, and attention. You might have grown up with a limited, conditional kind of giving. If so, it is time for healing. We are so fortunate to have the ultimate example of "giving first" in our Lord. He gave unconditional love, He gave His life, He gives His mercy and grace."

We don't wait for times to be quieter or stress to pass.  There is no guarantee when that may be. Today is a good day to meet a friend or put on a kettle.  That's what I keep doing between unpacking boxes: slipping out for tea and shopping with an out of town friend or pulling together a cold lunch with the dishes we left out for easy access on this end of the move so the children could play with friends for a few hours.  After these brief encounters we are refreshed and can return to our own challenges fueled up. 

The world waits, we should not.