Perfect View (Writing Challenge 6)

The view from my office window does not afford me much in the way of a tremendous scene in as much as it is obscured by a very large leafy tree. From the second story window, though, I am the proud observer of the many weather changes that come and go throughout a workday in Portland and am surprised by the connection I feel to the natural world on the other side of window.

Today the view is green. The tree, with its many long branches rife with leaves of both green and yellow, is dancing as a brisk wind moves through, pushing the branches back and forth. Looking through the sheltered branches closest to my window, I see the wind roughly playing with the branches on the wide open other side.

Occasionally the wind calms to a gentle breeze and the branches slow to imperceptible movement, but the leaves continue fluttering on their limbs. Beyond the tree and across the parking below, three tall fir trees stately stand, guarded, as it were, by several Aspen trees. These trees perform their dance, entertaining the majestic conifers while the wind swirls around them. When the wind picks up, these trees join in the dance, their movements slower, clunkier than their smaller attendants.

On sunny days like today the morning sunlight brightens a flawless blue sky that provides a nice backdrop to the scene. As the day moves, and the sunlight along with it, the blue will deepen its hue, forcing the trees to pop in contrast. At this point in the day I am able to shut off the small desk lamp, as the sun offers ample illumination to my tasks.

I like this view. It matches my moods through the day. The shade afforded in the early morning facilitates the quiet, steady desk and computer work I do. As the light creeps around the building, the perception changes as the light forces its attentions on the tree outside my window, and in sync, my mood shifts to more active tasks -- so much so that by the time I am once again settled at my desk, I feel the sun in its late afternoon westward travel. The wind may have calmed or even died, and the trees, no longer happily dancing, shut down for the evening -- just like me.

Before and After with My Water Container (Writing Challenge Day 5)

Given the fact that the human body is roughly 60% water, you would think that we would naturally gravitate to any and all ways to replenish this vital fluid. Yet many of us don't get close to the amount of water we need on a daily basis. Until a little more than two years ago, I could have been considered among those who avoided water (almost) at all costs.

I really convinced myself that unless there was some fizz to it, I couldn't drink water. Coffee? Sure. Tea - iced or otherwise? You bet! Soda? Ah, soda...there you had me. There was nothing like popping the tab on a can of cold pop to hear the escaping pressure of carbonation, or seeing the bubbles rising to the top as I twisted the cap on a bottle of Diet Coke. And I didn't wait for a reasonable hour of the day to indulge in this, either. While so many others grasped that cup filled with the black gold of coffee as soon as they arose, I was completely happy grabbing  a can of pop.

Of course it did not help that I never really felt thirsty as the day progressed. I would have to say that for the most part, hydrating through the day, be it iced tea, coffee or soda generally was attached to eating something, or, even in an effort to avoid eating something.

A little more than two years ago, I engaged the help of an optimal living coach, with the goal in mind of keeping my (good) health ahead of the aging curve so that I could continue to be Jeannine's primary life manager and ease the burden of my other children who I knew would step up if needed should I crump. It was not an easy decision,  and it was not pretty when, as we progressed through my health assessment, I had the humiliating confirmation that I had no consistent habits of health.

The first thing we tackled was this very issue of hydration. My coach told me that I needed to deep six the pop and replace it with water - half my body weight in ounces each day. Thankfully we put some strategies in place that would facilitate me drinking this much, which is the standard habit of water health. This is when my water container became my favorite thing.

My container is nothing really out of the ordinary: these 24 oz plastic glasses can be found in high-end department stores, coffee bars and dollar stores. Mine has a permanent straw and a screw-on lid. Armed with this, I began this change to healthy hydration -- drinking at least 85 ounces each day.

Ironically, I found that it was really quite easy to dump the soda. As long as I had my container filled with ice water, I was fine. After about a week, I was routinely consuming not only 85 ounces, but 90 ounces or more! There was the slight drawback during that first week of bathroom running, but it was not very long before my body adjusted to the new and improved hydration system, and my "visits to the necessary" decreased.

I also found that my skin looks better. I have had many comments about how I look younger and I even seem to have more energy. I feel better focused on everyday tasks. By taking the container of ice water to bed each night, I can sip on it if I happen to wake up, and seeing it sitting on my nightstand when I get up encourages me to start my hydration routine for the day. The biggest plus, though, is that by making this change to water, I have lost weight and am better able to maintain the loss.

There really has been no downside to having this water container. As a matter of fact, if I happen to forget it, I feel lost without it!

" I don't know where my manners are. Here it is, nearly 11:30. You must be parched."

This is one of my favorite quotes from The Money Pit. That is not to say that there were a great many other lines from the movie that are equally funny, it is just that this particular line, delivered to perfection by Tom Hanks, pulls together his character's frustration, annoyance and resignation to his growing realization that the house he purchased was a monumental mistake.

Now this could have been written and delivered as one statement, but the fact that it is broken into three separate sentences allows Hanks, as Walter Fielding, to subtly express his bewilderment that the plumber he wants to hire to fix the rotten pipes in "The Pit," actually asks for alcohol so early in the day. The viewer also sees Fielding as the helpless victim -- not a potential customer ready to do business, and who would otherwise have the upper hand -- and the lines give him some measure of control in a situation where he sees himself almost begging for this guy to do the repairs he desperately needs. What is even more funny is that he doesn't even know if the plumber is any good. And of course the plumber is quite oblivious to Walter's remark.

I have used these lines (or a variation thereof) many times in the course of the years. Most of the time they are aimed at Tim whenever I feel that he thinks I have overlooked some minor something in attending to his needs. In these instances, I feel (as Walter did), I have no control of that immediate moment in my life, and this happens to be a great way for me to let it go. Unlike the plumber, Tim is very much aware of having annoyed me, and making this statement allows us to take a moment, relive the scene and then laugh.

So for what it is worth, this is one of the best movies I have seen on many levels: the story itself, the acting (it is Tom Hanks, after all), and a well-written script. Turner Classic Movies suggests it is a loosely done remake of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, and if so, Hanks does a wonderful job recreating the Cary Grant character (Mr. Blandings). While not an apples-to-apples version of the Cary Grant movie, The Money Pit, is a humorous, light-hearted film most people will find enjoyable. There are far too many scenes of both disaster and stupidity to detail here - and far too many funny lines, but this is one movie that I would take the time to view again and again...and actually, I have!

Himaylan Salt Grinder

There really is no end to the healthy eating trends that come and go. One craze, it seems, is using Himalayan Pink Salt in place of regular salt or sea salt, or even the Mediterranean variety. Since beginning my journey to healthier living, I succumbed to the trend and purchased some a while ago because it was supposed to be mineral rich, thereby being of greater nutrient content than the more common white variety. I use it mostly to season cooked food, and not a lot in actual prep (like salting water for pasta, etc.,). The really nice thing is that I found it in crystal form with its own grinder that matches grinders for pepper and regular salt....which is pretty cool.

I have to say that it is really quite beautiful. I bought this grinder at Costco, so you know that there is enough salt to last at least five years. The container itself is more or less cube shaped, about as tall as a dinner knife, clear plastic, mostly, but the grinder at the top is round and black with a narrow cap to catch the fine powdery salt that at one time were pink and dirty white crystals before grinding.

The whole thing is 2/3 container and 1/3 grinder unit. Two of the container sides are smooth and the edges are rounded. A brown, pink and black label on one side identifies the Kirkland Signature Himalayan Pink Salt, and an almost identical label on the opposite side has the requisite ingredient and nutrient facts. It is fairly light in weight and there is an almost imperceptible "give" if the container is squeezed.

The container is now about 1/3 full, so upending it to feed the crystals into the grinder sounds like one of those children's toys that are filled with small beads or pellets -- and if I turn it on its side and try to roll it along the counter, it sounds remarkably like one of the FisherPrice push toys on a stick (remember the FP Vacuum Cleaner???). As I actually use the grinder, which is not so easy to twist, I am reminded of the sound made when trying to turn the handle on the penny gumball machines commonly found at the entrances to grocery stores when I was growing up....today's versions are filled with M&Ms and cost a quarter!

Unlike the pepper, the salt has no scent, so the container has no odor -- although there have been times when I have wiped it down with a cleaning cloth so that it doesn't smell like the salmon (or any other raw protein) I had been handling. Ten or so twists on the grinder creates about a 1/2 teaspoon of finely ground salt, which, when tasted, is not as pungent as its more common variety.

I really have no clue if my health is better for using Himalayan Pink Salt, but I have to say that it does look neat standing proudly on the counter at the back of my cooktop next to the Kirkland Signature Black Pepper Grinder and the now less-favored Kirkland Signature Mediterranean Sea Salt Grinder.

"Born This Way" ........or Not

Young adults born with Down syndrome pursue their passions while defying society's expectations. 


The statement above is the synopsis for the "docu-series" Born This Way.  At my daughter Mary's suggestion, I watched an episode of the program because she thought I would enjoy seeing how a group of seven young adults with Down syndrome interact with each other and the world. She also thought I would appreciate the connection between the cast and Jeannine. After viewing the episode, I have concluded that there are some significant problems with what is presented.

First, it was difficult to watch the episode "Bachelor Pad" without feeling pretty much like a failure. Two of the young men, Sean and Steven, are buddies and their parents decide that it is time for them to exert some independence. They find them an AirBNB house to rent, and, having enlisted the services of a company that provides live-in support, Sean and Steven move in together.

Of course the plan is not without its bumps: Steven packs everything except his pants, and both young men want dibs on the same bedroom. Sean wins the room in the end, but his mother makes certain that he knows he will have to compromise when the next conflict comes.

The fascinating thing about this was the scene where the guys are sitting down to a burrito lunch they prepared themselves and opened up to each other about being nervous living without their parents on site. Could I see Jeannine in a similar situation? I don't know...I might be able to see her living independently from me, but I certainly could not see her expressing herself with the insight these two men did.

In a side story, John, who wants to pursue a career in entertainment as an R&B songwriter-singer-dancer, performs at an event and his mother comes right out and tells him she was disappointed. Ahead of his performance, she tried to encourage him to practice, but to no avail...and his performance showed it. She was all about how he could do better and she knew it. To his credit, he said he did not want to disappoint her and the "next time" he would be better. Again, could I see Jeannine making a choice to do something -- and do something well -- simply because she did not want to disappoint me? Nope. The flaw here is not that these wonderful people do not have dreams and aspirations. They do. Jeannine does. But what they see in their dreams most people believe are attained simply because they want it. There is no hard work, practice, training and discipline. It just happens.

I see this quite often with Jeannine. Her latest passion is that she wants to participate in Special Olympics swimming for the first time in several years. Inspired by the events of the latest Olympic Games, she is determined to swim as well as Katie Ledecky and win as many gold medals as Michael Phelps. While she is a decent swimmer, having won her share of medals and ribbons from past meets, the reality is that others can and have surpassed her in skill and speed. When gently suggesting that she do more during the limited swim practices than hang on the side of the pool chatting with others, she becomes irritated; yet she sees herself swimming with speed and ease, earning that precious gold medal.

Then there is Elena, a young woman of Japanese descent, who not only deals with Down syndrome, but, like so many others, has to work through other emotional issues. In this episode, she talks with her mom about her emotional "roller coaster" and in the end, agrees to start some medication that might help get her emotions under better control. Do I believe Jeannine has that insight into herself, her moods, her emotions? Do I believe that most people with Down syndrome have that great capacity of self reflection that leads them to a conclusion like Elena's to do something to help make their situation better? I just don't see it happening in the majority of instances.

So for what it is worth, it was really depressing to watch Born This Way. I kept trying to tell myself that this could not be real: these people with Down syndrome could not have such great insight into who they are, with an ability to articulate how they are feeling.  I wonder how much of this was true and how much was scripted. I kept trying to see myself having these sorts of conversations with Jeannine, but the reality is that she does not have that maturity shown by these characters in the program. My conclusion is that either these wonderful individuals who happen to have Down syndrome must function at a much higher level than most, or, there is much more going on behind the scenes of this "docu-series" than the viewing audience is given to understand. Perhaps, though, the fault is all mine for making choices for Jeannine throughout her life that maybe did not allow for her to develop to the fullest all her wonderful talents and abilities....but I doubt it.