A different kind of exercise...

It's a quiet Saturday around here and after an extended time away from my Elizabeth's Flowers and leaf petals work (other than filling orders as they came in) I'm happy to pick up from where I left off.

I absolutely love the beginning of the New Year.  I'm not that into "ringing in" the new year, but I love the opportunity to pause and reflect on where I've been, and where I'm headed.  This year I took an extra long time in doing this, and just now finished evaluating how I did with the goals I made last year, and what I want to focus on for the new year. 

Because my mom has Alzheimer's (as did her mom) one of my foremost goals is to exercise  my brain as well as my body.  So not only am I going to keep on getting my regular dose of Sudoku, I am also doing the Revive our Hearts scripture memory program.  Memorizing was always a breeze for me in school, but I've been shocked to see how much repetition it takes for me to memorize now that I'm in my mid-forties. Yikes! But, I'm getting a ton out of doing this so far, and greatly recommend it.  Spiritual growth and brain exercise all in one shot - that's hard to beat. And, it's time well spent.

Growing micro greens with style

I've mentioned before that my Mom has Alzheimer's, as did her mother before her. Things being as they are, my sister and I are doing what we can to avoid going down the same path. We eat our blueberries just about everyday, my sister exercises vigorously, and tries really hard to talk me into doing it too.

RealAge has a lot of good information about keeping your mind healthy as you age, and awhile back I read about how eating micro greens may be very beneficial. Micro greens are "filament-thin, delicate plants, the smallest possible incarnation of salad greens, herbs, edible flowers, and leafy vegetables". Apparently they have been found to contain higher levels of concentrated active compounds than found in mature plants or seeds.

I bought some micro green seeds to grow on my sunny kitchen window sill. The directions recommend growing them in shallow plastic trays, and taking cuttings after the second or third sets of leaves.

I wasn't too excited about having to look at plastic trays day after day, so I asked Maureen and George from AFAF to make me two small ceramic planters that would fit right on my window sill. Above are the before and after pictures of one of the two beautiful trays they've made. George designed a template from my specifications, and Maureen ended up glazing the trays in an earthy brown with a loose abstract design, sort of organic in nature.

I haven't actually received them yet, but now that the outdoor gardening season is coming to an end, I can't wait to get them and try my new trays out.

The Creative Call

It's been a difficult week - my Mom who is dealing with Alzheimer's seems to have taken a turn for the worse. I have art orders to complete with next to no motivation.

I happened to catch part of Midday Connection on Moody Radio yesterday afternoon, and I was amazed at how the program seemed to be perfectly timed.

Janice Elsheimer, author of a book called ""The Creative Call: An Artist's Response to the Way of the Spirit" was the guest. Her main message is that creativity is a pathway to personal and spiritual growth - we actually develop our creativity as we enter a closer relationship with your creator.

Because God Himself is the Creator, according to Elsheimer, as we engage in the act of creating (a gift from the Creator via the Holy Spirit) we actually have the opportunity to connect with God on a unique level, drawing us closer to Him. I admit this sounds lofty, but it certainly is worth looking at. He helps us create, and we have the opportunity to be drawn closer to Him.

One thing the author said that really caught me off guard is her suggestion that we pray over our medium, whatever that might be - our hands, mind, words, body etc., because that ushers the Holy Spirit into the process. I'm embarrassed to say that it never even occurred to me to pray about my art. A few years ago a customer/friend challenged me to make praying for each of my customers my "ministry", but I haven't prayed about my art while doing my art.
I'll try that.

If you'd like to hear the "Creative Call" program you can listen to it here.

Have you smelled your rosemary today?

My mom has Alzheimer's.
Her mother had also had some type of dementia, so naturally I'm more than a little concerned that I may end up on that path as well.

Thankfully there has been a lot of attention lately to the many proactive things we can do to minimize our chances of experiencing Alzheimer's, such as exercising our bodies as well as our brains, and eating things such as blueberries, nuts, foods with a high anti-oxidant content, etc.

This morning I found myself on Real Age, reading an article about supplements that may help your brain to remain stronger, when I came across something that made me laugh.

Apparently research suggests "that inhaling the aromas or rosemary, mint, or rose at the time of learning a new task can enhance recall when you’re exposed to the scent at a later time."
How ridiculous.

Or is it?
I've alway been fascinated by the way that certain odors can suddenly and swiftly transport us back to another place in time, as if we were actually there - for a moment. Each and every time I smell fresh basil, I think of summer - it actually is summer for an instant. Whenever I smell percolating coffee (in one of those "old fashioned" coffee pots, not the automated coffee makers that sit on your counter) I am back in my grandma's kitchen in bare feet, and can temporarily recall every detail of it.

Maybe there is something to this. The rosemary I brought in last fall is still clinging to life on my kitchen windowsill... so maybe I'll put it to good use.