Winter Survival Guide

It never ceases to amaze me at how many people who have lived in the Midwest their whole lives become shocked and annoyed at the weather. I also see those around me already dropping like flies with seasonal colds and flus. I used to be like them. I'd get sick so easily and it took me forever to get over it. So, I thought I'd share some helpful hints on how to survive the cold, harsh winter.

STAY WARM! It is appalling to me what people think they can wear not only out in the elements, but even in a cold house, and think it won't affect their health. I used to say if I went outside without a hat on for 5 minutes, I'd get a cold. Its not too far fetched. Both your head and your feet act like thermostats for your body. Wear a thick hat that is big enough to cover your ears, a scarf if your neck is exposed, and socks/shoes that are insulated enough to keep your feet toasty. At home I always wear either wool socks or slippers that come up to my ankles. I also rely on everything "down" (or synthetic down, in my case.) Down throw for the living room, a down comforter for my bed, and a down coat so I don't feel anything when I go out. Keep yourself warm, or your body will react to the cold with a fever!
Extra Tip: If you find yourself succumbing to the cold air, and you're craving some sun and warmth, try hitting the tanning bed for even just 5 minutes a week. It will give you a good dose of vitamin D, and warm up your cold little body. Also, as long as you are in good health, a massage (esp. hot stone) will give your circulation a good boost.

GET YOUR VITAMINS!
You know why you're so susceptible to getting sick? Maybe your immune system is running slow. Get a good multi-vitamin for coverage, and be sure to add Vitamin D during those winter months. I take Reliv year-round. Not trying to sound like a commercial, but if I stop taking it for a few days, my body starts to feel it. Its a powder vitamin mix, so all the nutrients are readily available to your body - unlike a pill which really only does the minimum. Vitamin D3 supplements are highly recommended during the months when we're inside, and the sunlight is low. Our bodies aren't exposed to the right elements to make enough, and not only is our immune system affected, but sometimes our mood (Seasonal Affective Disorder.)

BE COMFORTABLE
You've probably noticed that the cold air and central heat tends to make everything dry. If you have trouble with dry skin, dry sinuses, chapped lips, there's a couple of things you can do. First of all, get a humidifier. Cold air doesn't hold moisture well, and your central heating is like blowing a hair dryer through the house. Next, I always change over to goat milk soap during the colder months. You can feel the difference almost immediately after using it the first time. No more tight or itchy skin! If you need to use lotion (esp. on hands) use an organic or natural lotion without anything like mineral water, alcohol (seriously??) or other drying chemicals. That just makes sense. Same with lip balm/chapstick. I love anything Burts Bees. For dry, uncomfortable sinuses, you can try 2 things (besides the humidifier): Omega3 Fatty Acids as a supplement to keep your membranes healthy, and a saline spray to keep your nasal passages moist.

SO! YOU'RE SICK:
Well, if you're like me, you can feel it coming on. My feet always start to get cold, even in boots, and I get that "swelling feeling" in my head. So, what do you do? Take care of it NOW! Don't wait and see how it goes. You want to stop whatever is developing in its tracks and get your body back into balance. First, I always make sure to bundle up my feet. Remember that I said your feet are like a thermostat for your body? If you're beginning to get sick, you don't want your body to have to fight off the cold even more. Also, to me its a sign that your body has come unbalanced. All the heat has gone up to your head/chest to fight off whatever is beginning. If you warm your feet, mild circulation can aid in the process of recouperation.
 *However, DO NOT get a massage when you're actively sick... even if you don't think its much of anything. That level of circulation will just spread the virus through your lymph system & you'll feel much worse in a day or two. A good therapist won't even allow you to get one if you have a cold. If you've had a remnant cough for a month, and nothing else.. then, maybe.

Next, pump your body full of goodness (that reads weird.) Boost your immune system w/ vitamin C. Drink orange juice, eat grapefruit, take supplements! Get some zinc drops for another pick-me-up. And my favorite trick to stop a cold in its tracks is Yogi Peach Detox tea. That's my chosen brand, but anything with spicey roots and herbs should do the trick. Ginger root is a healing must. Cardamon and cloves are warm herbs that really kick your body into gear. Again, your body is reacting to the cold. HEAT IT UP and restart your sluggish circulation! (Listen, if my dad willingly drinks it to get rid of his cold, I think you can take the advice as well.)

IN RETROSPECT, below is a list of must-haves that I've compiled for the winter. I used to feel so achy and cold all the time, but over the past few years, I've come to love this season. You've just got to prepare yourself with the right armor! Don't be one of those miserable members of society that constantly complains. You're stronger than that!

Layers
bootie slippers or wool socks
afghans and/or down throws
down comforter or electric blanket
down coat & warm hat, scarf
space heater
humidifier
goat milk soap
natural/organic moisturizer & chapstick
snow boots
vitamin D3 & omega3, vitamin C
hot, spicy, herbal tea

*A few no-brainer reminders: Drink lots of water, stay active, get enough sleep, don't continually get hammered and wander into the night alone.

Witness Meets the Trenches

One of those bizarre dreams...

I was at some kind of event in a school gym, and was helping to take care of some kids. I told one of the little boys to come sit with me. He didn't seem to want to be around us, and away from his dad, but I told him he should stay close, and he finally came over. After awhile we decided to get up and walk around. We went into this hallway off the side of the gym, and ran into a small group of men in the middle of an argument. One of them was the boy's dad, and the boy tried to break away to run to him. I realized they were arguing over some kind of illegal deal, and I grabbed the boy to keep him from interrupting. They'd seen us though, and one of them pulled a gun on us. I pulled the boy close to me, and moved him around behind me. I was thinking about how those people in movies kick the gun out of the bad guy's hand, and would that really work? Just then the boys dad pulled a gun on the first guy, and we started to back away. They argued a bit more, the first guy made a sudden move, and the dad ended up shooting him. There was a lot of blood, and I knew he was dead. I grabbed the boy and started to run.

Somehow we ended up in a small group of people from the event, who had all witnessed a part of the murder. We were being taken somewhere safe and hidden away from the people looking for us. I knew the boy's father would come after us, and I wanted to keep the boy far away from him, to keep him from harm and also from finding out what kind of person he was. The man who seemed to be in charge was leading us through a forest and down into a big field where there were trenches cut out, but made so they weren't visible to someone scanning the land. We traveled toward the very end of one, where we realized there were enclosed security bunk rooms down deep inside. The 4 of us girls were in the first half, and the 4 guys were in the second. The other girls had single cots or bunks, but there was one bed that they gave to me, so the boy could rest. We were bored a lot, and I tried to keep the boy entertained. He was chubby and cute, and had become attached to me.

After what seemed to be a long time, there hadn't been any word from the outside. We were running low on food, and the guys decided they wanted to venture out to find something. Other people stationed further down in the trenches often moved along the corridors outside the bunk rooms, and gathered to talk for entertainment, but we had tried to stay hidden, b/c we didn't know who we could trust. I didn't want them to go out. It wasn't safe for them, and it certainly wasn't safe to risk anyone finding out where the boy was. I motioned over to the bed where he was curled up asleep. They said I was being ridiculous and that they'd be careful, and went out. Awhile later when a couple of them had returned, we heard someone approaching. It was from the end of the trench where no one else lived, so we were very nervous that a stranger had found us. I had the boy hide in a cupboard in the corner of our room, and I stood flat against the wall, out of sight. Someone banged on the door on the guy's end, and we didn't recognize the voice. They demanded to be let in, and one of the guys finally tried to nonchalantly cooperate. There were 2 strangers and they began roughly searching the rooms. Before they came into ours, I grabbed the boy and slipped out our door. We started running down the trench to the end, and climbed out, hoping to find the man who brought us there.

The rest is a bit foggy, involving a jeep and a beach house that some of our group was using to hide out in. The dad finally found us, and while fighting him below, and finally killing him, I thought the boy had been thrown from the balcony. I ran over, absolutely devastated thinking MY boy was dead, but realized it was a decoy, and ran up the stairs sobbing with joy that he was alive. At that point we noticed the dad struggle to his feet, and I grabbed the boy and jumped in the jeep with 2 of the guys from my group. We sped off, trying to get away from the dad, and back to our trenches where the man in charge was waiting to help.

Most Recent Addition

My first attempt at Acrylic:

For Your Enjoyment..

Far Away, Close in Heart (playlist)

The Window is the Door - Maritime
Here I dreamt I was an Architect - The Decemberists
Misery is a Butterfly - Blonde Redhead
The Song Was Right - Old Canes
Girls of Wild Strawberries - Guided by Voices
Jesus, Etc. - Wilco
On the Surface - Civil Twilight
The Falling Kind - Vedera
Don't Think Twice, Its All Right - Bob Dylan
Landlocked Blues - Bright Eyes
Feeling the Pull - The Swell Season
Conversation 16 - The National
I Wonder - Chris Isaak
What Am I to You? - Norah Jones

Open your Mind

I think Rob Delaney is one funny guy. I can honestly say that at least one, if not many, of his tweets make my day. If he ever comes to your town, you should probably make it your business to go see his show. That being said, he recently reposted this link to an old blog post of his concerning depression. Its the kind of brutal honesty people sometimes need to hear. Maybe you've felt like this, or are a skeptic and know someone who "claims" to have felt like this. In any case, its real and its a common problem, so wake up and deal with it.

On Depression & Getting Help by Rob Delaney

Nocturne

"It is dreadful when something weighs on your mind, not to have a soul to unburden yourself to. You know what I mean. I tell my piano the things I used to tell you." - Frederic Chopin

 

Dream a little Dream

I'm going to say this right now. This could get weird. So you've been warned... but its something I wonder about, and have recently read more theories (though rather wild) on the subject, so I wanted to elaborate. If you are so inclined to add your two cents (besides, "you're crazy, shut up,) I welcome you to do so!

Dreams. Mine are.. well, odd. vivid. elaborate. Entire story lines with details, characters, etc. An entire world on the other side. I don't have reoccurring dreams, but sequels. I know where places are in reference to other landmarks in my dream and can remember other events that have happened while dreaming. I realize this isn't any extremely unique phenomenon, as I've talked to, and read about, many others who experience this, but it can still be somewhat.. disturbing.

Now. Simple explanation would be this: overactive imagination and conscious thought. Right? Well, that's what I would chalk it up to mostly. Especially when I can tie certain themes to issues I face in my waking life. And with the memory of the dream world and lucid thought, well apparently some part of the brain is working overtime for some reason or another.

HOWEVER, what about all the crazy plot lines, the diverse locations, the vivid journeys? Creativity? Moreover how does anyone explain this: There have been a few times now when I have visited a place I had never been before, and have come across a scene, building, etc. straight out of a dream I'd had months, even years earlier. I've had to stop and stare b/c it was stronger than typical deja vu. I had seen it only in a specific dream. The most recent was driving through a small mining town in Central Pennsylvania. I've never been to Pennsylvania, but I could remember the entire dream and could see it exactly as it was in front of me. So how is that possible? Had I seen something similar and pieced it into my dream and was remembering what I thought I had dreamed? That might be a rational explanation.

 So here is the irrational, or bizarre, explanation: String Theory. Parallel universes. Some people seem to think we can link into them through our dream-state. INSANE, right?? I feel a little silly even typing it, b/c it seems so science fiction, and not at all possible. But what if its true?? (this is where it gets weird, btw.. and I am in no way standing by these ideas, I'm just musing.) What if all those adventures and journeys in strange lands are actually IN strange lands? What if that is actually a different, but parallel world that a similar self is experiencing? And what if the places I see in my waking world that I've never visited are similar places in that parallel universe that I visited in my dreams? HMM?? (another less wacky, but still somewhat supernatural explanation would be that I'm picking up on things which those close to me have seen.)
And not to get all "Scott Pilgrim" here, but what about meeting someone in "reality" that I'd seen in a dream a long time ago, but have never known before. There is no way I could possibly have ever met them, yet the familiarity and certainty felt is uncanny. Did I meet them in a parallel universe through my dream so long ago? And if so, do they have any recollection of that experience, or feel my familiarity when we met, as well?? This is MADNESS!!

Ok, I believe I'm done with my lunatic post for today. I'd just like to reiterate that I in no way strongly believe any of this, but also have no explanation for the more bizarre ends of the situation. For the most part, I believe dreams are a manifestation of your conscious thought and imagination. I just don't know what to do with the rest.

FILM!

 (originally posted in the blog at www.myspace.com/chiqua)

The first time I realized the power of a bizarre movie plot was when I saw Heathers one New Year's Eve in high school. It was darkly humorous, wicked, and to say the least, bizarre. But I loved it. It was exciting. It was different.  However, it wasn't until I was in college, staying in a spare loft with my cousin over Thanksgiving break, that I first understood what really caught my attention in the film world. We were flipping around channels and settled on TCM. We'd never heard of it or seen it, but Inside Daisy Clover was just beginning. When it came to the scene where Christopher Plummer's character picks up Natalie Wood like a child, but then passionately kisses her, we both looked at each other and exclaimed, "what the hell??" And that's when the spark was born. I LOVE those points in a film where the story line takes a bizarre twist and you're left wondering "what in the hell just happened?" Maybe my imagination is too complicated and regular boring movies are too predictable, but I just adore those films that take unmarked turns and start you wondering about every other detail of the plot. Maybe its b/c life is more like that. Bizarrely cruel in sudden twists that you couldn't see coming. Or maybe life isn't like that at all, and for a writer to come up with such a plotline is commendable to their imagination. When I think about it though, I wonder if all of those scenes that make me go "YES!" are what normal human beings could only dream of doing, if their bland life of modesty and contentment didn't hold them back.

For instance, at the end of Daisy Clover, she humorously cannot seem to kill herself, so she turns on the gas line, lights a match, and walks away from her beach house smiling as it goes up in flames. Those are the impulses people have that are suppressed by reality and social codes! When it really comes down to the line, these actions are what characters are forced to do for the good of their sanity. Its brilliant! I absolutely love it! Its the writer getting into the characters head and actually making possible that which would be socially or morally unacceptable. Its a sketch of the individuals psychosis coming to life, creating their own niche, separating them from any other average Jane. Jessica said to me the other day, "remember that film Le Divorce? And in the end it basically taught us it was ok to shoot someone b/c it would work out in the end? what hell was up with that movie?" I know! It was so bizarre. But God knows I have to give kudos to the writer, b/c even if the movie was terrible, the plot twists were awesome :0)

Wild Swans

I looked in my heart while the wild swans went over.

And what did I see I had not seen before?

Only a question less or a question more;

Nothing to match the flight of wild birds flying.

Tiresome heart, forever living and dying,

House without air, I leave you and lock your door.

Wild swans, come over the town, come over

The town again, trailing your legs and crying!

Edna St. Vincent Millay

SNOW!

I get this whimsical thrill walking down a plowed sidewalk with snow piled high on either side, so there is only a narrow, clean path for me to follow. I've come up with two reasons for this: 1) It makes me feel like I live in Lapland in a magical castle of ice and snow, and 2) It reminds me of being little and playing fox and geese in our backyard. We'd watch from the kitchen window with our mom while my dad went out to create a giant maze of paths, and then we'd run around on these narrow little walks pretending to be geese outrunning the fox. My dad taught us well to love snow. We had enough chance early on in Wyoming (see above,) but of course took advantage of every opportunity the Midwest offered, after that.

 Last night when it continued to snow for 8 hours, I knew what my dad would be thinking. He'd be fantasizing about the giant hill in their backyard and the sled run he had lost when the last snow had melted - but now it would be rebuilt! Now the neighbor kids could come over! Now his staff could bring their families! Now there would be more runs - BETTER RUNS! (My mom said she didn't care. She wasn't going out there. If she was going to serve hot cocoa and operate a ski lift, she was going to get paid for it.) He even created a slalom run last week through the trees on the East edge. I felt for certain that I was doomed to crash at the last second, but amazingly made it through.

Now, if you ever thought about wanting to be one of those people who never gets old, then you might want to take lessons from my dad. He apparently refuses to believe he's aged at all, and didn't find anything strange or funny about a man who is almost 60 yrs old going out sledding alone on a Saturday morning to prepare the hill for his grand-daughter. He actually seemed a bit offended that I would suggest it was silly. (All right, but in my defense, their backyard is bordered by two fairly frequented streets, with no privacy fence. Maybe I had too much pride on my mind.) Then a few days later, after he had sufficiently gotten winter fever, I had to convince him to stay in from going out sledding alone at 8:30pm. He thought I was being ridiculous. "Have you ever sledded by moonlight? Its magical!"

I missed the first excursion to the hill. My older brother and his young family went out Saturday morning first, with their dog. Of course, my dad was more than eager to go out again the next day for my benefit, and I was able to convince my 3 yr old niece to come back out for a few more runs. She didn't last long, and resigned herself to eating icicles off the porch railing. I tried taking the dog down with me. Apparently she had enjoyed it the day before. Unfortunately, the first time she got tangled in the rope jumping off the sled. The next time, she panicked halfway down and we crashed. Didn't seem to mind, though. It takes a lot to deter a dog from a good snow. Case in point: she then came bounding across the yard and tackled me mid-flight on my next go.

It's exhilarating, always. Trudging through the white powder, crashing into the soft cold. The chill biting at your face, but the energy of it all keeping you warm. I adore a good snow, and everything it brings - the paradoxical wonderland of adventure and quiet peace.

But you don't have to take MY word for it..

It's book review time! I have a new book to rave about, and demand that you all go out and read it: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. Its a short book, so you don't have to worry about a long investment, and I highly doubt it would lose your attention in the first place. When my brother gave it to me, he told me 4 things:
1) Its a ghost story
2) Its really good
3) Its going to be made into a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe
4) It scared the hell out of him in the middle of the day.
Of course, the 1st and 2nd points grabbed my interest. I didn't really care about the 3rd, though now I'm rather intrigued. The 4th made me wonder what on earth he was talking about. How could a book possibly be that disturbing? Well, it is. Not so much in the context of subject matter, as the way it is presented. The writing is brilliant, and it will make you a bit jumpy at times, to say the least. If the movie is directed and produced as well as the book is written, it will be one hell of a nightmare.

A few others I highly recommend:

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Written in the style of a gothic novel, I absolutely loved this book. One thing that always discourages me is when a plotline is so obvious that I've figured it out half-way through the book and get bored. Not this book. You might think you know what's going on, but you don't. And even when things have changed around and you're starting to put things right, bam! Its something completely different. From beginning to end, this story is woven tight.

Five Quarters of The Orange by Joanne Harris
This is another book that kept my interest throughout by not letting go of any of its secrets. The story flips between present day and WWII, and focuses on one woman and the undisclosed event that scarred her family's name during her childhood in a small French village.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Another WWII story, but focused more on the holocaust and its effects. Each chapter flips between the story of a present day Parisian woman, and a little Jewish girl during the war. Opened my eyes to a  part of the holocaust of which I had not entirely been aware.