Simply Norma

Injury break.

Will post again in a few days.  🙁

March is supposed to be the snowiest month in Minnesota. So far, we’ve seen drizzle and sun.

Yesterday reminded me of Seattle. Cold, damp, drizzly, foggy and windy. A typical Seattle day. I even started to feel blah.

This morning I looked out the window and a cardinal was sitting on a branch. The beginning of spring has arrived albeit a little earlier than the date suggests it should.

The weather is supposed to be in the 40’s, 50’s then 60’s next week. I don’t know if I’m ready for spring yet. I’ve enjoyed the winter even though it was quite mild. Our snow plower didn’t make much money off of us this year.

Spring projects include: removing wallpaper from the main bathroom, painting the guest room and laundry room on the main floor, painting the his and her closets in the master bedroom and lastly, landscaping the yard.

I still haven’t figured out what to do with our backyard. Once the trees are in full bloom, the only sunlight we get is when the sun is directly above our house and there are too many trees hovering over our property to allow the sun to beam down in a way to provide much light to plants. Quite a challenge — a shade and deer tolerant yard.

I wonder if there’s a landscaping show similar to HDTV for houses that will come and do it for me. Hmmm … I’ll have to check that out. Unless someone already knows???

A few years ago, I watched a movie called My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It’s a comedy and, although I don’t find comedy funny most of the time, this movie made me think about things that, as a Puerto Rican, my family used to (term used loosely) do.

In the movie, the father uses Windex as a cure for everything. Pimple? Windex. Rash? Windex. One would think that the story was made up but idiosyncrasies like this are a reality in a lot of cultures. Mine is one of them although it’s not Windex that we use.

Growing up, our cure-all was Vicks VapoRub. Much to my dismay, it has recently changed.

On a recent trip to visit relatives (who shall remain anonymous for reasons known) I had a wrist splint on because of pain that I was experiencing due to a fall on vacation. When a person is injured or sick, friends and family all seem to become doctors. I was now the patient of well-meaning relatives.

Sitting around watching TV, the family member told me they had something that would help my pain. My first thought was “Oh, Vicks Vaporub” but I mistaken.  A large clear jar of blue “gel” was pulled out, the top was opened and a large amount of the gel was slathered on my arm and wrist.

Hmmm … I thought. It has a menthol smell. The pain was starting to go away and for about an hour I was pain free. “This stuff seems to work, at least temporarily,” I told myself.

For the next couple of days, I thought nothing of the “gel” that was now being used on me every time I visited. Until, that is, I went to use the bathroom. While cleaning my hands, I noticed a huge tub of this gel sitting on the vanity and like a cat whose curiosity is piqued by trailing yarn, I picked up the large tub to see what was in this miracle cure. The large label read “Mineral Ice.” Oh, mineral ice, that sounds “natural.”

Hmmm … “Mane and Tail” — what a strange name. As I continued to read, my heart almost stopped. “Horses In Training: Use regularly before and after workouts.”

Oh no! What is this????!!!!!!! I couldn’t believe it.

“After Strenuous Competition:
To temporarily relieve minor soreness or stiffness after racing, polo, hunting, jumping, roping, cutting, gated performances and dressage. Promotes faster, safer cool outs.”

I almost fell to the floor with uncontrollable laugher. The new cure-all is meant for animals.

I left the bathroom feeling foolish. “You should have known,” I told myself. “You should have checked. You know some people in your family have odd ideas.”

Quite honestly, I don’t believe my relative even read the label. Another relative had given them a clear jar of the gel and since it worked they continued to use it. Then this “other” relative gave them the large tub of “Mane and Tail” and they continued filling the large clear jar every time it was empty.

Upon leaving, I was presented with my very own clear jar of Mane and Tail.

Once I arrived at home, I looked up the ingredients. The main ingredient is menthol. I haven’t checked each of the other ingredients to see if they are okay for “human use.”

(Active Ingredient: Menthol 2%
Other Ingredients: Ammonium Hydroxide, Carbomer 934, Cupic Sulfate, FD&C Blue No. 1, Isopropyl Alcohol 11.2%, Magnesium Sulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Thymol, Deionized Water.)

But, I just don’t think I can use it. My brain just can’t wrap itself around using a concoction that’s meant for horses.  Especially since the warning tells you to see a veterinarian if you have problems.

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The beginning of lent started last week (as did this post that I hadn’t finished). For those who aren’t sure what lent is all about, an article on Wikipedia will give you a historical account of how it started and why it’s observed.

Growing up Catholic, lent meant that I could not eat meat on Fridays and that I would have to give “something” up for 40 days. Actually, for most people I knew it was about giving something up with no real understanding of the reason why. Once the 40 days is over, most people go back to whatever it was they “gave up.” Granted, the 40 days were over but what most people gave up are bad habits that should be given up anyway. It’s kind’ve like a 40 day New Year’s resolution with an “end” date.

One of the reasons given for observing lent is as an act of penitence. That reason doesn’t bode well with me. I don’t believe that there is any penance we can do that would satisfy the wrong that we are constantly doing in both thought and action. Selfishness is at the core of our being and I, as of yet, have not found anyone who is selfless.

Having said that, I believe a period of time for introspection of one’s life is good for the soul. Posing questions and seeking answers from ourselves about our purpose in this life has benefits. Getting to know oneself anyone?

• What do I want to do with my life?
• Do my actions portray who I really am?
• Are my daily actions pointing me towards my goal in life or is the way I live hindering my goal?
• Do I have any goals?
• Are my thoughts lifting me up or bringing me down?
• Is there a purpose to what I do and who I am?

A book I read awhile back called Mind, Character and Personality has this quote:

“If the thoughts are wrong, the feelings will be wrong; and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character.”

How true that is in my life. Sometimes I get stuck in negative thinking and in those times I find myself agitated, angry, selfish and accusatory. Focusing on good things lead me to good actions.

My lent observance will not be giving up chocolate, meat or TV (as good as that sacrifice will be for some people). Instead my focus will be more around how I live my life.

• Smiling at a person who is not smiling (too many frowns out there)
• Complimenting a person to lift them up
• Saying “Thank-you” for little things that are done for me (such as bagging my groceries)
• Calling a person who is ill, depressed or sick

Little things — if we all just majored in the minor things of life we would be so much happier. I need to starve the negative and feed the positive!

Hopefully, my intentional living to make life a little kinder for people will extend way past the 40 days of lent.