Happy & Healthy

Source: Premier Academy of the Performing Arts

January, the start of another year.

Welcome to 2022.

That's as jubilant as I get.

Exclaiming..."Happy New Year!"... just sounds disingenuous after barely enduring a 2-year pandemic and witnessing our Democracy crumble before our eyes.

Happiness has seemingly become ever more elusive.

Source: Rawpixel (modified)

"We are no longer happy as soon as we wish to be happier."~ Walter Landor

Then this tall order:

"Happiness is somebody to love,

Something to do,

And something to hope for."

~ Chinese Proverb

Perhaps easier is: "One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats." ~ Iris Murdoch

Backed up by Thornton Wilder: "My advice to you is not to inquire or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate."

Bingo!... a possible resolution that's actually doable.

Besides, ice cream always makes me happy... even if the happiness only lasts through the last chocolate sprinkle and smudge of chocolate syrup.

And so lately, in hopes of getting out of this funk, I'm trying to focus on gratitude: savoring any and all happy moments that come my way, no matter how small or brief.

Like recently:

Finding a $20 bill, dirty and crumpled, in a pile of leaves. Yahoo!

Getting a holiday card with a lottery ticket enclosed and scratching off a $10 winner!

Nabbing a $220 Winter Parka Coat from Lands' End for $39!

Obtaining a refund for $55.24 from The Vitamin Shoppe after being told "No. No refunds after 30 days."

And receiving coupons in the mail from Organic Valley (2 coupons for $1.50 off their products and 2 for free products for a maximum value of $13 each) after mentioning that we're having difficulty opening their milk carton caps. Who knew there was a cap shortage and yes, O.V. is actively working on a solution to the problem.

And who says, "Money doesn't buy happiness?"

Source: Synchrony Bank

That said... I'm starting to feel the "happy" in wishing you all a "Happy New Year."

But with those wishes, I always like to include the word "Healthy" into the mix... as in "Have a Happy and Healthy New Year."

So here's the "healthy" bit.

Source: OFY.org (modified)

It started with a book, a book of fiction. I can't recall the title, but what struck me was the author's sentence stating that the lining of a human stomach renews itself every 5 days. And here I was with a stomach ache reading this book wondering if this statement was actually fact or total fiction.

An online search brought up a video from NPR titled: "Your Body's Real Age."

I think you'll find the information not only fascinating but also encouraging for anyone aging...which pretty much describes everyone over the age of what?... 30? 40? Ha! I know, "Age is just a number."

Source: Pixel (modified)

It turns out, according to the video, each body part has its own very distinct lifespan.

* Each hair on your head (scalp hair) is replaced every 2-7 years. 100 hairs fall out every day and new ones grow back in their place.

* Fingernails are new every 6 months or so.

Almost every part of your body refreshes itself in a similar way.

* The lining of your stomach and intestines get pretty beat up by digestive acid and so those cells get replaced every few days (2-9 days).

* Every few weeks (2-4 weeks) your outer layer of skin is completely new.

* Every 4 months you have a fresh army of red blood cells. 100 million new cells are born every minute and 100 million old cells are destroyed.

* Every 10 years you've got a new skeleton. A special team of cells breaks down old bone and another builds new bone.

* Every 15 years your muscles are refreshed.

But there are a few things that stick around for your entire life.

* About 1/2 of your heart stays with you from birth to death because those cells are replaced very slowly.

* Certain parts of your brain add a few new neurons over the course of your life. A vast majority of your neurons developed before you were born. The connections between these neurons, the circuits that store memory, those are constantly changing.

* And there's one more part of you that lasts your whole life. Months before you were born, clusters of cells stretched and built themselves with transparent protein. As you grew, even after birth, more and more fibers were added, but that center endured. This is your lens and its core has remained the same since the moment you first opened your eyes.

So how old is your body? Some of it is brand new and some of it is as old as you are.

In closing, I'll leave you with these images by Cecilia Paredes, a Peruvian artist now living and working in Philadelphia, PA. She considers her work to be "photo performances", camouflaging herself against various patterned backgrounds using body paint or pieces of fabric.

She says, "The human body is a vehicle to express your thoughts. The series is not about the body though. It's about location, so in this case the body is part of the landscape." 

If interested:

Read a brief interview with Cecilia Paredes here and watch her lecture at the School of Visual Arts here.

View the NPR video here.

As this post comes to an end, I can now say with heartfelt sincerity...

"Here's wishing you a Happy & Healthy New Year

and a "Prosperous" one as well!"

From

"Here and Next"

XOX... Dyan

Dear Santa: Letters & Stories

Dear Santa,

You know how when I was young, I wanted to be a nurse, then a ballet dancer and ultimately a teacher, an art teacher?

Never an astronaut!

And yet here I am, an adult, in a prone position seemingly being launched into outer space... with the interior walls vibrating and shaking with loud booms! and thumps! right before takeoff.

No, I'm not in Florida, at Cape Canaveral, or in some simulator.

I'm in bed asleep, was asleep, when I was abruptly awakened by the new neighbors upstairs: a grandmother, young mother and her three very young children who scream and cry frequently and from the sounds of things rise early and go to bed late, and when awake, love to: run, stomp, jump off furniture, bang on sliding closet doors, and run into walls!

And so this "rocket", which used to be my bedroom of solace, has now become a daily launch pad for unscheduled missions anytime between the hours of 6,5,4,3,2,1 AM... blast off!!!

No doubt these children and their caregivers are inconsiderate and naughty.

But I'm trying to be nice. So please do visit their apartment and leave them presents other than coal.

And for me?

Kris, I guess what I'm hoping for is nothing short of a miracle.

The gifts of...

"Peace & Quiet".

And should that prove too intangible... please fill our stockings (mine and my husband's) with Mack's Silicone Earplugs and a set of Pro For Sho Maximum Hearing Protection Safety Ear Muffs.

Best to Mrs. Claus, Rudolph and the gang, along with your Elves!

XOX... Dyan

P.S. You'll find your favorite freshly-baked Trader Joe's Double Chocolate Chip Cookies in their usual place... on the kitchen counter next to the stove. Enjoy!

Here are a few found images of letters written by children to Santa Claus.

In this last image found on Bored Panda a parent writes: "This is my 4-year-old's letter to Santa. I think she's on her way to becoming a doctor."  

Here are a few stories from Reader's Digest updated on Nov. 30, 2021 and titled: "24 Stories About Meeting Santa That Will Fill You With The Christmas Spirit."

My sister-in-law had driven her five-year-old son Josh to the mall with the purpose of visiting Santa and telling him what he wanted for Christmas. After parking the car, they got as far as the entrance when Josh stopped, threw out his hands to block their path, and announced, "Wait! I forgot the toy catalog!" ~ Laurel Holt, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Funds were tight for my friend Jo and her husband. But Tinker, Jo's five-year-old, was convinced that since he'd been good all year, Santa would bring him a bike. And not just any bike, but a rare yellow one. "Don't worry, Mom," he said. "He'll bring it." Jo's sister and her five-year-old son lived with Jo, and as it happened that little boy was getting a red bike. On Christmas Eve, I told my mother the story of Tinker and the yellow bike. "You can't let that happen!" she said. "That little boy won't understand why Santa brought his cousin a new bike and not him!" Mom handed me a pile of bills. "Take this, and get him that bike." By now it was late, and most stores were closed. I called the only place I knew that sold bikes. A man answered. I asked if he had any boys' bikes left. "Only one," he said. Then he added apologetically, "But it's yellow." ~ Carole Martinez, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Last year, when our three-year-old great granddaughter Kylie was taken to see Santa Claus, she made sure to give him her wish list of toys. A week later, she ran into a different Santa in the mall. He stopped to ask what she wanted for Christmas. Kylie was appalled and let him know: "If you can't remember what I told you last week, how are you going to remember on Christmas Eve?!" ~ Mary Paul, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

A friend asked me to dress as Santa to surprise her son. I went over to their house, changed into a Santa suit in the bathroom, and, to the delight of the little boy, came out with a loud "Ho, ho, ho!" After a half hour, I returned to the bathroom, changed back into my regular clothes, and exited the bathroom. The boy went in after me. He looked around for Santa. Then, reaching the only possible conclusion, he lifted the toilet seat and shouted, "Bye, Santa!" ~ Kevin Cuddihy, Fairfax, Virginia.

Happy Holidays

and

Best Wishes for

"Peace On Earth (especially in my apartment)

& Goodwill to All!"

XOX... Dyan

@ Here and Next

End of Summer: Cats & Toys

Source: K Bell Hair Studio & Spa

Two Saturdays ago, around noon, the temperature reached 82º.  Three hours later the winds blew, trees swayed, the leaves quickly fell, leaving many branches bare, and the temperature suddenly dropped some 16 degrees. A front came through, and just like that... the "Dog Days" of summer were gone. RUFF!

"Rough"... are the summers in Philadelphia and the burbs: with its unrelenting days and nights of oppressively hot and humid weather, with air conditioning and its constant irritating hum being the only respite, making the unbearable somewhat less unbearable.

But is summer really as long as it feels?

According to an article on NPR: "Not All Seasons Are Created Equal," Professor Jay Pasachoff of Williams College, made this precise calculation:

Spring lasts 92 days, 19 hours

Summer 93 days, 15 hours

Autumn 89 days, 20 hours

Winter 89 days, zero hours

While it might be hard to convince those of us on the east coast, who deal with frequent Nor'easters and marathon events regarding snow removal, that winter is short, the shortest of seasons, I have no doubt believing that summer is long, painfully, l-o-n-g!

Which is why now, I can say with GREAT pleasure...

"Good Bye 'Dog' Days of Summer!"

"Hello Autumn days with 'Cats'!"

Cats??? I know it's a leap, and I'm not even a pet lover... unless... the animals happen to be "toys"... and then I'm over the moon!

Source: Altered from Wayfair

I love, love, love, cute plastic toys of all types, which occasionally include animals like the toy cats I ordered from a company called "Strange Cat Toys," based out of Tampa, Florida, run by Cory & Evette, a husband and wife team.

The name "Strange Cat Toys" may be a bit ambiguous in that the toys being sold are not for cats but for humans, with most adults choosing to display them rather than play with them.

The images below are from "Strange Cat Toys" with this one showing a small sample of inventory:

Here's a corrugated shipping box full of boxed toys. Many of these designer toys are sold in blind boxes... blind in that you don't know which toy out of a series you are getting. All the more fun!

Here are 3 boxes I received from the "Paper Bag Cat" series.

These cats toys look rather abstract and appear to be folded like origami.

The second set of 3 cats that I ordered are a bit more realistic and are made by a company called Kong Zoo. And yes, they come with removable eyeglasses.

This image shows all the cats available in the series.

So cute. So colorful. What joy!

And for all you cat lovers out there who prefer real cats to toys, I'll leave you with these black and white images by Italian catographer, Sabrina Boem, who began photographing cats after adopting two of her own, Sissi & Ricky.

This series called "Window Cats" came about after noticing how much time cats spend looking through windows at home or napping on sills.

End of summer, cats, or toys... any interesting tales you'd like to tell?

..........................................................................................................

Next... Here are a few links you might find interesting:

Watch this Japanese larger-than-life realistic 3D cat here.

Cat Mania in Japan here.

Cats wearing glasses here.

Giant cats and Brutalist Architecture here.

Watch the trailer for the new movie: "The Electrical Life of Louis Wain" about a real-life artist who painted cats here.

Vacationing woman thinks cats miss her. Read the story here.

NPR's article: "Not All seasons Are Created Equal" here.

Check out Strange Cat Toys' website here.

Happy Halloween!

From the Gang at Here and Next!

And a shout-out to friends and their felines... Lisa and her domestic pair, Sadie & Mill, Barbara and her sweet Henry, and to Rob & Bev and their amazing efforts in caring for their neighborhood's stray (feral) cats.

MEOW! MEOW!

XOX... Dyan

Shopped & Overheard

My groceries were paid for, bagged, and in my cart, as I headed for the exit.

Standing in front of me, but at a distance, were two thirty-something masked men, not masked as thieves, but as a precaution against Covid. One male was the store manager and the other, one of my favorite Whole Foods' cashiers: favorite in that he's pleasant, efficient, and knows not to put my half-gallons of milk on top of my Heirloom tomatoes.

Anyway, the men stood side by side, arms crossed, facing into the store. There was no animation between them: no laughter, head-bobs, fist bumps or high-fives... just two co-workers in the midst of some serious discussion. Perhaps they were commenting on the crowd, the long lines, and the need to open more registers, or maybe, working conditions: break times and wages.

When I overheard the cashier, in mid-sentence, say to the manager...

"She winked at me."

Cryptic sweet nothings, out of left field, that left me with a strong desire to know more.

Then two weeks later, while back at Whole Foods in the check-out line with my favorite cashier and my groceries ready for scanning, I worked up the nerve to ask about the "winking woman" when he asked me, "How is your day?"

Caught off guard, I spontaneously spewed out... "Better than yesterday, when we were held hostage by our apartment complex's garage door that refused to open, locking us inside all day."

Clearly, an issue that wasn't yet out of my system.

And then I wondered who nearby might have caught just the snippet, "We were held hostage," as they exited the store, wishing they too, could have overheard more.

Well, to my surprise there's a whole Facebook page on conversations overheard at Whole Foods.

Here are a few of my favs:

Overheard at Whole Foods

Woman in front of me in line:

"Um, I need to read the numbers on the barcode aloud to you. I don't want any lasers touching my food."

Cashier: "Ma'am, this food has been touched by lasers and all sorts of things before it even got to our store."

Woman: "4785..."

Overheard at Whole Foods

Lady: "Do you guys carry long pumpkin?"

Me: "I'm not sure what that is?"

Lady (in a fit of rage): "UGH, sometimes they are called zucchini!"

Me: "Oh you mean zucchini?!"

(Overheard by Matt, employee of WF)

Overheard at Whole Foods

Man: "Hi, I'm looking for Satan."

WF Employee: "You're looking for the devil?"

Man: "Um, it's vegan?"

WF Employee: "Ah, seitan. Next aisle in the fridge."

(@realoverheardla)

Overheard at Whole Foods

"I heard that some mushrooms are poisonous.

Is your creamy mushroom soup made with those ones, or the other kind?"

Overheard at Whole Foods

Tween Girl: "Mom can I have this?"

Mom: "Is it vegan, gluten free, AND fair trade?"

Tween: "I don't think it needs to be..."

Mom: "You KNOW the rule! ALL THREE OR IT DOESN'T COME INTO OUR HOUSE!"

Tween: "Mom... it's a hairbrush..."

Mom: "I DON'T CARE! VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE, FAIR TRADE! SAY IT!"

Tween: "UGH. You're such a...FIRST WORLD PROBLEM!"

(Overheard by Christin Joy)

..........................................................................................................

Next... Here are a few links you might find interesting:

Amusing interactions between management and a deli employee here.

A monumental grocery list here.

An exhibition of ceramic grocery lists here.

And... only in Vegas here.

Until we meet again

at "Here and Next"...

XOX... Dyan

Shopped & Observed

I was in Mom's Organic Market when I noticed an unattended shopping basket sitting on the floor between the snack and dairy aisles. The basket was pretty generic: the plastic kind with those fold-in, fold-up handles usually found at the entrance of most food stores.

Anyway, in this basket, unattended and sitting on the floor, were three large and heavy glass bottles of fruit juice precariously stacked on top of an already rather large load of grocery items.

My first thought was... that some store clerk somewhere, was in the process of restocking the items and was either called away, became distracted, or forgot the items were there.

My second thought was... that at any moment, some large guy with huge biceps wearing a WWE Championship belt would round the bend and masterfully pick up his basket and make a signature move towards the register.

Nope.

Instead, this tall, slender woman from out of nowhere... bent over, grabbed the handles of the basket, paused... as if mentally questioning for a minute if she could actually pull this off... AND... in one single motion lifted the hefty overflowing basket and carried it away. Away where? I can only assume to either cram in a few more items or to pay and be on her merry way.

Honestly, I don't know if she was merry or not, it's just a saying.

But what I can say with certainty from personal experience and by observing others: those dragging baskets too heavy to lift and those juggling more items than their bare arms can carry...

ALWAYS... go for the cart!

Source: fineartamerica.com (1960's)

Unless you're worried that there's so much room in your almost empty shopping cart that your single, half-gallon of milk might get lonely. I know, you only came in for one thing.

 

But puh-lease... before you know it, your milk will have plenty of company.

Source: Shutterstock

Here are a few more images of a time before UPC barcodes and scanners, Apple Pay, Instacart and self-checkout stations.

Here are people who chose baskets.

Source: flickr.com

Source: goodhousekeeping.com

Here are people who chose carts.

Source: Getty / Camerique

Source: Boredpanda.com (1950)

And here are the people ready to check them out.

Source: boredpanda.com (1962)

Source: Life Magazine Photographer: Allan Grant (1962)

Next... If interested... check out these amusing "Supermarket Fails" here. 

Until we meet again

at "Here and Next"...

XOX... Dyan