Insight in the waiting room.

So last night I up and dragged my booty to the Urgent Care to see if I needed some meds for my sickness. Turns out my blood work shows that I have a viral infection, so I do not need anti-biotics. Sucks, because I want to get better, I mean, a month with the same hellish cold coming and going is sheer hell. Just when I thought I could fall asleep without Nyquil, I'm back to chugging it before I go to sleep. On the other hand, I don't like antibiotics at all. My body reacts disagreeably to them. In any light, I must heal on my own. But while I was there waiting for the blood work results I had some quiet time to read all the germ-covered magazines lingering around me.

Some tiny tidbits worth passing on. Some info that I hope sticks with me. US News and World Report challenged readers 50 ways to improve their lives this year. A few of the suggestions stood out me, enough that I tore the pages. I don't really enjoy when people do that, but it gave me less of a guilty conscience than stealing the whole darn magazine would have. Besides, I had already stuffed a Parents and Wondertime in my purse. LOL.

The first suggestion I love? Get dirty. They say we all need to adapt to changing bacteria, infections, and such. The only way to do that is let yourself get dirty. I love this idea. I'm not a paranoid mother. My kids are exposed to a fair variety of germs and gobbly-gook, often their own home. I don't panic. I let it happen. Yeah, they've been sick, but Hunter went well over a year before his first cold, and Ben fights off sickness quicker than all of us. So go get dirty, people! Embrace the gunk around you, and let it make you stronger.

They also recommend getting a library card, and using it. We got a card over a year ago and have been using it. We rent movies there, they have tons of kids titles. I rented the newest Debbie MacComber book last fall. Hunter's favorite baby's 1st word book came from the library. This year, I think we'll vow to use it more. Maybe, we'll spend an afternoon there each week? In the spring and summer I love walking there. It's about 2 miles from here, but the boys will do the walk with me in the stroller if they get that break in the middle and I bring snacks. So this year. More library. I think borrowing books had got to be more green than buying copies for ourselves, right?

I loved this next suggestion: "Smell the Roses, Really." Apparently sense of smell and emotion are processed in the same part of the brain, explaining why why the two are so often tied together. The article states sense of smell can "change mood, heartbeat, breathing, and behavior. Fascinating. I know every time I smell a rose I think of my grandmother; the emotion soothes me, and relaxes me, as I'm instantly transported to her garden. When I smell pine needles on a forest floor I'm back in Yosemite, walking a trail, exploring, soaking up fresh air--no matter where I am when I smell it. And Drakkar takes me back to junior high and a first love. Remember how powerful adolescence hormones were? Yeah, that cologne makes me smile each time I sniff it. Studies show the loss of the ability to smell can also lead to depression. Makes sense, considering the powerful emotions that come from scent. Life would feel pretty bleak if I could not smell. Yikes. So the article basically suggests we make sure to prompt these feeling with scents. Be more aware of the scent smorgasbord around you. I love this idea, to start, "collecting scent mementos to revisit special memories." Yeah, we should all give this one a try.

The final suggestion I had to pass on? "Brew a Good Cup of Joe." Three simple steps to better coffee? Good beans: they say, Arabica variety are "milder and sweeter than commerical varieties." Okay. I can do that. This next suggestion makes me laugh: brew the "correct ratio of water to coffee." I never measure, I eyeball, and I get random results everyday. I measure everything else, so I can start measuring coffee. Finally, they say, "serve while hot and fresh." My mornings are not exactly relaxing. In fact they're down right chaotic. I re-heat my morning java about 5 times. Theo's very biggest complaint about me, parallel to my begging him to put his clothes in the hamper instead of on the floor beside the hamper, I leave my coffee in the microwave. Inevitably, I leave the last cup of the morning in there, and here comes Theo in the evening pushing a plate in there and rocking my stale cup of Joe all over the place. Oh, he does not like that habit of mine at all! So this year, maybe I'll only drink it fresh.

I'm really sharing here: Maybe, I'll brew a fresh pot every day. See, I'm cheap, and can't stand wasting anything... so if I wake up and there is still coffee left from yesterday I just re-heat it. You heard me right, I'm nasty enough to only make fresh coffee every other day. Not this year. I will make half a pot everyday. I'll always compost my grounds, and I'll make sure it's hot. To boot, I plan on using my bean grinder, as its sat idle for over a year now. There is no air-freshner comparbale to fresh ground beans. And the scent reminds of me of good, efficient mornings, so I can test the scent theories above.

Sure, there were "deeper" suggestions in the article, pertaining to economics and politics, but these sounded fun, and very do-able. Share-worthy.

Happy Improvement to You All.