On Quality Supplements

When you are advised that "all you need is a good balanced diet", consider two points: 1) crops are not as nutrient rich as they once were, and 2) we absorb fewer nutrients as we age. 

Consider quality supplements.

 The 41st Wellness

Pain Control, whose stylized symbol is White Lightning Bolt. I am comfortable.

Often when our pain seems to go chronic, if we take half an otc pain pill, the pain disappears and doesn't come back. Pain is not good for us. Inflammation raises cancer risk and raises blood pressure and all sorts of bad developments. I guess.

But Advil will destroy our kidneys in short order. My husband's cardiologist told him, if he MUST have something for pain, to take otc Tylenol as sparingly as possible.

The person I admire is U.S. senator John McCain

 The 40th Wellness

Independence, whose stylized symbol is the Bald Eagle. I am free.

Live your life your way, never under the thumb or whim of others. 

The person I admire is The Survivalist

 I didn't live my life my way, the way I dreamed of, which was no-one's fault but my own. But the life I got was good and interesting and, much more importantly, it was honorable

 The 39th Wellness

Steadfastness, whose stylized symbol is the Mountain. I am stable

Always true, ever devoted. If there is no such thing as real stability, then we should look up to the cosmos for the nearest thing

The personality I admire is Mother Nature

 I like Manslow's "Hierarchy of Needs" and Erikson's "Stages of Development" okay, but I'm a bigger fan of George Carlin's "Life in Reverse" ideas. 

I can't find the video but he said something like: that life should begin with the agony of death and get all that pain and suffering over with. Then life should continue in this happy reverse trajectory and end as we all began, with the ecstatic culmination of the socks act.

 A healthy bowel movement is enclosed within a biofilm. There should be little or no mess to wipe away.

 If life is suffering, then to suffer is to want. So, I try not to want anything, including peace of mind. Because suffering sucks.

 Squirrels

I had squirrels in the house, NOT in the rafters, well, probably in the rafters but certainly in every room in the house. It was a nightmare because they were big and very bold, and numerous --not afraid of me. 

They were curious about me. Whenever I sat still for a few minutes, they would approach. They would come very near until I noticed them and jumped up yelling.

I chased them around the house with a broom. I bought pest spray. I hired an exterminator who left traps and said he'd be back --to no effect.

I hired tree-removal people to take down a tree that was overhanging my roof. That fixed the problem.

Now I don't have a garden or any edible plants on the property. No compost heaps, no garbage cans, no bird feeders. Works for me.

I hate squirrels.

 Don't make assumptions

Ike: "I like cream pie."

Ollie: "What kind of cream pie?"

Ike: "Cream pie with whipped cream."

Ollie: "I mean what kind of pie is that you've got, you big stupid? I like chocolate cream pie."

Ike: ((( splat! ))) "Did I say I like to eat it?"

Don't make assumptions

 The 38th Wellness

Survival, whose stylized symbol is the Phoenix. I am invincible. 

Solve dire problems and meet urgent responsibilities with PACE. From the Green Berets, it's an acronym for Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency. It's useful for procuring or achieving all things essential.

PACE is a natural way of thinking. The Green Berets give us these examples:

Primary: M4 rifle

Alternate: Grenades

Contingency: Handgun

Emergency: I use my knife to get another gun or two from the enemy

Think like a Green Beret. Use PACE. If you don’t have that many options, be cautious and try to develop more. If you are reduced to emergency options, seek to open others and recover. Make a plan, and a plan B, C, and D. And develop them.

The person I admire is the Survivor

 The 37th Wellness

Moderation, whose stylized symbol is the Taijitu (the yin/yang symbol). I am balanced.

Avoid the extreme in all things. Instead, seek balance, as far toward the middle-of-the-road as possible. 

Avoid thinking in terms of absolutes. For example, we view the rape of an infant as unthinkably bad, but we fail to appreciate that it is good for the rapist. 

However, had the rapist taken the middle road he might have accepted an object in place of the infant.  

Seek moderation, the mean, the average when you can in all things.

The person I admire is Lau Tzu, the founder of Taoism

 The 36th Wellness 

Good Fortune, whose stylized symbol is the Four-Leaf Clover. I am lucky.

Karma. Providence. Do we get what we deserve in life? Does it matter? Isn't it enough to deserve it?  The person I admire is the Dalai Lama

** I Will clean my plate for luck. **

 The 35th Wellness, 

Laughter, whose stylized symbol is the Comedy Mask. I am amused.

Laughter truly is the best medicine. When you're feeling low bring to mind a favorite funny story or distract yourself with something pleasant like a good book or a game of solitaire. 

Take a moment to look in the mirror and smile so as not to take yourself too seriously.

The person I admire is Red Skelton

** There is a story of Albert Schweitzer, in Darkest Africa, chasing the dog who was chasing the chicken around the yard. "No, no, my friend! Remember you are a vegetarian!" **

 The Purpose of Life

Because Evolution in the end favors the fittest, overall progress ensues.

There are those who believe we are wonderful evolving organisms going who knows where --maybe to Nietzsche's superman, or maybe godlike creatures (the purpose of life).

Or there are those who say we are robots --just carriers of these improvements --no better than the proverbial camel nodding at two savory herbs equidistant from his nose. He's stuck, a broken machine, can't make up his mind, he dies in that position (no purpose in his life).

 Bob Hope famously called Anchorage’s Fourth Avenue “the longest bar in the world.”

A beat-up, stained, cigarette-burnt old Baldwin Acrosonic piano with wonderful tone was hauled up and down the avenue as needed over a period of many, many years. It is said that it visited every bar in Anchorage many times over.
Later it belonged to my mother. Now it's mine, a cherished possession.
My husband always threatened that before he moved it one more time, he'd break it up for firewood.

 The 34th Wellness

Diet, whose stylized symbol is the Dinner Plate. I am satisfied. 

Pay attention to the macros: Carbs, Protein, and Fat. Whether you are preparing a steak dinner, a casserole, a soup, a salad, or a smoothie, each of the following loosely defined ingredients are key.

1. A carb, cooked: a cooked vegetable as beans, carrots, corn, greens

2. A carb, starchy: as potato, rice, bread, pasta, squash, carrots, banana

3. A carb, raw: as tomato, onion, lettuce, fruit, bell pepper, cucumber

4. A quality protein: as red meat, poultry, or fish

5. A quality fat: as olive oil, avocado, or full-fat dairy

Eat a wide variety of foods, all in moderation.

The person I admire is The Good Cook 

 The 33rd Wellness

Energy, whose stylized symbol is A Charged Battery. I am busy.

To maintain energy levels, we are advised to fix any sleep problems, eat lightly. Stay hydrated. Avoid sugar. Avoid sitting for extended periods. Avoid stress, worry. a negative outlook.

The person I admire is The Exercise Bug

 The 32nd Wellness

Support, whose stylized symbol is Steel Crutch. I am protected.

I am confident of a strong support system including friends, family, professional help when needed, stored supplies, ready transportation, strong financial health, and a stoic attitude.

The person I admire is The Good Samaritan

 The 31st Wellness

Longevity, whose stylized symbol is Wise Turtle. I am ongoing.

Study the science of extended life. Some suggestions for study include fasting, maintaining calmness, toxin avoidance, careful use of supplements, home-grown foods, quality protein, stress avoidance, fulfillment of emotional needs.

The person I admire is Methuselah

 The 30th Wellness

Crisis Control, whose stylized symbol is Broken Glass. I am ready.

I am quick, action oriented, alert to danger, proactive. I employ IF-THEN exercises as, for example, always having fresh water stored, gas tank full. Readiness training for performance under stress would include techniques to maintain calm. I look ahead for upcoming problems, potential emergencies. Always have a Plan B.

The person I admire is the first responder

 The Powers that Be

Omniwar is the weaponization of all the different systems we use, including food, health and finance. Mankind is under attack from all angles, and it’s not simply to control us but to kill us too. --Catherine Austin Fitts

**It’s a New World Order. It’s a brand-new day.  

It’s a New World Order, and brother, you're the prey. --Curtis Mayfield**

 The 29th Wellness

Sleep, whose stylized symbol is Fluffy Sheep. I am rested

I use established routines to encourage sleep

The day is loosely divided into three equal segments, waxing, waning and sleep. On rising, the first eight hours, waxing, are my highest energy hours, hours of rising activity. The next eight hours are spent in a winding-down mode, dropping my pace, gradually lowering activity, the last four hours being devoted to preparation for sleep. Those hours could be spent preparing for the next day. The last two, in which the lights are lowered, are spiritual, almost an exercise in moving meditation. 

The last eight hours are devoted to sleep.

The character I admire is Rip Van Winkle

 The 28th Wellness

Resilience, whose stylized symbol is: Rubber Band. I am durable.

I snap back from trouble. I take precautions to safeguard my immune system, to retain bone and muscle strength, and generally to live a healthy lifestyle. 

The character I admire is Roadrunner who keeps coming back

 The 27th Wellness

Intentional Wellness, stylized symbol: Smoky Horse Blinders. I am single minded. 

Sometimes a temporary suspension of regular wholesome routine is needed. Urgencies or some projects like cleaning house for company or travel, or finishing tax returns on time. Or big jobs like painting a room. These occasions require full steam ahead. Like a dog with a bone, one does not let go until it's finished.

The person I admire is Albert Einstein

 The 26th Wellness

Perceptual Wellness, stylized symbol: Half-Full Glass. I am optimistic.

I am biased toward the positive not only because it is pleasanter for ourselves and those around us to be cheerful, but also as a tool to combat the lowering of the black cloud of depression.

The person I admire is Pollyanna

**Just direct your feet to the sunny side of the street. --Billie Holiday**

 DOGE is the monster that might have to eat Elon. --Donald Trump, July 1, 2025, on the White-House lawn. Reported by Jack Hobbs, Irish Star

 The 25th Wellness

Psychological Wellness, whose stylized symbol is Vivid Inkblot. I am good.

I am one, an individual. There are many but only I belong to me. I seek to understand and to be good. 

I know who I am: my identity is Person, who I distinguish from a beast, then woman. My class is Labor, and my past and that of my family define me. My responsibility is to be what my elders expected of me. My love is my family, my joy is the arts, my passion is my work which is the pursuit of the good life for myself and others, my nature is reclusive. I know my place on the Totem Pole of life and I am proud and satisfied with it. I will have no other. And I am easy with my role among the masses, which is that of a productive member, not in a slavish way, but in a way in which I am talented and, above all, competent and which is fulfilling for me. 

I do no harm --all else is detail. Let it be so.

The person I admire is Carl Jung

** I'm okay, you're okay. **

 The 24th Wellness

Transitional Wellness, stylized symbol: Spangled Acrobat. I am versatile.

I move easily from focus to focus, nimbly laying aside one project and picking up another, an attribute essential to productivity. 

My nemesis is obsessional thought. If there is a problem, a five-minute break may help to free the mind.

The person I admire is Nero Wolfe