Balance and Moderation

Good morning! I am pretty sure that I was going to purposefully forget to write anything today. I’ve decided that one reason I don’t write every day is that I am less accountable for what I do. If I say I’m going to do something and don’t do it, I almost feel bad. Granted, some days are just really busy and there is no way that I can accomplish everything I want to (like today—my ‘c’ key keeps hanging up and doesn’t always work which causes me to take longer to accomplish a relatively simple task like typing). Some days, however, I just don’t feel like doing anything. This week has been one of those. Never mind that Joseph and I ended up with strep throat and that I haven’t felt like doing a whole lot. Yesterday I felt fine, other than be somewhat tired, and today I feel the same, including the tired bit. I still managed to get some laundry done yesterday as well as some sweeping and managed to make oven fried chicken for dinner.

Joseph was being a scientist yesterday making medicine.

I also unmolded the last four batches of soap that I made with Julia but only because she came over because we were toying with the idea of going to Auburn to the store that has fabric for $1.99 a yard. (What a stinking deal, that!) Today I really should get cut what I have unmolded. That’s fun, though, and not the chore laundry is. Speaking of that, I have two loads to fold and ought to wash more. How on earth do we get so many towels dirty, anyway?

Reflections in my tea.

Last night I finished watching Breaking Bad Wow. Remind me to tell you who Walter White reminds me of sometime. Crazy. I kind of would like to know what happens to Skylar and the kids. Not enough for them to do another show though.

Here Be Dragons (or so we wish) Bars. 

This morning Joseph went with me to the dentist. That was pretty exciting. I like how they are really good at getting people right in and out. My appointment was at 9:00. We were home by 10:00 and it’s about 30 minutes of driving time (and no getting stuck behind slow vehicles today).  Right now Joseph is drawing Mine Craft people while we wait for some molds to dry out enough to unmold. We are also drinking hot chocolate that I made with coconut milk. I’m really liking that stuff.

While Joseph is drawing and I’m watching my hot chocolate slosh around in the cup while he erases something, I checked my emails, was working on a little blurb for the ward newsletter that needs to be done by this evening, and was perusing Facebook. Someone reposted this thing that was originally posted by rawforbeauty.com, “Why do they call it ‘ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE’ when it is the original medicine that humans have been using for thousands of years? Chemical medications were discovered about 100 years ago!”

That really struck me for some reason and what is the first thing I did? Well, turn to a dictionary, of course. This is what I found:

alternative medicine noun

Definition of ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: any of various systems of healing or treating disease (as chiropractic, homeopathy, or faith healing) not included in the traditional medical curricula of the United States and Britain

First Known Use of ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 1977 [I’m guessing this means as a word, term or phrase.]

alternative medicine noun (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: : any of various systems of healing or treating disease (as homeopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy, Ayurveda, or faith healing) that are not included in the traditional curricula taught in medical schools of the United States and Britain

alternative medicine noun (Concise Encyclopedia)

Any of a broad range of healing approaches not used in conventional Western medicine. Many are holistic (see holistic medicine); many also emphasize prevention and education. Alternative therapies include acupuncture, aromatherapy, Ayurveda medicine, Chinese medicine, chiropractic, herbal medicine, homeopathy, massage, meditation, naturopathy, therapeutic touch, and Yoga. Though considered alternative in the West, such medicine is the main source of health care for up to 80% of people in less-developed countries. Some alternative-medicine practices are useless or harmful; others are effective and may offer treatments in areas where conventional approaches have not succeeded (e.g., chronic disorders).

("Alternative Medicine." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alternative medicine>.)

Curious, don’t you think? I am pretty sure that there were people living on the American continents long before the advent of so-called Western medicine (maybe I should look that up, as well) and ‘traditional curricula’ of medical schools in the US and Britain. I’m pretty sure, in fact, that there were people living on the British Isles before this as well. You know, like thousands of years before. Dare I even say hundreds of thousands of years? It constantly amazes me that we, as a human race, have managed to survive all these millennia in spite of the fact that it is only recently that we have had all the wonderful things that we do now.

It used to be survival of the fittest. Now it’s survival-of-whoever-the-medical-profession-deems-worthy. You know what I think? I think that when push comes to shove there are going to be a lot of sorry people in the world. Not for long, though. In the end, survival of the fittest will dominate. By this I do not mean that only those who are muscularly fit and can run a marathon. There are diverse aspects to being fit and these different characteristics are threefold: mentally, physically, spiritually. And let’s not forget moderation. You can’t overdo the mentally and expect it to outweigh the other two anymore than you can be physically strong and expect it to. Balance.

I guess I’d better get to work.

Have a great day!