Forest Bathing - a.k.a. The Zen of Being Outside!

An odd but intriguing still life captures
my imagination.

It seems like everyone is reminding us to go outside these days.

No wonder.

It's just like Mom always said, "Go outside and play.  It's good for you."

I know it's true for me.

Last fall my friends Suzanne, Susan and I embarked on a few hours of Shinrin-yoku Forest Therapy or "forest bathing" at a state park about an hour from here.

Colors seem richer and more vibrant after a few hours
in the company of trees.

Susan had been reading about the benefits of Shinrin-yoku and then happened to see that one of the state parks was offering a free class in a couple of weeks.

Of course we enrolled!  







The idea is simple:  If a person simply visits a natural area, especially one with trees, and walks in a relaxed way there are calming, rejuvenating and restorative benefits achieved.

How hard can that be?

Seeds from the cottonwood trees create a bouquet.

Turns out, it was harder for me than I expected.

WHY????

Because, as our guide emphasized, this is a time to UNPLUG from technology.

I was in total agreement--until I realized she meant cell phones AND CAMERAS.

As you no doubt know by now, gentle readers, I am attached to my cameras!

It is part of my anatomy:  wrist, palm, fingers, camera!!

Because I had to leave my camera behind, I will accompany my story with beautiful photos,
such as this inviting grove of aspen taken last week in the Medicine Bow National Forest.

I must admit that it was harder than I expected to know I was entering a beautiful environment without my camera.

Stamen press outward from a bright yellow Columbine.

The goal is to slow down, relax and savor the present moment.

Walk aimlessly and listen to where your body wants to go.

Take your time.  You can't be late because you're not going anywhere.

Savor the sounds, smells and sights of all the nature around you.  

LET NATURE IN.

A mountain bumblebee visits its favorite Fireweed.

Lately, it seems I've been reading a lot about Nature Deficit Disorder, because Americans spend 90% of their lives indoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Nielsen reports that Americans spend nearly 11 hours a day in front of a screen!


Yikes!

Mid-summer flowers bloom in a small meadow.

To the Rescue:

Shinrin-yoku.

The term was developed in Japan during the 1980s and represents research by Japanese and South Korean researchers to support the health benefits of spending time in nature--specifically time under the canopy of a living forest.

A mountain jeep trail invites me to take the path less traveled.

It seems so simple, but scientific studies support the healing effects of simply being in wild and natural areas.  

Columbine, now in full bloom in the mountains, add
joyful color to the mid-summer palette,

 Even if you can't get forest bathing into your schedule today, there are also health benefits just enjoying the birds outside your window or flowers in a sidewalk planter.

*The longer you linger on beautiful details, the faster the big picture comes into focus.

One of July's last Bluebells bloom.

What ARE these health benefits??

*Boosted immune system.

*Reduced blood pressure.

*Reduced stress.

*Improved mood.

*Increased ability to focus.

*Accelerated recovery from       surgery or illness.

*Increased energy.

*Improved sleep.

Twisty aspen trunks force me to stop,
admire and breathe in the
unexpected beauty.

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home.

Wilderness is a necessity."

    --John Muir


(Why not find out for yourself?  It's summer!  
Go outside!)  

Confessions of a Haphazard Gardener!

Greetings Gentle Readers,

Apparently, this author needs new glasses.

Oddly, I somehow wrote this month's blog post not for Whimsy Calls but for my other blog, Sparkling Stories.

Therefore, I invite you to please read "Confessions of a Haphazard Gardener" on:

www.TobyBakerSparklingStories.blogspot.com

Happy end of June and see you this time next month!!  

Open or close--THAT is the question!

I hear the birds singing and smell the blooming yellow roses from our south windows.

It is our annual debate, one that we both know is coming about this time every year and one that we both know the ending to before we even begin.

Yes, I'm talking about WHEN it's finally time to turn on the air conditioning.

If you've read my posts for awhile you already know I'm a girl born and raised in Wonderful Wyoming!  

In my hometown of Laramie, which is 7,165 feet in elevation, when we got too warm in the summer, we opened a window.  We opened windows in our cars, too.  Sure, there was air conditioning--like at the movie theatre or the doctor's office and the grocery store.  But, for all intents and purposes, opening a window or two usually solved the problem--at least by evening when the heat of the day was over and a sweet, cool breeze flowed through the house.

Probably best to also keep in mind that the average summer temperature of Laramie is about 77 degrees.  Average summer nights are about 44 degrees--and, like I said, sweet and cool--sweatshirt weather at it's finest.  

Oh, yes, and this is DRY HEAT.  It's virtually 0% humidity all year 'round!

Because I grew up without A/C in either our house or our cars, when I was older and suddenly had A/C in my house and my car--well, I was suspicious and refused to use it.  And, that really didn't matter until we moved from 0% humidity to 100%.  Suddenly, I realized that Willis Carrier, the inventor of the first modern air conditioner in 1902 in Buffalo, NY, was a downright HERO!!!!

Okay, truth to tell...I didn't go gently into an air conditioned house.  When we first moved to Ohio I thought it would cool off if I simply opened ALL THE WINDOWS.  If you've ever lived in hot, muggy, enervating conditions then you know that all I succeeded in doing was encouraging mold to grow all over our shoes in the closet.

The fragrance of Miss Kim lilacs flows from my
Secret Garden into my office through the
open window.

So, I acknowledge that air conditioning is a luxury during hot summer days--but, the question then becomes:

When is it time to turn on the A/C?

And, THAT'S what our annual debate is about.

As the days begin to lengthen, I want to hear the owls calling back and forth to each other, the red-wing blackbirds singing loudly with such vigor and savor the song of my beloved Western Meadowlark. 

I want to smell the fragrance of lilacs wafting through the house and the powerful perfume of a sudden rain storm that sweeps through so quickly the sidewalk is already drying by the time the last drops fall.

My Darling Ken knows all my arguments for open windows, just as I know all of his for closing them.  

Of course, if the windows are open, especially in a dry state like Colorado, there's bound to be a little dust.  And, I would be remiss not to take into account the wild little summer storms that sweep through so quickly also want to rip the windows off the hinges.  Oh, and maybe I should also mention that Ken suffers from allergies, and there does seem to be a lot more sneezing when the windows are open and all that lovely pollen blows in and covers pretty much anything horizontal.

We know each other's points and counter-points.  That, again, leaves the question of:

                                             When?

From my kitchen window I hear the red-wing blackbirds singing joyfully
throughout the greening marsh.

As soon as the days grow warm enough for the furnace to become unnecessary, I know my open window days are numbered.

There are even days in May when the winds blow cold and windows are closed - TEMPORARILY - because we want to keep the heat inside.

As the days grow warmer, I'm quietly efficient in placing fans that keep the air flowing comfortably throughout the house.

But, then comes that ONE NIGHT when it's STILL 86 outside and 88 degrees inside, where bed covers are shoved aside and sleep becomes impossible--especially when Ken discovers that somehow or other the fan was accidentally placed where only I was receiving the cooling, sleep-induced benefits of flowing air.  Yup, that's the beginning of the END OF OPEN WINDOWS DAYS.

Sigh.  Then comes THE RECKONING, the day when EVEN I cannot dispute that a house interior of somewhere around 90 degrees is simply not ideal.  Realizing defeat, I nod to Ken, who has been hovering around the thermostats, finger ready, since the outside temperature soared above 87 degrees.  

When we first moved into this beautiful house, the thermostats were so technically advanced that changing the temperature by even a single degree required two manuals and a good deal of simple luck.

We decided we did not need all that advanced technology and simplified to  thermostats that now require a simple click of the toggle from HEAT to COOL.


TODAY WAS THE DAY 

My office window from the Secret Garden--open and inviting.

THE WINDOWS CLOSED
AND THE A/C BEGAN TO COOL.

When I started writing earlier today, the WINDOWS WERE OPEN and I enjoyed the gentle music of my wind chimes, playing melodies composed by the breezes on my front porch.

As I conclude, the WINDOWS ARE CLOSED and I'm listening to the white-noise of the A/C blowing through the vents.
My toes are cold, so is my nose and I've wrapped myself into a cozy sweater.

Ken is joyfully in HEAVEN.  After mowing the yards in 92 degrees of cloudless sunshine and then coming into the house for lunch, expecting it to be maybe in the high 70s only to find it was also 92 degrees--well, he was MORE THAN READY TO FLIP THE SWITCH!

I'm sure this newly cooled environment will feel divine once I've been outside pulling weeds and come inside to get a drink of water.  Today, however, I've been an inside worker, comfortable at my desk on the shady side of the house and content wearing my short-sleeved top and capri-length yoga pants.

Sniff.  Now my nose is beginning to run and my fingers grow numb.  I must conclude as I've got to dig out my sherling-lined boots before frostbite sets in. 

In our house, turning on the A/C signals the beginning of summer.  Where are my mittens? Maybe I'll just step into the garage to warm up before dinner... 

The DIY Project From Hell -- Patio Chair Replacement Slings

This is how I start every DO IT YOURSELF PROJECT...

So, there we were one beautifully warm spring morning enjoying our tea and coffee outside on the south deck when the fabric on Ken's sling chair began to rip apart.

We knew it was just a matter of time.  After all, these great rocking sling chairs have been a staple in our deck furniture for almost 10 years.  That's a decade of wind, snow, rain, hail and unrelenting SUV rays--brutal SUV rays that eventually win, despite care and quality fabric.  

But, okay, to replace them...

Brimming with optimism I turned to the World Wide Web to research the replacement of patio chair slings. 

I clicked on one of the first listings and realized after reading a few paragraphs that this company would send me the fabric I selected, but I would have to sew them to fit the correct measurements.

Shuttering, I looked at another listing, deciding I would rather have the company sew my selected fabric to fit the correct measurements.

I figured I was already getting great DO IT YOURSELF points just for replacing the slings myself.  No sense sewing them, too.

Next, I selected a nice patio chair sling material and color:  Veranda Nutmeg.

Now it was time for measurements.  Since these slings are custom made I knew I HAD to get the measurements absolutely correct so I measured three times and even had my darling Ken measure once with me to insure I was reading the tape measure correctly.  Total cost of fabric:  $95.

Confidently, with measurements in hand and fabric selected I glanced at the Replacement Instructions and was reassured when I read:

To my surprise my replacement slings arrived in just a few weeks and one unseasonally warm April morning I sweetly asked Ken if he would like to help me replace the slings on our chairs, a project that might take about an hour to complete.

Beware of any instructions that use "...30 minutes to an hour" as time needed for completion.

As any Do-It-Yourselfer will tell you, in any DIY project...

 However, as we discovered, in this project...

Before heading outside to begin, I re-read the Replacement Instructions and even watched a couple of You Tube instructional videos on replacing patio furniture slings.  Armed with information, a flat head screw driver and a box cutter, Ken and I went to the deck to begin.

After we used the box cutter to slice the old slings down the middle, we, with some effort, managed to remove the old slings by carefully sliding the sides out of the channels.  The edges are held inside the channels on each side by long plastic rods (splines) that fit inside the fold of the fabric and into the channel.

The first thing we discovered as we pulled the new fabric out of the box is that the long plastic rods were the wrong size.  No worries, we said, we'll just use our old (worn-out and brittle) rods instead.

That's when we discovered that our custom-made-to-fit chair slings were too big!!  As we held them up to the chair frame it was easy to see that, despite my meticulous measuring, the fabric was, in fact, THREE INCHES TOO WIDE.

Vexed but recalling that there is no return for custom-fit slings, I sighed a very exasperated sigh, set up my sewing machine, gathered the old pieces of chair slings to use as patterns and measured three times.  Before cutting, I thought it prudent to return to the first site I visited on my internet search to watch its video on "How to sew your own patio furniture slings."

By now, several hours had passed as I cut and sewed our patio sling fabric...

...but we still had a few hours of daylight left so back to the deck we trudged.

Now it was time to re-install the replacement slings.

Our great deck chairs (that we really liked when we started this project) have separate slings for the back and the seat.  (Oh, joy.)  So, we decided, now that the fabric was the right size, to do the back sling on the first chair.  

To our surprise (but not really by this point) the fabric didn't slide in easily as described in the Replacement Instructions.  It didn't SLIDE in any definition of the word.  That's when we started pulling the fabric through the channel with needle nosed pliers.  After a strenuous success of two inches with only 17 inches to go, we decided to go back to You Tube to see if we could find any other videos on how to install patio chair slings.

Now armed with silicone spray and a chunk of bees wax to smooth the way, we returned to CHANNEL ONE.  With effort, though, we managed to yank the fabric all 19 1/2 inches--one side of the back completed!!  That's when we realized we couldn't slide down the other side of the back without removing the spreader bars.

Fortunately, it became too dark to continue and thus ended DAY ONE.

DAY TWO dawned with renewed optimism (the watered-down version) and the knowledge that only comes from failing forward.

We decided to go ahead and replace all the slings, which we managed to do over several hours, before replacing the spreader bars on both chairs.

Once we had the slings on both chairs we felt so good knowing that we only had to replace the spreader bars and reattach to the chair base and we would be done!!!

"Almost done"--one of the evil pitfalls to every DIY project.


After a couple of days with wicked wild winds (which had Ken chasing down our newly-attached slings that were trying to blow to Kansas) we returned to our project. 

After much straining and trying to come up with different approaches, we realized that we were no match to the force required to replace the spreader bars.

Off to our neighborhood ACE HARDWARE for our first trip that afternoon to buy a medium-duty spreader tool. Cha-ching!

Within a few frustrating minutes we returned to ACE for a heavy-duty spreader tool. Cha-cha-ching!

Even with two spreader bars and both of us pushing as hard as we could we could not get the xX&*$!** spreader bars back into place.

We returned to You Tube and re-watched the instructional videos on how to re-install the spreader bars and tried again.  And again.  To. No. Avail.




At some point in every DIY project the thought of professional help comes to mind.

We had reached the point where we had done as much as we could.  Professional help was needed.  I returned to the internet and searched:  Help with sling back deck chairs/reupholsters who replace deck chair slings/... and eventually found myself back where I started with patio sling replacement sites.  

Desperate, I finally connected with Furniture Medic, and although this company really focuses on wood furniture repair, I must have sounded pathetic enough that Eric agreed to come over after work that day to help us.

With his strength, two (new) spreader tools, and both of us, we managed to RE-INSTALL THE FOUR SPREADER BARS--in just 10 minutes!!!!  Woo-hoo!!! 

Eric offered to help us re-attach the chairs (complete with perfectly fitting new slings and spreader bars) back to the chair bases, which we gratefully accepted.

50 MINUTES LATER...

Once the chairs were back together--which turned out to be the hardest part requiring THREE people, extra tools, 2 well-worn spreader tools and brute strength--we stood on the deck in semi-darkness wiping the sweat off our faces.  

Replacement of slings for two deck chairs:

$235 including fabric, spreader tools and professional help

Ad in the newspaper the next day:

$199 including 4 sling-back chairs and table with umbrella

DIY Project Satisfaction?  Priceless?

March, a Capricious Changeable Month!

Chunks of mud fall onto the parking lot as ice beneath the truck begins to melt.

"In March winter is holding back and spring is pulling forward.  Something holds and something pulls inside of us, too."
          ---Jean Hersey


Honestly, this has been the most changeable, capricious and unpredictable month!  

A slender branch snags a tiny feather.

It's hard to hold a thought in my head with the pushing and pulling of winter and spring.

We've had more weather changes than even firings in the White House.

The East Coast became BFF with nor'easters every few days.  The West Coast was blasted by a Pineapple Express that dislodged even more precarious mud.  

Mud and March seem so intertwined.  Even though we're so lacking in our snow totals this winter and everything is so dry--we still have mud!

My poor prayer flags often begin quiet mornings still and unmoving.  The other day I looked out and they were vigorously flapping in winds from the west.  A moment later from the east--and then the south.  Our trusty windmill was simply spinning in circles.

Even the pelicans have returned to Northern Colorado!

We left for Wyoming a couple of weeks ago after checking the weather and seeing that "clear and sunny" was the forecast for the next several days.

To our astonishment, we had barely arrived in Laramie before it began to snow--big, heavy wet flakes that amounted to nine inches and closed I-80 and Hwy 287 for two days!

Fog begins to clear as I leave the house for my morning walk.

After breakfast skies clear and blue sky emerges.

By lunchtime snow falls in small pellets.

By sunset, the squall blows to Kansas and skies clear once more.

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold, when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade."
                            --Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Drops freeze on a chill morning.

March Madness is an officially crazy time.  Just ask Virginia.

On March 24, we watched the March for Our Lives, a demonstration created and organized by #NeverAgain, a group of students who survived the Feb. 14 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

I found myself weeping with the power and eloquence of the student speakers and musicians.  

I sat, heartbroken that shootings of any kind happen in our country and so proud that these students have been able to accomplish so much with courage, resolve and media saavy.

A nest waits ready.

March brought teacher strikes and walkouts for a group of well educated professionals who deserve salaries and support far above the national norm.

When we moved to this community we knew no one.  Even our real estate agent lived 30 miles away.

This month we experienced something that hasn't happened since moving here seven years ago!  

We spent almost two hours in the grocery store because we kept running into friends and neighbors!  

We also attended our first local wedding.  Sure, we had to introduce ourselves to the bride but it meant a lot to her Mom, our friend, that we were there.

Land emerges as I walk nearer in the fog.

The color green is emerging in all it's hues and on March 11 I heard my beloved Western Meadowlark sing once again.  Now the Red Wing Blackbirds are trilling with the approaching nesting season in the marsh behind our house.

I've decided it is the fate of March to be fickle.  It's my excuse to be changeable, too. 

How To Be Happy (a.k.a. The most popular class at Yale)

Within a few days of open registration for Psyc 157, Psychology and the Good Life, about 1200 students or nearly 1/4 of Yale undergraduates were enrolled.

Taught by psychology professor Laurie Santos, this is a class to address the "mental health crisis" -- even at Yale, according to David Shimer in a New York Times article (1-26-18). 

It stands as the most popular course in Yale's 316-year history and focuses on characteristics that allow humans to flourish.

How does one become happy?

For my own edification, I perused Jeff Haden's article in Inc.com,  "10 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Incredibly Happy."  {If you like to know the research that backs these 10 ways, this is a gem.}

I also looked at Maria Cohut's article, (Fact checked by Jasmine Collier) "How to be Happy in 2018, in Medical News Today (12-28-17). 

Most of us know a lot of these, but with about 40 million adults combating depression every year in the U.S., I thought I would share what I gleaned.

Yup.  This one is almost always at the top of the list as it's one of the most effective strategies for overcoming depression.

It doesn't have to require hours on the treadmill either.  (Woo-hoo!)  

Just focus on the kind of exercise you like.  The key is to be more active.  

Take a step--and keep on walking!

In nearly every magazine I've picked up in the last few months there has been an article on sleep.  

There's a plethora of tips on how to make one's bedroom more conducive to sleep--and all emphasize that sleep needs to be a priority in one's life.

And, oddly, lack of sleep and depression are linked.

 Sounds like a gimmee, doesn't it?  

Yet, this sentiment is listed as one of the top five things people express before dying.

This, by the way, means social connections--not texts, Instagram-ing or Snapchat-ing.  Think Real Time with friends and family.

This leads us to...

In "Phone Addiction is Real--and so are Its Mental Health Risks," by Alice G. Walton (FORBES, 12/11/17), phone addiction and social media addition are closely intertwined and linked to some serious mental health risks, which include depression and suicide.

The danger lies because both have the appearance of social interaction but couldn't be further away from it.

Try a day's separation and see how you feel.

[There's a new book to help you determine if you have a problematic relationship with your mobile device, How to Break Up With Your Phone, $13, amazon.com.]

Did you know that 57 degrees is max for happiness?  Me, either.

Make friends with the great outdoors.  


By taking a walk not only do you increase your happy levels but you also encourage creativity--which gives one a greater sense of well being. 

Some suggest 100 hours/year as the magic number!

Not the kind that requires little muscle movement but the REAL KIND that involves the eyes!

I LOVE this one!  

Research shows a spike in happiness just planning it.  

Maybe you can't actually take a trip, but the advise is to "put something on your calendar" to provide something to look forward to doing.

It's not woo-woo advice.  

I speak from experience when I report that it does, indeed, assist with focus, clarity, attention span, calming AND improves happiness.

Research shows that it could be the MOST effective way to lead a happier life.  

My favorite app for meditation is Insight Timer.  It lets you explore all different kinds of meditation experiences--from guided to music to meditations by topic.  It also narrows the choices depending on how much time you have--and, it's free!

Yoga also is effective with depression by lowering anxiety and stress levels.

Studies show a long commute creates more misery or as Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert puts it, "Driving in traffic is a different kind of hell every day."

I've long extolled the virtues of this one in several posts.

If it sounds daunting, just list THREE good things you are grateful for each day.  

By focusing on the people in our lives, what we have, etc., we can diffuse so much of the negative noise around us every day.  It's surprising how much GOOD surrounds us when we pay attention.

Oddly, what you eat affects your mood.  True.

Eating too much sugar and greater risk of depression are linked.  In fact, eating more fruits and vegetables and less sugar can improve mental health within TWO WEEKS!!

NOTE: Researchers have confirmed cocoa (i.e. chocolate) can work miracles for psychological well-being, mood and cognitive abilities!!

This means to yourself and others.

Do you practice self-love and self-care?

How do you talk to yourself?  Like a loving friend or Cruella?

Seriously?  

Research has shown that we get happier as we age--especially AFTER middle age!!

It might because older people focus on happier experiences rather than negative.

It also might have something to do with pruning out people I refer to as "black holes that suck the energy to bring people down."
  
And, studies find older adults learn to let go of loss, disappointment and unachieved goals and focus instead on greater well-being.

In her class, Psyc 157, Dr. Santos is hoping her students will learn the strategies and behaviors that will enable them to enjoy happiness in Real Life.

You have to hold yourself accountable every day, she emphasizes.