As reported in yesterday's post, I had heard on the radio around mid-afternoon that there was a snow warning in effect for overnight.
Well, there wasn't a sign of any snow here where I live in Surrey ─ just pure rain.
And now there is very little of the old snow that fell in February. We got some more this month, but not enough to last. Because the newer snow was fresh, it easily melted after a few days. The older snow is 'sterner stuff' and laying in those areas that the Sun does not reach, or else only does so very briefly.
My wife had worked yesterday at her friend's Thai restaurant, and returned home fairly early into the latter evening while I was occupied with my younger brother, calling up episodes of the T.V. series that we follow via our T9 Android 8.1 TV Box.
She retired ahead of me, but my bedtime was not as extremely late as it often is when I am watching T.V. with my drunken brother who has no idea how to operate the Android TV Box. I was in bed by 12:02 a.m.
I managed to enjoy a good initial block of sleep, for I have been running a deficit of late. It was 4:25 a.m. when I first checked the time and realized that I had to get up to tackle the day's content assignment at the new post I have in the works at one of my six hosted websites.
My youngest stepson ─ who is taking two weeks off work ─ was still up, and soon took off in his mother's car (or else his older brother's).
He returned within an hour.
I grew overtired and flustered with my life and how long it was taking me to complete today's website post content assignment, for I wanted to get some further sleep ─ yet I did not want to abandon work that I was unlikely to return to later today.
On these occasions when I figure that my wife has to work later in the morning, I avoid returning to our bed and disturbing her hard-won sleep. Instead, I bed down here on the floor in front of my computer, which I keep in a small room next to our bedroom.
It was 8:00 a.m. before I was able to do that, and I had my cellphone alarm set for 9:59 a.m. just in case my wife required me to awaken her to ready for her long day ─ she starts work at 11:00 a.m. as a rule, but she has a fair drive after she has showered and otherwise gotten herself ready.
Since I was in need of sleep, it did arrive despite the relative discomfort of the floor. However, quite unexpectedly a point arrived when I was conscious between nap sessions, and my clarity had me realize that I felt oddly rested ─ I suddenly wondered if maybe my cellphone alarm had failed, and it was long past the time I had set?
But a check of the time revealed that it was maybe around 9:20 a.m. (I now forget). I still had time to seek one further short burst of napping.
And when my cellphone alarm did rouse me later, I rose and emerged from this room to find that my wife was already shut up in the bathroom as she readied herself for her long day.
There was naught for me to do but the usual ─ go downstairs and prepare an instant coffee, and join my brother in the living room where he was watching basic cable programming on T.V.
I spared him by tuning in an episode each of two of the T.V. shows we follow through our Android TV Box.
The morning was mostly overcast for my wife's drive. And I think that over the course of the day, there were some brief sunny breaks. Certainly lots of glimpses of stretches of blue sky.
My brother sought his bedrest early into the second half of the noon-hour, and I returned to my own bed awhile after him ─ floor napping is never as effective as what can be gotten in a proper bed.
My brother was gone when I later emerged from my bedroom.
I performed a chore that allowed me to limber up, and then I went out to the backyard tool-shed to tackle some exercises. I was distinctly pleased to manage two extra repetitions than I have been able to achieve of late in the total that were performed over the course of six sets of chin-ups and pull-ups.
Incidentally, my eldest stepson never bothered getting up today to go to work. He is able to get away with this somehow, quite often skipping a couple of workdays each workweek.
I don't exactly understand why no fuss is made by the employer, for the 24-year-old has worked at the same place since his late teens.
But let's move on to other things ─ this talk is venturing into that which is suitable for my older and private more personal blog.
Let's delve into a couple of health-related topics.
Because of some recent articles I posted in one of my posts, I have kept in mind to eventually buy some fenugreek seeds to keep in supply to use on a daily basis ─ if they are affordable. There is some buzz that they may be able to help boost testosterone levels ─ and I am 69 years old, so this is an area of importance.
Well, now I have to see if I can keep another plant in mind ─ damiana (Turnera diffusa). The following article brought the plant to mind:
HSIonline.com
My Amazon search at the top of this post using the botanical name Turnera diffusa suggests to me that I am unlikely to be giving it a try ─ I am unsure that my limited monthly pension could sustain a steady supply.
I would need to have conclusive evidence of its efficacy in short order ─ none of this business of waiting months for a sign of results.
Turnera diffusa seems to be included as just one component in a number of libido-enhancing products ─ that doesn't really interest me. I would want to give the plant an exclusive try to experience its merits.
Gosh, Amazon Canada offers one product identified as being a "30 ml Value Pack 100% Pure Undiluted Therapeutic Grade GC/MS Certified Essential Oil" ─ I won't identify the brand.
Before I do identify the price, 30 mls. are supposed to be a fluid ounce, and two such small bottles are displayed.
My initial assumption was that the two bottles or vials were the so-called "value pack," but nowhere is this actually declared that I can see.
But whether one vial or two...the price is $469.00 Canadian!
No, I definitely won't be giving this plant a try.
Anyway, there are definitely some studies out there, but I don't have any idea how unbiased they are ─ it's difficult to tell when the study sponsor is actually an entity behind the commercial sales of a product.
If you are still interested, here are a couple of other brief articles on Turnera diffusa:
- GlobalFoodBook.com: MIND-BLOWING BENEFITS OF DAMIANA HERB
- LivingStrong.com: Benefits of Damiana Leaf
That's definitely disappointing. It really sucks to be unable to afford to eat ideally, and to also access the best in nutritional supplements and various therapeutic plant products.
On to my second health-related topic!
I use a fair amount of butter, but apparently not enough ─ I've never noticed it lifting any of my depressions:
JacksDailyDose.com
The research being reported upon involves the mind / gut connection ─ specifically, how the microbes in our intestines dramatically affect our mental well-being, believe it or not.
The article was spot-on in stressing that the best source of the butyrate / butyric acid that our most beneficial bacteria love so much is organic butter from grass-raised dairy cows.
However, an even stronger source of butyric acid is organic ghee ─ a type of clarified butter.
I've never seen organic butter on offer in any of the two food markets I am able to walk to and shop at, but I don't know about ghee ─ I will have to try to remember to look and see if any is available.
Since ghee comes in containers like jars and perhaps even cans, it can be purchased online at sources like ─ once more ─ Amazon.
If I can't see any organic ghee for sale at the markets I typically visit, then I'll check into Amazon ─ I did a search for organic ghee at the bottom of this post.
Anyway, here are some more comprehensive articles on that mind / gut research:
- Consumer.HealthDay.com: Could Germs in Your Gut Send You Into Depression?
- MadInAmerica.com: New Evidence for Brain-Gut Link in Depression and Quality of Life
- NewScientist.com: People with depression are less likely to have certain gut bacteria
- ScienceMag.org: Evidence mounts that gut bacteria can influence mood, prevent depression
- WellBeing.com: Some gut bacteria linked to depression
I failed to notice it five days ago, but Google Photos created a commemorative image to celebrate the same day (March 7) back in 2017:
I don't remember having that much snow around in March a mere two years ago!
Here is the original photo:
I took the photo while standing in Holland Park here in Surrey, and facing toward Surrey Place (Central City) ─ it's about a mile from where I live.
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