I love books - lots and lots of books!

and I love hearing about what books other people are reading...

Carl Jung - the psychologist noticed and heavily documented two broad categories of human beings: Extroverts (those who feel revived and fueled by spending time with other people) and Introverts (those who need to be alone with their own thoughts to recharge their batteries.) I am definitely of the latter type and reading is one of my favorite solo, rejuvenating activities.

I've gotten more and more comfortable over the years having a stack of books going - depending on my mood - I have a choice - and that means more reading (rejuvenating) time. Here's my current stack - and I am enjoying every one of them. And now that I look at the photo - I see I left a few books out of the stack. Journeys though Inner Space by Hue Walker (local Albuquerquean FullDome Artist) - thought provoking poetry and paintings and The Beginner's Guide to Quantum Psychology by Stephen Wolinsky which I've just barely started to dabble in.

I've spent most of the hours of the last couple of days - couchant (lying down on the couch) - reading "Seven Types of Ambiguity" by Elliot Perlman. It's been AGES since I've managed to burrow into a book I love like this for hours on end with no guilt, occasional snacks, the swamp cooler purring away - it feels so darn good!

I try to read every night and for 2 or 3 hours during my weekly Friday jaunt to Cafe Giuseppe but sometimes my reading time is cut woefully short by the tiredness of the day. In the evening, I wake up with me glasses on and the light burning and begrudgingly, groggily admit my reading for the night is done. Still - I manage to get through alot of great books every year and I'm always looking to expand my horizons.

I love hearing what books other people are reading...

So if you are reading something you are really enjoying these days, let me know and I'll add it to the potential reading list!

Mood Enhancers - Heads Up to your favorite EO!

I've written about Essential Oils before but I have a feeling I'll be writing about them many more times before I kick the bucket. AROMATHERAPY!

If you have a hectic life - then dropping a few drops of EO (essential oil) on a cotton puff or just opening the bottle and taking a whiff - can quickly bring grounding and calmness, energy and goodness without alot of time out.

I'm loving my local herb store's mixes. I stop by often and check out the dozens of test bottles they have. Most don't excite me much and it takes a bit of time to find scents that I get a lift from.

Clary Sage is an example of an EO that doesn't always thrill me but I love the Herb Store's version and I have used it in my office alot lately. It DOES reduce stress.


Today I walked out of the Herb Store with a bottle Juniperus Communis (Juniper Berry). It's an itsy bitsy bottle so tiny it has an air of preciousness based on size. I've checked out Juniper Berry many times and it's been overwhelming but the Herb Stores rendition is just right. I've been checking in with this scent all afternoon and this little bottle will be on my desk through the coming weeks for sure!










My office mainstays are Eucalyptus and White Texas Cedarwood. I have a small oyster shell on my desk and a another by my bedside with cotton puffs that I douse daily or several times daily with 5-10 drops of EO. I've had people really curl up their nose at my choices which tend towards tree scents so if you are interested - enjoy the fact that smell is an idiosyncratic choice - most good things in life are. Eucalyptus and White Texas Cedarwood are two of my true BFF. They always always always give me a lift.

Lately I've found a few new additions that are very welcome and I encourage anyone to check them out.


The first is Wild Chammomile. This is a tiny bit costly....compared to your average EO. It's $30 for a .5 fl oz. bottle and I seek out the Health Dept in Whole Foods every week on shopping day to sniff and enjoy but I have not been able to bring my practical self to buy it. Watching from the sidelines - my partner Alex surprised me with a bottle for my birthday last week and I was/am smiling from ear to ear.

My other new favs are the above mentioned Juniper Berry and Clary Sage.

I'm pretty sure not everyone reacts to smell the same way I do because if they did - they'd be pulling out an Essential Oil bottle and taking a big whiff the same way people light up cigarettes or check their phones for messages.

I am transported by certain scents - and I don't mean the chemically stuff - I mean distilled plant and tree essences.

Plants and Trees are here to help us! That's my take anyway. And I'd encourage anyone to try it out at any local store that has testers - it can't hurt to try!