hazel

the cbc aired an interesting piece the other day about mirrors. there was one perspective that places blame on mirrors for an image obsessed culture, and as a result a youth obsessed society. then there was also some discussion about how we related to ourselves in the mirror. that part was very interesting to me. they interviewed a woman who gave up mirrors and all types of self-reflection (windows, etc) for a year. within the first month she became extremely lonely. she felt alienated because everyone else had a face and she didn't. not long after that she remembered that she had a shadow and became obsessed with finding her shadow when she was outdoors - keeping tabs on it as she walked down the sidewalk. this realization brought great comfort to her. the radio folks talked about how we relate to our mirrored reflection as though they are ourselves or another being, when actually they're just molecules of light on silver paint. this got me thinking about my own reflection. i relate to myself in the mirror in a way i find very comforting. i definitely feel more connected to my mirrored self than to, say... a photograph. it's like having this comrade wherever i go. someone to giggle with me, or cry with me, or give understanding looks to. just yesterday i was giggling with myself in the mirror with great satisfaction and knew that no one else in the world would participate in my giddiness with the same enthusiasm as my pal in the mirror does.

i got a chia gourmet herb garden for christmas. i'm super excited about this because i really like fresh herbs (especially cilantro) and it's something i miss about summer time. i've never had particularly great success with my balcony herb garden, but i think that's because they didn't receive direct sunlight and because they were not grown from seed. anyways, i "planted" my seeds yesterday. i use quotes because technically i just sprinkled the seeds on the surface as directed. the chia herb garden doesn't actually use soil, but instead it uses this patented sponge. i'm guessing that the roots will grow into the holes. i don't know about nutrients though, because i thought that was an important part of soil, but i trust this is not just some regular sponge. i know that chia is known for swiftness, but this morning when i looked at my seeds they are already sprouting roots!! yay! the instructions said to cover the pots with plastic wrap to help create a greenhouse affect. i plan to install a shelf in the kitchen window to house them on. yesterday i installed some plastic window insulation to elimate the draft that could potentially kill my tender herbs.

 

stay with the all unknown.