Life Notes - Olive Oil

I have discovered a miracle right there in my kitchen cupboard. May I introduce olive oil? It's so odd how we make connections that finally result in one of those lightbulb moments that have us slapping our foreheads in recognition. Why do they take so long to click, I have no clue. Anyway, there it is.

Let me explain:

Years ago when my children were babies, they had cradle cap, a sort of baby dandruff. As with a lot of infants, the top of their scalps were scaly and flakey and there didn't seem to be any relief in sight; I wasn't about to use any adult medicated shampoos and there didn't seem to be any baby dandruff shampoos either. And this being the early 90s there was no Dr. Google yet, so the usual resources were my parenting books and my paediatrician. And what did they suggest? to massage olive oil on the effected scalp area. I was a little sceptical but I did it anyway as it seemed harmless enough. Somehow the thought of using a food on your body instead of in it was off-putting. Ugh. I don't know, but olive oil has always been a salad dressing ingredient in my world, and the connection I made with that is the sticky bottle always needing to be wiped or washed to keep it clean. Without stopping to make the distinction between an inert glass bottle and live skin, I dismissed the remedy as some kind of weird voodoo and that there would obviously be the added burden of residue on the skin. Except there wasn't. A few days of this treatment and their scalps were as smooth and lovely as a baby's head ought to be. Huh. Well. It worked. We got on with our lives and my babies grew into healthy active kids and now into healthy, active and productive members of adult society. Their bothersome skin afflictions never returned and never crossed my mind again until this year when I, a newly hatched member of the middle aged 50 something cohort, started having skin issues of my own. Well not 'started' exactly, but became more pronounced. I've always had dry, sensitive skin so I am familiar with commercial moisturizers; I've tried them all, increasingly relying on the most natural kinds. Body Shop is my personal favourite, especially their Aloe Vera line of moisturizers for my face. I'm not plugging a brand here, it's just what works for me. But in recent months, the skin on my face has been particularly sensitive to any kind of stimulation, and don't even get me started about the outside elements. So, one day this past winter, after an exceptionally cold and windy day, I had skin that was painfully dry and flaky. I was so distraught because I knew that anything I rubbed into my skin would just add to the stimulation and send it reeling. But wait. Wasn't there something about olive oil that was supposed to be great for this kind of thing on babies? Flaky skin? Gentle? How this connection eluded me for so long is baffling. I really should have been hip to this remedy ever since I saw the results on my babies' heads all those years ago. And yet here I am.

Anywhoo.

I Googled olive oil for skin and lo and behold was swamped with results because apparently olive oil as a skin remedy has been a thing since biblical times. Well. After that fateful winter day when I had reached my tolerance for dry, irritated skin, I have a bottle ready at my bathroom sink for daily face and body moisturizing. It goes on light as a feather and absorbs happily into my skin leaving it smooth and soft and, well, happy. Why is this not mainstream? I don't get it. It's also a great makeup remover and cleanser. What a miracle.

I'm also working on some unconventional recipes with olive oil in my kitchen. Blueberry lemon loaf with olive oil anyone? Here's a hint: it's yummy.

Reading Notes

Not sure where I'm going with any of these: some of them were given to me, and one is from my own bookshelf. Being Mortal is so far winning my attention right now. It's an eye opening read for anyone facing old age either for themselves or through a parent or other loved one. What am I saying? EVERYONE will be confronted with this at some point in their lives. It's quite an important subject in a well written book by world renowned physician and author. He knows of what he speaks.

Alaska is an epically fun weekend read. The fictional story behind it is kind of dated and cheesy, but the rest is packed full of history and geology and other stuff that makes your brain expand with all the knowledge.

The Illegal is one I've not yet picked up but looks like a ripped-from-the-headlines good read.

Onward.

Gemini by Carol Cassella

Gemini by Carol Cassella was so surprisingly good, I've added her previous books Oxygen and Healer to my reading list. And by 'surprising' I just mean, how is it that this author is not already on my radar? I enjoy stories of the medical mystery sort, especially when combined with family issues, relationships, and ethics. There's a lot going on in here. The writing put me in mind of Ann Patchett or Barbara Kingsolver; it is clear, well paced and lean, which given Cassella's medical degree and English literature degree, could have been easily overdone. She presents the reader with a compelling story, some interesting medical detail and a beautiful West Coast setting and then steps aside to allow it all to unfold organically. One of the things I very much appreciate and look out for in fiction is this trust between author and reader, reader and author. Gemini is a mature and thoughtful read, highly recommended.

(back cover)
In Seattle, an unidentified and unconscious victim is admitted to Dr. Charlotte Reese's intensive care unit. As Jane Doe's condition worsens, Charlotte finds herself becoming increasingly consumed by her patient's plight, both medical and personal. Who is this woman? Why will no one claim her? Who should decide her fate if she doesn't regain consciousness - and when? Charlotte is forced to confront these issues head on - especially when her boyfriend, Eric, a science journalist, becomes involved. In their In their pursuit of the truth, in their quest for solutions, Charlotte and Eric find their relationship put to the test. It is only when they open their hearts to their own feelings toward each other - and toward life itself - that Charlotte and Eric will unlock Jane Doe's shocking secret. 

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

I love discovering 'new' authors! Although I've seen Ann Patchett around on bookshelves for a while, I'd never gotten around to actually picking her up until now. I have the print book of State of Wonder but I ended up mostly listening to this on the audio version from the library; the narrator's voice is perfect for the part. I have to say, too, that I appreciate the controversy of the subject matter (isn't there always controversy surrounding the pharmaceutical industry?) and how the author portrays the complexity of adult personal and professional relationships. I'm amazed at how often the books I read purporting to be Women's Fiction only turn out to be more a coming-of-age stories for what I would consider a Young Adult audience. That's okay up to a point; I enjoy the occasional YA story myself. I would just like a little more clarity and distinction between these two genres. The synopses on the back covers aren't always that revealing. So, yes, this book is what I would consider Women's Fiction as the protagonist, Marina, is in her forties dealing with many of the same emotions and life stations we forty-somethings encounter. I enjoyed the book more than I expected, except for perhaps one or two developments at the end that felt forced and slightly unbelievable. But then, I guess, I've never been in a situation like these characters find themselves in so I'm willing to go with it. Walk a mile in their shoes, and all that. If I had to rate it I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Ann Patchett has dazzled readers with her award winning books, including The Magician's Assistant and the New York Times bestselling Bel Canto. Now she raises the bar with State of Wonder, a provocative and ambitious novel set deep in the Amazon jungle. 
Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist with a Minnesota pharmaceutical company, is sent to Brazil to find her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who seems to have disappeared in the Amazon while working on an extremely valuable new drug. Nothing about Marina's assignment is easy: not only does no one know where Dr. Swenson is, but the last person sent to find her, Marina's research partner Anders Eckman, died before he could complete his mission. Plagued by trepidation, Marina embarks on an odyssey into the insect-infested jungle in hopes of finding answers.
Dr. Swenson, now in her seventies, is as ruthless and uncompromising as ever. With a combination of science and subterfuge, she dominates her research team and the natives with the force of an imperial ruler. But while she is as threatening as anything the jungle has to offer, the greatest sacrifices are the ones Dr. Swenson asks of herself, and will ultimately ask of Marina, who finds she may still be unable to live up to her teacher's expectations.
In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, and a neighboring tribe of cannibals, State of Wonder is a world unto itself, where unlikely beauty stands beside unimaginable loss. It is a tale that leads the reader into the very heart of darkness, and then shows us what lies on the other side. (back cover)

Ice Bound by Dr. Jerri Nielsen

I picked up this book for a couple of reasons: a.) I remembered the story from ten years ago and wanted to get the inside scoop and b.) I have a fascination with isolation. Although in this case the isolation isn't about being completely alone; it's about sharing isolation from the rest of the world with forty other people as 'The Winter-overs' do at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Interesting! I wondered how the social dynamics work in a situation like that, living in close quarters in a deathly cold environment.

But of course the main focus of the book is Dr. Nielsen's brave battle with breast cancer that struck just a few weeks after the station shut down for the winter. She was the only doctor there and had no other option than to biopsy herself and begin chemotherapy until an emergency evacuation could be arranged for early spring. It's a remarkable story. As soon as I finished the book I went to google her name and was sad to see that she passed away last summer after a ten-year battle with cancer.

Six Months in Sudan by Dr. James Maskalyk

I am so grateful to people like Dr. Maskalyk for his sacrifice and compassion. He left his comfortable Canadian life to bring his medical expertise to the people of the remote, war-torn village of Abyei, Sudan, and wrote about his experience, first in a blog and then in this book, in such a way that we could be there with him.

". . . because I believe that which separates action from inaction is the same thing that separates my friends from Sudan. It is not indifference. It is distance. May it fall away." p4

". . . I wanted to see who I was when everything was taken away, when all the insulation between the world and me was removed" p7

“I lean back on my chair. Generators start to crackle madly in directions. It’s almost dark now. The girls throw some incense on the coals and the scent of frankincense swirls on the smoke. In the sky above Tim’s head, the minaret of the town mosque glows from within. A young boy in ripped brown shorts walks by barefoot, two goats tethered behind him.” p66

“I watched a woman take the most gentle care to offer her child water from a plastic cup, holding her hand under the rim so that not a drop was spilled. The child refused, and the mother offered it gently again. It was such a beautiful, intimate act of love.” (from the blog) p138

I was captivated by Dr. Maskalyk’s voice, observations and honesty; this was a difficult assignment and he makes no apologies for the physical and emotional struggles he encountered. He had to keep reminding himself of the greater task of bringing medical care to those who needed it the most with his very limited resources, which meant sometimes having to say no. No, he couldn’t use their one vehicle as an ambulance. No, he couldn’t use their one vehicle as a hearse. No, he couldn’t build them a better road.

“One can interpret these requests in two ways. The first, that these people expect others to do everything. The second, that they believe that we can do everything.” p211

I knew I liked Dr. Maskalyk from the very first page but it was in this line from his blog that nailed it:

“My morning run has been suspended recently so that I might concentrate more fully on smoking”

I laughed out loud; it was a relief to see just how human he was. How many times have I suspended my exercise routine so that I might concentrate more fully on chocolate consumption?

Yes, this subject is difficult and heavy, but Six Months in Sudan is a compelling and completely readable book.

Want to know more? Here are some links:

http://www.sixmonthsinsudan.com/

http://www.msf.org/