Memoirs

Last week while on vacation, I read two memoirs – "Rewind, Replay, Repeat: A Memoir of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder" by Jeff Bell and "Money: A Memoir" by Liz Perle. The former was a much more interesting read. But, then again, I live with someone who copes with OCD. I found Bell's accounting of OCD to be highly informative and moving. I find that about half the people I talk with don't even know what Obsessive Compulsive disorder is. And, among the other half, the majority equates it with Monk, sees it as a germ phobia and hand-washing thing only or believe they have it because they like to keep their silverware drawer neatly arranged. The reality is that people with OCD have a brain disorder where the brain gets "stuck" in a particular thought pattern (the obsession). To alleviate the thought pattern, the person will perform some action (the compulsion). Often this is repetitive. And, in my experience, it isn't always consistent. What I know is that the person with OCD is aware of the "stuck brain" and related behaviors, but that awareness alone cannot stop the cycle. The resulting anguish can be devastating. Jeff Bell talks about his long road to understanding what was happening to him, the many paths through self-help, research and therapy to grasp the root of his anguish and subsequent attempts at learning to cope. I'm so grateful that for my son, we recognized his OCD when he was only 6 and have been able to get him - and us - the help we need to deal with this disorder for a lifetime. If you'd like to learn more about OCD, visit the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation's website.

In "Money: A Memoir," Liz Perle chronicles her own journey in coming to grips with the particular emotional issues that women wrap around money. I took away the concept that as women, we tend to be stuck between having someone "care for us" and taking care of ourselves, in a financial sense. We allow money to dictate the nature of so many of our relationships. Sadly, we put a lot of our self-worth in our wallets. In writing the book, Perle talked with a great number of women about money. And, as you might expect, at first many of them were reluctant to open up. Somehow, our culture has made talking about money taboo, especially if you're a women. I think we could all greatly benefit if we'd just put it out there. Imagine what you could learn! Of course, we'd have to get past that annoying habit of comparing ourselves to others based on net worth, income and possessions (back to that self-worth in the wallet thing). For what is sure to be a far better review of the book, go to USA Today.

My kind of intelligence

I found a fun little quiz that revealed my "kind of intelligence." The link at the bottom of the following is live if you'd like to discover your own kind of intelligence.

Your Dominant Intelligence is Intrapersonal Intelligence

Reflective and thoughtful, you enjoy spending time alone. You are good at analyzing yourself - and knowing your true feelings. Totally self aware, you are in tune with your dreams and desires. A spiritual and philopsophical person, your inner calmness inspires and helps others. You would make a great philosopher, researcher, or theorist.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Deep and Local at Traders Point Creamery

I've been reading Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben, who wrote The End of Nature about climate change in 1989. The premise is that "more" is no longer synonymous with "better." His assertion is that a cure for our world's ills lies in local communities. So, tonight, my family took a trip to Traders Point Creamery, an organic dairy farm in Zionsville, Indiana. We were meeting friends for dinner and had decided that we'd support someone local. TPC hold a farmers' market every Friday night and serves a dinner prepared by a local chef with ingredients grown as close to home as possible. Tonight, the menu included beef or cheese enchiladas, mexican rice, refried beans, mixed green salad and a choice of milks from the dairy, water or lemonade. Everything was wonderful. Incidentally, for those who like a little adult beverage with dinner, the dairy also serves organic beers and wines in its barn.

I went a bit early and did some shopping at the market. I bought corn on the cob, slicing tomatoes, grape tomatoes, squash, kohlrabi, New York strip, stew beef, chocolate ice cream and raw milk cheese - all fresh, local and organic. And, my kids and I each finished a slice of apple pie and vanilla ice cream, both also local, fresh and organic. The pie from The Village Bakery in Zionsville was perfect, exactly the way I like pie. A lightly browned doughy crust, chunky apples and a crumb topping. Perfect!

I now have the makings for several wonderful meals. I've supported my local economy, buying local food which has to travel fewer miles (thus saving fuel) in less packaging (reducing waste and manufacturing by-products) and is grown