Am I more myself or less myself

[raybear]

I have a secret. I like marigolds. They are not really a very interesting or beautiful flower, but I don't care. They are supposedly insect-repellers too, for gardens, though I've also read things that say its inconclusive or a myth. But I might just choose to believe it because then if people want to hate on my marigolds, I'll say "hey, they're useful". Because if you can't be beautiful, be utilitarian. Or funny. Though this latter one is easier for people than flowers, I suppose.

I am trying hard to avoid writing about the weather, but it is hard because it is so effecting my mood. I am actually not that miserable. Though at one point last week I did think I was slipping in to a depressive period but then realized, no, I'm just hot and lethargic. Oh. Lethargy. Not depression or lazyness. I still managed to get some things done, like go to the dentist office at 8 am and get part one of a root canal done. I still need to go back in 3 weeks for more. It was not painful, no more than the bajillion cavities I've had filled this year, it was just more tedious to sit there with your mouth open for 90 minutes while this strange pin cushion looking device sits by your face and a dentist sticks all of them into your tooth. Who know teeth were so damn complicated with secret passages to the conservatory and hidden hallways behind bookcases?

Speaking of canals and body stuff, I must share something quasi-miraculous that I learned a few weeks ago but am still amazed by today. I have a problem with dry ears, including itchy and copious amounts of wax in the canal. I have tried homeopathic remedies that smelled like garlic and didn't seem to work. I tried different homeopathic remedies that gave me swimmer's ear. I tried over the counter things that didn't do anything. Then I watched Dr. Oz on Oprah and he explained that ear wax is essentially ear sweat and its genetic and there's really nothing I can do to to change it and no, don't stick q-tips in there and pack the musket, but then he said, "just put a little mineral oil in there and it will dissolve up the wax." I first tried this trick with an essential oil and it cause massive amounts of pain. Not so smart. Months later, I actually found mineral oil, which you can get a pint of for under $3 in the laxative section of the drug store. And it works. I put some on swab, I dribble it in my ear right before a shower, then wash it out later with a washcloth, and my ears are not as dry, itchy, nor do they smell bad from the other various chemicals I have attempted. And this sixteen ounce bottle should last me close to 39 years. A christmas miracle. Now I have passed this tip on to my readers who may also have dry or waxy ears and are not watching Dr. Oz on Oprah.

Comments

[swampgirl.livejournal.com]

I *love* your sentence about teeth and hidden hallways. So cool. Makes me feel all mystical about the mouth in ways I felt before....

My grandmother always had marigolds planted around the edges of her flower beds, "to keep away bugs" and because she liked them, too. I was always a bit fascinated by their smell. I guess they smell "bad," but as a kid I always felt compelled to stick my nose in them and whiff up anyway. Something kind of earthy/deep about their smell.

[torreycanyon.livejournal.com]

I have planted some lines of marigold seeds, shooting out the bottom of the rocket rocket bed. Even if they don't repel nematodes, they'll be visually amusing. That's if the chooks don't dig them up.