In our globally competitive world, couples and families will succeed best if each strives to be all they can be and lends a helping hand to each other.
Roger Freberg
…. don’t marry your brother!
We’ve known for a while now that folks that have similar immune systems tend to find each other… well unattractive. The reason is the couple is relatively similar… genetically.
On a site for making science ‘understandable’, an Evolutionary Neuroscientist explains the reasons behind fniding a partner with a different immune system. It’s a hybrid vigor type of thing… better for the offspring. There are a couple of videos on the site you might find interesting… besides, Neuroscientists are not hard on the eyes… they tend to be attractive people.
Roger Freberg
What is it about her ‘smell’ that draws me to her?
It is certainly true that one will notice an attractive and enticing smell long before we become aware of it’s origin?
As a young boy, I certainly was warned shortly before elderly female relatives grabbed my cheeks and planted an unwanted kiss apon me! Their ‘flowery’ essence spoke to me… run!… only my legs were a little bit too slow!
We know what we like … but how do folks find and put together those wonderful variations found in perfumes that tickle our memories so that we remember who we were with and where we were when we first enjoyed it?
A book came out last year and maybe you saw it… but I doubt it, unless you were combing the biology section of your local book store. It is the story of Perfume. It is entitled:
“the Secret of Scent” by Luca Turin
I won’t promise you that it will answer every question… but the author has a wonderful sense of humor that will make the technical and artistic aspects of perfume development understandable in an appreciably short time.
So, what do I like?
Michael Kors “Hawaii” — review
Caron’s Infini
Caron’s Bellodgia
Estee Lauder Intuition
Estee Lauder Pleasures
YSL Opium
I do recommend the book… it may not help you pick the ‘perfect’ gift… or maybe it will… but at least you will actually enjoy the process So instead of handing a bottle to your hun and saying…’ ah… it smells nice’… maybe you might say like the author:
“What ‘Nombre Noir’ said was ‘flower.’ But the way it said it was an epipthany. The flower at the core of the ‘Nombre Noir’ was halfway between a rose and a violet…(with) almost saintly background of cigar box cedar notes…”
Enjoy your discoveries.
Roger Freberg
Remembering Anniversaries isn’t so tough….
Remembering any anniversary, guys, isn’t all that tough… if you make it a game.
The ‘prize’ ( you choose) goes to the one who remembers first. I always thought it was unmistakeably romantic of the Germans to have an anniversary for 400 months of marital bliss… very cool.
Happy 413th month anniversary, Hun. Thanks for keeping it fun.
Roger
Your Death…. It’s NOT all about YOU
Have you ever thought about dying or your death. This is not a subject that a lot of folks like to talk about, because it is…. so personal. Besides, most people don’t think it’ll ever happen to them … and when it does… they just seem surprised.
I’ll leave the discussion of death and rebirth to those who understand it better… but I would like to talk about the real meaning of death , as it affects other people. After all, the only thing we are really sure of is after someone ‘passes on’, a void is left behind… that often — surprisingly — is quickly filled.
This brings me to the story of Ol’ Art… as a retired stock broker I have witnessed the aftermath of what happens to friends and families once someone passes on. Art was a crotchety, grumpy WWII vet with a thriftiness that would make even ol’ Scrooge smile. When he died, his wife of more than 50 years was devastated. As was true of many women of her day, she had little interest in the finances of the home and now worried that she was penniless and would have to live with her children. Her kids didn’t love the idea either.
Soon, Maggie and one of her daughters came to visit me in my office to find out what Ol’ Vern had in assets. Her reaction was typical. When she discovered that they were — in fact — ‘comfortably well off’, she burst into a stream of very unlady like statements about poor old , cheap and cantankerous Art. Let me say that Art was a good man, but he didn’t care enough about ‘life after he was gone’ to help his family cope with all the changes… some have been good, some bad and some plain funny.
Today, Maggie has a new beau named ‘Vern.’ Blushing, she leaned over to me and said,” Vern is nothing like Art… he chases me around the bed post every night!” They take cruises and visit her far flung children. They are having the wonderful time…. until the money runs out.
This story is amusing… but also tells of a changing perspective that comes with our death or the ones we love. Should we care about what others think about us when we are gone? … maybe, maybe not. However, although it may be hard to accept… our death isn’t just ‘about us.’ We would be best served to help others prepare for the loss and… hopefully, be remembered fondly by those most close when we are no longer there.
Roger Freberg