bp's science: rest = good memory (v.1)

Research shows that resting helps memory.  In a study done in Scotland, elderly women and men were told two stories.  After one, they were given a chance to rest and close their eyes for 10 minutes.  After the other, they were asked to do a different task.  When asked about the stories they were told, the women and men remembered details about the story they heard previous to the rest a lot better than the story they were told before they were asked to complete another task.

Sleep helps memory too.  The better rest you get, the better your mental and muscle memory work.

So remember to rest during the day and the night and it will do your memory good.

Good intentions gone bad

Have you seen this?  The BBC reports that an older woman in Spain took it upon herself to "restore" a 19th century fresco.  This is how it turned out.

I'm not sure how difficult it is to remove new but not old paint from an aged fresco, but it doesn't seem easy.  Art historians mentioned that if they cannot repair the painting, which is worth a lot sentimentally but not financially, they may just cover it with a photo of the original.

Drawing

Oliver went to a train activity at a local library the other week. He really took to the drawing part of the event. It was fun to watch.

bp's science: drink water (v.1)

Did you know that the Institute of Medicine recommends that men drink about 13 cups of water a day?  And that women should drink 9 cups?

Do you get there?  I don't.  I've got to get my water bottle out again.

The Secret Life of Bees: A Book Review

I was happy to pick up this recommended book, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, and find it to be quite delightful.  It's a story of a 14 year old girl who leaves her home to find a better place.  While there, she is able to learn and grow while letting go of the guilt she's felt over many years.

That's it in a nutshell.  It is a quick read and one that you'll enjoy.

bp's science: elevation elevates age (v.1)

Did you know that time goes by faster the higher off ground you are? According to The Week (a periodical that reports on everything from the lasted in celebrity news to current events), over a lifetime, a person ages about 90 billionths of a second for every foot above ground they live.

Here Ollie stands near our 15th floor balcony...that's lots of billionths!

How old are you?

Oliver loves to know individuals' ages.  He's pretty much got all of the cousins' ages memorized.  And when we visit other people, one of the first questions he asks is, "How old are you?"  At first I thought I may need to train Ollie not to ask that question but another one instead, fearing people wouldn't be comfortable with such an inquiry.  But I was wrong.  Much to my happy surprise, people don't mind it a bit.

I never want to mind the age I am or shy away from the question, "How old are you?"  There is wisdom that comes with years of experience and I've learned a lot from individuals older than me.  But I can almost guarantee that even though I won't mind how old I am, I'm sure not going to feel it.

I think up until 16 you feel your age.  Maybe up to 19, but beyond that it's different.  At 20 you feel 18, and at 21 you can't believe you've made it that far.  It's at 25 that you feel 22, and at 28 its 25.  Then at 30, well you still feel 25.  I can only speak from experience up to 30, but from what I can tell from talking to those older than me, the trend continues.  40 is 35, 50 is still 35.  My mother never felt 35 actually, 60 was her 28.  And the other day an 80-year-old family friend mentioned to me she never felt 80 or 70 or 60 and she isn't sure when she got there!

Why is it that we never feel our age?  Time goes by but we never seem to catch up with it.

The next best thing after fireworks

Celebrating the 24th this year was extra special...we actually celebrated it!  In DC we'd usually remember the date and have some ice cream or something.  But this year we were with family, smelling the bbq, riding the go-karts, mastering the slip-n-slide, and throwing water balloons.  And thanks to my sister-in-law, the newest addition to the fun: making huge bubbles.

Look at that!  It was very neat.  And the kids loved shooting their water guns at the bubbles to pop them (notice little Oliver over there holding a water gun as Jess creates a "snake" bubble).  This is going to have to become a tradition.

And we're back...

...to blogging that is.

You see, we've moved from our home of nearly 6 years.  It has been kind of hard and I feel like I am on vacation and we'll be back in our apartment in about a week; but we are here to stay.  And that's neat.  Onward and upward!

 Oliver jumps on a hotel bed during one of our nightly stops as we drove across country

We are on the move

Catch us back here around mid-July. See you then!