a peek inside the fishbowl

As much as I admire the rock sculptures made by John Ceprano near Remic Rapids, I am disappointed every time I bike by and see his work cordoned off with security tape.

I can’t remember when this started. I just remember going there one year, and there it was. Suddenly, every year after that, the public was not allowed in this public space.

I understand why this is the way it is: He’s an artist who works hard making these sculptures and it must be very frustrating to have them knocked down by local hooligans, but I can’t help but feel that closing them off this way is somehow…. wrong.

I was particularly pleased to find a new place on the water (new to me, anyway), just east of the Champlain Bridge. It’s just along the pedestrian path by the Ottawa River.

If you want to find it, look for a slight rise, and these trees:

The first time I ventured down this little path I saw that someone builds towers of rocks here. (Or maybe it’s many someones?)

When I go, it’s just me and the birds, ducks, and chipmunks. There is no security tape.

I have been back here many times this summer.

Sometimes I just sit and stare at the water. Sometimes I talk to the ducks. Sometimes I collect rocks. Sometimes I build a sculpture of my own.

It is satisfying to hold those rocks in my hands. They were here long before I was, and will remain here long after I am gone.

I like to think about the people who pile these stones and leave their mark, temporary as it may be.

Some of the rock sculptures inevitably get knocked over, whether it’s by the weather or otherwise. I am ok with this. The impermanence of these stone markers is probably what I like most about this place.

I enjoy this nameless place more than the one everyone visits to see the “real” stone sculptures. It has more meaning for me knowing these could be here one day and not the next. I build one; it could be gone tomorrow. It is life itself.

Edited to add: Mark pointed out to me that the issue probably isn’t with hooligans, but with people getting injured by falling rocks. He’s probably right that the city is cordoning off part of the river because of potential liability. Although I certainly don’t want anyone to get hurt, I still think it’s an unsightly overreach. More injuries probably happen in city parks and beaches every year. What do you think?

I needed to grow up before I could finish my degree https://t.co/MR8KFC8nFE

— The Globe and Mail (@globeandmail) August 28, 2020

• What to Plant in a Hot, Dry Year? Succulents, of Course. nytimes.com
• The demise of the second-hand bookshop, thecritic.co.uk
• Eternity Martis’s memoir They Said This Would be Fun is a survival guide for token university students, theglobeandmail.com
• This 1902 Footage of a Flying Train Is the Film of the Summer, hyperallergic.com
• Alexandre Dumas’s Magnum Opus Was a Massive Cookbook, atlasobscura.com

A few weeks ago I wrote an article about a new aromatherapy garden at work. I’ve been mulling it over ever since. The person I interviewed for this – and she’s not in any way one of those people who are really “into” aromatherapy if you know what I mean –  said that touching and smelling the herbs in the garden had a “powerful” effect on people.

It makes sense. I think everyone has a list of fragrances that make them happy.

Here’s mine:

• campfires
• lakes
• the forest
• crabapple blossoms
• rain
• freshly mown grass (especially if there’s a gas lawn mower involved)
• charcoal grills

What are your favourite scents, and how do they make you feel? Content? Relaxed? Nostalgic?

When I catch a whiff of my favourite scents on the wind I take a deeeeeep breath and think, ahhh, now that makes me happy. I guess it’s because somewhere deep in my brain I’ve created and stored a positive association between the scent itself, and the feeling of Something Good. I got to thinking: If I already have a list of smells that make me happy, why can’t I add a new one to it?

Here’s the thing about that list of scents above: they aren’t exactly accessible to me on a regular basis. As much as I’d like to have a campfire in my yard every night, I can’t. And there are only so many times a week I can visit my local woods.

I wondered if I could make it so that I could take a sniff of a scent when I needed it, and as a result, nudge myself towards feeling better when I was sad/stressed/out of sorts.

I realized I was partway to doing this already… with minty smells. I thought about all the ways I’ve been tapping into minty aromatherapy already:

I buy this minty shower gel and lip balm and bar soap (all from terra20!). I drink mint tea (Stash is my favourite brand). I chew mint gum. I grow mint in the garden (and yes, I actively smell it!). I own a couple of different essential oils that are minty in nature, including this roll-on I bought at Saje. (Sidebar: I love the smell but cannot use it as a “peppermint halo” as described on their website. Some people say it eases headaches when applied to their hairline, but I quickly found out that I can’t apply it anywhere on/near my face because it stings. I only apply it to my wrists and to a bracelet I picked up at terra20 a few years ago.)

I guess I was subconsciously buying these items because I really like minty smells but the more I thought about it the more I realized that minty smells make me happy and relaxed.

For the past few weeks I’ve tried to be extra mindful of the mint. And I am kicking up the mint factor a notch and attempting to make a stronger association. After all, mint is a more “portable” smell than, say, a freshly mown lawn. I can take mint with me! Every morning I listen to a meditation podcast. Each one is only about 10 minutes long, but I make sure I can smell the mint as I tune in to the host’s positive messages. (The aforementioned bracelet is good for this.)

My goal is to connect the happy/relaxed feelings I get by listening to my podcast with a minty fragrance.

I now keep my roll-on tube of minty essential oil on my desk, and another one in my closet where I’m likely to see and remember to use it. When I’m feeling down, or particularly anxious or stressed I take a sniff and think ahhh, now that makes me happy. And you know what, I think it’s working. It instantly transports me to a better place.

I also try to be more mindful of other happy scents when they happen. When I walk in the woods or catch a whiff of a lawnmower I take deep breaths and think about how good they make me feel, and how they restore my equilibrium when I’m feeling off balance.