Web Miscellany: Compilation #35

Hello, loves!

Last weekend, my friend’s foreign parents were in town and prepared Chinese food as a thank you for looking after their daughter while she’s so far from home. We passed funny stories back and forth across the language barrier, all laughter and smiles. My heart felt so full!

My boyfriend called up some old friends, some of whom he hasn’t heard from in over a decade, and it may have been the happiest I’ve ever seen him. I’m so excited to travel up to Seattle this summer, but I’m even more excited to see my boyfriend reconnect with the people he was closest to in his twenties.

I saw my doctor for severe abdominal pain this week, which led to the observation that my ovaries are one-sixth of normal size. At first glace, through the lens of a 2-D ultrasound, it appears that I have premature ovarian failure with autoimmune etiology. In order words, at age thirty, I’m walking around with an empty egg carton because my body decided to egg its own house. I feel incredibly sad, though I’ve yet to tease apart whether it’s because my body is engaging in self-harm or because the decision regarding procreation may have already been made for me.

I’ve been feeling particularly lost and alone over the last week. I’m loading up on about twenty supplements per day, all of which are identified deficiencies, and yet each morning I wake up feeling worse. I’m a food pyramid rock star, take a three-mile walk through nature daily, meditate twice per day and repeat positive affirmations to myself constantly. I wholeheartedly believe that my body has the innate wisdom to heal itself and is doing so right now. But, it feels like maybe I’m just being naive and blindly optimistic. I’m painfully torn between pursuing (expensive and experimental) gene therapy and simply acting as if I’m well until body responds accordingly.

Anyways, have how has the week been to you? Have you had any particular special (or not so great) moments? Have you come across anything particularly touching or interesting? Here are my picks for the week. Enjoy!

1. Fun fact of the day: The fax machine was invented while people were still traveling on the Oregon Trail. Wild!
2. Timewave Zero – In this discussion with Art Bell, Terence McKenna questions the nature of time and space.
3. I fell in love with this Patagonia romper and had to splurge. It’s the perfect blend of my two favorite articles of clothing and I imagine it will become a wardrobe staple.
4. Quote I’m pondering from “My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have been given much and I have given something in return. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.” — Oliver Sacks
5. The Day the Dinosaurs Died.
6. How to Be a Better Listener.
7. Be a librarian to your readers, from Austin Kleon.

8. Top 10 Reasons Why INFJs Are Walking Paradoxes. I can relate to this.

9. I’ve always had a soft spot for Ben Folds.