“If you give a mouse a cookie…

he’s going to ask you for a glass of milk.

When you give him the milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw.”

(For those of you who might not be familiar with the children’s book written by Laura Numeroff… these are the beginning lines in quite the clever and silly sequence of the circular tale of events that occur in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.)

I think of these lines often in my life, and not just because I like cookies, but because it’s funny how one thing leads to another. I thought about the storylines today as I listened to more of the audiobook, Breath, by James Nestor.

———

Just a precautionary warning…

If you read or listen to the book Breath, you’ll probably (like me) try taping your mouth closed while you sleep.

(Or attempt other strategies/health hacks described in his book.)

What are the “If you… then” things happening in your life?

What books are you reading that are calling you to present action?

I have that book on my "to read" list. This post kind of makes me want to bump it higher on the list. Lol

I'm currently reading Embrace the Suck, written by a Navy SEAL. It hasn't led me to take an obvious actionable step yet, but I'm thinking about and noticing my mindset when facing challenges.

This seems appropriate (from Pinterest):


source

Nestor's book still awaits in my shopping cart and I've not yet taken the plunge, even as I suspect there would be some golden nuggets within.  It seems a bit strange, however, that the book title refers to breathing as being a 'lost art' as one might consider 'breathing well' to be a conscious practice even as it is quasi-autonomous.  But my interest stems from the probability that breathing 'problems' have been the basis for certain ills in my life and that of other family members (likely rooted to a degree in 7 generations of ancestral trauma)....so I hope to order the book soon.  I read the intro on-line and understand your reference to sleeping with your mouth closed, -- something I'm not really willing to do given the proclivity to nasal/bronchial congestion.  But the recommended breathing exercises, quite reminiscent of many lineages of meditation, I've tried to practice whenever possible and needed.

You inquired "What are the “If you… then” things happening in your life?"  The answer to which will come from a more cautionary angle....as in "If you do this, then be aware of the consequences...".  In my case, I was ignoring my age and continuing to think I just needed to work harder to keep pace, ...was ignoring family history and continuing to eat as though my metabolism was 18 years old,.... was ignoring my id and hanging out too much with my ego.  A mild stroke at the beginning of the year taught me that "I, too, shall pass...." and also that recovery is not something that happens in 2 days or 2 weeks or 2 months.  On a positive note, it's become clear how rejuvenating being in wild spaces is...re-training my balance system to keep the kayak upright, pausing to appreciate the loon call across the lake.  Even a more measured approach to weeding the garden....something we learned to despise as kids....and further enjoying the 'weeds' (lambsquarter, pigweed, etc.) as nutritious additions to our meals.

To the query "What books are you reading that are calling you to present action?", it's less about things being read now as it is about those read in the past.  Works by Paul Shepard, Jean Liedloff, Calvin Luther Martin, and Daniel Quinn have all contributed to a mental meme of "What would a tribe do?" when considering issues of family, community, and even global concern.  So from those readings, one might pick any of the pressing issues presented in the media today and ask that question.  Seems to yield some sensible answers in my mind.

As for mice and their moderately distant kin, the brown rat, we try to withhold milk.....and cookies.....and anything else that would encourage them to take up residence in the various dwellings on the property.  Having experienced the downside to their explosive fecundity,  we find it best to let them find their way in the world with the faculties bestowed upon them.  Which is is to say, given the thousands of years that they have interfaced with human collectives, "they will find a way" to be in your abode.  We can only try to reduce their numbers.  What would a tribe do?  From what I've read, sometimes rodent problems just caused them to pull up stakes and move the encampment.  I'm hoping for a less displacing solution...... :-/

Alana Rose wrote:

(Or attempt other strategies/health hacks described in his book.)

What are the “If you… then” things happening in your life?

What books are you reading that are calling you to present action?

“If you… then” things happening in your life?" There is a song by John Hartford called "I Would Not Be Here" and is one of my favorites. In short one action lead to if it had not...

One of the books that is calling for me to read is the "The Vegan Survival Guide: Boost Your Mental and Physical Health" by Ursula Escher with Gene Wei, DOM. It is a interesting take on vegan diet and eating foods to boost  
mind and body. Another book that I have be reading off and on is "The Book of Five Rings" by Miyamoto Musashi. I read this book when I was a teenager and every now and then I read a few pages. A project that I have been working on is going thought my cookbooks and writing down recipes that I want to try. I have done seven and have twenty or so more to go. This is my present action that is calling to me because it is hot outside!

I used "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie..." one summer, as part of my 'curriculum' intensive, to teach them about choices and consequences, explaining that from the moment you awake, you begin making choices. Open my eyes? Or go back to sleep? Get up? Or stay in bed? Use the bathroom? Or wet your bed/pants? As we talked about each thing, all day,  we talked about the consequences, and that good choices usually bring good consequences, while bad choices brought bad ones. Ever since then, all I have to do, when I think they're making a rash choice, all I have to do is say, "if you give a mouse a cookie..." and they all know I'm drawing their attention to the possible consequences of their actions.