Magpie Gathering

 Hello Dear Reader,  I first stumbled on the phrase "Follow the Dopamine" in a TikTok by Connor DeWolfe  which I think perfectly captures the idea.  Follow the Dopamine Mug from  https://my-store-11522541.creator-spring.com/  "Dopamine plays a role in how we feel pleasure. It's a big part of our unique human ability to think and plan. It helps us strive, focus, and find things interesting." ( Web MD ) It was initially thought that ADHD was caused by low amounts of neurotransmitters like dopamine. This was supported by the fact that medications that increased neurotransmitters improved ADHD symptoms. But recent data suggests the issue is more complex and at least for some people they may have a surplus of dopamine transporter leading to a more efficient removal of dopamine. ( gulfbend.org ) In the past I viewed my brains deep dives into something new as a frustration point. I couldn't seem to stick to anything. I would feel like I finally found something...

 Hello Dear Reader, I have been on an Agatha Christie kick recently I really enjoy mystery books, particularly ones that you feel like you could solve. So I have been taking a trip back to the first half of the 1900s with the little Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.  I started with Murder on the Orient Express as the BBC adaption with David Suchet was one of my favorites when I was younger (1) . After that went back to the beginning and started to try to read through it all in order as best I could based on what was available from the library. I looked up a list of all of Christie's work so that I could be sure I did not miss any books and found she was much more prolific than I had thought and realized that this was going to be a bit of a challenge to read them all but a challenge that I think I am up to. I have listed the ones I have read this month below in publication order rather than the order I have read them. When I started to write up this post I skipped ah...

Hello Dear Readers,  This blog and its accompanying projects are going to be the random collection of things I am interested in, things I am learning, projects I am working on, and other bright and beautiful things I find along the way. I will endeavor to share the things I find joy in as often as possible and I hope you will join me in exploring the world as we come to it. With anticipation,           Credit: A magpie sitting on a plank on a lake before a bucolic landscape. Coloured wood engraving by J. W. Whimper. Credit:  Wellcome Collection .  Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)