Beany Brain: loving our jumping-bean brains!

Welcome to this issue of the Beany Brain! I hope today’s newsletter will bounce us up as we contemplate the upsides and challenges of being neurodivergent, a little beauty, some creativity, and just general yeehawesomeness.

Table of Contents

• Beany Brain: loving our jumping-bean brains!

  • Welcome to this issue of the Beany Brain! I hope t …

• Happy Holy-days!

  • Doesn’t everybody pick out their own presents and …

Happy Holy-days!

Doesn’t everybody pick out their own presents and wrap them and put a little love-heart on them?

Just me? (I doubt it.)

I know that my husband has chosen one thing for me that I don’t know about.

The other things I’ve picked out and wrapped for myself are mainly special snacks that I normally wouldn’t buy that often; they’re snacks and chocolate that are gluten- and dairy- and coconut-free that I can eat. Yes, I have a coconut allergy too. Yes, I love coconut. Yes, I cried in the doctor’s office when he read down the list and got to coconut.

Anyway, my sons think it’s weird that I buy and wrap my own presies.

But honestly, I know what I like and I (mostly) like to know what I’m getting.

Maybe this is a neurodivergency thing. I’ve read other neurodivergent people’s stories of not liking surprises and not wanting others to see their face when they open surprise gifts and then don’t know what to do with their face if it’s not something they actually want.

This is a bit of a different newsletter, folks.

I’m not following the usual format because the next two weeks, with Christmas and other holidays and New Year’s, are not following the usual format, are they.

I’ve been picking and choosing what to participate in this month—some events I know will overwhelm me (the English Cafe Christmas party with 40-50 people crammed into our tiny church-cafe was a nope for me and I didn’t even try to go, though my husband and sons did). The Hokuriku Gakuin high school Christmas pageant/event, which involved handbells, lots of darkness and a low-lit stage, candles, and high school kids dressed up like Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the angels, and the wise men (though they were actually wise girls) who don’t do any talking, just slow silent movements, was a yes.

What are you saying yes and no to this month?

I’ll leave you with some Christmas memes and a wrapped package of hope for a lovely holiday time, however it suits you. I don’t know you all, but I love you all. So there.

Thank you for reading this installment of Beany Brain! You’re very welcome to hop on by any old time.

If you’re enjoying Beany Brain, please share with a friend or seventeen at www.beanybrain.com. Cheers big time!