‘Science of Nostalgia: It was first thought to be a “neurological disease of essentially demonic cause,” but it turns out that nostalgia is good for your brain. And there’s science to prove it.‘
More of this article in The New York Times
I took this (rather overexposed) photo of my nieces cooking dinner around 20 years ago when we all still lived on the African continent. We had given one of them a children’s cookbook for Christmas, and they invited us over for dinner—a three-course meal—which they cooked using recipes from the book. They were such sweet, funny munchkins – still are 😉
For more entries to this week’s photo challenge, see The Daily Post.
beeblu blog 
a fascinating article bb, who would have imagined that nostalgia helps us feel warmer? gorgeous nieces you have here … all grown up now i guess!
Yes, the science behind what we feel and think is so interesting, but so many mysteries will always remain – which is a good thing 🙂 My nieces are indeed grown-up now, Christine, as the last link on the post shows 🙂
It’s so nice to look back at old photos, isn’t it? Love this one. 🙂
It is, AD – I feel, for the most part, happy when I look at old photos – a reminder that life is wonderful in spite of its challenges.
Sweet! I had a Kid’s Cookbook once and felt so grown up when cooking from it.
The NYTimes article was GREAT. Thanks, BB.
You’re welcome – love the NYT!
I still have mine, Nancy, and remember always eating half the raw batter from my favourite recipe from it 🙂
What a lovely old picture 😀 Gorgeous girls 😀
Thanks, Dianne – I miss them hugely, but we stay in touch, and the eldest one and her husband came to visit at the beginning of this year for 3 weeks, which was just wonderful for us 😀
Excellent Beeblu, I like the line in the article ‘If you can recruit a memory to maintain physiological comfort, at least subjectively, that could be an amazing and complex adaptation’. I think your photo could be one of those.
Thanks, Gilly – yes, it’s a reminder that in spite of the distance, we love and are loved 🙂
After reading your post I heard the same on the radio, nostalgia is good 😉 like red wine, with moderation. I love your photo, it really shows the fun and complicity these two girls were having.
Red wine, Brie and chocolate. No, hang on a minute, there’s no such thing as chocolate in moderation 😀
Oh yes, one can feel so good after sharing old times! Traces of sadness, yes, but overwhelming warmth! Love the pic and the words, Bb.
Thanks, Adee – it’s important in this increasingly globalised world to have these good memories. Families are spread out all over the place.
Schöner Bericht wünsche eine gute neue Woche,lieber Gruß Gislinde
Vielen Dank, Gislinde 🙂
what an interesting article it was…now I feel a lot better when I drift away
The NYT has so many good articles.
You should be studying neuropsychology bb 😉 that is a lovely photo (and I wonder what the meal tasted like – hahaha)
In my next life, Gabe 😉 Are you offering your tutoring skills?
The meal was yum – I can’t remember the starter, although I think it may have been corn soup, the main was a Swiss ham and cheese bake, and the dessert was some sort of upside-down cake (kids’ cookbooks always have one of those, haha). The eldest one has progressed somewhat since then, making us veg Vietnamese rice paper rolls when she was here in Jan (well, instructing her husband on how to ;-))
All sounds very yummo 🙂 I somehow think you would not need much help in the tutoring area bb. I did consider specialising in neuropsych until I had to administer some of the test – talk about spatial relations issues – hahaha (or maybe I was just hungover 😉 )
Hehe – a true student (I was the same for my economics exam – yawn!)
What a fabulous post, BB, and Yay, Southampton University!! (Where I studied music)
Thanks, Kate.
Aha – a wonderful university experience, I suspect.
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Love the photos of your nieces – past and present. I wonder about the article – think it depends upon how much loss weighs in on the nostalgic equation.
Thanks, Monica. Yes, loss is an inevitable part of it.