Why Do Things Happen in Threes?

Posted on August 31, 2025 by Enchanted Seashells

In a space of a blink of an eye, I injured my back, hurt my right foot, and need skin cancer surgery on my left shoulder.

One-two-three.

The phrase “things happen in threes,” especially “bad things happen in threes,” is a common superstition and an example of apophenia, the human tendency to find patterns where none may actually exist.

I have no idea how what happened to my back — one minute it was fine and the next minute it was so painful that I could hardly move without screaming, not that I let that stop me. Targeted stretching and yoga definitely helps, but it’s still a mystery. I can’t figure out what caused it.

My foot was a different story. First, it felt like there was a rock in my shoe, and when I checked, there wasn’t, but there was a lump on the bottom of my foot.

I remembered that’s a classic symptom of a plantar fibroma, so of course I Googled at-home treatments. One of the suggestions was that a massage ball would help, so that’s what I did. It not only didn’t work, but the nodule grew and my foot swelled up and it was so painful I couldn’t put any weight on it. The vigorous massaging made it a hundred times worse. I then re-read the treatment suggestion — which said to massage AROUND the lump, not directly ON it. Oops, my bad.

Plantar fibroma is a benign condition that causes fibrous nodules to form on the bottom of the foot, along the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue that runs from the heel to the toes.

I called my doc who told me to soak my foot in epsom salts and use a specialty pad to place around the now very painful growth area, and if that didn’t work, I’d need a steroid injection. Her non-invasive ideas are starting to be effective and the lump is slowly subsiding, which is great because I hate steroids.

Every six months I have a check up at the dermatologist’s office because I’ve had previous Mohs surgery for basal/squamous cell carcinoma. This time, she noticed an area of concern and performed a biopsy. When the results came back positive (not melanoma, thank goodness), she called to schedule a Mohs microsurgical removal. It’ll be difficult to use my left arm for a while until the sutures are removed, which is sort of annoying, but I’ll be happy to be cancer-free. I’m definitely paying the price for many summers at the beach with no sunscreen, just liberally applied baby oil and cocoa butter.

I’m not too sorry to say goodbye to August and hope for a healthy September!

11:11 and 1:11 | What Does It Mean?

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Enchanted Seashells

I’m lazily and peripherally interested in coincidence and synchronicity, but when there’s a pattern and stuff happens A LOT, that’s when I sit up and take notice.

For the last two or three days, actually since Halloween, I’ve been surrounded by these numbers: 111, 11, and whether it’s the car or my phone or the clock at home, I seem to notice when it’s 11:11 and 1:11.

This might be significant, right? But how?

If you see 111 or any sequence of 1s, it could be a sign that new opportunities are on the way or that this is the start of a new beginning. It’s likely a sign to trust what’s happening in your life and recent ideas you’ve been having.

Angel numbers are a series of numbers that keep showing up in one’s life in order to send a message. They are called angel numbers (part of numerology—the study of the relationship between numerical values and life events) because it’s believed that this is how angels communicate with humanity. And one of these examples is angel number 111.

What does it mean?

Many believe that seeing 11:11 on a clock or timestamp is significant for divine guidance and power when it comes to manifestation, a sign that one is being guided by a higher power, connected to the universe on a more spiritual level.

Spiritualists call this event the 11:11 phenomenon. Seeing the number evokes a feeling of significance because it’s a mirror of twin numbers. Numerology attaches great importance to the number 11. It represents a new beginning or a positive event. According to numerology, when we look at the clock and the two twin numbers face us, the universe is giving us a supportive signal we may have needed at that moment.

Also, the 1:11 angel number is a way for our guardian angels to garner our attention to convey their message.

Or is it simply this?

In an article for Psychology Today, John W. Hoopes, PhD, says “you’re likely experiencing apophenia, “an error of perception—the tendency to interpret random patterns as meaningful.”

We humans are insanely good at noticing and registering certain things that are on our minds at the moment, more so than with topics that don’t seem so important to us. Are you thinking about whether you should really buy that new expensive bag? If so, you’ll almost certainly start seeing it everywhere. Have you and your partner just started trying to get pregnant? You may have the feeling that everything around you suddenly has to do with babies.

Scientists call his phenomenon selective perception. The term describes the human characteristic of the psyche to perceive certain aspects in our environment more intensely while we completely block out others. In particular, our brain finds patterns attractive and exciting, which is why we tend to unconsciously look at the clock at the same time every day and think it’s a coincidence every time.” (GlamourMag)

When you see these numbers, what do you do?

Even the Angel Kids are attuned to this phenomenon and call out to make a wish when we’re in the car and they notice the time. I don’t actually know what it’s all about, but I CHOOSE to believe it’s a positive sign of SOMETHING.

Happy Monday!

Word of the Day: Pareidolia

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Enchanted Seashells

Pareidolia: (n.) the instinct to seek familiar forms in disordered images like clouds or constellations; the perception of random stimulus as significant.

Pareidolia is a type of apophenia, to see patterns in random data.

Pareidolia is the tendency for perception to impose a meaningful interpretation on a nebulous stimulus, usually visual, so that one sees an object, pattern, or meaning where there is none, like the Rorschach inkblot test.

Studies have shown that facial features aren’t the only thing that we see when we come across an illusory face. It was found that we also see age, emotion, and gender – and strangely enough the vast majority of these funny faces are perceived as male faces, like the man in the moon.

I’m sure my neuroscientist DIL would have a much more scientific and intelligent explanation than I do, but I find it fascinating to discover faces or animals in clouds or common objects.

Check out these examples: