Better

Don't know what happened, but things got better today. I woke up in a good mood. Yay! And I've stayed in a good mood. And it doesn't feel forced. This is good. Maybe it has to do with looking forward to seeing a friend I haven't seen since last year about this time. Hmm . . . Maybe it has to do with sticking up for myself. Maybe . . .

Help! I'm Melting!

All this reading about crying seems to be stirring up a lot of emotional junk. I keep telling myself that what I'm feeling now is the result of the junk coming loose and the wounds finally healing, but I keep having meltdowns over little things and it's getting embarrassing and annoying. Even I don't really want to live with myself right now. Although I know it will be better when all this stuff is out, I just wish I didn't have to go through the ick of getting it out. Oh well, I'll manage somehow.

More Crying

I had a good cry last night and another one this morning and I feel so much better. I guess that proves the theory that crying can be a stress release mechanism. My favorite quote so far from the book I'm reading is, "Crying is not the hurt, it is the process of becoming unhurt." It explains so well why I feel so much better after a good cry. :)

Crying

Reading a really interesting book about the benefits of crying, specifically in children. It's called Tears and Tantrums and it's by Aletha J. Solter, Ph.D. I actually really wanted to read her other parenting books, but the local libraries only had this one. So I'm exploring her web site here. It's helping me understand myself and also the baby I look after. I suddenly feel a lot more calm and accepting of him when he cries, and a lot less nervous about making him stop crying. This is good. I'm a better caregiver when I'm calm.

Making a Differnce

So yesterday, on my way home from work, I turned on NPR and heard the tail end of a discussion of the testing for lead in toys issue. It sounds like maybe my blog post and e-mails to representative and senators had an effect! The latest news is that mandatory testing will be delayed one year. You still can't sell toys with too much lead, but testing isn't mandatory, so safe, homemade toys won't be pushed off the market quite yet. And that give people time to get some changes put into effect to help make these laws less detrimental for individual craftspeople and small businesses. Yay!

(That's me on the left doing my "Happy Dance.")

Down Time

Am looking forward to a weekend "off." May decide to stay off-line, as well. Have a couple of things to do, but mostly plan to just "be." Hoping for sunny weather and maybe a walk somewhere . . .

Productivity!

I got really inspired this weekend and did a lot of projects that have been on the to-do list for ages. I have this little drop-leaf table, about 2 to 2 1/2 feet square, and the legs that hold up the leaves needed reinforcing with corner braces and L brackets, etc. One of them had been previously reinforced, but needed a little more, the other was so wobbly I was almost afraid to use it. Now both legs are strong. And I did it all by hand. I bought a little hand drill and some bits, in case screwing the screws strait in with a screw driver was too hard, but it wasn't and I don't thing even a power drill would have made things go much faster. I just might not have gotten blisters on my hands. But they were only little ones and healed fast, and it felt so satisfying!

I also got some little mending projects done, along with shopping and housecleaning and did I mention a special night in with my bf?

Good Times!