Snorring Old Men and Falling Pets

So we are finally getting some much needed rain. It feels more like a proper winter--we've been having a drought the past couple of years with not nearly enough rainfall. This winter is feeling more like the winters I remember from my first couple of years out here--lots of intermittent rain with some sunny days in between. I'm not sure what's really "normal" for this climate, given El Nino, and Global Warming and all that, but rain is good. :)

Wet weather did somewhat dampen my weekend--the Farmer's Market was rather soggy--but I still had a lovely V-day with my BF. Also spent time planning a church service for next month and doing projects around the house.

Fab Friends and Food

Had a fabulous day yesterday with S. Although we've tried to keep in touch since she's been living abroad, it's been hard and we had a lot of catching up to do. It was great to be together and just talk and talk and talk! :-)

California seems to be full of rainbows. I know Hawaii is the Rainbow state, but I think I've seen more rainbows this winter, than I saw in all my years growing up in the Midwest. Seeing another one today reminded me of a Friday the 13th rainbow I saw several years ago. That was the first rainbow I can remember seeing. Ever.

Oh, one more thing, I'm learning to make yogurt at home. My latest batch gelled and tastes like yogurt, but it's pretty grainy. I still have to perfect my technique, but I'm getting there . . . I'm getting there!

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.")