If Only We Had a Roaring Fire and Some Tea

Hi, friends. How are you? I haven't been here just to chat for a while, so I thought we could sit down and catch up.

A cycle in the life of float has been completed. You may recall that my very first entry talked about herbalism. This weekend I again took the workshop that gave rise to that post. There was so much good information that I thirsted to absorb more. Retaking the workshop was just the thing, and I've resolved that someday I will complete the entire herbal apprenticeship run by the women who led this class. In April, after I first took the workshop, I began playing with new plant allies, dandelion and burdock, and ruminating on the history and principles of Western herbalism. With the solid foundation I've established, I was able to fill in many details with the second visit, and now I have lemon balm, nettles, peppermint oil (suitable for clearing everyone's congestion except Eric's and Carla's, who are doubtless cringing at the very thought), yarrow, rose, oats, linden, frankincense, sumac, and St. John's Wort as friends, too.

Luna underwent her big right of passage today: Today, You Are Not A Woman. Yes, the pixie fairy princess warrior kitten has been spayed. She came through just fine and only requires lots of gentle cuddling and lap sleeping.

Work has been insane. I've been thrown in the deep end and told to do the butterfly without training because I was proficient at the crawl, metaphorically. But hey, I'm almost done arranging my first photo shoot and I got through without a big freak out. Small freak out tremors, yes, but no earthquakes.

In other work news, I feel really uncomfortable with two women I work with. One is new, an assistant, and, though she's polite and friendly and works hard, she just bugs the crap out of me. She doesn't listen, for one thing, forever cutting me off mid-question to answer incorrectly. It's more than the listening though; I'm not sure what. She chews fruity gum that smells bad, maybe that's part of it. The other woman is the Top Dog editor on my list, and even when she's being friendly, I feel plain uncomfortable around her. It's not an intimidation thing. It's probably, though I'm not certain, because I never quite know where I stand with her. Moreover, as I alluded to above, I haven't actually been trained for my new position, so I don't even know what I'm supposed to know, and she's always asking me questions I can't answer or assuming I've done something I haven't or assuming I haven't done things I have. And she's NOT MY BOSS!

What else? I've been enjoying philosophical discussions with a classmate about the nature of Shiatsu and fitting an Eastern practice and philosophy to the Western world. These chats are engaging and productive, and we fancy that someday when we're renowned healers/philosophers, our early emails will be studied to understand the origins of our unprecedented genius. Of course, by then we will be so light and egoless that our heads will not swell with such thoughts.

And finally--I can't remember whether I already mentioned this--have patience with an old young lady: I met with the personal trainer for one session and we're having an affair! No, just kidding. The trainer, a very nice gal who wins medals in state Iron Woman competitions, has set up a new circuit workout for me and boy! does it make the ole muscles burn. (I was able to do my old workout in my sleep by the last few weeks.) I'm turning into a gym rat: when it's really starting to burn, when my arms feel like they might give out, I realize I'm grinning like an idiot and loving it. It's like crack (from what I've heard).

I hope you all have glorious, glamorous, gregarious, great and good weekends. Stay peaceful.