Things to stress about and look forward to

I'm trying my best not to let things overwhelm me, and sometimes that's hard to do.  The heat is slacking off a bit, but the humidity - UGH.  And, lately it seems like there's plenty to stew about.

Identity theft on my Capital One card yet again

The start of the school year

Car repairs

Chloe moving
Chloe's crunched car

Sugar continuing to puke

Spencer coming to stay with us until his apartment is ready 

My mother taking in an unsavory houseguest
...and her declining health

Hubby's health, my health

My dying landscaping
Marching season

Grayson's  grades
My stressful job

Finances

My estrangement from my sister
Worrying about the future...

Such is life, right? I refer back to my notes from the therapist when I feel the sads coming on.  I remind myself how great my life is, because it truly is.  I pray a little.  Do the hypnosis thing to relax.   I really need to get out there and exercise some, and I will, but probably only on my days off.  I've been working on some crafty projects and trying to reconnect with friends and family.  I am done with the antidepressant med, so it will be important for me to stay on top of things. 
Fall is coming - there's a LOT to look forward to.

*photos from Canyon of the Eagles, Burnet, TX

Donating blood

Donating blood is something I do about every three months or so.  I have since age 18, though there was a period there where I was doing the plasma thing in hard economic times.  Like when I needed gas money in college.  But happily, that is not the case anymore and I can freely donate whole blood.  I have many reasons, including that they frequently bestow flowers on me in the "cantina".  Here are some other reasons, in no particular order:

*It's free to do and I can
*I'm basically healthy and I can help some who maybe is not
*By donating, I atone for being a grouchy mom, distracted spouse, estranged sister, and less than stellar friend
*It helps me with my ladder points at work
*Free snacks, ice cold OJ, and a crossword puzzle to work on while I rest after my donation
*Friendly conversation with like-minded people
*I forget how much the finger stick hurts
*It's a built-in excuse to eat a BIG lunch and take a nap.

Have you ever donated blood?  I guess I've gotten used to it, somewhat, so it doesn't make me nervous at all.  Besides forgiveness for some of my failings, it actually benefits me, too.  It's like a confessional of the body, no?

That guy

Spencer came to stay while his new apartment is being made ready. I hate that he had to move again, but such is apartment life in Austin - expensive and inflexible.  I'm glad we were able to help him out a bit.  For the most part he is navigating life on his own, holding down a job and living in his own space.  Doing his own laundry and such.  Which means he's cut the cord with Mom and Dad for his daily life.  But we are glad we could be here for him.
All that is good.

He seems a little down sometimes.  He works in the heat, so I'm sure it's draining all the way around.  I hug him and he doesn't pull away, which is a change from his teen years.  I kiss his scraggly beard and tell him I love him.  I want the best for him.  He's a really nice person.  And I think we did a good job with him, overall.  This one took a while to launch, you'd think I would be used to it by now.