Diversions

It's been a little stressful around here lately. I guess a better way to say that would be that it's been a little stressful inside lately. It's not just that I'm busy, it's that I'm busy with so many different types of things.

I remember back in college, feeling stressed out because there was so much to read, or so many tests coming up, or such a huge paper to write, but the stress I feel now is different. Although there is still a time crunch and that anxious feeling of an impossible amount of tasks on the To Do list before the looming Deadline, this stress has taken on a life of it's own. It's the stress of having too many things to stress about-- the stress spawned from stress that is simply a lack of space in my brain to keep track of all that is important.

When Chris & I were driving home from staff meeting yesterday, my brain actually felt swollen-- like there were too many things I was trying to hold in the front (of my mind) and I was in danger of popping.

I finally made a list, a very detailed list of all the things I had to do and what days I would do them on, and told myself that the stress spawn (the one that came simply from having too much to stress about) was defeated. But, this morning when I woke up feeling nauseated, with strange aches & pains in places that shouldn't normally hurt (i.e. it felt like I had dry swallowed a huge pill all morning, and that it was just stuck in my throat. Yuck). I knew then that the stress spawn was back.

After many deep breaths, some centering prayer & a day full of actual work and great students, I feel a heck of a lot better. Hooray!

But even better than deep breaths & centering prayer (okay, not better than prayer, but close!) is a new diversion I discovered yesterday. Sitting next to me at the table was a tiny vile of bubbles left over from a weekend wedding, and it occurred to me that our darling mutt had never experienced bubbles before.

I am sad to say that the vicious pit bull was actually afraid of the bubbles. He hid under the table (his favorite place) and watched in panic as tiny aliens fell from the sky and then disappeared into the ground. And then, he took action. I have to tell you that it is absolutely therapeutic to watch Gavin leap through the air, eating bubbles, frantically looking around (but never above him, to the source) for another bubble to kill. Hours of entertainment.

If you are ever feeling anxious, and have a less-than-intelligent dog, I would highly recommend it.