Cheap Therapy

A friend of mine was telling me a few weeks ago about her time in therapy. Now, my idea of “therapy” is not the same as hers. She had explained that she had attended therapy with a psychiatrist three times a week for a few years. At first I felt awful, not knowing what to say to her, thinking the trauma in her life must have been catastrophic. When I asked her what had happened, as gently as I could, she told me she went to a therapist in order to learn to relax.

Now, I will say that therapists do tend to help people with problems, but going to one for three times a week for years to learn to relax??

When doing this is cheaper and more satisfying??

Or this??

Or even this??

Consider this your free relaxation therapy.

Following sessions will cost extra, if needed 🙂

Java the Hutt

I used to be a big tea drinker. I mean BIG. It was my beverage of choice every morning. I loved to watch it steep, the liquid turn into an amber nectar that would lift my spirits and recharge and soothe me at the same time.

And then I got pregnant with Eldest. And tea tasted like warm strychnine laced with rat poison. This is NOT an exaggeration. True, I have never tasted either, but from the descriptions I have read in murder mysteries, it came close. I was bereft. I could no longer partake of any kind of tea, not even southern sweet tea. No matter how much sugar I added, and believe me, I added a LOT of sugar, the taste was still acrid. Nothing helped. This went on for about a year and a half, until we returned to the mainland from being stationed in Hawaii. And then I went to my inlaws one Saturday morning, and my MIL fixed me a cup of coffee out of habit. Not wanting to be rude, I decided to drink it, after adding the requisite amounts of half and half and sugar.

ZOMG!!! I could drink it! And I have been a convert ever since.

I can NOT function without a cup in the morning, and usually make sure to drink at least two cups, just to be on the safe side. And though I can now drink the southern sweet iced tea and can drink some other hot teas, I still prefer coffee. I am not a coffee snob by any stretch, but do have my favorites. And no, Starbucks isn’t one of them. I’m sure some of you will be shocked about that. But hey, it’s my blog and I brew what I want to 😉

Letter to a Stranger

People are interesting to me. I like to speculate on their stories based on what they are wearing, how they carry themselves, even as to the choices they make while grocery shopping. It comes from a background in anthropology, and reading Miss Marple novels. Consequently, it is difficult to pick just one stranger as the subject of my letter, since I have already made up their entire life in my head. So, I went in a different direction, again 😉

To a stranger,

I saw you as I walked through the aisles in a vain quest to find Amontillado. There you sat, surrounded by your siblings, the color of your outfit making you stand out among them like a bright spring leaf sprouting from the soil. My curiosity was piqued, wondering what you were like. Smooth, or bitter? Silky, or sharp? Do you play well with others, or tend to chill out on your own? Are you a party animal, or the type to sit quietly by the fire? Do you like to climb on the rocks? Are you a straight shooter? I hope to enjoy your company one day, and know that if ever we meet, you will make my life rosy and sweet, even if it’s just for the duration of your visit.

Cheers!!