Dancing in the Moon Garden: May 2011

(Reposted from my other blog)
There are a lot of people that will tell you what you need to do to deal with your anger. There are books about dealing with it, therapists talk about it, religious leaders tell you what to do with it and even our parents tell us how to deal with it. But the truth of the matter is that we each need to find a way to deal with our anger for ourselves.

We feel angry for many reasons... when someone disappoints us or lies to us, when situations don't go the way we had hoped. When we fail at something that we wanted to achieve, when life isn't fair. But the truth of the mater is that anger is an emotion... though it can feel absolutely horrid... it will not kill us. However the effects of not dealing with our anger can cause a whole host of emotional, spiritual and health problems.

I discovered over the last two years that I actually am a pretty angry person. Possibly the fact that since the first time my parents said "don't cry or I will give you something to cry about" that I bottled up every feeling of anger I ever had. Actually every feeling I had to be honest. So that has meant years and years of bottled anger. That anger was not all silly petty things either. There are many many moments of legitimate anger and even rage in our life times... especially if you have ever encountered any unpleasant circumstances in your life. So back to my point - I'm angry.

I never used to speak about it... I would simply eat. SURPRISE!
Lol you probably weren't surprised. Food because the very best way I could find to soothe the terrible angry beast. But at the same time the shame of doing that just increase my anger at myself. So I found myself in a catch 22 where what I was doing to soothe my anger was just feeding my anger. Yikes! What to do?

Over the last 3 and a bit years I lived with an angry man and literally the shit hit the fan. But the good thing of it was that at the end of it all I learned to speak. During the course of the relationship I didn't handle my anger very well. I was voicing it but of course at times it was at the top of my lungs which is not a good thing. And then I would feel the shame of yelling and I would eat. So I learned that yelling and screaming and throwing the occasional phone or candle holder was not helping either.

Then I ended the relationship and met a man who has become a very dear friend. He is probably going to shoot me for mentioning him in my blog but he has a very calm, serene way about him. I have seen him in situations where I wouldn't have blamed him if he made snarky comments or was just plain rude... but he is not like that. I am not saying he doesn't get angry. I know that he does but I also have seen him take a step back from the situation, work through it and deal with it appropriately or just simply let it go. Sometimes it seems he has a very serious Zen thing going on because situations that have me about ready to take off someones head he can often laugh at it. But I am learning that too... laughter heals and how can you feel bad when you are laughing really?

One of the biggest anger triggers for me is at the place where I used to work. I have a big issue with guys that came in and because it is a "technical/computer" industry thought that I couldn't do it because I am a woman. When I have guys looking around me while I am sitting at the desk and talking to the "men" who aren't working and asking for their help it makes me mad. It frustrates my friend too because he has taught me a great deal about what I know about computers. So this is something that makes me feel insignificant, disrespected, and angry. He always points out to the guys that I am the one working and that I can help them just as well as he can. Now that might not be entirely true about somethings but if I can't do it... I sure as hell will find out how to or get some help myself. So when I get rip roaring mad at the disrespect and the "stereotyping" he does a funny thing - he talks to me. Let me say what I needed to say. To speak my truth no matter how retarded it sounded. In the face of his calm and logic (usually - he is man after all!) He reminds me that I know who and what I am and what I can do and that though I shouldn't have to prove myself that is just the way the world is.

My friend has said to me on many occasions that "sometimes people and situations in life are just not worth the effort. So it is always better to see them for what they are and just let it go." So ultimately I needed to learn that in the long run most of the things that make me angry only truly affect me for a few moments and then they are gone. So why get all worked up about them and ruin your day. Now that isn't to say that there aren't times when anger is a helpful emotion that helps us to be aware of and deal with difficult situations. If I hadn't heeded my anger in regards to my ex and used that anger to realize just how damaging the relationship was - I would still be in that relationship and most likely a ranting and raving, crazy woman who was growing larger by the day.

So I have finally learned to slow down some and not react as quickly, or as ferociously as I did when I first left my ex and when I first started that job. The amazing thing about being able to talk about it and to be heard was that the desire to eat away the anger seems to have slipped off into the darkness for the most part. I can't say that starting to deal with my anger has caused any weight loss because the truth of the mater is that I still need to master the depression and stress eating and get off my ass and work it out. But the fact is I know that I am no longer gaining because my rage is overwhelming me.

The very act of speaking my words cut down on the number of "anger calories" that went into my mouth and onto my hips but we don't always have the opportunity or a friend who is there for us to speak our truth to. So other options that I have started to utilize again are my journalling... that is simply another way of putting a voice to your thoughts feelings and anger. As well it is a great place to problem solve. Writing it on paper gives the opportunity to put it down and put it away even if for a few hours - and then come back to it with a clearer and hopefully calmer perspective.

So that is just my two cents worth on anger today....
Raiwvynn

Summer is unarguably most people's favourite time of year. The sun is shining, school is out, holidays are taken, and every weekend there is the opportunity for barbeques and picnics. There is baseball and soccer and all sorts of sports activities. Swimming at the beach, camping and day trips. What fun!

But summer also has its draw backs –bug bites! In this day and age we need to be cautious about these. In recent years we have been on the watch for diseases carried by mosquitoes such as West Nile. Also there is a need to watch out for ticks that might carry Lyme disease. Here are some practical tips on preventing mosquito and tick bites!

The Dread Pirate of the Sky – the Mosquito

Mosquitoes carry viral diseases that many of us are not even aware of. While the occurrences of these diseases are often location specific the fact is that they are carried by these winged critters. Some of the diseases carried by mosquitoes include yellow fever; dengue fever; epidemic polyarthritis; Rift Valley fever; Ross River Fever; St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis, LaCross encephalitis, and many other types of invasive diseases.

Mosquitoes are also responsible for malaria which is known to be the world's leading cause of premature death. 5.3 million people die each year from the Anopheles Mosquito – the mosquito that carries Malaria. Children under the age of five are the most likely to die from malaria. Fortunately for us here in North America Malaria is not usually found. Mosquitoes are also capable of carrying the filariasis worm which causes the disease Elephantiasis. Statistics state that there could be as many as 40 million people worldwide that are dealing with some form of Elephantiasis. For us in North America we know that the West Nile virus is spread by infected mosquitoes, and can cause serious even fatal symptoms.

Children tend to swell up and turn red when they have been bitten by a pesky mosquito but as people get older they tend to build up immunity to mosquito bites and often are not even aware that they have been bitten. This means that adults are more likely to be infected by a mosquito born disease and be unaware of it. The United States Center for Disease Control says "The risk of severe illness and death is highest for people over 50 years old, although people of all ages can become ill."

West Nile Virus

Perhaps the most notorious of the mosquito born illnesses in recent years West Nile Virus like malaria can result in death. Some of the symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash (on the trunk of the body) and swollen lymph glands. While this illness can last as briefly as a few days some reports say it can last for several weeks. The more severe form of the disease include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. There is an estimation that 1 out of every 150 people that are infected with the West Nile virus will develop the severe form of the illness.

It important that we remember that these thirsty little blood suckers are out there and can be a threat to our health even our lives. Enjoy the warm weather, but remember that mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus are already flying about looking for a warm lunch. So the question is what to do? First off is protecting yourself.

Bug Repellants

In addition to staying indoors as dawn or early in the evening and wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants when going outdoors bug repellants are a good way to prevent mosquito bites. There are many commercial sprays that work well but often they are laced with harsh chemicals. There are alternatives to chemical sprays and creams but it really can take some time to figure out which one works for you. It is important to find a bug repellant that works for you.
Bug repellant doesn't work if you don't us it. If you are looking for something a little more natural here is one that is made of natural ingredients and there is also a soothing bath for those who have had the misfortune to have been bitten.

Nature Walk Insect Repellent

Base

8 tbsp Aloe Vera gel
8 tbsp very light skin lotion

Oils
1 ½ teaspoons Citronella oil
½ teaspoon eucalyptus oil

½ teaspoon patchouli oil

Pour all the ingredients into a bottle and shake well. As you shake bless it saying:

Though our insect friends are needed

In the air they go unheeded

But on our skin they sting and bite

And they hinder our delight

Of pine wood forest, of hill and dale

When we walk the nature trail

So when our feet walk on the trail

This soothing cream will prevail

Against the critters that make us swell

So I confirm by this here spell

My bug repellent will work quite well

Use liberally over the body avoid eyes and mouth areas.

Soothing Bug Bite Bath

5 drops Rosemary Essential Oil

Directions:

Add the ingredients to an already running warm bath. To avoid floating herbs in your water make a bag out of cheese cloth or use a clean nylon stocking and place the herb inside. Soak in the water and submerge yourself in the water to sooth and ease the pain of bug bites.

Avoid Providing Breeding Grounds

Remember to check around your yard and dump out standing water where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. Mosquitoes can develop in as little as ¼ inch of standing water that lasts for seven to ten days. Here are some helpful tips for getting rid of standing water.

Dispose of discarded tires, cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or other unused similar water-holding containers that have accumulated on your property. Do not overlook containers that have become overgrown by vegetation.	Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left outdoors. Drainage holes drilled in the sides of containers allow sufficient water to collect in which mosquitoes may breed.
At least once per week, empty standing water from containers on your property, such as tire swings, or bird baths.	Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use. A wading pool becomes a mosquito producer if it is not used on a regular basis
Clean clogged roof gutters, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to plug up the drains. Flooded roof gutters are easily overlooked but can produce hundreds of mosquitoes each season.	Fill in low areas on your property to eliminate standing water. Ponds or streams where fish are present or the water is disturbed by current or wave action do not produce many mosquitoes.
Fill in tree rot holes and hollow stumps that hold water.	Store boats covered or upside down, or remove rainwater weekly.
Turn over wheelbarrows and do not allow water to stagnate in bird baths. Change water in bird baths and wading pools on a weekly basis.	Keep drains, ditches and culverts free of grass clippings, weeds and trash so water will drain properly.
Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish. Water gardens are fashionable but become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate	Report possible mosquito breeding sites to your local mosquito control agency if one exists in your community.
Clean and chlorinate swimming pools that are not being used. A swimming pool that is left untended by a family that goes on vacation for a month can produce enough mosquitoes to result in neighborhood-wide complaints. Be aware that mosquitoes may breed in the water that collects on swimming pool covers.

The Woodland Beasty – The Tick

When we think of ticks we most often think of them attaching themselves to our pets. But ticks can and do like the blood of humans as well. (I know this from personal experience of waking up one night to find one on my fiancée's shoulder!) From the larval stage to the adult stage ticks will attach themselves to animals and humans for a feast of blood. As well as being annoying and rather disturbing it can also be dangerous. Ticks can transmit diseases such as: Lyme disease, Human Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis (often concurrent with Lyme disease from the same deer tick bite), Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis and Southern Tick-associated Rash illness.

Perhaps the most commonly known and scary disease that is carried by ticks is Lyme disease. This disease if not treated can have some seriously debilitating consequences. Carried by the black legged tick (also known as the deer tick) the symptoms of Lyme disease generally start with a bulls eye shaped rash around the bite site along with fever, fatigue, headache, stiff neck, muscle pain and generally feeling uncomfortable. The North Carolina State Universtiy, department of entomology list the following as symptoms:

Stage I involves a rash and flu-like symptoms. Within 30 days of infection, a characteristic rash (erythema migrans) occurs at the site of the tick bite. Twenty to 50 percent of Lyme disease patients do not exhibit the rash, which often delays diagnosis of the disease. Erythema migrans may occur as an irregular-shaped red blotch or it may consist of a bright red ring around the bite that gradually expands over several days and clears in the center to form a bull's-eye pattern. The rash can vary in size from 1 to 18 inches. Later, secondary blotchlike skin lesions may occur away from the site of the bite when the spirochete spreads. The rash is usually accompanied by fatigue, a headache, a stiff neck, muscle aches and pains, and a general feeling of discomfort.

Stage II, which occurs during the next several weeks, includes cardiac and neurological symptoms. Neurological complications occur in about 15 percent of the patients and can involve encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), radiculitis (inflammation of the nerve roots), and Bell's palsy (transitory facial paralysis). In most instances, these symptoms completely disappear after lasting several months. Cardiac abnormalities occur in about 8 percent of patients. The symptoms include dizziness, shortness of breath, and heartbeat irregularities that may require installation of a pacemaker. Within several weeks these symptoms usually disappear.

Stage III is distinguished by arthritic problems that may appear as long as two years after the rash. Patients may experience pain, swelling, and elevated temperature in one or more joints. Some patients may also exhibit sleepwalking, loss of memory, mood changes, and inability to concentrate. Lyme disease and its complications can be effectively treated with antibiotics. Physicians use different antibiotics against each stage of the disease. With early treatment, the course of Lyme disease is shortened and the occurrence of late complications, such as arthritis, is reduced. Therefore, it is important to diagnose Lyme disease and administer antibiotic therapy quickly.

Protection Yourself from Ticks

It is important to protect yourself from ticks and the diseases that they carry here are some tips to help you protect yourself:

Find out from your local public health office if there are ticks in your area, especially blacklegged ticks.	To avoid ticks that maybe on grass and shrubs, stay on wide paths and roads when possible.
Wear protective clothing to limit the access of ticks to your skin. This clothing should include enclosed shoes, long-sleeved shirts that fit tightly around the wrist and are tucked into pants, and long-legged pants tucked into socks or boots. Light coloured clothing helps to be able to spot ticks.	Insect repellents containing DEET are safe and can effectively repel ticks. Repellents can be applied to clothing as well as exposed skin but should not be applied to skin underneath clothing (note: DEET may damage some materials). Always read and follow label directions.
After removing ticks, wash the site of attachment with soap and water or disinfect it with alcohol or household antiseptic. Note the day of the tick bite and try to save the tick in an empty pill vial or doubled zip-lock bag.	Carefully remove attached ticks using tweezers. Grasp the tick's head and mouth parts as close to the skin as possible and pull slowly until the tick is removed. Do not twist or rotate the tick and try not to damage the tick (i.e., squash or crush it) during removal.
Check for ticks on clothing and skin after being in tick-infested areas. A daily total-body inspection and prompt removal of attached ticks (i.e., within 18 to 24 hours) can reduce the risk of infection. Blacklegged ticks are very small, particularly at the nymph stage, be sure to look carefully. Do not forget to check children and pets as well. A tick must be attached at least six hours in order to transmit disease organisms causing Rocky Mountain spotted fever; therefore, the longer a tick is attached, the greater the chances are that germs will be transmitted. The minimum attachment time required for transmission of Lyme disease is not yet known.