Spring! I know back in Virginia the trees and flowers are already in bloom- but here little green things are just beginning to poke out of the ground. Snow is melting, we can leave the house without coats and hats, I could (theoretically) wash the car and it might stay clean for more than 12 hours, and things we planted last fall are starting to grow! A whole winter of waiting- and… Surprise! Those dry papery bulbs and alive and well! I can’t wait for flowers. =)

Oreos! I know- not quite the same as spring, but hey! did you know it’s their 100th birthday? A whole century of chocolate sandwich cookies. When we’re at the grocery store, my kids know to steer my cart away from the Oreo aisle. If I manage to end up there anyway, they tell me to just keep walking. They know I’m happy about fitting into smaller jeans. But yesterday I announced a trip to the store just for Oreos. It’s a birthday! We have to celebrate, right? =)

Birds! This is related to spring, but it makes me so happy that it deserves its own entry. I

drove up the canyon the other day and a bald eagle flew low, right over my car. (Don’t worry, Lori. I stayed in my own lane.) When I go to my destination, there were two little birds, both bright blue, hopping from fence post to fence post, flirting and chirping. (Clearly twitterpated.)

And as I laid in bed yesterday enjoying that whole week-end being lazy thing, I heard dozens of birds chirping outside my window. My cat was

going crazy trying to get to them. I laid there and smile. Birds make me so happy. I think maybe I was Snow White in a previous life.

Lower Blood Pressure! Not quite as poetic as birds and springtime, but still- it makes me happy! I’ve always had really low blood pressure- so low that nurses who measured it regularly asked if I was about to faint. Maybe it’s because of all the stress in my life lately, but when I was waiting at the pharmacy the other day I stuck my arm in one of the cuffs they have just to pass the time. I wasn’t really paying attention till my daughter said, “Aren’t those numbers really high?” 167/117 WHAT??? I ran it again and got the same reading and then tried to figure out which alternate reality I’d fallen into. I began some furious research (no medical insurance) and started doing everything the Mayo Clinic and a couple of other reliable sites recommended. I switched to a lower sodium salt substitute, began religiously putting in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day, included 1 oz of dark chocolate each morning, drank at least one glass of hibiscus herbal tea each day, began practicing yoga nidra, and made a conscious effort to breathe deeply and relax. It’s been about a month and I’m back in the normal range most of the time now. Just getting my blood pressure back down was, in itself, a good stress reducer. =)