Dream: Burglar

8/8
Not much about this dream in my memory, except that it was scary. My husband was out of town (San Francisco?) and I was in the house alone. For some reason I was scared shitless, there might have been someone trying to break in and/or I was just afraid there might have been. In the dream, I either called, emailed, or IMed with my friend Chris and begged him to come over after work and stay in the guest room until Fuzz came back from his trip. He agreed, but then a bunch of things kept happening and for some reason his arrival was delayed. I saw an "outside shot" of our house from outside, the lights in front of the windows flashing on and off on timers or something. (I remember thinking they looked pretty convincingly like several people were inside.) I think Chris did eventually arrive, I remember feeling relieved. At one point I may have regressed to my teenage self living at my parents' house. My bed turned from my current king-size bed to a twin, and the bedframe broke under my weight when I tried to lay on it. The mattress had no sheet, and it was all ripped up and nasty looking. I remember feeling bad and wishing Fuzz would come take me "home" away from my parents' house so I could sleep in our bed together again.  I think he might have come back, but can't remember if we went home or just squished together in the broken-down twin bed.

Dream: Pissed-Off Aunt

8/6
I don't remember a lot about this dream, except that I was staying in New Jersey with my aunt & uncle & cousins. (I don't know if I was younger in the dream, or the age that I am now.) Apparently, my cousins and I had a curfew of 11:15, at which time we had to go in the house. We were swimming, and it was way before curfew but I wanted to re-negotiate with my aunt for a curfew of midnight. She said no, and I got really pissed off -- like extremely pissed -- and so I ran around the yard, punching at the air. At one point I punched the air near an archway made of tree branches. She got super upset and started screaming that I punched at the archway and broke it on purpose. (I did swing my arms and punch around them, but did not make contact.) The tree archway was unharmed, but she kept insisting that I ruined it and demolished the trees. She screamed for her husband, yelling that I ruined their archway even though I didn't.  I woke up around that point.

Dream: Black Angel Rabbit

8/4Dreamt of a "black angel rabbit" -- somehow, we were visiting Italy & the home we stayed at had facilities for bunnies. I went for a walk (looked a lot like home) and I saw him. He was a beautiful baby bunny with a broken leg, and he sort of dragged it behind him. It looked like there was green planty things (burrs or edamame?) stuck on his foot. I picked him up to carry him home, worried about predators and cars. He struggled to get away. He opened his mouth and screamed at me, seemingly terrified for his life. I petted him and tried to be reassuring. The bunny was mostly black, with a tiny bit of brown mostly on his head and face. His ears were long and kinda skinnyish, up-ears but a bit on the floppy side like Seamus. He reminded me a lot of Seamus, but looked "wilder" somehow. When we got back to the house, I put him in a bunny "cage" area  without bars. (Phineas and Jarvis were possibly there.) There were lamps and a fake log, as if for turtles in an aquarium, but way bigger for bunnies. They knew they weren't supposed to leave the area despite lack of enclosure, but I worried that they wouldn't take kindly to baby bun, or that baby bun wouldn't know that he needed to stay put. I think we called a vet to look at his leg. Strangers lived in the house, and they spoke Italian. We were definitely just visiting, didn't live there. I also looked something up about "black angel rabbit" or "black rabbit angel" on the internet; apparently (in the dream) there was an anime character by that name. I wanted to name the bunny Angelus.

Emotional Vampires: How to Spot Them

Fortunately, most people are generally good souls.  But every once in awhile, you may run across someone who makes you feel like things "just aren't right."  You may be dealing with an emotional vampire.

Here are ways to determine whether or not you're dealing with an emotional vampire...

1.  Your gut tells you that something is different about this person.  Trust your intuition; it's been given to you for a reason.  If someone gives you chills, or a negative feeling, you can't ignore those things.  If you feel a certain sense of dread when you're in the presence of the potential emotional vampire, or are reluctant to be around this person, you must heed those warning signs.  Even if this is someone close to you, keep yourself open to this possibility.

2.  Determine how this person's interactions make you feel.  Does this person bring you up, as a supportive friend would, or drag you down?  Is the person negative, always dwelling on things that are upsetting to you or to them?  Do you feel as though a dark cloud has come over you when speaking to them or interacting with them?  No matter how positive your outlook before speaking to the person... do you feel negative or bad when they're around?  Do they always bring ANY conversation back to something negative?  If the answer to these questions is yes, you're likely dealing with an emotional vampire.

3.  Determine the frequency, timing, and nature of contact.  Does this person always seem to bother you over small things when you have your own issues to deal with?  (I'm not talking about a normal, healthy friendship where everything is a give-and-take; I am talking about a relationship where you give, and give, and are expected to give some more.)  Does the person accept help or other things from you gladly, even extolling your virtues, but then seems to "disappear" or fill him/herself with excuses when your time of need arises?  Or, worse yet, does this person seem to "kick you when you're down"? Even if they are not an emotional vampire... this type of behavior is unacceptable.

4.  Discern your own feelings before and after contact.  Do you feel drained of energy or positivity when your interaction with this person is over?  Do you feel as though you've nothing left?  It is especially important to figure out how you're feeling before the contact, and then assess your status post-contact.  We all have our good days and bad days... but if there's a pattern to this draining/feeding process (especially if you can determine it over time)... you need to pay attention to this pattern of victimization.

Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself against emotional vampires.  Check my blog for more information for help in how to deal with them!

The Magic Properties of Tea

Tea is traditionally made from the leaves of the tea plant, but it can also be made with various herbs which have been steeped in water.

People in cultures throughout the world drink tea.  It can be consumed with milk, lemon, or sugar.

Different types, styles, and temperatures of tea can be used for different purposed. For a relaxing beverage, try a cup of iced tea.  Hot tea is better for soothing and warming you when you're feeling cold or sad.  Try green tea if you're looking to wake up and be refreshed!  Mint tea helps to cleanse the palate and soothe the mind, getting you ready for the next meal or the next path in your life.  Tea with cinnamon or other spices can make you feel warm when the temperature is low outside.  If you're suffering from insomnia and in need of a sleeping aid, consider giving jasmine or chamomile teas a try.

The emotional benefit of teas cannot be understated.  In times of stress, sorrow, or grief, a cup of tea can stimulate you into action.  It can also help to soothe and warm you when you're feeling ill or depressed.  Tea can also help to energize you and provide an uplifting feeling, prompting good feelings and making even a happy time feel that much nicer.

There are so many varieties of teas, and many of them can be enjoyed in all sorts of different ways.  Find your favorite and enjoy! :)