Had a great day. Working with blueberry plants all day is centering and calming, lots of solitude and time to think. Counter-intuitively, getting that kind of quiet/solitary time tends to engender a desire for more of the same, rather than a need for social interaction. For me, social skills/ability to tolerate social interaction are like a muscle- I must use it or lose it, and it really doesn't take much time alone for me to want yet more alone time. By "alone time", I mean all alone, without people nearby. For example, sitting alone in the library would count towards social interaction that would halt atrophy of sociability even if I don't actually talk to anyone for the several hours I'm there, because there is still human energy around.

Human energy is draining. Feeling all those people around....it is emotionally and mentally "noisy". Oddly, large gatherings of Quakers are much less draining than the same number of other people would be. That human energy is still something I need a break from, but much less so than if they were a different group of people. Not sure why.

So. You see how I am, and my dad still thinks I should become a CNA. That just seems like such an incredibly bad idea to me! Taking care of the people I love and nursing them is one thing....doing it every day is another. Also, although I would likely love, nurture and care for patients under my care, the social interactions with co-workers would drive me nuts. Recipe for certain disaster....

Ah---> speaking of such things: mullein is good for relieving congestion and it grows all over the place (free, in other words). It doesn't have an exciting flavor, but isn't bad, either...mixing it with peppermint or other typical herbal tea blends for people with colds (rosehips, high in vitamin C, are another recommended addition) is the general course of action. How much? Oh, I don't know....a single leaf, or maybe a tablespoon per cup if it's dried and powdered.