Happy Days!

As I blogged the other day I went down to the Health Department and had a complete physical and blood work up done for any infectious disease. I'm clean and clear for everything so far. The results come back for HIV in two weeks. I went back yesterday and signed up to be an HIV education instructor.


Last night in class we had to massage blind folded. I'm pretty claustrophobic but I have to say that I'm way more confident in my massage since doing this exercise than I was before. My back, leg, foot, hand and scalp massage rocks! I need to work more on my pecs, arms and face massage though. We have our 50 minute evaluations coming up in a couple of weeks. We have to be able to do a full body massage in 50 minutes. One thing I know for sure is that when I get my license I am NOT going to be working in a spa. If I assess a client and I decide they need an hour and a half or two hours I don't want to be dictated to by a spa owner who's trying to squeeze as many customers in as possible. I already have 6 clients in waiting and private practice is where my focus is going to be.


South Florida is 15 (!) inches behind in its rain already. It's getting hot and the spider mites have shown up in the last few weeks. They live in the rocks that outline my planters. These little buggers have taken my garden for the last two years. They got my Thai Basil and almost all of my cabbage so far this year. This morning I went out, harvested more seed, did some weeding and then sprayed the rocks with a mixture of water and the soap I make. The soap dries out the exoskeleton of insects and then they die. I hope. I've never actually tried it on spider mites before.


OK, people, I have to go to school. Hope you all have a blessed day with much laughter and love! Peace.

Last week we took an HIV/AIDS/Infectious Disease class. As I wrote after taking the class, it was great. So great that I was inspired to go that extra mile and do research through the CDC and local health department on infectious diseases that I may be exposed to through touch.

Sometimes ignorance really is bliss is all I can say.

One of the things I always pray for is clarity. Be careful what you pray for. I have so much clarity when it comes to what people are exposing themselves (and others) to on a daily basis that it's all I'm thinking about when I'm out now...ew that guy just sneezed and didn't cover his mouth...or that womans bare hand was just on the door knob then was in her mouth (nail biter) and now she's rubbing her eye...why is that couple letting their baby play on the floor - at the nursing home?!

My school is really strict on teaching proper cleaning protocols for the massage equipment and universal protocols for proper hygiene. They bring in instructors who are experts in their field to lecture. There are so many life altering bacteria and viruses that a client and therapists could be exposed to if proper protocols aren't followed. It is so important to make sure your massage therapist is licensed and comes from a good school.

A Serious Issue...

One of the diseases we covered in class was hepatitis B. HepB can be transmitted through contaminated blood, sweat, tears, saliva, semen, saliva, vaginal secretions, menstrual blood and breast milk. The virus can survive outside the body for at least 7 days on a dry surface. It can live up to 2 weeks in a chlorinated pool.

Here's a few key facts about HepB from the WHO:
*The hepatitis B virus is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV.

*Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.

*The virus is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person

*About 2 billion people worldwide have been infected with the virus and about 350 million live with chronic infection. An estimated 600 000 persons die each year due to the acute or chronic consequences of hepatitis B.

*About 25% of adults who become chronically infected during childhood later die from liver cancer or cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) caused by the chronic infection.

This Friday I'm going to make an appointment at the health department and have my blood tested for pretty much everything including HIV and Hepatitis B. It's only $49.00. I expect to be negative for both so then I'm going to start my HepB vaccination series. Hepatitis B is an epidemic in the U.S. right now so many states are offering the vaccine for free. If you haven't had this vaccine series you may want to consider it. I'm not a big proponent of vaccines but some I think are a good idea. This is one of them.

Since Scott and I have decided to separate things are so peaceful between us. Not that they weren't before because they were. Granted we had spirited debates because he's the left to my right and vice versa but on a personal level we just never really had fights like a lot of other couples I know. And I have to give us a pat on the back for how we're both handling the decision to starting the transition to separate lives. There are no hurful emotional outbursts, no backstabbing, no control issues, no they said you said (well there is that but not between us and that's all water on wax anyway), no sarcasm, no nothing. In fact all we have left for each other right now is the commitment to realize that this isn't just about us but about Rowan too...the realization that to make the last 20 years as a couple not degrade into meaningless crap we both need to stand in our spiritual center and draw on our personal and spiritual beliefs in karma, to draw on the love we have for each other and move through this transition with love and integrity.

For example yesterday I was out working in the garden and Scott and Rowan were out front in the street when they both started calling for me. If I was coming from that Puella place I could have moved into the whole apathetic or angry who cares what you want mode but instead I stand in my center of balance and I went out to see what was going on - and was blessed with the site of Scott running down the street. Running!!! He hasn't ran in 6 months! I guess it's a double blessing...he wanted to share with me and I was open to receiving the site.

I would have exalted in that moment whether that was a complete stranger or my ex partner. What a moment that was for ANY human being!

Karma, what you don't do counts as much or more as what you do.

Well, after five weeks of nothing but Muscles I finally took The Muscle Exam, the hardest exam until my final and then the National Exam and I passed it with a high B. I'm not really satisfied with my grade but I passed and a lot of people didn't. This was one of the most difficult tests I've taken since college and those were nothing compared to this. I missed about 12 questions out of a hundred and most of those were on origin and insertion of the muscles.There's a lot going on in my personal life and before the gossip gets too hot I'll put the rumours to rest: Scott and I have decided to seperate. We've been together for 20 years, known each other since kindergarten. We're going to be doing this in true hippie fashion. No bullshit, no fighting, no crap. We have a lot of love for each other and are committed to having peace and tranquility through whatever process we go through. We're good and that's what matters. There was no fighting or carrying on, it seems to be a natural process for some reason and that's where we want it to stay for Rowan's sake. He's staying at his mom and dad's house which is only ten doors away so Rowan isn't feeling like she's missing either one of us. We have twenty years of stuff to go through, eliminate, sell so it's not going to happen over night. I still have six months left of school so neither of us is in a hurry. Like I said we're doing this the right way for us.

That's the major personal news. In minor news I've already had an offer for a job when I graduate. My plan is to open my own practice in Hot Springs, North Carolina but we'll see what happens with the economy.

My garden is at the end of this cycle, I've been collecting seeds from my broccoli and lettuce and tomatoes. I'm going to try and make spaghetti sauce from absolute scratch tomorrow. Next full moon I'm going to harvest a few of my herbs for making medicine with. I'll have a lot of extra so if anyone wants or needs anything, let me know.

I have Megs computer today so I'm going to update all my pics too. I have a flickr and also a facebook, just search kachina herbs.

A big shout out to all the people who know Scott and I and aren't talking; those who are being kind, compassionate, supporting, loving and above all silent. I can only hope that one day I will be able to return your love and loyalty and exhibit the kind of honor and integrity you have extended to me and my daughter. Anyone who's ever made this type of change in their life knows that you don't need other people adding their energy to the situation. Well, that's about it...Peace, my people!

H.B. 875?

Anyone in on the skinny for this bill? It's 117 pages long and obviously with my school load it's going to be a while before I have the opportunity to read it in full so if you have read it, hit me back with the info if you can. A lot of the herbal forums I used to check out regularly have rooms that are on fire with this topic but it seems not many people on them have actually read the entire bill. Some people are saying this is going to require backyard gardens to be inspected by government officials but honestly I can't see that happening especially since Michelle Obama just planted an herb and vegetable garden on the south white house lawn last week.

Anyway if you have actually read the bill my email is Kachinainc@hotmail.com.

Thanks!

Muscles, Muscles and More Muscles!!!

This is the end of my third week of American Institute for massage therapy and it's all about muscle tissue, where they originate, where they insert and what their action is. I have 3 more weeks of nothing but muscles. It's really intensive. My father is in college to become a LPN and he doesn't have to know as much about this material as I do. I love it though. I love being able to look at someone and know what's going on in their body when they're moving or have aches and pains and how to relieve them with pressure applies to the correct origin and insertion. But you have to be sharp for this part of the course and constantly on point.
The clowns in the class don't help with absorbing the lectures. You'd think for twelve thousand dollars they'd shut up and want to hear the lecture, if not for professional reasons at least to get their investment back. I'm not just talking about the occasional joke thrown in here and there. I'm talking about kindergarten behavior...throwing paper, constantly whispering and talking in undertones, mocking what the teacher is lecturing about. It's mainly just two Bozo's (no offense Bozo) but they have a little clique that follow along.
I'm hoping the process of natural selection knocks them out of the running before I have to go talk to the school admin about it. My teacher is alright but she is unable to handle the situation.
Speaking of that: thus far I have three 100's, a 91 and an 87 on my exams. The 87 was our first test and I hadn't prepared for the type of test they administer. The 100's are the last three tests so I think I have the system down.
Peace!