Stress Free Mama?

I've been trying to be more aware of stresses in my life over the past year or so, and it's been pretty interesting. And while I was in bed with the zombie virus, I did lots of navel gazing. I realise that when I'm stressed out I don't FEEL stressed out, but it comes out physically and in my surroundings - My left foot goes peely with psoriasis (yeah, just the left). The house is a mess and I can't find anything. Clutter abounds. Even though I seem to spend more time fussing about housework, the dust bunnies multiply. Teenagers speak in grunts. I break out.

Eventually, I stand amidst the apocalypse and say, "Huh, I must be stressed out!"

Kitchen Window Sunshine

When I'm at peace, everything is effortless. Even my house plants look fabulous.

Except for the potted hydrangea, which I bought a few months ago. We are still working on our relationship. Half of the hydrangea appears to be dead, and the other half has developed green flowers. I blame the green flowers on plant food - hydrangeas only flower beautifully blue if their soil is more acid... or is it alkaline? The half-dead phenomenon, I just don't know. We're doing talk therapy now, and while there has been slight improvement in the general shrivelled-leaf attitude, the hydrangea remains surly and unwilling to cooperate. Suggestions gratefully accepted!

Hydrangeas aside, there is one thing I've learned this year, and it's that if I am contented, everyone is better. The boys are relaxed and joyful, houseplants flower, the cat is cuddly and we spend more time relaxing. And somehow, 'relaxing' might mean baking or organizing or ironing... Jobs that, when I'm stressed out, just make me more crotchety.

Of course, life being what it is, there will always be times when stress happens. A too-big workload, end-of-term exams, teenage angst, illness, leaky roofs, broken cars, money worries (the opposite of too much work), annoying people, and insurance salesmen abound. I just have to remember to keep an eye on my peely left foot. Looks gorgeous right now. Everything must be ok! I'll go tell the hydrangea.