My Blog

Giacomo needs your help!!

coehlo — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:14:40 GMT

Giacomo is a two year old male domestic shorthair cat who needs a good home. Unfortunately, Jeremiah's crazy b*tch of an ex-roommate moved out of their shared house while we were at Burning Man... and left Giacomo in the house, all by himself, with a window propped open, essentially to die. We got home from our 16-day trip and found him without food. She absolves herself of all responsibility for this poor kitty, and refuses to either take him or find a home for him. We have been taking care of him at the house while moving Jeremiah out, but truly cannot adopt him and give him a permanent home at our new place (we already have one cat, a skunk, and four chickens on our lease, and really cannot bring another animal into our home right now). Giacomo is grey and white, long and lean. He is a very sweet animal, but at the moment he is a little skittish around people (understandably so, since his trusted caretaker abandoned him). He is warming up to us more each day as he begins to understand that we are indeed going to feed him on a daily basis. He gets along well with other animals (he has lived with four other cats, two dogs, and a skunk!). He's a good little mouser and loves to play! We have his documents from when he was purchased that show his immunizations. If you or someone you know can find room in your heart and your home for Giacomo, please contact me as soon as possible. He really needs a stable, loving person to care for him and give him a forever home.

Quick update!

coehlo — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:17:51 GMT

Burning Man was amazing and wonderful and horrible. Got the flu. Misery. Healed in Tahoe, journeyed on to CA, gorgeousness in Big Sur like I have never seen. No nursing job. Scraping by with phlebotomy and Apothecary work. Still waiting my authorization to test from the State so I can take the NCLEX-RN. New apartment is effing amazing. So thrilled. Totally nesting. More when there is time!

That's "Nurse Marlenah" to you!

coehlo — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:51:21 GMT

I am officially done nursing school. I completed the semester this morning with a grade of "A". My ATI Predictor test tells me I have a 99% chance of passing the NCLEX on the first try. Jeremiah and I signed the lease on our new apartment last night. I'm leaving for Burning Man on Saturday, followed by a week of hiking and exploring in California. Now I am just waiting to hear back from HR about the nursing position I interviewed for which, if I am offered it, would start the day after we return from California. If I land this job, then just about everything will finally have fallen into place. Wow.

Eggs!

coehlo — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:24:33 GMT

My girls have started laying! Or, more specifically, Popcorn has. It was a mystery who was doing it for the first two eggs, but this morning I saw her leaving a nesting box, and within it was a brown egg with butt-feathers still stuck to it, warm to the touch! They grow up so fast...

FOCUS.

coehlo — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:49:54 GMT

I have a serious case of senioritis. I never got to experience this in my senior year of high school, because I spent that year completing my freshman year of college. Now I have 16 days of nursing school left, and I can hardly motivate myself to pick up a book. I am currently in a Community Health rotation, which is proving to be a peice of cake. I have two major projects to wrap up by Friday, and three exams in the last week. But can I make myself complete the research? Can I will myself to crack open my notes to study? Nope. All I can think about is preparing for Burning Man and California... and moving into the new place with Jeremiah when we get back... and how I have an interview for a nursing job on the 21st... It is very difficult to put myself into the present when the future is so much more exciting...

almost done nursing school, holy crap...

coehlo — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:40:36 GMT

I haven't updated in ages, so much has happened... Teaching and playing at Drum and Splash, the beach, Ewan's, the surprise of Jeremiah buying us silks and hanging em from a tree in my driveway, teaching hoop at the Circus School, the completion of my high-risk OB rotation... The summer is flying by so quickly that I feel like I can't even catch my breath. Before I know it, it's going to be finals week and I'm going to be scrambling to get everything done before Burning Man. There is so much that I have yet to do, especially costumes... but it will all get done eventually!! I have 5 weeks left of nursing school, including this one... and then I'm done. It's unbelievable. I've been doing well in clinical and on my tests, though I still feel very unprepared for the NCLEX-RN. I've been applying to every hospital that I can think of within a 30 mile radius, and just praying that someone hires me... if anyone has any leads on nursing jobs, especially in women's health/maternity, please let me know!!!

So much to do, so little time...

coehlo — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:27:32 GMT

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by my life right now. First things first, school is crazy. Several large projects in the works all at once, plus the day to day struggles of learning the material, applying it on the telemetry unit two days each week, then recalling it well enough to discuss it in regards to our case studies in seminar and pass the tests. Preparing for NCLEX is daunting, I'm so afraid that I'm going to botch it up and be denied my liscense. My confidence waxes and wanes when it comes to my skills and competence as a nurse... graduation is so close, and then what? Where the hell am I going to work? The jobs simply aren't out there, and I fear that I am not the most competitive applicant for the ones that do exist. What happens if I graduate and can't get a job? Or I do get a job, and find out that I don't have what it takes to cut it as a "real" nurse? I really don't think that I'll be able to handle getting sent back to square one. I've invested so much time and energy and love into this path... failure is not an option!!! Ahh, the stress of it is sickening, and all I can do is try not to think about it too much and take this semester a day at a time. Secondly, living at home is driving me fucking nuts. I love my family, but it's just too much. We finally found a nice young lady to rent the spare room out to... which is great, because that rent money is essential to our being able to continue living in this house. But it also means the loss of a significant amount of storage space, as well as the loss of my private bathroom (which is now her private bathroom). Petty and stupid as it may seem... it was just really nice to not have to share a bathroom with my sweet, but deaf and flatulant handicapped uncle. I'm 22 years old, I have a full life... and I now have to find a way to fit that entire adult life into my small, childhood bedroom. I've packed away all my homebrew supplies, and in the attic they'll remain until I move out... my schoolbooks tower over me on top of my cluttered computer desk which is crammed in next to my bed under which is stored a box of candles that I don't have the flat surfaces on which to burn and the few pairs of shoes I'm hanging on to after having to weed out my closet for items to donate in order to fit my scrubs, camping supplies and ongoing art projects. And really, I don't have very much stuff! I'm not a "stuff" kinda person, I don't hoard and I wear my clothes until they are literally worn through because I hate shopping THAT MUCH. It's just too small a space. I'm going out of my mind. Keeping up with the hoop stuff has been tricky. I don't have much time for my own personal hoop practice, and sometimes I really hesitate to sacrifice my weekend mornings to teaching. But I do have some really exciting opportunities coming up, and I'm excited to have the chance to bring the hoop into the lives of new people. My social life is essentially dead. I made it out to PDF, and had a fabulous time. It felt wonderful to spend a weekend dancing and drinking wine and hooping all night long. We went to Patrick and Mel's wedding celebration in the Pines, and though I spent quite a bit of it asleep in the car (it had been a long day!), we had fun and drove to LBI to watch the sun rise. It was beautiful. But, on a weekly basis, I am a homebody. I have to get up early all the time for school, or work... and by the time the stuff that I have to do is done, and dinner has been cooked... it's too late to go out. I'm okay with this for now... I'm not terribly upset that I spend my evenings at home with tea and books and cats and my boyfriend. It's comfortable, I'm content, and rest is more important to my health and success now than it has ever been. But there are friends of mine who I haven't seen in months, who I hope understand what's going on with me!! The chickens are growing up too fast! There is quite a bit of pressure to get their permanent fenced run and second chicken house built... the photo is of that work in progress... it's starting to get crowded with the four of them in the one house! They have eaten almost ALL 50 LBS of their chick feed that I bought what, 6 weeks ago? Jeremiah has been wonderful. He is so supportive and understanding. I couldn't ask for a better partner, and I don't know how I'd be keeping it together if it weren't for him. Sometimes he just knows exactly what I need... whether it's a cup of tea or a backrub or someone to help me study for NCLEX or just an early bedtime. That's pretty much the sum of it right now!

PDF

coehlo — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:37:12 GMT

...approaches. Getting antsy. My chickens are becoming giants. Nursing school is effing hard. That is all!

Springtime...

coehlo — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:36:35 GMT

It is a warm and pleasant May afternoon. I spend an hour sitting on the bench next to my pond and watching the wealth of life that surrounds me. A pair of mating toads create a long strand of black pearls behind them, lying in coils and strands amongst the watercress and lilypads. Occasionally one of the single, singing males attempts to interrupt their union, and the pond erupts into a show of splashes and kicks. Brand new, tiny little tadpoles cling to the algae-covered walls. Our dear frog, who has been with us for three years now (and has gotten absurdly large in size) relaxes on the stones surrounding the water, awaiting his next meal. Even as I watch, a brown and black chipmink peeks his head over the the rock barrier, its hands pressed together beneath its chin, watching me. His family finds safe roads beneath the wooden pation that we built, which is elevated a few inches off the ground. Honeybees and bumblebees are hard at work pollinating the holly bushes and they create a buzz that can be heard even over the sound of the traffic. Their labors are evident in the apple trees, who have losts their blossoms and are already swelling with young fruit. A yellow finch flits from branch to branch, chirping quietly as though talking to itself. The breeze brings me scents of fresh mown grass, lily of the valley, and rain-washed earth. In this moment, I am part of this beautiful world. I am complete. I am happy.

Ahhhhh!!!

coehlo — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:50:23 GMT

Lots of things are happening quickly, and I'm scrambling to adjust. Tons of happy hoop stuff and opportunities are flying at me, from every direction, and I'm kind of spinning from it all (pun intended). But on a happy, carefree note... I have baby chickens!!! I've finally taken an important second step towards my dream of independence... the first step being my tiny little vegetable and herb gardens :) The Chickiechickiepeeperpants Clan includes Popcorn and Daffodil (Golden Sex-Link females who will lay light brown eggs when they're grown up) and Cerberus and Bambi (Ameraucana females who will lay turquoise eggs when they're grown up). They are so ridiculous cute! They're currently living in my bathroom brooder under a heatlamp until they are fully feathered out and can move into the ultra deluxe renovated bunny hutches that Jeremiah and I have turned into chicken coops. I loveses them!!!

Time needs to slow the f down.

coehlo — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:58:00 GMT

... I've been sitting at this computer for hours on end, typing, typing, typing... trying to get my paper written, my clinical journals submitted, my website up and running... and the day is nearly over. I have only 4 more weeks before the semester is finished. I can't believe how quickly it has gone by... everytime I turn around I'm saying, "holy shit, it's Friday already?" It's kind of scaring me, because I'm really enjoying life and I don't want it all to fly by so damn fast... but here I am, getting ready to start my final semester of nursing school. Luck was with me durign the random process of registration for clinical rotations. My number got picked early enough that I got my first choice: 6 weeks of med-surg management at Lansdale, then we have a week off for Independence Day... then two weeks of high-risk obstetrics at Phoenixville (WOOT!!!), then I get two whole weeks off from clinical because of jamming 6 clinical days into two weeks... three weeks of community nursing at who-knows-where. And then... I graduate. So strange, for graduation to be in foreseeable future... In addition, I'm going to start working at the Apothecary Garden again on Tuesdays. They need the help, and I need the cash, so it works out nicely... Jeremiah and I are also going to be starting an 8-week beginners aerial arts course in May at the Philly School of Circus Arts. I'm super excited about it, and also acutely aware that I need to build up some serious muscle before then! I used to be much stronger, and would like to be again. This class will be just the kind of motivation I need to whip my ass into gear.

Dreary rainy April...

coehlo — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:34:43 GMT

...well the trees are already bursting into bloom, and the forsythia has exploded. But it's chilly, rainy, and grey, and I'm having a hard time staying awake this afternoon. I completed my hospice rotation today at Nazareth Hospital, and I really enjoyed it. I got to spend an hour sitting with an 88 year old woman, listening to her reflect on her life, and watching her become tearful as she talked about how she and her (now deceased) husband met on a blind date... a friend set them up, and when they met he told her how he'd seen her at their friend's wedding years before when she was sixteen but she was too young to date then... but he'd had his eye on her for that long. Another woman died on my shift, and though it wasn't the first time I'd seen someone die and participated in the care that happens after death, it still startles me how respectful and natural it all is. It's not scary or morbid at all, really. It just is, and then it's over.

I saw...

coehlo — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:12:36 GMT

...the first blooming crocus of the season today. They were yellow, and beautiful. Spring is coming!!!!

I need...

coehlo — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:30:15 GMT

... to make some extra cash. I'm gonna be really, really honest here. The bastards took away my state grant for school since I got student loans... unfortunately, I took out student loans in the EXACT AMOUNT I'd need to survive and pay my bills and tuition AFTER taking into account my grants and scholarships. So, I'm not going to pay my bills in July and August unless things change. I'm taking all available open shifts that jive with my school schedule at work, I've called all my old jobs to ask if they need any shifts covered (they don't), but it's not going to cover the deficit (especially since I've committed to Burning Man... the moneys I make working were SUPPOSED to be put into savings for the trip, not to cover my monthly bills). So. Who wants to hire me? I can hoop, I can crochet, I can create delicious and therapeutic herbal tea blends for health, vitality and happiness. I can cook, I can bake... my cookies and cupcakes are reknowned far and wide! (Well, not really. But they are reknowned amongst friends and acquaintances.) I can clean, organize, garden, do laundry, match socks, whatever the hell you need me to do (let's keep it clean though, folks! ;D} ) I can "accept donations" and show my thanks with bottles of phenomenal, delicious homemade honey wine, or fruit and herb cordials? Hellllppp!!! Help. That is all. Thank you!

This is how I feel about nursing school.

coehlo — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:28:51 GMT

This may be exceptionally boring for you. I'm ranting, more than anything else. I HATE psych nursing. This rotation is like getting my teeth pulled every Monday morning. I'm just not getting it. I understand that safety is the priority, and it needs to be done... but where is the satisfaction from this kind of nursing work? I don't see it. These people don't get better. The nurses essentially babysit them until their insurance determines that it's time for them to be discharged. And they are still sick when they go, many of them to shelters and halfway houses, and it's only a matter of time before they're admitted again. And the nurses hardly even get the chance to talk with, much less develop therapeutic relationships with their patients. One nurse on the unit is the med nurse.... and that's all she does. She hands out meds all day long, and that's pretty much it. The other nurse is the charge nurse, and most of her time is spent coordinating everyone else involved (physicians, social workers, case managers, family)... she rarely has the opportunity to sit and counsel her patients. The people "in the trenches" dealing with the patients on an individual basis are the mental health techs, not the nurses. And even then, it's all about conflict resolution, keeping the schedule, keeping the peace... not working to bring these people up to their potential. There simply aren't the resources or time to do so. It's depressing. I have nine more weeks of this.... two more at the community mental health hospital, and then seven weeks at Norristown State. And then next semester I have to come back for another rotation to give meds. I hate it, I'm dreading it, but I have to get through it in order to get my damn degree and begin doing what I'm supposed to be doing. On the other hand, my med-surg rotation this semester is challenging, and fulfilling. Last week I was assigned two patients and was giving IV meds, and despite the sort of hectic nature of the day, I felt like I did a really good job. This week I'll have three patients, and I'm excited. We really get to "play nurse" this semester... instead of essentially being just a student who has to constantly say, "I'll have to get my instructor/the nurse before I do that", we get to really be in charge of the care for our patients. Our instructor and the co-assigned nurse are backups... they just let us do our thing and supervise the administration of meds. It feels good to finally be functioning *almost* independently as a "real nurse". We do all of our own charting now, which is probably the most stressful part of the job. Every Wednesday afternoon as I write my progress note I am terrified that I'm going to end up sounding like an idiot to the physicians who read it to find out what went on with the patient that day... but the language is starting to flow naturally for me. Today is a day off for me... but I'm going to spend it ironing out the details for my teaching project for the psych patients. Next Monday I have to try to teach a room full of delusional, disruptive and all-around low-functioning people how and why to wash their hands. Oi.

Mead

coehlo — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:35:24 GMT

Homebrewing has become one of my favorite activities in this past year. I'd been discouraged before by a very expensive and disappointing failed batch of blueberry mead about two years ago, and had put aside the hobby for awhile. But when Jeremiah first told me that he was brewing mead, it sparked the desire in me again. And I've been rewarded with delicious, beautiful libations for my efforts. If any of you have been considering homebrewing, I'd recommend starting with this recipe. It is foolproof. So far, Jeremiah and I have brewed four delicious, clear batches of this mead. By varying the amount of honey you can make it sweeter or drier as you please. As written, it is a very sweet mead. I cut the amount of honey to 12 lbs, and added 1 cup of sugar after the first racking, and it became a very pleasant semi-dry wine. 15lbs of wildflower honey 4 gallons of water peel and juice of 2 lemons peel and juice of 1 orange 7.5 cinnamon sticks 22 cloves a pinch of allspice I nutmeg, ground a packet of cote de blancs wine yeast 1 c. room temp orange juice (preservative free) 1/4 tsp yeast nutrient 1/4 c sugar Place the honey into a large pot, add enough of the water to liquify the honey and fill the pot 3/4 of the way. Add the spices and citrus peel and juice. Heat the honey until near boiling (don't let it boil, you'll kill the flavor, color and aroma of the honey) to kill off any wild yeasts. It will smell absolutely delicious. Let cool enough to handle without killing yourself, and using a sterilized funnel, pout it into a sterilized (I use a bleach-water solution and rinse it repeatedly until it no longer smells like chlorine) 5 gallon glass carboy. Let cool to room temperature (this may take 12 hours, so just cover the top of the carboy with some aluminum foil to keep nasties from getting into your pasteurized must). In the meantime, start your yeast by mixing the 1 c. orange juice, yeast nutrient and sugar in a glass, mason jar, etc. Mix the dry packet of yeast with a bit of lukewarm water (about 100*F) to hydrate it, and then add to the orange juice starter. Cover loosely with aluminum foil, place in a warm and draft-free place for a few hours until it's bubbly. Pitch it into your cooled honey must. Stick an airlock on top and let it ferment! When the bubbling has stopped, rack into a clean carboy, leaving the sediment behind. If it begins to bubble again, rack once the bubbling stops and the mead has cleared to the point of being able to read through it (not really, but it should be sparkling clear). If when you taste it, you'd like it to be sweeter, add some sugar dissolved in some of the mead. It should be ready to bottle in about 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

This is your brain on nursing school...

coehlo — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:54:51 GMT

I've been studying for the past five hours. My brain is fried, and I still have to review my benzodiapines and interventions for anxiety (mild, moderate, severe, and panic) before the test tomorrow. But on a cheerier note, I'm teaching hoop at RYAH yoga this Spring. It's a beautiful space, and I'm very excited. *takes a few deep breaths, and dives back into her books*

Stuff I did.

coehlo — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:11:51 GMT

- started a framboise beer. 9 weeks or so until it's totally ready! Can't wait. - began my community mental health rotation at Brook Glen. It's a little scary, but I'll be fine. - signed up for a partner yoga class with Jeremiah for this friday night at RYAH. Fun! - finished my 2008 taxes! I'm watching the snow fall and feeling quite content.

Nothing very interesting.

coehlo — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:15:43 GMT

I got out of class 3 hours earlier than I thought I was going to today. I should be taking advantage of the time and doing some yoga or something, but I have a very heavy, very happy cat in my lap and I can't bring myself to push her off so I can get working. So, I'm blogging a bit while she has me imprisoned beneath her. I've begun my new semester, and it's gonna be a toughie. I'm nervous about my psych rotation now, since I found out that I may be assigned to the forensic unit at Norristown State Hospital. I can handle psych patients... that doesn't intimidate me... but psych patients who also happen to be sex offenders? Eh... I'm not too confident in my ability to care for them without judgement... and fear. So today my TV randomly started turning itself on and off and on and off again... I've decided it's a poltergeist, especially since the TV is in the corner of the room where my cats have a tendency to sit and stare towards the ceiling, meowing at nothing...

It's Business Time

coehlo — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:37:12 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN0oDnoc3-c Not work appropriate, but hilarious :)

Guess what?

coehlo — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:24:02 GMT

I'm going to Burning Man :). I got tickets yesterday (despite the technical fiasco). And after Burning Man, I'm heading out to San Francisco, Big Sur, and Monterey for a grand total of a week:D And I'm doing all of this with my darlingest darling, Jeremiah ;D!!! ...AND it's all happening approximately 2 days after my very last final exam of nursing school. If I miss the graduation ceremony, so be it... It would be nice to get pinned as a nurse, but I'd rather be experiencing the world than sitting through a series of speeches. It's tradition for me to skip it anyways... I didn't go to my high school one, or my first college graduation, so why go to this one? It's so strange to be seeing light at the end of this tunnel... I've been working toward this degree since I dual-enrolled in college during my senior year of high school... that's four years now. It felt at times that I would never be finished... and now I'm looking at two very short semesters to completion. I'm excited... VERY excited, really... but also a little nervous. When I return from Burning Man, I will be coming home to a world full of big decisions to make. Everything I've wanted could become reality so soon, it's overwhelming to think about. By this time next year I could be planning my garden... and not just the little plot I've taken over in the backyard of my mom's house... but MY garden, on my land... precious land entrusted to me to be made fertile, productive, and beautiful. I don't know if you can understand what that means to me... but to be able to put down roots somewhere. I can't wait to have a place permanent enough to plant an asparagus patch, to raise chickens, goats, sheep, and bees. It's something that I have craved as long as I can remember. As grateful as I am for the chance to live at home with low rent while paying my way through school... I'm suffocating. I need space. I need quiet. I need a home, not just a room. That time is fast approaching, and while I cherish each beautiful day I live in the meantime... I can't wait :)

I am in need...

coehlo — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:00:51 GMT

... of new music to hoop to. Any suggestions of funky, crunchy, delicious beats are welcome. I've recently started downloading some old school hip hop... ice cube, montell jordan... yeah, I'm desperate. Help!

Tree climbing...

coehlo — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:28:26 GMT

...is wonderful. Here's a video of my friend Bob, shot when he took me, Ewan, Jeremiah, and a few other folks up the Quaker Oak for an early November climb. http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZdrN3kROjo&feature=channel_page I love my Ellicott City darlings, and I miss them...

I got suckered into this...

coehlo — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:09:41 GMT

... I'm so susceptible to peer pressure. A game to know each other better, if you dont know me well enough feel free to steal it and post in your own profile without answering these peace... 1. My name: 2. Where did we meet: 3. Take a stab at my middle name: 4. How long have you known me: 5. When is the last time that we saw each other: 6. Do I drink: 7. What was your first impression of upon meeting me/seeing me: 8. What's one of my favorite things to do: 9. Am I funny: 10. What's my favorite type of music: 11. Can I sing: 12. What is the best feature about me: 13. Am I shy or outgoing: 14. Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules: 15. Do I have any special talents: 16. Would you call me preppy, average, sporty, punk, hippie, glam, nerdy, snobby, or something else (what): 17. Am I ugly? 18. Have you ever hugged me: 19. What is my favorite food: 20. If there was one good nickname for me, what would it be: 21. What's your favorite memory of me: 22. Do I have any pets: 23. What is my worst habit: 24. If you and I were stranded on a desert island, what is the one thing I would bring: 25. Are we friends: 26. Do I believe in God: 27. Am I family oriented: 28. Who is my best friend: 29. What kind of car do I drive: 30. Will you repost this so I can do it:

Thoughts for the day

coehlo — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:05:00 GMT

- HoopPath workshops rock my world. Intense, mind-opening, and fun. I'm going to begin my hoop practice blindfolded from now on. - Xmas is coming!!! 9 days!! I'm excited about the holidays this year like I haven't been since I was a kid. I'm really happy with the presents I got/made for people, and sharing the season with my honeybun makes me feel all cozy inside. We're baking all of our holiday cookies this Friday (except for the Springerle and lavender shortbread that we baked off this week). - I aced my nursing final, and did well on my Micro lab practical. Hells yeah. I feel really good about how I performed this semester, and even better about the fact that I will never have to do pediatric nursing ever again. Thursday is my Micro final, and then the semester is officially over and I will be able to read FICTION and FANTASY instead of textbooks for an entire month. Can't wait. - I started a batch of pomegranate, black cherry, and rose mead... it's been fermenting like crazy for more than two weeks now and shows no signs of stopping! The must tasted like heaven and it smells incredible, I'm so anxious for the fermentation to cease so that I can rack and taste it. I have all kinds of fun ideas for mead recipes... lavender and vanilla mead with alfalfa honey.... chocolate cherry mead... ginger mead... mmmm.... so I'm going to order a 60lb pail of honey and buy some more carboys after the holidays and get crackin'. It is so satisfying to brew something tasty to share with friends. - The other night I woke up and saw a shiny black spider the size of my fist crawling across the bed towards my face. I screamed at the top of my lungs, flung the covers off, and ran down the hallway in a panic. Poor Jeremiah asked "What's wrong?" several times before getting an answer... I told him that there was a gigantic spider in the bed... and as we searched through the covers and my heart pounded in my throat, I slowly came to realize that I'd dreamt the spider and hadn't really woken up until some point after I was out of the room... I was unable to tell the line between sleep and waking.