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Sanity Maintenance *  Last year, at around this time, The Amazing Bob and I were on pins and needles waiting to hear if that spot found on his CAT scan was a recurrence of the BIG BAD.

*  Two years ago on this very day my beloved TAB had heart surgery. He’d had an attack shortly after finding out that he was rockin’ not one but two kinds of cancer. This was round one of the Lymphoma Battles. It was also the Snowmageddon winter.

*  Three years ago we had a surprisingly quiet January. Mind you, we fully expected some heinousness to land on us but it didn’t. So, a tense yet calm winter.

*  January of 2012 was the winter of Prostate Hell. I'll say n'more on that.

*  I can’t find any notes on January 2011. Did we get the year off or am I forgetting something? Was this the winter of twice weekly cardio rehab?

*   January 2010 was our MGH Marathon year.

And of course, January’s the month of TAB’s birthday and our anniversary. Tomorrow. It woulda been our 31st.

So yeah, even without Darth Cheeto my month was gonna be a stone bummer.

What has the Fascist Tangerine Manatee done to us since last Friday? The PBS Newshour’s post The 12 executive actions Trump has signed (so far) tells us what he's accomplished beyond tweeting and making the U.S. the laughing stock of the known universe. It's painful but ya gotta read it (if you weren't already aware). I want to hide out, go all mythical ostrich but a) that ain't gonna make the Evil Orange Narcissist vanish and b) I really want/NEED to be a part of the resistance. Mirah Curzer, a lawyer, feminist AND photographer, has a brill post up over at The Coffeelicious: How to #StayOutraged Without Losing Your Mind, Self-Care Lessons for the Resistance

This is a FABULOUS post. Take the time and go read the whole thing. We’ve a long, blindingly hard slog ahead of us and, in order to not lose our lovely marbles at the same time we're being effective resister/activists, we gotta get and stay smart. Below is just a wee morsel of her wise article. Once again, ya gotta read the whole damn awesome post!

1. Don’t Get Used to Trump — Get Away From Him
You will do more good if you make time for non-Trump conversations and non-political activities. It’s like taking a vacation from your job, which research has shown dramatically boosts productivity. Take a good long break, then come back refreshed and ready to work.
2. Focus Your Energy on One or Two Issues
3. Make Activism Fun
Don’t let anyone tell you that humor has no place in the movement, or that you aren’t allowed to be proud of your contribution, or that it’s unseemly to have fun while you’re doing serious work. That’s all bull, and it’s counterproductive to boot.
4. Take Care of the Basics
Go to therapy.
Get enough sleep.
Go to the doctor/the dentist.
Spend time with friends
Eat well. Sure, healthy is good, but I also mean delicious. Cook (or order) food that makes you happy.
Make your bed. Seriously, it takes like two minutes max and makes such a difference. Given the extra special Hell-on-Wheels month that I'm having, what Sanity Maintenance stuff am I doing?
What are you doing to buoy your spirits, preserve your sound minds and wit? Tell me, tell me!

Posted by Donna at 9:42 AM