May Day

Today my husband and I are going to a rally and march for May Day, international workers' day. We will be supporting workers' and immigrants' rights. It's rather uncomfortably warm today, so it's a good thing we're expected to wear white. I just purchased a sun hat yesterday, just in time. I've always wanted to march for something; this will be a good introduction march. Next march I want to do is for pro-life issues, but I think I missed it for this year. I also missed the Virgen de Guadalupe march in December, which brings together all the parishes in our diocese. I am determined to do it this year. The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe was my daughter's due date, and we named her Maria Guadalupe.

On another note, just as an experiment, today I brushed my teeth with Dr. Bronner's peppermint Castile soap. The minty taste was nice, and my teeth definitely feel clean, but I don't care much for the soapy aftertaste. Perhaps I used too much soap.

Either way, I believe it will be handy for traveling, seeing as I wouldn't want to bring my glass jar of toothpaste in my luggage, and don't want to have to purchase one of those silicone squeeze tubes. I don't foresee any traveling in the near future which doesn't involve taking our whole home with us, so it's not really an issue, but in case I do take the train to see family, it's nice to know that all I need to bring is a little bottle of Dr. Bronner's. No shampoo, no conditioner, no toothpaste, no shaving cream. Well, I'll probably bring my homemade sunscreen, and may end up getting a squeeze tube for that. Eventually.

The bentonite clay toothpaste is overall better for oral care, since it removes toxins and harmful bacteria. And it doesn't taste like soap! 

I am really not happy with how warm the weather is. It's nothing compared to the sweltering summers in Bakersfield, but I've lived up north for so long now that my tolerance for heat is greatly reduced. Any temperature above 75 makes me irritable. It's still spring, why must we have summer weather?! Confound you, climate change!

God help us, I pray that the EPA won't be fleeced or shut down. Climate change deniers are in control and that's really, really bad news. It's worse than the unraveling of Obamacare, because without a livable planet, healthcare is the least of our worries. 

The governor has declared that the drought is over, but my husband and I are of the mind that industry and big ag may have pressured him to say so. We may have had a lot of rain this year thus far, but how is that the solution to a years-long severe drought? There's no guarantee that we will continue to have such a pattern of rainstorms. This week's heat is giving the impression we will not. I certainly face-palmed when I heard his announcement.

I will still behave as though we are in a drought. I hope others do the same. Happy May Day, everyone.