I am totally exhausted this evening (aside from the reviving effects of a long hot bath), but ecstatic as a brand shiny new offcially trained doula! Now I have to find some births to attend so I can get certified... which shouldn't be too hard, really, the local doula is massively overbooked!

I'm really looking forward to begin praticing for real, even though I'm pretty apprehensive about that part where I've never actually had any labor or delivery experience of any kind. I was realizing late this afternoon that actually, being a doula is right perfect for the service part of my faith (as much as I actually follow any particular specific path): Starhawk's ideas (which have influenced me as much as anything) more or less require some sort of service to the planet/world community. She does hers through protests and the like, but although I have strong opinions about many issues, I'm not the protesting type. This to me seems a sort of service much more in line with my own ideals; it's practical, it's zomg useful, and it's actually, more or less quietly, pretty radical and society-rocking. And woman-centered!

One of the other women at the workshop told me tonight, as we were all beginning to part, that she loved the idea that I was openly, shamelessly spiritual in a non-Christian way. She said somethings about how if you're not Christian, you're sort of not allowed to be spiritual, and that she found it pretty liberating that I am. I've never found that, but I come from a much different place, one where I was encouraged to make my spirituality where I found it, and I have never pretended to be what I am not in this regard, never been in the "broom closet". I'm not always blatant about it, either, if the situation would make that bad, but I don't deny it. I hope that I can be of use to the Pagan community hereabouts, as some of the other ladies at the workshop intend to have a Christian focus for their work.

I discovered at some point today that I made a booboo on my Argosy. I'll have to rip pretty far back... but that's probably ok.