This week has been a roller coaster of moments when I’ve hated everything and moments where I’ve laughed and rested in peace. I’m realizing more and more just how little control we have of our circumstances and how much control we have of our attitude. Continue reading
My Heart is Grateful.
It’s early in 2019, and already I’m feeling a tremendous amount of gratitude. I’ve had something going on that is causing me to get really dizzy. I fell once last month. I got on the ground to avoid falling again this month. And then I got horribly dizzy a third time just reading in bed. After those three incidents in a matter of weeks, I decided to see a doctor. (Fine, Dave insisted that I see a doctor. Details, details.) Continue reading
A Bright Light.
It’s been a strange month. Strange and sad and sweet and beautiful all at once. We lost Dave’s mom this month. Before she died, we were able to spend sweet time with her and some of her extended family. And since then, we celebrated her in a couple of gatherings that had her fingerprints all over them. And now, Dave’s immediate family is in Austin, having surprised us by flying in on Christmas night. We being old people were asleep when they arrived, so we didn’t experience the surprise until the day after Christmas, but their presence here has been sweet. It’s fun to be with them, particularly as we celebrate Dave’s birthday. I’m so grateful. Continue reading
Taking Care of Myself (and Others).
So much of my effort this year has been about taking care of myself. I hope it hasn’t been selfish. I don’t think it has. I just feel like there is so much aggression out in the world that I have to be extra diligent about both preparing myself for it and shielding myself from it. For me, that’s meant really looking at what improves my life and what doesn’t. Continue reading
A Gathering of Women.
Almost six years ago, I traveled to Whidbey Island for the first time to participate in a writing circle of strangers. That week, I made some dear friends who picked me up when I was hurting and helped me to work through some of the pain. Last week, three of those women – Bridget, Janis and Lynn – traveled to Texas to spend nearly six days in the hill country with me. For five nights, we stayed in an old rock house on property owned by my parents and previously occupied only by cows. They opted not to leave the house except on Sunday, when we ventured to the LBJ Ranch. Mostly, we wrote and talked. Continue reading
A Thing on My Elbow.
For a few weeks now, I’ve had a thing on my elbow. It’s a bump. A hump. It’s about the size of a dime, and it moves around. It doesn’t hurt unless I press on it really hard. It’s just there. And it’s been freaking me out. Continue reading
Whatever the Circumstance.
Earlier this evening, I was writing something to send to a friend who is struggling. As I wrote, I teared up. Dave came into the room and asked me if I was okay. I said I was, and he exited. A few minutes later, he came back holding Bread. He put Bread on my lap and for a good while, I had that warm little body nestled with me while I wrote. I love that warm little body. And I so love Dave for offering what help he could. Continue reading
