This past week my plans took me to another rural community about an hour from here. There, I happened to have a conversation with a young man who was just trying to get by. As he spoke I sat in my car and listened to his story. Sometimes that is all someone needs – […]
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Only Happy When It Rains
Mario wasn’t one of those guys who carried on and complained or wilted like a flower when he was sick or had some physical pain. His tolerance was high, bolstered by a masochistic tendency. In a way, he reminded me of that old song by the band Garbage, “Only Happy When It Rains” (in fact, […]
Nowadays, I Feel Ambivalent About the Beautiful Month of June
According to one poll of adult Americans (https://today..ougov.com/society/articles/45312-americans-favorite-and-least-favorite-months-year), thirty-nine percent love the month of June and an additional forty-one percent like June. Nine percent of American adults dislike June, only three percent hate it. I do not know how the results should be interpreted, except it further demonstrates that Americans cannot agree about anything nowadays. […]
Watching and Waiting
The Raccoon Saga Continues I think they’re gone. As I examine the clues of how they arrived, it seems they are gone. The urgency I felt (fear?) and signs of their presence brought a low level panic in my psyche. Why? Because I love animals and even though I know their presence could be […]
Approach of Father’s Day
As we enter June, my mind starts to think about all things surrounding Father’s Day. It will be our third Father’s Day without Erik. Each year seems to get harder as the twins get older. They have always asked for daddy since Erik passed but they are now looking for more of an answer. The […]
My LA Ambush
A group of widows is called an Ambush. I learned that at one of the three Camp Widow events I’ve attended. Greater than that fun fact, are the friendships I’ve built from those Camps. My home base Camp Widow has been San Diego. My first year in attendance, I almost instantly connected with three other […]
Coffee, Support, and Friendship
Yesterday was our most recent Soaring Spirits Regional Group meetup, held at a local coffee shop that we frequent. The place has a nice open concept for seating, the coffee is local and delicious, plus lots of yummy menu choices offering everything from bagels to quiche to muffins to cookies to scones. Its a comfy […]
Plant and Grow Forth
Happy June First. The beginning of Finally Feels Like Summer in the North and Hurricane Season and High Heat in the South. For some, The First of any month also finds us saying, “Rabbit, Rabbit”, a custom that possibly originated in England in the early 1900s and is said to bring good fortune throughout the […]
Flow Like Water
Sometimes I do plan a topic that I want to write about in this weekly post and sometimes I just let my brain talk through my hands across the keyboard. This is one of the later types of posts. Everybody dies. There, I said it. It’s that proverbial elephant in the room of life. While […]
School’s Out
My great-nephew graduates from grammar school this Friday. It will mark an important transition for the young man. It is a big deal! As I’ve mentioned here from time to time, I come from a small family. My mother, father, and sister are gone. My current “immediate” family is down to two nephews, one great-nephew—the […]
The Dance of Life in the Garden
. . . and sometimes, under the house. It is in the garden that life and death arrive on the regular. I witness living and dying primarily in the plants, grasses and weeds that come and go. I’m ever aware that when I pay attention, the garden is a valuable teacher. As a small […]
How Are You Doing?
This past weekend someone had asked me how I was doing. This question is one of those common questions you get in conversations and is usually followed by just a casual response of either ‘I’m good’ or ‘I’m fine’ and the conversation moves on. This person had meant something more than just the common question […]