Recently I have been spending time considering possible warm weather destinations for a mid-February hiatus. Here in the northern climes the specter of another harsh Winter leaves us daydreaming of a Winter getaway. Such getaways are not necessarily limited to the warm weather […]
Miscellaneous
A Division of Labor
As I have mentioned in this space from time to time, Lee was a marvelous gardener. She was more than a mere gardening enthusiast. After she retired from a career in government, Lee had plans to become a Master Gardener, a designation that connotes horticultural training and expertise as well as a deep commitment to […]
Al and Lee
My friend Al, pictured above, and I met as seniors in high school. Al was a charter member of our imaginary rock group the Frazier Thomas Band. Indeed, he was the imaginary producer of our first imaginary record album. Back in high school, my smart-ass first impression of Al had been, here is a guy […]
The Duality of Widowhood Replay
Kelley wasn’t able to post today, so we thought we’d share this post that she wrote back in 2017. Enjoy! The definition of the word “duality” is as follows: 1. the quality or condition of being dual 2. an instance of opposition or contrast between two concepts or two aspects of something; a dualism. “the […]
Reunion
Not unexpectedly, but to my slight disappointment, Lola did not run to greet me as I entered and parked in the driveway. She managed to briefly tear herself away from Donna and the deflated rugby ball cum dog toy long enough to jump up against me once or twice as I rounded the corner of […]
No Holiday From Grief
Last Friday I packed Lola the pup off to the great north woods with my RV pals, Donna and Craig, who have a lake home where they will be spending the next few weeks. I myself will be on holiday for the next couple of weeks. The timing means that I will miss Lola’s 1st […]
Noticing and Shifting Patterns of Living with Loss(es)
Main image by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash In the last few years, I have come across the field of “Human Systems Dynamics” (HSD), which offers ways of thinking and tools for exploring complex human systems. I learn about it mostly for professional reasons, but since my professional and personal interests are so integrated and intertwined, […]
Safety Behind Locked Doors
Safety. It’s the basis of all our primary needs. Safety, security and stability, when any or all of these are threatened, we go into survival mode. As someone who is widowed, these are in constant fluctuation for me. I have had calm days, stressed days and anxious days. The fear of being unsafe is something […]
Pets and People Years
Everyone has a set time here on this Animal Planet. When we take in a new family member, we know there are good chances we will be there for their whole life and still be here when they have moved on. It’s a normal part of life and we buffer our emotions by planning ahead […]
Mars and Venus and Me~
Several years ago, Just a couple years after Chuck’s death, A woman read my birth chart. She took into account where and when I was born. This wise woman, for that is who she was, drew my chart and studied the alignment of stars and constellations…where each one was on the morning I was born, […]
This Particular and Peculiar Sense of Non-being (Reboot)
Alison is on the road this week and won’t have access to internet so we’ve chosen this post from 2017 to share with you until she returns next week. Enjoy! There is a particular and peculiar loneliness of the sort that cannot be imagined for its’ overwhelming and enveloping totality, that strikes me when I […]
Widowed Weather
Almost three years ago, I flew home from a convention in Mexico. We had to fly around Hurricane Nate. I got home. Clayton and I prepped the apartment and planned to go to his mother’s house. He wasn’t feeling well and I wanted to take him to the hospital but he said we should wait […]