So last night I had a strange dream. Well, I had many little dreams, but this was the last dream I had right before waking up this morning, and its the one I remember. In parts. In the dream, I was at the Marriott Hotel for Camp Widow, which I have been a presenter at […]
Uncategorized
Happily Paired, or “Quirkyalone”, Happy Valentines Day
Last Saturday, I was fortunate to join other local artists for an art gala in my local community. It had been many years since I’d exhibited at or had been involved in the organization of such an event. Congratulations to the members of the Osprey Cove Women’s Club, my fellow committee members and the supportive […]
Discovering A Land of Enchantment
I know that today’s target, Amarillo, Texas, is the largest town in the Texas Panhandle. I have two local points of interest in mind when I visit it. One is known as the Second Amendment Cowboy, an enormous cowboy figure, whose original mission was hawking car mufflers. Although he neither packs a pistol nor wears […]
Choosing Life – A Love Letter to Julia from Paula
Photo of Paula & Julia by a school friend I wake up to a firm ray of sunlight bursting through my dormitory window on July 2nd, 2019. I can’t wait to finally see my family after what feels like years. Suddenly, an inexplicable feeling of heaviness fills my chest, making it hard to get out […]
Recognized
When something tragic happens, everyone seems to know about it. You expect your core and extended people to know your story. I often forget how far-reaching bad news can be. How, in the age of social media and the internet it doesn’t take long for news to spread. It spreads far beyond what we even […]
Decades
Today is my parents wedding anniversary. 57 years together, so far. Today is also the anniversary of the day that Don Shepherd moved in with me, and packed up his life from Florida and left it to take a risk on a life with me, in New Jersey, just minutes outside NYC. He drove his […]
Not Quite Arrived
By the time I exit the State of Missouri I’ve come to appreciate John Steinbeck’s astute observation, based on his own travels, that our country’s interstate highway system may be a fine solution for moving goods but it’s a lousy way to take in the countryside. Just past Joplin, Missouri, Interstate 40 crosses into the […]
Old Dreams, New Dreams
Yesterday I met up for coffee with someone who may very well be a colleague as a fellow grief-counselor, to ask her some questions about doing this work and all the tiny details involved. We sat there, two strangers both affected and changed by loss in completely different ways (she is a Buddhist, a minister, […]
On the Road
I had intended to publish last Thursday, as usual, but then experienced technical issues. Such are the vagaries of being off on the road. As you can see, I’m back online today and anxious to make up for lost time. *** After a wonderful extended visit with Robyn, we went our separate ways before dawn […]
Greek Tragedy
Losing Tony hasn’t really made me question who I am as a person, but it has made me question how I should spend my time. As a couple, we each participated in activities that the other person wouldn’t sign up for alone. I’ve been to NASCAR races, BBQ contests, and attempted to fish. None of […]
“Second Chapter” and other Widowed Vocabulary
So, much like other groups of people who are sharing a similar life experience, the widowed community at times has a language of its own when talking with each other. Some of this vocabulary has developed naturally over time and then spread through the community, and some of it was created or started by someone […]
The Death of Lisa Marie
This week, the world got the news about the sudden death of Lisa Marie Presley; the only child of the legendary Elvis Presley. So now her mom Priscilla is living on earth without her only child, just as Lisa Marie was living here on earth without her son Ben, who died by suicide in 2020. […]