After all I went through with this house, and despite all the new parts to it, much is the same – the architecture, the possessions, the view. The great room isn’t quite the same – half the books are gone from the shelves. The wall hangings are still in a box. The stained glass lamp … read more Unchanged
Category: Refraction
How a wave changes direction. Life changes, creating change and recovery from change
Bits of my life
As I continued today to sort paperwork, I fought a particular sadness that always fills me when I dredge through the past. Whether it’s reading old journals, shredding financial records, or just trawling through a pile of memorabilia that I’ve collected, I end up feeling a bit nauseated and sometimes depressed. It isn’t that the memories are bad, … read more Bits of my life
So much forgotten
Box after box. In the warehouse again today. I must have opened three dozen boxes, trying to weed out the stuff we don’t need and take it to Goodwill. I used the box cutter and tape gun so much that my wrist hurt. There was a prize, though: We got a fancy new Krups espresso … read more So much forgotten
The year in review
The year really began six weeks before the calendar turned over to 2016. It began on Nov. 15, 2015, when an aneurysm ruptured in my brain. That event kicked off a long sequence of events that made 2016 one of the most memorable years of my life. Many days it seemed as though my life … read more The year in review
Stephen and me
Stephen King says, Don’t put your desk in the middle of the room. I read his advice about a week after I’d decided to re-arrange my office and put the desk in the middle of the room. Stephen King also says, The one thing your writing space must have is a door that you are … read more Stephen and me
A new feeling
On Monday afternoon, I had the strangest sensation. I’d slept pretty well, gotten up and read with my coffee, worked on a blog post, then got down to work. I rapidly cranked out a bunch of tasks. Something felt different, but familiar. It was like, like …. I mentally squinted, trying to figure out what … read more A new feeling
Rolling on
I remember the day Tom got his wheelchair – Aug. 6, the day he was discharged from the rehab hospital. Only a month after his stroke, he could get to and from the chair and a bed, a regular chair, and a shower bench. The chair was a liberation, a sign of great progress, an … read more Rolling on
Get out
I woke up feeling as gray as the day itself. Heavy, soggy, misty. The weight stayed on me through coffee, through my morning work, through lunch when my eyes began raining for no reason at all. It seemed like it might turn into a wasted day. Browsing my email listlessly, I came across a story about … read more Get out
How to do nothing
Meditation is hard. I’ve read books, had tapes, taken two classes on meditation. But being able to breathe deeply and not let thinking take over is difficult for me. My brain just likes to stay busy. I have practiced meditation sporadically for more than 30 years. But I never managed to make it a daily … read more How to do nothing
The worst boss, ever
The trouble with working for myself is that my boss is such a hard-ass. She is so unforgiving of my mistakes. Never satisfied with my work. Never gives me compliments. Unbelieveable pressure. Expects me to work on weekends. Expects me to think about work problems in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. … read more The worst boss, ever