At the beginning of recovery from brain surgery, I couldn’t pay attention long enough to read anything, play a game, or even follow the plot of a movie. I was afraid that would last forever. I have a subscription with Lumosity for brain-training games. They are designed to improve your memory, attention, flexibility, problem-solving, and speed. … read more Train of thought
Tag: recovery
Quieting down
Some days, like today, seems there’s nothing but noise in my head. Just stray bits of fuzz, flies buzzing, engines idling. A very big crowd of people in a stadium all talking at once, not really paying attention to the game that they’re there to watch. At work, I was trying to troubleshoot technical problems long distance, … read more Quieting down
A thousand fears
Saturday’s supposed to be the easy, fun day. The one where you just relax and do whatever you feel like. I spent most of the day nearly paralyzed with anxiety. Every thought leads to a fear. In the shower, I move very slowly, afraid of falling. I watch Tom warily, because I’m afraid he will up … read more A thousand fears
The most lush spring ever
Self-centered creature that I am, I’ve been feeling as though this spring was designed and built JUST FOR ME. With a long winter of struggling through recovery from brain surgery, I felt shrunken and afraid. Then the flowers bloomed. And bloomed. And kept blooming. It has been a spring of tremendous abundance. I hoped to see one … read more The most lush spring ever
Being an idiot
Stupid. Idiot. Dumb-a**. Fool. Nitwit. Dope. Dipsh*t. Brainless. You use those words much? I have. They’re insults we throw around all the time: while driving or shopping, in heated Facebook discussions, yelling at the TV. Maybe we even mutter those words at ourselves when we make a big mistake. In nearly seven months since my … read more Being an idiot
Restoration work
My mother bought this bracelet 40 or 50 years ago, at a flea market or something. It’s sterling silver, from Mexico, and the stone is an amethyst. I always loved it. The stone had a fissure in it, which I thought was intriguing. Then Dad took some jewelry-making classes and replaced the amethyst with turquoise. It was … read more Restoration work
Three miles
Today was just not working out. I slept very well, and it was a lovely day, but I was so groggy and thick-headed that I couldn’t begin to function until 9. I had planned to start the week right by doing art first thing, but when I looked at the glass I didn’t have any idea … read more Three miles
Honestly Amy
I admit it: I am an impatient and intolerant reader. Bad writing and stupidity will send me into a rant against an author after a mere page, and I have no compunction about ditching a book completely. I recently assigned myself to read memoirs written by survivors of ruptured brain aneurysms, since I’ve been thinking … read more Honestly Amy
The patient iris
For all my love of nature, I’m a complete klutz when it comes to growing plants. They used to run away screaming at the very sight of me. The only house plant that survived my brown thumb was an indestructible ficus tree I had for years in Seattle. Flowers? Forget it. One day five years ago, … read more The patient iris
One thing at a time
I’ve signed up for 61 courses on Udemy, and 32 on Coursera, and 12 on EdX. I have started about a third of these courses, and I’ve only completed seven or eight. What does this say about me? It’s not for lack of interest; I was excited about each of them when I signed up or bought … read more One thing at a time