Mitch Visits!
If you haven’t heard from me in a while, it’s because I’ve been too busy having fun with my bestie who came for a visit from Minnesota last week. I’m dogsitting, but the pup, Zero, is so cool we let him join the gang and …
Devouring life, one bite at a time
If you haven’t heard from me in a while, it’s because I’ve been too busy having fun with my bestie who came for a visit from Minnesota last week. I’m dogsitting, but the pup, Zero, is so cool we let him join the gang and …
Sometimes I wish I could buy a magazine company just so my friend, Daisy, could organize all the shoots, spreads, creative content and distribution of it. She just makes everything pretty. To kickoff an especially great weekend, she hosted a gal party at the pond …
From “Diving Into the Wreck” by Adrienne Rich And now: it is easy to forgetwhat I came foramong so many who have alwayslived hereswaying their crenellated fansbetween the reefsand besidesyou breathe differently down here.I came to explore the wreck.The words are purposes.The words are maps.I …
This is no ordinary cracker tin. It is a 60-year-old vintage gem, and more importantly, a treasure belonging to my grandmother, who died before I was born. I never even knew about it. My fairy godmother uncovered it from her kitchen and surprised me with …
“The intellect cuts things, the heart sews them together.” Mata Amrita- andamayi Sometimes we just need a little reminder of this.
Last night, I had a little shindig called crafts n’ drafts. Just in the nick of time, I’ve been going stir crazy. Some special gals came over to work on those projects crammed in a corner (mending and finishing for me). We got to work …
The past few days I woke up early, feeling restless and weird. Uncomfortable.
Yesterday marked one year since I lost one of the incredibles in my life. My lovely aunt died at 68 after a 12 year battle with breast cancer. She was amazing. She touched everyone in her life who crossed her path, right down to strangers in grocery store aisles who became friends by the time they reached the check-out.
I was lucky enough to not only know her, but be enmeshed in her life since I was born. I even lived with her during a time in my troubling high school years when I couldn’t exchange greetings with my parents without an altercation. She treated me like a daughter, curfews and all. She is pictured above at my high school senior recital 13 years ago.
For years, I was there when the lumps were present, when they were removed, when they were back but stabilized, when they had spread, but didn’t seem to affect her. She was always wildly optimistic and had exceeded doctors expectations every time. She didn’t want us to worry, because she always felt fine. So in a way, we didn’t.
At the end of the road, I wasn’t there. I didn’t see the last harrowing months or painful final days. I didn’t go to the funeral. At the time, it just wasn’t feasible, but thinking about it now, I don’t know how I would have coped. I didn’t know how to face losing her. Even now, I’m not sure if I did the right thing.
Her life was full, overflowing at times. She was an English and drama teacher, but even busier in her retirement with community involvement, writing, and spending time with her children, grandchildren and hundred closest friends.
A few years ago, I was involved with a fundraiser for Locks of Love and donated my hair in her name. Here are a few words I wrote about her for the benefit.
Last night, my friend and I were philosophizing on why it is so difficult for smart and strong women to say no. Luckily, she blogged about it with a great exercise to help practice the art of saying no. She calls it no-ga. Did I …