Blog Posts

A week in which I further honed my perspective and began a slow return to “normal”.   Ways I Found Joy This Week Connecting with far-flung friends to exchange New Year greetings Taking my first outdoor walk in weeks and savoring the fresh air and sunshine of a (rare) 60-degree day Spontaneously laughing so hard and long with the CWP that we were both clutching our stomachs and wiping away tears Taking the patient  to have his feeding tube removed and getting clearance to st

Thinking about being grateful to be on the mend and bulking up This begins my new “week in review” format. Herewith, the Isolation Edition. I’m happy to report that the patient  is steadily improving. Because he has a tube dangling from a hole in his neck (and because he is a menace), I’m unable to leave him. With the CWP  away on a dog sitting gig, this means I’m confined to the house. I’m finding it very reminiscent of quarantine : the dawning recognition that I’m captive,

The lesson in perspective (which I wrote about here ) continues. As I write this, my little nugget has been hospitalized for five days now. While his prognosis is hopeful, we’ve still got a long road ahead that may require further interventions. [Update: he is now home with a feeding tube and seven medications. The learning curve is steep.] The mental exhaustion is adding to the surreality of the experience. According to the Chinese zodiac, we’re about to finish the Year of t

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate. I will once again be sharing my signature Italian dinner with the CWP  on a break from her current dog sitting gig. Otherwise, it’s a Thursday. (The part of me that is blissfully grateful for that soothes the part of me that sometimes wistfully recalls gatherings of yore.) Right on schedule, I feel myself going into the assessment mode that seems to strike me as a new year approaches. This year, though, I feel a slight difference; my t

It seems that remaining steadfast in my resolve to find joy and purpose as democracy continues to dissolve is becoming an almost...

I may not have fully embraced the holiday season yet, but one thing I do love about this time of year is my newish habit of taking the...

Those of you who are aware of my historical relationship with the holidays  may be surprised to learn that, despite a year filled with...

It’s been a bit of a heavy week here at the mermaid cottage. My attempt to lighten it up, and provide a crowd favorite, is this latest in...

It’s so easy to be positive when the metaphorical sun is shining. Or at least peeking out on the horizon. Or even when the brutal storm...

This week I was remembering the short-lived experiment in which the CWP  attended a private Episcopal school for third and part of fourth grade. Her spirited nature and inability to conform led to the odd phone call from the teacher and her perspicacious interpretation of the whole experience provided no shortage of dinner table hilarity. We’d be left especially helpless by her spot-on imitations of her music teacher, a tiny, eccentric martinet whose longing for retirement wa

No doubt I still have a way to go, but I’m taking a minute to marvel at the distance I’ve traveled emotionally over the past several...

[Please note: There will be no post next week (April 25th) as I’ll be on a long anticipated trip. It’s my intention to resume posting May...

I’ve always loved making lists. In my overachieving days, they were a key to my productivity. In times of overwhelm, they soothed...