Remembering Michael

Sixteen years ago I suffered a loss which I think about daily. Michael and I had met only a few years before that, and had fallen in love very quickly. We had similar values including kindness and mutual respect. Yesterday I re-read the eulogy which his best friend wrote and delivered at Michael’s funeral. InContinue reading “Remembering Michael”

Road trips and reflections

I have been awake since shortly before midnight. Nothing seems to be helping, so I decided to watch a movie. As usual I was drawing some comparisons about my own life, and started contemplating some of my past reactions to conflict. This movie was about a young girl who discovered that her “dad” was notContinue reading “Road trips and reflections”

Facing Fears: Lessons from Lacy

I spent the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve at my son’s place. He cooked for me, we watched movies, and we took his two dogs on long walks. Then I stayed with Lacy while he spent a few days with Gia out of town. Lacy is afraid of everything; leaves rustling and cracklingContinue reading “Facing Fears: Lessons from Lacy”

Birthdays and fading memories

Two days ago we celebrated mom’s 93rd birthday. A few family members joined for a lunch and cake at the care home. Mom is living with dementia and although she knows who we are when we show up, her short-term memory is extremely short term. In the two minutes it takes to walk from theContinue reading “Birthdays and fading memories”

Never give up

Yesterday was a rough day. I felt emotionally drained by mid-morning and the day went downhill from there. Some random events triggered strong emotions and each one compounded on the others throughout the day. A few years ago I received incredible assistance coping with, and working through some trauma from the past, including childhood traumaContinue reading “Never give up”

Urban Deer Story

We had a lovely conservation, this majestic creature and I. It was early morning and the crisp air of fall enticed me outside to do a bit of gardening before the day got busy. He was admiring my hibiscus and I was admiring his antlers, pointed toes and high heels. He may have been hopingContinue reading “Urban Deer Story”

Watching the garden grow

Each evening since arriving in Cape Breton almost 7 weeks ago I have attempted to take a photo of this backyard. A couple of days were missed while I was travelling but the main goal of tracking the growth of the garden has been maintained. It is easy to lose sight of progress when watchingContinue reading “Watching the garden grow”

Road Trip Reflections: A Journey to the East Coast

After 11 days of driving with pauses to visit along the way, I arrived on the east coast at my daughter’s home. I didn’t stop to take many photos especially during the last few days of driving since I was just eager to get to my destination. It was a good trip. Several of theContinue reading “Road Trip Reflections: A Journey to the East Coast”