The sedum is happy this time of year.

Russel got this shot of a Redwood Moth.

We went to a birthday party .. here we are in April 2012.

Seems like I never have the time and energy to work on my sites, as this one still needs a new theme..hopefully this summer when the new WP upgrade happens.

I have spent a bit of time on this site which is still in production and not ready at all for prime time, but there a few photo galleries from long ago finally housed there.

And this weekend — well we are off to see Bruce Cockburn in Arcata at the Van Duzer theater on Sunday. I am excited and longing for the juice… so hope it is a good one!

Mateel Aikido 25th Anniversary Gathering

Some of the Sensei’s relaxing a bit!

Michael Friedl, Frank Doran, and Russel Wisby

The potluck was fabulous, and also a birthday party for Frank Doran. What a great bunch of people and what an honor to Russel and Forrest Kan and the rest of the Mateel Aikido dojo to be honored with such a full house. A great weekend!

More photos online at Mateel Aikido’s Facebook page.

I managed to keep feeling good until Sunday, the 18th, when a cough started and by Monday I was full on into a head cold as well.. and still today. All the usual aliments, stuffy nose, running like a faucet, sinus head ache, coughing, sneezing and feeling miserable.

This is just a bit much to take on heels of just getting over by 70 day bout with coughing. We also had a brief weather change in there a few days of gray cloudy weather and rain on Monday.

Today if was foggy all morning and now the sun has appeared, seems we are in the middle of Indian Summer .. with the full Harvest Moon just yesterday along with the Fall Equinox… changes coming. I just wish I felt better as there is soooo much to do.

OH and by the way Facebook is down today! My connection to the world, at least I can keep talking here, but really don’t know how many of my friends actually check this site out?? So if you do come by, please drop me a note, ok?

So in early May, Russel’s sister Carol, came to visit, (May 5-9) and Russel was running back and forth into town to bring Carol out here.

It was a nice visit and the weather was good, sunny and warm, but the evening we were to go to Shelter Cove, my 4 Runner wouldn’t start. I had had some problems with it the day before in town, and we figured out the alarm system, that we never used, decided to say a door was open and wouldn’t let us start it up.. quite the drag. I stayed home and Russel took Carol out to the cove for dinner.

Then it rained again.

I took the 4 Runner to be fixed by Leo’s. Sunny breezy day after a good rain in May. I need to focus on the rest of the garden planting.
And returning to the Bruce bubble .. where life is just sublime.
I spent the next week working on www.cockburnproject.net, and staying in that Bruce bubble.

I was feeling pretty good for me, and starting to plan out all the projects I wanted to accomplish this spring, before Russel leaves for Aikido Summer Camp on June 13.

On Friday, May 14 – I went into the Farmers Market. How fun! So many happy smiling faces, and lots of good connection. Feels good to be out and seeing people on a sunny bright day! And preparing for the Russel’s upcoming Mateel Aikido workshop at Beginnings this week end and potluck on Saturday. I prepared a non-bean enchilada dip and a pesto, pasta and pine nut salad for the potluck. It was a warm and sunny day on Saturday too, and as always the Mateel Aikido potluck was a blast with good friends and lots more socializing.

2 days of socializing had taken its toll on my, throat hurts from talking so much, my life in general is so isolated that 2 very social days in a row wipe me out! Which is how I felt on Sunday.

Then it rained — again.

By Monday the May 16, I definitely had a throat pain (not a sore throat) and a dry light cough…. fast forward for 3 whole weeks… still with the cough. I figured it was a viral bug, threw every herbal remedy I knew at it. Many nights sitting up in recliner so i could fall asleep with the antihistamines and cough syrup. Mostly just doing what I had to.

I finally went to clinic on June 8th, they say not whooping cough, pneumonia, flu…but some kind of seasonal allergy..which I have never had before. Mind you I do not have a lot of congestion or mucus or anything else but a mostly dry unproductive cough that until the last few nights, has keep me awake a lot at night. No rest, no sleep for me means zombie land during the day.

I hadn’t been to town in 3 weeks until yesterday to the clinic. Thankfully I work at home so at least the paying jobs that came in could be done. I haven’t had the brain power to continue working in WordPress backend on this blog or future sites.

The clinic say to take ‘this type of antihistamine’ and you may need to take it every day for months! I don’t usually use that type of stuff, to be told this is going to be an ongoing state of being is very disheartening. Still digesting that info, and will start looking for alternatives to the still undiagnosed cough. I did try it, but seemed to just make me feel uncomfortable.

So that is why I haven’t been here. I have been keeping Facebook up to date, and today was looking for a good way to back FB up. I need to go back through the last year and half and pull some of the content from there to here, as this blog is still a journal of my life, even if it does go in other directions at times. So I may be adding more old post dated content here to try and fill in some gaps.

As of today, June 14, I feel better today than I have for several days. I hope this is the end of this thing whatever it was. Russel is at Summer Camp and I want to spend the alone time making headway into this blog, other websites I run, and household chores and to do lists.

Sue had us doing a puzzle for her.

Anything to keep us distracted from what was really happening with Dad. Although he was doing pretty good considering all he had been though.

It was a good trip but glad to get home.

Brother John and his girls, Laurie and Kelly did make it down for a visit.

The ‘paddle out’ for Randy is today. We are in a winter storm warning.. with rain snow and freezing temps. I hope everyone makes it over the hill safely. A lot of the Aikido family and Randy’s surf family will be there.

Russel has been sick with a chest cold for over a week now. Today is his birthday and he still feels punky. But he is going to the paddle-out.

I have been making all the travel arrangements and contingency plans for being able to get out of here and to Arcata to catch a flight on Tuesday 16. Flying into Salt Lake City then Detroit.

We will be at Dad’s Dec 16-Dec 28. I am hoping my nieces show up at some point and my brother. Dad is eating better now and we just hope for improvement in energy and well being.

To all who may come here:
Hold those you love close. Enjoy each minute as your last.
Happy Solstice !! (early )