Category Archives: Daily Life

Day to day happenings, the usual stuff, about me and life

Solstice Thoughts

Last Sunday, Russel and I were both together in town, we decided to grab lunch at Flavors, while waiting in line, a woman who I have a ‘town’ relationship with came up behind us in line. I was delighted to see her, as we only have ever spent time talking in town, waiting in line or standing in the PO parking lot.. but we are connected at some deep emotional level. I really love this woman, and we both think it is time to actually move the relationship forward to maybe at least emails? phone calls?

I know how weird this must sound, but living in the wilderness as so many of us do here, town is where we meet up. And often ‘getting together’ is in town as well, as getting to each others homes could be a 2+ hour drive on some knarly roads.

And while this was taking place, 3 other very good friends who I haven’t seen in awhile got in line, and then another… it was serendipity for sure. Being there at that exact moment, unplanned, and getting all this wonderful woman energy.

As did getting all the baby energy from friends with babies over the Thanksgiving weekend. After most of a year with none, I saw and connected with 3 different wonderful baby people. This is the best heart chakra medicine of all.

Fall has moved into Winter.. with Solstice in a few days and the beginning of the return of light. This I welcome as it will lighten my spirit.

As the calendar years draws to a close, I usually tend to think of the things I wanted to do and didn’t or places I wanted to go but didn’t.

This year I am determined to focus on the wonderful life we have, living in a place as beautiful as we do. Having our health and being
more and more self-reliant all the time. I do want to draw my family and friends closer, to make the time to connect.

Carolyn’s passing has taught me that first hand…it’s the people in our lives that make it worth living. And I want more people in my life.

“…another step deeper into darkness, closer to the light” – bruce cockburn

HAPPY SOLSTICE 🙂

Russel’s 60th!

Russel also turned 60 on 13 December. I started the day with a few balloons and a small gift of books, then later, another gift, a watch which he has been wanting. Then we went into town for dinner at Rene’s, and it was exceptional. Fresh Rock Cod on truffulled mashed potatos.. ummm words do not describe.

It really was one of the best meals I have had in ages. It was then time for Aikido class and I did a few errands and returned to the hall.. and surprise !!! Birthday cake ice cream and balloons 🙂 He was happy. It was a good day.

Russel’s 4thDan Aikido Demo

Thanksgiving weekend Russel received his 4th Dan rank in Aikido at a workshop at the Beginnings Octagon.

Here are a couple of pictures, which don’t really capture the movement:

Carolyn passed on today

My friend Carolyn passed today.

After 6 hard, harder, and hardest months. I was ‘caregiving’ the last few months. I was also there with her yesterday and got to love her and hold her for a few minutes.

Happy Trails Carolyn.. see you on the other side.

I am happy she has passed and yet so very sad that she has gone.

Michigan trip – Kelly and Laurie

I finally got to spend some time with my nieces Kelly (18) and Laurie (16).

This is out back of my Dad’s house and the house I grew up in.

I wish I were closer to them. Kelly is getting ready to go to college, working, has a steady guy and doing really well. Laurie is in a bit more the the teenage angst, being 16, and wasn’t all that happy while she was visiting. We do keep up in emails and I am glad for that.

Michigan Trip – Dad & Sue

Visited family in Michigan June 28-July 12. Spent a fair amount of time before leaving getting ready to go .. you know how it is .. I always want what I want and want to be comfortable. Any way I booked the flight in March, some time in May Dad called and told be he had a melanoma on his shoulder and had it removed. We thought/ hoped that would be the end of it. Well it isn’t.
Also at that time he was told he had type 2 diabetes. They decided to try and control that one with diet.

Here’s my Dad and his wife Sue:

The doctors went back in and took out more of the melanoma spot and the sentinel lymph nodes. The whole time we were there we were waiting on another appointment with a head/neck oncologist who is going to take out the rest of the lymphs in his neck and shoulders. This surgery is slated for August 8.

On top of that, they had him do a stess test on a treadmill (this is a guy who until this past year walked 5 miles a day and played 18 holes of golf regularly). He actually passed the treadmill part but the results came back that he had damage to his heart sometime a few months back.. a heart attack that he didn’t know he had.

How in the world can he go from being active healthy and strong to this???

Any way the stress of all the unknowing is paying its toll. I feel I should be there but he doesn’t feel it necessary now. Sue just retired, and its good she is there for him. Plus most of his brothers and sisters and their families are close by so he has support.

More on this trip soon.
More on the rest of life soon.

Spring into Summer

The weather has been great.. a bit too hot a few days and then just right. Garden is evolving, put – off chores and projects are getting done.

Went to a healing circle for Carolyn last Sunday. It was an awesome empowering and powerful circle of women. I am so glad to have been invited.

KMUD has a new website, built with Joomla. I was talking with Simon, the station tech manager about all things web and actually felt some excitment in that area again. Perhaps I will get more into it as time allows this summer.

Tickets are purchased for a trip to Michigan to visit Dad and Sue and see the family. I am really hoping the Kelly and Laurie (my nieces) make the trip down from Alpena to visit. Going end of June till July 10 or so. Going to be hot, we were there the same time last trip.

Seems like my life is mostly the same, when I look back through archives, it’s mostly the same old same old, perhaps with just a few new things here and there. I am looking forward (again) to seeing Bruce Cockburn at Solfest in August.

Usually I would be looking forward to Reggae, but this is the year of Reggae hell. Too many long stories about why, if you really want to know, read from the beginning (meaning scroll down and start reading up) here and from links there to the other blogs. It’s such a fucking mess. I really really don’t plan on going. It hurts my heart the way this is. Reggae is what brought me to Humboldt to begin with, and I am a 21 year vet of Reggae on the River.

I also started a myspace space, I had so many people who wanted to communicate that way. I find it a bit cumbersome to use, I can hand code the page I want faster than I can use the ‘myspace’ method, but I am learning 🙂

I haven’t tied it to my sites or this blog yet. I really want to redo all my sites (been saying that for years now!) before I do that. Time will tell. I want to be able to blog again and have and control comments, with out the spam. If I get a different blogging tool, and transfer this site, maybe I will tie it all together.

Health wise I am good enough, the tendonitis in my right elbow is back hard, started a few months ago when I was moving tubs of stuff around. And my back and left hip are painful most of the time, but I have also weaned myself almost off the advils, down from 2400mg a day to maybe 800mg. Hope I can get those things under control.

On My Beat

Living in the hills of southern Humboldt