Sacrifice?

What does that word really mean?  The technical meaning is to slaughter an animal, or to offer a person or possession to the Almighty.  Yet I have heard that word related to what I am about to embark upon; the taking on of a six-year-old boy to raise for a while, to help untangle a…

Riding the Four C’s

Reading novels makes me feel like I am stuck in a really bad one sometimes, one that I might produce on my first stab at such. Since I’m winnowing my books, my reward for working towards packing is reading books I’m getting rid of before spiraling into sleep, instead of my normal perusal of the…

The gory…err glory road to downsizing ‘stuff’.

Yes, it is gory.  Gut-wrenching. Painful. Overwhelming.  That’s why I am taking a break to write about it instead of doing it. Heh.   We squirrel away for all kinds of maybes. Maybe they won’t make (insert item of choice) any more. We stock and store because we’ve a prepper mentality so maybe there will…

Blither and blather about little things that matter

Did you know that online RV shopping is a LOT like online dating? No? I did it for you, so you don’t have to. In all seriousness, it is somewhat similar. Nice photos. Catchy list of amenities. Make appointment. Show up. Think you must be at wrong place as nothing looks like the photos. Then…

Who are you and what have you done with my Mother?

I can tell you first hand that widowhood sucks.  Just like when you marry, you learn to blend, compromise and bend to fit into a pair and it is a little awkward – stops, starts, spills, so too, is widowhood.  In a culture that practically elevates partnership to sainthood status, suddenly finding oneself pulling in…

This and that and other things

It has been a long and pensive non-public time for me, kicked into gear by the emotional trip to my property followed fast on the heels by Thanksgiving with family, and then as usual, ruminations on all kinds of things. While I’ve written some offline to keep the creative trickle alive, the rest of me…

36 hours upright, 3 hours of sleep, rough weather = goofy chick

Ensconced back in the micro-haus in balmy weather, last week feels like it passed in some kind of dream form. I’m pretty bone-weary in all honesty.  It was a very emotional trip, in both good and bad ways, thanks to incredible friends. The roughshod road trip was to pick up venison on another person’s timeline.…

Brrrrrrrrrraving the elements (or how to have everyone call you crazy)

So I am on site in the midst of the great Polar Vortex caper (hmmm, didn’t I mention flailing in the vortex a few posts ago…prescient of me eh?) I like to camp.  A lot. So in order to give the new widow some personal space I brought my camping gear since there is acreage…

Picking straws

Delicious Fall has fallen upon us for a brief spell and I am relishing it! Doors and sliders thrown open, fans positioned to bring all of that fresh, low humidity air in has really boosted my spirits. It makes working out an invigorating thing rather than a flirtation with heat stroke and misery.  I wrote…

Flailing in the Vortex and carrying my Rubber Ducky!

Okay, so there isn’t really a vortex in my life, but there are times as I stand beside my life and look at it that I could swear I can feel the sucking sounds at my feet and hear the power of the strength of the pull away from those things I desire to accomplish or…

Decisions, always decisions about writing

I’ve spent the last two days thinking over this experiment that I practiced in July, of posting almost every day.  I wanted to see if I could keep that pace, while working and trying to have a semblance of life with my family and friends as well.  I enjoyed it immensely, but I have found…

A Measure of Self-Worth (Is it like a Pig in a Poke?)

Welcome to Time Travel Tuesday, where I go back to something somewhere on my blog. A reader’s comment on a post from last week sent my brain into overdrive mode.  Sometimes I pick at things like they are a new bone; gnawing at them, burying it, walking away, going and digging it up to gnaw…

7.24.14 Thursday Tale-Tellers Tattle – Books of Import

I have been an avid reader since I was small, thanks to encouragement from my mother when little, and an uncommon introduction to education and learning. I am not certain why my mother thought reading was so important for me to learn, because she isn’t a reader.  In fact, she finished her first full-length book…

The rest of the story…

The other day I published a quote of my own.  But in part, it was a lie.  This was the quote: “Sexual abuse in the young creates the neediest people, who will tell you we need nothing; we live that way too.  We are taught by actions that there is no real love; there is no trust,…

Exploring the Void

In quiet and through reflection, when I really want to get to the bottom of things, make sense, improve who I am, I peer into the Void. The Void is the place where other people developed things that I never did.  What you read here is years of self-discovery; things I never had the quiet…

Thursday Tale-Tellers Tattle – Writer Intros

Yes, another new thing!  A regular reader asked “Why are you doing different things than you’ve always done?”  I think it is a good question, so if any of my long-time followers (or new ones!) may be wondering the same, here’s the back story. Taking to heed “Write what you know”, my focus for years…

Discovery

There is nothing quite so heady and energizing as the time of discovering a new person, learning what makes them the unique individual that they are.  Some people are torrents, filling in all of the rich details in an open, exciting rush – emotional Instagrams if you will.  Others let themselves develop their  emotional shading…

Much ado about nothing, or letting fear go

As I round out hell week here at work, I have been reflecting on lessons learned, and the impact of fear upon actions in my own life.  I was totally in a bad frame of mind about the impending social networking activity earlier in the week.  It was raining when I left the office, after…

What is a ‘hard life’?

As we await the arrival of yet another new life into the family, I have been watching my grandson.  His constant chatter, his unwavering trust, his energy, his enthusiasm – ah, youth.  That empty canvas awaiting life to make its strokes – long, short, jagged, sweeping- onto the frame that will become our life-long perspective.…

Finally feeling better, yay!

I don’t really need fussing over when I’m sick.  In fact, I prefer to be left alone for the most part.  But it would be nice to have a flower, or some soup made, or something.  I worked all week even though I was sick.  At least in my job, I can work from home…

Flotsam and Jetsam (should be a cartoon name, yes?)

I’m supposed to be prepping for a party, but eh, other than some small food contributions which are already cooking, not much to do. Also supposed to utilize this time to continue to toss/eliminate/re-store things, but my other deck storage box is still in Brown delivery limbo. As such, I am fiddle-farting around on the…

Reviewing the year and looking forward

As I have matured (don’t laugh, just…dont!), I try to reflect on a regular basis, examining events and thoughts, trying to gain more insight into things and to make wiser choices when new ones come along. Since 2009 when my husband died, I’ve had some rough times – but also some good times.  Friendships have…

The inner workings of the psyche (or how I while away my time)

I adore studying how the mind, body and personality work. Especially when there is so much information these days online. Today after chores were done I spent some time futzing around on the MBTI-type forums and found a very interesting place to read stuff. Have I mentioned how much I like to read? I also…