I am yet again mired in one of my frozen phases, causing my ever-growing level of anxiety to go through the roof. By ‘frozen’ I mean that I cannot seem to focus or accomplish tasks that are normally ridiculously easy for any normal person to do. I feel frozen in place mentally; sometimes just writing … More On Freezing in Fall
Sometimes I feel I have dueling hearts; One is wise and bows to every blessing, steeped in light and hope and joy. The other lives in shadows and memories, nostalgia for what could have been, worries for what might be. Each heart serves a purpose; one to remind me to honor the past, hold onto … More Dueling Hearts
The room is dark and cool, Thomas Otten softly plays as the dog snores gently between us. Countless nighttimes of comfort and routine, a precious gift, soul to soul; the trust, the love, the connection, to end the day in quiet communion, weaving a spell of possibility. How did I ever deserve this? Deserving or … More Quiet Moments
I am caught in the in-between times; the ‘bloom on the rose’ faded long ago, at 58 the passing of years leaving me not yet OLD-old, but heading in that direction with unnerving speed. My mother was right as she just about always was; time flies by so quickly. I still remember her standing in … More The In-Between
Today is your birthday, and I am so grateful that you were born. After the many years of our long friendship, we know that each moment is precious and never guaranteed. I hold onto those moments with you; the laughter, the joy, the challenges, the tears. I am a better person for having you in … More A Birthday Ode to my BFF
We are living through such strange times, chaotic and unsettling. Up is down, down is up. The moments consume us until we think we will never arrive at the other side. Everything seems larger than life while we are living it, but with hindsight we realize that all of those moments are only pieces of … More The Necklace of Time
Miraculously, Dan and I were able to grab a very short trip to our favorite place in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina in Bryson City, literally at the last second as the new semester begins. We’ve not been able to make our annual anniversary trip thanks to the pandemic, but no matter- we … More Mountain Medicine
I had to smile. Lying in bed with Dan last night, Marley between us gently snoring as we talked and dreamed, one of Dan’s relaxing sleep tracks playing, and the soft whir of the fan bringing in the somewhat cooler-for-Birmingham summer breezes through the open window. Ahh, and the katydids! Their full-blown serenade filling the … More This Moment
I can’t get his face out of my mind’s eye; a petite man, painfully thin with a face pinched by struggle and clothes grimy with wear. He was sitting against the wall of the little Southside Market that Marley and I pass every morning on our walk around the ‘hood. The man said something to … More On Chance Encounters
I had a great talk with my therapist a few days ago. I told her that I was yet again in what I can only describe as a frozen place where my anxiety is so intense that even the most mundane tasks feel monumental. I have withdrawn from just about everyone and everything and I … More A Frozen Summer and Writing Therapy
The View from Here 