Here I sit in the peace of our quiet home, the fireplace making that wonderful hushed hiss that is a meditation in itself, flames dancing, casting light in the dim room. My sweet Marley is curled up next to me on the couch, her loyal heart a balm to my jangled nerves, a good book … More A Snapshot of Anxiety
Hi I felt it so clearly a few days ago as I sat in the quiet of my studio between lessons; a heavy wet blanket settled over me from my head to my feet, leaving me feeling weighted down both physically and mentally. Depression. I know this feeling well and it always follows on the … More On Wet Blankets and Bright Spots
Dan and I were discussing our life during the pandemic over lunch today…frankly not a topic I ever thought of us having to consider in our lives, but here we all are. Everyone responds to the trauma of these strange times in their own way. For us, it’s been almost like a perpetual weekend in … More On Changin’ During Change
A friend from a creative group I belong to told me she has noticed that many typically positive people seem to be especially struggling these past weeks in particular. I can vouch for that; I feel like I’ve hit an emotional wall with all that has happened since March; being so ill for weeks with … More On Sinking and Swimming
Yesterday morning I realized that I had been a day off in calculating Dan’s bedroom quarantine- it was time to set him free! We’d decided when he came home from the hospital to go above and beyond the hospital’s recommendations and set a six day quarantine, wanting to make sure that the animals and I … More The COVID Chronicles: Delayed Reunions and Rays of Light
The past several weeks have been the opposite of what I would call fun or enjoyable for any of us. In our household, it feels like someone has had a big ol’ Gainey voodoo doll and they’ve been going to town with long pointy needles to the point that it is past ridiculous. When I … More The COVID Chronicles: Poppins in a Pandemic
Yesterday was our first full day with Dan home from the hospital. Now comes the work of finding what our new normal will be since everything changed with his health and with our world. I think that both of us are beginning to process the realities of what has happened as emotions wash over us, … More On Finding a New Normal
Yesterday was a fun and challenging day, starting with teaching an early lesson then heading across town to play double rehearsals for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone with the symphony (we’re playing the music as the movie plays above us). My crazy schedule hasn’t allowed me to play with the orchestra for a while, … More The Occasional Hermit of Southside
I love to write so much, but this recent bout of depression and anxiety has made it tough to focus enough to write. Falling out of the writing routine is frustrating; I miss the daily outlet terribly, as well as the kind dialogue with those who read and comment on my blog. It has become … More Checking in on Checking Out
My BFF came to visit me this past week from Nebraska. Normally it would already be a great thing to see my dearest friend of over thirty years, but this time was extra special and meaningful after four hundred and twenty long days apart- the longest separation of our friendship. It wasn’t only a ‘we … More Through Thick and Thin…and Everything in Between
The View from Here 