I have crossed through some sort of personal barrier since December, one that I’ve attempted to do battle with for quite some time but just never could break through to the other side. The passage was nothing dramatic, no fireworks or grand revelations; just a quiet shift in a new direction for which I have … More On the Evolution Revolution
It always begins this way: “Date night tonight, Honey?” That is Gainey secret code for, “This has been a crazy stressful day and I need some medicinal together time at home to recharge, stat. It seems this semester that the number of date night requests have risen exponentially to almost epic proportions; yes, even after … More Date Night at Chez Gainey
I have written so much about my mother, always trying to portray her as the imperfect and very real woman that she was. To me, her imperfections and quirkiness were what made her special and so very strong. After all of these years, maybe I’m finally allowing myself that same understanding. I have struggled unsuccessfully … More Imperfect
I took a bad fall while walking Marley early yesterday morning; totally my fault for trying to remove my phone from my armband to answer a call (something I never do while exercising, but thought it was my sister or my best friend). Not paying attention for even a moment while walking Southside’s uneven and … More On Paying Attention
We have been talking about it for ages with urging from our accountant, but we finally went through the process of preparing our wills, power of attorney, and living wills. I felt oddly detached as we went through the process, as if I were making these decisions for a stranger. I feel relief that they … More On Pivotal Moments
I woke up very early this chilly morning hearing a bird sing in the stillness. It was dark and peaceful and the hum of the heating system, the warmth of the heated bed, and the weight of Shiva sleeping on my chest made it difficult to climb out of bed, so I lingered just a … More Mind Over Matter
Yesterday was the first day of my Fall Break, but it didn’t feel like a break at all. I was out sweeping up leaves for several hours starting at 7:30am, cleaned the house, taught two lessons, checked in an AirBnB guest, and cared for my sweet man who is recovering from surgery. All wonderful things- … More On Caregiving for Loved Ones…and Loving Myself
I’ve had a turbulent few nights, tossing and turning, nightmares, waking in the middle of the night with my head spinning, my to-do list rolling ad nauseam through my sleep-deprived brain. Wide awake at 3:30, death warmed over at 6am when it’s time to rise and shine. The nightmares had gone away for awhile, but … More The Mask
I have been distracted and going inward a lot recently. I actually got a bit scared on my short drive to work yesterday as I was so deep in thought that I almost had an accident. On a three minute drive. Not good. So much is swirling around right now with the end of the … More The Winds of Change
I had a new computer installed in my office Friday morning, and as our wonderful and patient tech guy and I waited for my files to transfer from my old computer, we had a really interesting conversation about life. I love how those out-of-the-blue talks happen, always seeming to pop up for a reason- and … More The People We Meet: Thoughts on Fate
The View from Here 