Coming Home to Myself

Winter is icumen in

to paraphrase an old song, but there are no cuckoos to loudly sing in this cold season. And yet, I bought a frost cover for my as-yet-unplanted Earth box. I’m waiting for a warm, encouraging day to put out a few experimental seeds. Sophie’s wonderful groomer retired, putting me in charge of her baths. She’sContinue reading “Winter is icumen in”

Awakenings

The Texas Red Oak in my front yard clings to its leaves long after other trees stand bare. Lately, those leaves have appeared on the back patio. Somehow the wind plucks them, carries them over the house and dumps the load. I’ll sweep up one batch, and if there’s a wind, a new, neatly sculptedContinue reading “Awakenings”

I RESOLVE TO PLANT SEEDS

First seed: I made an early resolution to return to my weekly blogging. I’m now three weeks into that promise. Second seed: One of my Earth Boxes now sits by the back door. I’ve resolved to plant flower seeds there as soon as possible. It faces south and will be warmed by the brick wall,Continue reading “I RESOLVE TO PLANT SEEDS”

Christmas bloom

I still have ups and downs. At times I bury myself in reading fiction and don’t emerge until finished—or until Sophie needs a meal or outing. But all in all, we are both thriving in this emptier house. Last spring I planted geraniums in the porch planter. They were very unhappy all summer. Too hot.Continue reading “Christmas bloom”

What ifs

If I were to say anything about grief (or my current stage thereof), it’s that connecting with other people helps the griever feel real. Every face-to-face, heart-to-heart encounter is something I am grateful for. Such encounters are happening more often, maybe because I recognize and welcome the healing they provide. Taking Sophie for a walkContinue reading “What ifs”

Making Headway

Making headway Getting unwound Seeds planted, Flowers found. My last blog reported my writing process of “pondering” for thirty minutes a day. When that ended, I put my focus on sorting out notes and chapters. And of course, I found plenty of gaps that need to be filled. That realization led to my next courseContinue reading “Making Headway”

When halted midstream—

or Out of the doldrums and into the current of life. I haven’t arrived yet. I’m still chasing after that completed first draft of Quantum Quest. But I did find a way to make some headway in my upstream struggle. Over the years, I’ve tried many methods when stalled on writing a book. They allContinue reading “When halted midstream—”

Mindfulness vs Mind–Fullness.

It’s been a month since I wrote a blog. Often these days, my mind acts as a sieve, thoughts of what I should be doing flow out almost before they register. Meanwhile, my should-do list keeps growing longer. I’m told it’s the brain fog of grief. A few months back, I blogged about my tricksterContinue reading “Mindfulness vs Mind–Fullness.”

Stuffing Grief

During our weekly phone conversation, my younger sister mentioned the benefits of “verbalizing.” She had complained about something to her daughter, and then the solution presented itself. All because she’d heard herself describe the problem. That resonated with me. I don’t talk about problems nearly often enough. Instead, I procrastinate looking for solutions. Yesterday, IContinue reading “Stuffing Grief”

Learning People Words

It’s time Sophie had the spotlight in this blog. After all, it belongs to her—my file name for blog drafts is “SophieBlog.” Sophie is familiar with the usual people words, though chooses whether to obey sit and stay. Of course she knows breakfast, supper, walk, ride, out. She likes all of those words. Since herContinue reading “Learning People Words”