Embrace The Suck

As weekends go, this one was whirlwind. I've discovered it's hard to relax in just a couple of days. One  has to unwind, and unhook (something I thought I'd never have to do) and get comfortable to relax. Maybe it can be done in 2 weeks instead of 2 days. I was constantly aware of my "rich" surroundings. More so than the ambiance. I'm not used to an affluent lifestyle. I found people watching almost as much fun as at an airport. I noticed lots more children than I expected. Only one appeared to be particularly out of sorts.   a wedding procession take place, which always conjures up thoughts of hope and promise. I was impressed that the bride and her maids were able to walk down a short flight of steps, and across a swath of grass in high heels, carrying flowers, looking ahead and not down.  a lone bagpiper on the manicured green lawn behind the "Lodge." I guess he was entertaining the porch sitters - the kind you'd expect to see on a so...

Little did I imagine that being a nanny could to lead to perks that didn't involve baby smiles, lullabies, deep belly laughs, laundry basket rides, and snugly bottle feedings. Sweetie and I have come along on a weekend getaway to Sea Island, GA. Think: Causeway from the mainland - the kind you'd be stuck on if you tried to evacuate in a storm Blue skies and pink sunsets Palm trees, weathered oaks dripping in Spanish moss, nature trails, bike paths,  Gentle rolling waves kissing the beach under a crescent moon, sea oats, and dragon flies Hotel the size of Buckingham palace,  "cottage" the size of Tara A pool that winds around rock outcroppings,  Golf carts to take you where you want to go, uniformed room service attendants, complimentary cheese tray and bottle of wine Patio dining (accompanied by biting sea gnats or carrier flies as Sweetie calls them - the kind that might carry you off if you're not careful), buttermilk coated fried shrimp, Vidalia...

I had kind of a rough morning. Feeling now like a nap to sleep away the ick. Hmmm, I wonder what I've done with the ick cream Tina sent me. First of all, I noticed a little tiny frog right next to Suzi's food bowl. I've notice a couple other frogs who have dried up and gone on to the great frog pond in the sky. I didn't want the same thing to happen to this one.  I tried to cup my hand over him, but this guy had obviously been training to win the Jumping Frog of Calavaras County gold medal. He hopped across the kitchen in two blinks of a frog's eye, with me following on all fours, trying to catch him.  He got himself under a shelf, through a crack and behind the trash can faster than I could crawl to to the same can. Aha! I figured he was cornered and I'd be able to rescue him and win his life long gratitude.  To my great dismay, the little green guy had vanished. He was nowhere to be seen. I'm hoping he ran around me while I was moving the  trash can. If ...

Ed. Note: I thought I posted this a few days ago. Wonder why it didn't happen? Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer. William S. Burroughs Yesterday while waiting for the rest of my writing group to gather for our 9:30 meeting, I listened while a tutor helped a student. She explained to him the difference between a question and a statement. He caught on pretty quickly that a question needs an answer. Questions like "Where's your coat?" or "Are you hungry?" are fairly easy to answer. It's the hard life questions I have trouble with. Then along comes Carol with a writing assignment. We are supposed to make a list of 100 questions. Anything from why does Sweetie move things around in the kitchen to why don't we furlough Congress to what does God do when he's on vacation. 100 is a rather daunting number of questions, but given 2 weeks I figured I could do it. As it turns out it is better ...

I thought I'd come home from the mountains all rested and ready to write, write, write. If not the great American novel, at least a daily blog post. I spent most of Sat. trying to fit back in and reclaim my space. I sat in my chair all afternoon working on my final recap of the trip. Here it Tuesday afternoon and I haven't come near the keyboard. I had a heart-breaking, come to Jesus conversation last night, that left both parties feeling kind of raw. The kind where my sadness and anger get all topsy-turvy and I get all dizzy trying to listen, talk, and feel at the same time. Have you ever been swimming in the ocean and been blindsided by a gigantic wave you weren't expecting. Before you know it you're caught up in the roiling see, praying for a foothold so you can get your head above water and take a breath. That's kind of how I was feeling last night. I realized that somewhere in the conversation I started to shut down. That's what I've always done whe...