Desert Magnolia

As weeks go, this one has had its moments. Fortunately, most of those moments have resolved without too much bloodshed. Which, I'm sure we all agree, is a good thing. While it's not over yet, I'll venture to say that there's a good chance it will finally come to a fucking end about this time tomorrow... Between now and then, though.. Tonight's shows. Grey's. Lots going on there. Can Meredith hold onto that baby? Will the surgery work for Mc Dreamy? Will Yang really divorce Owen? Did Owen ask for a divorce to keep Yang in the lawsuit? Yes, lots there. Also, and I thank you JL for continuing to entice me with the new Scandal drug until I am now officially hooked. Ahem.  WTF? I mean, come ON....it's always way over the top and I LOVE it. Tomorrow. Meeting in the morning, which, should go ok, but really? Anything can, does, and has happened in those stupid things so I'm just going to do yoga in the morning and act unsurprised no matter what come...

Your plan. The master plan. Often two entirely different plans.   [Tell us something good blog]

I remember lofty goals from when I was younger. Like wanting to be an astronaut. Or wanting to be ruler of the world. Or wanting to fly. Right now? This week? It's all about being practical. 3 final exams. Year end planning. Final trip details. Packing. I like big goals, I do. But sometimes a girl's gotta be real. Escaping with most of my derriere still anchored to my body = enormous success! Happy week, everyone!

You don't really need to answer the What is wrong with me question, as it was sort of rhetorical. Anyway, this was a big anniversary for GG and me, but it was definitely impacted by the reality that our baby girl was having surgery the next week. We had a quiet but lovely celebration, or celebrations, actually, and he outdid himself. Totally. This was our 25th anniversary. A big one, actually. Really big. In our time together we have loved deeply, fought heartily, and raised two amazing human beings. Raising children is interesting because what really happens is as they're growing up, you are too. There are no manuals for raising babies. And every one is different, so even if you think you know what you're doing with your first one, it's all bets are off for the next one. Seriously, our children couldn't be more different in terms of personality and general approach to life. Yet somehow, in spite of us, they have both grown up to be solid, caring, motivat...

Actually, that countdown began with our actually buying plane tickets , I suppose, but you know what I mean. Things that must be done before we depart? At least a million, and about half of those are non-negotiably must do's. Patience I have with anyone who smilingly assumes I'll be able to handle yet another 'awesome big idea' before I go? None. Reasons why Cancun represents an opportunity to regroup, sans wireless? Duh. It's Mexico. In case you forgot how beautiful it will be there: Reasons why I can't wait to get the hell out of here? If you've been reading my blog, you already know. If not, know this - if it were possible for a few months to be any more insane, emotional, stressful or just plain ri.fucking.diculous, I'd be terribly surprised. And at this point, not much surprises me.

My white, bossy, princessy, very very routine-based cat would make a great president. She is sweet (diplomatic), but somehow always gets her way. She is attractive, which we know helps in general. Yes, I just said that. She is vain, which means her opponents might underestimate her and compliment her excessively. But she is smarter than vain, so when she sees through the ploy, they'd better be careful. (See suffering no fools comment.) She is smart, anticipates her 'opponent's' next moves, and suffers no fools. She has NO patience for stupidity. None. Tipper Ann slightly pissed to have been disturbed during beauty sleep She is also incredibly prompt. That little pussy cat stomps on my body every single morning at 602 a.m. if I am not UP already. And if you've ever had a cat you know that when they stomp, their entire body weight is focused upon the foot they're currently pressing through your belly to your backbone. It's a physics thing....

Simple things are truly what make life rich and wonderful. In fact, some days, the simple stuff is all that keeps me from running screaming from the room. Seriously. Like, when my friend JL would do her silly happy dance as she walked by my office door. That would jolly me out of any stress out I could conjure. Every single time. Like when Son called yesterday and announced he'd be joining us in Mexico for the holidays. Woot! So now our fam will be complete plus 1 sweet friend of Daughter's...laying on the beach, contemplating whether it's time to apply more sunscreen. Or or to reach for a cold beer or order a chilly marg. You know, that kind of stuff. Easy. Like Daughter and I spending time at our hair stylist's yesterday afternoon. Sipping a glass of wine, getting our 'dos done. Then shopping, and actually finding a cute pair of boots and some darling jeans for the girl. Like dancing in the kitchen..while listening to Tom Petty, laughing with my girl, p...

I have been studying in weird places since I started school. We bought a cool chair, for in our guest room, that is comfy and works well for this. With a pretty side table and lamp, that's been my headquarters for almost a year. But not anymore. I now have a real desk and a real bookshelf and a real chair. Woot! My office! For real! It's the little things, yes? Having a space dedicated to...studying, and working, and that I don't have to tidy up every time I'm done with a session feels really cool. And official. Which kind of gives me performance anxiety. I mean, the pressure is on, right??

Midterms were interesting, this term, with more 'practical' ie 'hands on' stuff than ever before. Which makes sense given what I'm studying, right? In all, I think they went well. My final midterm, in Anatomy & Physiology, was yesterday. 50 multiple choice questions, fairly written, and fairly straightforward. Which to me means if you know the material, it's easy. I knew most of the material. The couple that I'm sure I missed, I just didn't know at all. Which is fine. I'd rather have it be that than knowing it but not being able to access it at test time. That sucks. The good news is I feel solid in my program, and like progress is being made, and like the foundation for the discipline is being laid in my psyche. So that's all good. Milestones ...Daughter no longer has to use crutches! Woot! As of this morning, the surgeon released her to walk on her own. She started, at his behest, to put 50% of her weight on the leg beginning last...

This bitch is on her way to my girl Since Daughter moved to the East coast for college, she's been in the path of two hurricanes. Irene was the first, and she and her team were held over two days in North Carolina  as that storm blew itself out over the Northeast. This time, this time she's in RI, and Sandy is headed directly for them. They're not allowed to leave their dorm rooms after 1 p.m. Eastern, today, due to high winds. They've stocked up on non-perishables and water, and are expecting widespread power outages. The first of the worst is supposed to hit later this evening and continue into tomorrow. Duration is hard to predict given the Canadian cold front that is joining up with this tropical beast and feeding the frenzy. It's a hybrid storm, kind of a hurricane weds a n'oreaster. Nobody knows for sure just how bad it's going to be, but everyone is sure it's a doozie. I can certainly attest to that. Being here, so far away, an...

For the Mexico trip? I decided to buy a new suit. Ahem. It's red. And it's a bikini. And it's stringy. I am...fairly fit, but made curvy. I am confident and most days it takes a lot to make me blush. The path to this suit is one I thought you might appreciate, since my very good friend, confidant and fashion adviser JL is part of it. A paraphrased conversation between JL and me, earlier this week: Me: What is your position on the whole women of a certain age wearing bikinis? JL: I wish we had a more European view of things and just did what's appropriate for an occasion instead of getting caught up in the whole age thing. Me: I agree. I'm thinking of getting a string bikini for this Mexico trip, and I think I just needed to hear that it's really ok..to do whatever I'm comfortable doing..but not do something because someone says when you reach a certain age you stop wearing bikinis, you know? JL: Yep. I think you should do what feels right, the...

Flash forward to present moment. To a Monday night spent domestically focused..on Skyping with Daughter, who is improving in both emotional and physical aspects. To making flight plans to bring the girl home for the holidays...the day following her last final exam. To making flight plans that mirror hers for her bestie and roommate. Why mirroring flights? We're getting the hell out of Dodge for the holidays, and we're taking her bestie with us. To Mexico. Cancun. The ocean, warm breezes, where only SPF, hats, plenty of water and bikinis are required. "Mas tequila, por favor." That's really all I want to say during our stay in a time share condo that a friend of ours has been kind enough to offer up. We'll cook, we'll hang out, and mostly..we'll just 'be'... Picture if you will, Hubby, moi, Daughter, and her friend the lovely Ginger girl from the East Coast. Can you say Hell yes? I can.

So, hi. I'm really not sure where to begin so I'll start where I left off nearly a month ago and move forward... Timeline 9/20/12. I get on a plane and head East. Made it to Minneapolis before Delta, the least reliable airline in the entire world (that isn't currently in bankruptcy) with what must be an abyssmal on time record announced that our commuter jet from Minneapolis to Providence had 'a pretty big dent in the cargo door', and that they were going to have to address that before we could leave. Well, yeah. That would be good. Address the big dent in the skin of the airplane BEFORE we take off, please. Turns out the dent was bigger than they'd thought at first, so really, the next step was to 'wheel over another plane' and then we'd be all set to go. Up until this point I didn't realize that extra planes are just sort of stored...just for these occasions when a ball peen hammer and some swearing aren't going to do the trick wi...

Euphemisms play a role in  life, particularly if you're dealing with the human body, with foibles of its own. Case in point? Our human body of note of late, my daughter's. Specific part, her knee. Yep, the bad one. Yep, the one she 'tweaked' several weeks back. 'Tweak' in this case means 'broke off a dime sized piece of cartilage that's now free floating in the knee and causing no end of pain, swelling, general angst..but it's hard to say for sure because it's cartilage and doesn't really show up well on an MRI.' The really nasty part about this, though, is the REASON for the cartilage breaking off. See, the ACL, the one they ALREADY REPLACED not quite three years ago...has stretched. Which is bad if you're an ACL is your sole job in life is to support my daughter's knee so she can play the game she loves loves loves and finish college while she's at it. Because if you're stretched, and you're that ACL? You let unn...

Have you ever yearned to have a simple saga to share? A straightforward story? A black and white blurt out? Me too, but it seldom happens. Why? I don't know. Maybe because as we get older there is less black and white and much more gray. Or because sometimes life throws ridiculously complex scenarios at us and expects us to figure them the hell out. Take, for example, my daughter's knee. If you've been reading this blog for very long you're fully aware of how that whole thing went down. And the emotions, physical effort, pain, love, dedication and genuine human fortitude that went into bringing that girl back. And I'm not even talking about what SHE had to do! That was just her support group. Anyway, it's always been difficult. The whole blown then replaced ACL thing can be tricky, particularly when you're a college athlete and place unbelievable amounts of stress on that joint on a daily basis as part of your sport. And when your body builds scar...

As weekends go, this last one flew by. Flew. Highlights... A hard run on Saturday morning. It was cool, it was beautiful, I needed to work off some nervous energy. Making Caprese Salads for a gathering Saturday night using GG's tomatoes and basil..and fresh mozzarella. Visiting with friends and taking pulses..(radial pulses)...for a Diagnosis class I'm in..we have to take a lot, and we have to keep a journal, which gets turned in.. Making Grandma Gin's Lemon Chiffon Cake, using my trusty Joy of Cooking...as always. Making Grandma's requested dinner of Chicken and Dumplings, and serving that with Caprese Salads...(can't seem to get enough of those delightful summer salads...) Having a lovely meal and dessert with Grandma. She's doing fine- is complaining that she feels like she's slowing down a little, which is annoying. The whole 92 years old thing? She's ok with it in general, but some days...she feels old, though less now than before her...

Hot hot hot, that's what July has been so far. Fortunately our monsoons are beginning, which means some days we're fortunate enough to feel raindrops fall from the sky, wash the dust from the air and cool us down a bit. Some days, though,  those monsoons get a little carried away and stuff starts to wash away... One time when I was a little girl, maybe 10 or so, I saw a VW Bug floating down an arroyo...just bobbing along. Apparently they'd tried to cross running water that was deceptively shallow looking in a dip in the road, but in which the water was surging with enormous force and speed.... Everything turned out ok. Nobody was hurt, but that was a strange sight and represents the kind of weirdness that happens when heavy rains fall in a desert like ours. Anyway, it's hot. This summer has been a blur of activity, mostly good, but some not so good. A litany follows.... -Daughter came home to visit  (as I've already mentioned in an earlier post but stil...

At some point in the far distant future I will have completed my Oriental Medicine study, and, the good Lord willing, will be licensed and actually practicing. Yes, I realize this is a really long way away, but when you're me, and you're as jazzed about the prospect as I am, you decide that when you finish that very long journey? You're gonna want a vanity plate on your car..something kind of clever, but mostly, just fun. The list so far: QiMover MovinQi AhQi! QiDoc Balance QiHa! As you can see, late night studying and extra work stress have done nothing for my clever, but it's fun thinking up this stuff! Feel free to add, or comment, at will! Stevie

Hair. Long, short, in between, highlighted, dark, shot with gray. No matter what stage it's in, or its current tone, it can make me very very happy or make me want to stab myself in the eyeball with a dull instrument. Maybe a butter knife. The 'logic' goes something like this, on a bad day: Hair, being its strong-willed self, decides to be both big AND in my face, which is a bad combo even on a good day, let alone one when the demigods of hormones have been partying in my bloodstream and emotions for a few hours...and I'm feeling crabby and fragile and mostly like no matter what damned stage my stupid 'do is in, I just want it to comply. On some level. Which guarantees absolute chaos. And makes me text Erika the Fierce and Wonderful stylist who is not afraid of either my hair's nor my moods, which means she is a keeper in the most fundamental sense of the word. Erika knows to ignore said text, which flew at 6 p.m. after a long, hot day fighting with...

Last weekend was full, ok maybe overfull, of events. To the point where I wondered where in the heck the whole thing had gone..somewhere around 1030 on Sunday night. It went something like... Early Saturday morning yoga session.  Breakfast. Saturday morning walk/jog. Shower. Golden Anniversary party for our neighbors at El Pinto, a local Mexican restaurant that served up the absolute largest bowl of guacamole we'd ever seen. Mmmm. And the event? Lovely. As my hubby and I approach 25 years of wedded bliss with a sense of purpose and happiness, these two absolutely shone in their Golden glory. Really they did. They've been through hell and back, those two. But here they are, still standing, and in fact, dancing and smiling and embracing and looking into each other's eyes with that 'You are my person, always have been, always will be' look that inspires. Me hustling off to the store for a couple of Father's Day needs, then back home to focus on some dome...

You know that feeling when you've just begun the fastest, most hair on fire part of a roller coaster ride? And you're going at what feels like Mach 3 with your cheeks pressed into your cheekbones and your eyes watering and your hair flying straight back? That's me, 24/7, these days. It's not terrible, but I have to say, there are very few days when I don't wish for at least a few more hours just so I can catch up with myself! Daughter was home, and that went super fast. She was here, she hung out with friends, she ate some good meals with her 'rents, she repacked her suitcase and she was g.o.n.e. She's back in RI now, training, working, being a pre-Junior in college....some days I want to BE her..ok, many days. Son is planning to come home for a short visit in the near future, and I'm hoping to be able to spend a little quality (read NOT working or at school ALL the time) with him while he's here. Because once he's gone, we'll be apa...

I miss you guys. I miss regular posts and I miss keeping you abreast of my life and I miss..just having enough time to breathe and contemplate topics to share and generally just...be...at all. Right now..things are as we might expect given all the factors in play. School rocks. I love it. Every single day I sit in class and listen, and I read and read and read and talk with my fellow students I realize how very right this path is for me to take. It's hard to overemphasize how wonderful I think this is. Work? Well, let's just say someone has injected our normally frenetic pace with some kind of an alien steroid, which is causing extreme pressure for all, and is making me take deep breaths and yearn for a modicum of perspective, which, of late, I've lost more often than I care to admit. I know, I should be able to control the forces at work, or more importantly, manage my perspective on it all. But I haven't. And it maddens me. So I'm working on it. Seriously...

It's hard to believe, but I've written 300 blog posts. I've mused, I've contemplated, I've whined, I've boasted, I've grieved, I've vented, I've waxed eloquent and inane, I've demonstrated depth and great shallowness, and I've, in spite of my random approach, found a voice that feels right, lovely, mine. 300. More than some, less than others, but right now? Feeling just right for Desert Magnolia. Thank you for being there. You're why I share. Hugs, Stevie

Mondays can be a challenge. There's the whole shock to the system of waking up and realizing it's not the weekend anymore, which kind of blows. And then the jolt out of the lazy flow of the weekend into the time-focused 'gotta be at the office by x time, gotta get ready for the company meeting, gotta check emails/deadlines to ensure nothing is on fire' stuff. And then the reality of settling into the week...and knowing that this one will be a full one. They all seem to be. This week for me: Work. Lots of good stuff going on, but 'lots' being the watchword. School. 2nd trimester starts. Tomorrow a.m. So tomorrow for me is school, 9-12; work 1230-430; clinic 5-9. Long day, Tuesday. For this I've washed and pressed my lab coat, cleaned out my tote (it is truly amazing what collects during a trimester in terms of used kleenexes, abandoned index cards, folded notes that were important at some point but now are just extra weight, stale snacks, etc.), and ...

Middle age isn't for wimps. When I look in the mirror backwards, (and no, JL, I do NOT do this when I'm just a day or two away from my period-you're totally right in your urging me NOT to add to the emotions already violently careening with additional 'oh crap-ness'...), I'm amazed at how gravity works. I've always had a bubble butt. It's how God made me. When I was little, and all of my flat bottomed friends fit nicely into Ditto jeans (or cords), I looked on, envious, and knowing that my hips and those pants would never enjoy one another's company. I have a relatively tiny waist, which means...hard to fit. Anyway, as the bubble butt ages, it assumes some annoying habits. Like visibly succumbing to gravity much more quickly than it used to. I have to work out a lot more to keep it suspended, I'm just sayin, and that gets stressful at times. In spite of my best intentions, now that I've undertaken the whole school on top of career thi...

Springtime here is a bitch. There's no predicting the weather. One day it's 80 degrees and lovely, the next it's 50 and we're hunting around for sweaters again. For real, this high desert weather is confusing, and causes no end of confusion for our bodies. I went in for a balancing treatment today, and boy did I need it. My friend KD, the most amazing practitioner I know and who saved my life (literally) way back when, and who has been treating me for.ever now,  said Spring is really hard for our bodies. The pollens blow around, we're trying to adapt to cold, then hot, then cold again, then wind, which really plays havoc on our systems. She said she treats more patients in the Spring than any other season. And when she treated me, we started talking about the profession. And she shared some of her insight, gained over 25 years of treating an amazing assortment of patients. With all kinds of issues, as one would expect. She talked with me like a future colleagu...

"There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a person being themselves. Imagine going through your day being unapologetically you ." - Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free (This quote appeared in an article on Mind, Body, Green, a site I visit frequently. I am smack within their demographic, so I constantly find stuff that resonates. This quote is one more example of that...) Those of you who have followed my blog for any period of time have witnessed a personal evolution, of sorts, as I've shared the empty nest process as it's unfolded for me. You've seen the low points, the high points, the breakthroughs and the gradually emerging post-flight woman I'm becoming. Amid myriad realizations, a common thread of self-awareness has grown, and with it has come a better understanding of who I am now. Ironically, with that, has come a clearer understanding of who I have been, and some ideas about why that younger me made some of the choices she made, ...

I love music that makes me nostalgic. Most music does that, which is part of its magic, yes? Today I'm awash in a veritable sea of nostalgia, courtesy of Allison Krauss (Nothing At All, Down to the River to Pray, Go to Sleep Little Baby), EmmyLou Harris (Pancho and Lefty, Tulsa Queen, Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, Two More Bottles of Wine), and Willie Nelson with Johnny Cash (The Highwayman, Ghost Riders in the Sky), and EmmyLou Harris with Mark Knopfler (Why Worry?, Romeo and Juliet..and more). My Dad was also cheesy. We actually owned a Marty Robbins album, and the theme track to The Magnificent Seven, and Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass. And Dave Brubeck. And Stan Kenton. And Gordon Lightfoot. Dad and I shared the cheese, and he taught me to love jazz and classical and folk and music in general. Fleetwood Mac could make him stop and just smile, regardless what he was into at that point, building a gorgeous piece of furniture or grooming his garden or reading a...

Have you ever had a moment when you leave your body, look down and ask, 'Who the hell are YOU and what have you done with my more pleasant, focused, calm and friendly self?' Me either, very often, anyway. But lately that's happened a couple of times. And I do not like that person I'm looking down on and querying, no sirree. That person is tight, stressed, serious, and has lost her sense of humor. That person needs to find some lightness, to calm the hell down and refocus. On the important stuff. That person is learning to work on overload and manage the pressure and keep all the balls in the air at all times.  Well, most times. She's learning that she can gently rest a ball or two while she focuses on the highest priority events in her life, but she's stubborn and a little slow. Fortunately her friends and family are understanding and supportive, and most days she's able to mend any fences she's accidentally backed into during frenetic activity. ...

In Chinese Medicine,  females are considered to age in 7 year cycles. So at 7,1, their teeth are in, their hair is thick, they're beginning school. At 7,2, they begin to express reproductive capabilities, menstruation starts, and so on. I am on the brink of 7,7. I love it, because it's a square. I kind of hate it because it's so very much closer to the big 5-0 that I'm practically there , and that distresses me just a bit. Things that happen at 7,7 if you're Chinese: Your hair begins to gray. Your menstrual cycles may begin to falter, then cease entirely. Your skin begins to appear older. You, essentially, begin to show signs of age. So the hair part? Yep. I'm beginning to be shot with silver in my nearly black locks. But weirdly enough it's not bothering me enough to color it anymore. So I'm either maturing, very comfortable with who and where I am, or I'm fucking busy and just don't want to deal with it. I'm really not sur...

Wormholes, sure. But time, time is a uniquely human construct designed to pacify humans and give us a concrete concept to hold onto in this sea of continuity that is the universe. This, among other declarations, was made during a rare and welcome conversation with an old, dear friend of mine who has, unexpectedly and repeatedly during our friendship, stepped up and simply listened when I had something to share. Sometimes these sharings have been serious, sometimes dire, sometimes silly, sometimes they've been about simply having lunch OUT. But this time, this was a doozie. The last fortnight has revealed some most unpleasant realities, including but certainly not limited to my learning that our dear family dentist of 30+ years has progressive lung disease and must retire to better care for himself and be on oxygen more of the time. I've also learned that my ex is suffering from the same condition-COPD. Yes, they both smoked for many years in spite of being intelligent...

One of GG's friends is a musician, in fact he teaches it, and he's good. He plays the piano, often with a couple of other band people and they make nice jazzy music. Tonight he's playing at Mykonos, our favorite neighborhood Greek restaurant. Their food is traditional and delicious. Their bar is full service, so if you're in the mood for a glass of wine or a killer martini, you're set. I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for yet. But I'll know when I sit down. We're meeting friends. A couple we've known for 26 years, and in fact who attended our wedding and whose wedding we attended and with whom we've raised our 4 children (collectively) and who feel much more like family than many family members to us. They're awesome. And a former colleague of GG's, who is funny and cool, and who lived in the Middle East with her ex, and with whom we share fun stories and who really convinced us to spend next Christmas at her timeshare in Mexic...

After the Chinese man with many letters after his name shifted my universe in a way that made me question my ability to pursue this new endeavor (and whether I could actually retain anything of substance..anything..) and I had my little intensely annoying self-doubt party, I calmed down a little. Mostly because my dear friends can do that-calm me down when I've managed to work myself into a tizzy and stay in some hyper-freaked out mode for much longer than one would consider normal. Ahem. This means Love. Happy Valentine's Day! So thank you sweet Daughter, and sane and funny Son, and Hubby, and all of my friends..who encouraged me to put some perspective around the first exam of my new program. When he handed back our graded tests the other day,  my prof made eye contact with me and said, 'Very nice work. You're learning well.' My jaw dropped, and when I looked down and realized I'd somehow managed to pull off an A...I nearly passed out. Onward. ...

Said ass kicker dealt up my first exam in 14 years. And it was hard. And I made some stupid mistakes, got some hard stuff right, and had to talk myself off a panic attack ledge at least twice, which made me forget stuff I know, but couldn't access. I walked out of that exam feeling disappointed, mostly in myself. For not being clever enough to anticipate what the prof was going to throw at us. For not intuiting his style prior to our first exam. For not having a photofuckingraphic memory so the stuff that was on that table he told us we didn't need to study but that he put on the exam anyway? Would have already been automatically saved in my brain and it wouldn't have been a biggie. Overall, I'd say if I wasn't as old, experienced and determined as I am? I'd be second guessing my decision. But I'm old, experienced, and determined and will figure out what I did wrong, learn it right, and move on. Cuz that's how it works when you're a grown up. ...

After several months of learning more, and mostly adhering to a Primal diet, I'm finding that some interesting things have happened. Warning: If you just aren't interested in this aspect of my life, leave now. There's not too much else in the post besides more talk of music, some thoughts on studying for my first exam and the soul deep concentration required to choose a color for the pedi I intend to get on the way home today.  Ok, then. If you're still here, you care about what I've noticed since embarking upon this Primal journey. Or you care about what color I'm thinking for a mid-Winter toe treat. Either way, hi. So at first the Primal thing is weird. We spend a remarkable amount of time baking, enjoying foods full of grains, eating rice and let's not get started on soy. No sirree. There is a lot of creating a new awareness of what to avoid. Which feels a little restrictive, but that goes away pretty quickly. Breakfasts can be a little monotonous...

Today marked the end of a long and intense week. Like most Fridays, I suppose. But today I decided not get caught up in the chaos, but just to listen to good music and forge through my project list as best I could. In spite of a few tangential memory moments, (first kiss with the most delicious college guy who was way older than me and wow... flashbacks to long road trips between here and California listening to the Eagles, navigating Sunday mornings with Santana in the background,  long, hot days on the boat down in Mexico where the sea stretched onto forever and the colors were clear, sharp and uniquely Baja, etc.) I got a lot done. In fact, even during the nostalgic wave I accomplished a great deal. Which makes me want to use music as a buffer more often. Because stark reality? Is overrated. Happy weekend!

The whole work/school routine is falling into place, and I'm pretty sure by the end of the first semester I'll be in a really good groove. Because that's just how I roll. But in the meantime, while the groove is establishing and I am adjusting to being a pretty old chick back in school? I'm kind of a dud. For example, say you wanted me to watch a favorite TV show with you after dinner. And I said 'Sure!' because I like our favorite TV shows, and I got all settled in on the couch and snuggled up and watched the opening scene of Modern Family, then fell asleep. Hard. Out like a light out. Cut to later, when Daughter (who was still home last week when I did this) says, 'Mom, it's time for bed. Come on, do NOT sleep on the couch. It always seems like a great idea until about 2 a.m. when you're really uncomfortable and need the bed...' Wowza. The sleep I did without in college? I'm having to catch up on now. And since I'm back in schoo...

Daughter left on Sunday morning, which meant my Sunday afternoon was kind of without its normal abundance of oxygen...This always happens, and I can say that my recovery period is getting shorter and the breathlessness is becoming less suffocating. But it still happens, and I suspect it probably always will. After I dropped her at the airport I ran some errands, then went home and went for longest, hardest run I'd gone on since before our trip. The air was balmy, in fact I ran in shorts and a sweatshirt. The sun on my face felt calming and soothing and the slight breeze kept me from regretting choosing the sweatshirt over a lighter technical shirt.... Arm work, ab work and stretching followed the run. And a shower, of course. And once I was cool and clean, I decided to sit...quietly, for about twenty minutes, in the sunbeam shining into our living room. I felt a soft settling, an internal acceptance of the new now, almost like a sigh from my soul, and a sense of peace came ov...

Stevie's Magic Genie Lamp Since no trip the Middle East is complete without the acquisition of some bling as well as a magic lamp or two, I had to buy this one. It's really pretty (there is more pink in it than this lame photo shows, but that's all I can do for the moment). Of course now I want to make some wishes. And I don't want to pay any price for them, just get what I want. If that's not a spoiled-y only child sentiment, I don't know what is, but there you have it. Me, frazzled, exhausted but elated, and really really really glad it's Friday. My three wishes today? 1. Dinner on Elliott Bay with my friend JL 2. Clarity and fortitude (they go hand in hand so they count as one wish, ahem) to be really good at the school thing 3. A stellar weekend with my girl, who returns to school on Sunday. What would you wish for? Happy Weekend! Hugs, Stevie

New Agers have really skewed how the world thinks of something as fundamental as chi. They've commercialized it, and made a concept that's around 4,000 years old sound trite. But trite it's not. No sirree... Bottom line? When you're dealing with a person's chi, you're working with fundamental energy and you'd better be careful. You can do great good, assuming you know what you're doing. Or you can do great harm if you're just a hack without proper chi training. So the next time someone comes up to you and offers to 'adjust your chi', and that little voice in your head screams 'RUN, DO NOT LET THEM NEAR THE CHI!'...you should listen to it. Chi is sacred, and should be treated with utmost care. Week 1, Oriental Medicine school, redux.

Orientations happen this week. Several, for different reasons, at the school. Found a nice book bag- understated, black, Kenneth Cole. Had some notebooks, so grabbed one of them and stuffed it in the bag. On the way home from work, gonna stop at Office Max for highlighters and pens. Which should completely and totally prepare me for my new venture, right?? Oh, and there's reading. I'm about halfway through the first book, which is a great intro to Oriental Medicine, and which does a lovely compare/contrast with Western medicine-very helpful when undertaking study, yes? So wish me luck. I'm working on my 'studious' face. And am really hoping I don't get to dust off my 'what the hell was I thinking' face any time soon.