Desert Magnolia

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...