Protection Spell

Protection Spell

Tap the top of your head

Yes, you are thinking clearly

Now the third eye

See the protective bubble

Sing your name

Syllable by syllable

Listen to your name song

Feel the hum

Clap your hands

In front 

Behind

Create a sphere

Over and over again

Notice where you begin

And where you end

Listen to your heart

Safe in your chest

Comfortable in your ribs

Protected by your skin

Activate your willpower

Fill it with light

Choose to empower 

Rather than enable

Sink down into your belly

Trust your gut

All organs, all systems

Are working together

Don't be an amoeba

Evolve

Allow yourself to want more

Trust what you attract, desire

Yes, there will be some moths

As you Flame

All the more reason to

Use a clear chimney

Go down into your bones

Flex your hips and thighs

Wiggle your toes

Safe, secure, reassured

You have everything you need

It's already in your hands

Hypnobirthing

Hypnobirthing is "a method of managing pain and anxiety during childbirth, involving various therapeutic relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and visualization."

I usually recommend doing at least three sessions for hypnobirthing. The first session is the "getting to know you" session, where I can answer questions and hear about your particular story, health history, and visions for your birthing experience. We will do a short (15-20 minute) guided meditation for deep body relaxation tailored to your needs. Partners are encouraged to participate in the process.

The next session would be midway to your due date, although some folks like to come in sooner. After checking in, we would do a longer hypnosis session, more like 45 minutes, to build up inner resources, release any fears or traumas, and focus on having the most mindful birth possible.

The third session would be closer to your due date, maybe a couple weeks out, depending on how you feel, We would create pain management techniques that will have been built upon the following two sessions - the body relaxation and positive visualizations. All the sessions will be recorded, so that you can listen to them at home for further internal reinforcement.

Here is more information/testimonials from my hypnobirthing clients. 

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Thoughts on Junk Drawers

The junk drawer is as American as apple pie. Everyone has one. It's the one place where you can throw in anything and (hopefully) find everything. Usually in the kitchen, near a wall where once a landline phone used to hang, so you could grab a pen, scratch paper, etc.

Here is my secret Superpower - Organizing my junk drawer. Believe you me, this has given me solace on many an anxious occasion. Simply dwelling on the amount of order in this relatively tiny space makes me feel in power, in charge, and in control, even if the rest of the world is in shambles.

Start by taking everything out of the junk drawer. Everything. Take the drawer out, shake out the crumbs, line it with fresh contact paper, the marbled one that hides the ubiquitous detritus. Notice the well oiled hinges, remove the fine layer of oily scum off the top brackets with a quick swish of the industrial sanitizer wipes. Put it to the side.

Begin to sort - Notice the appropriation of various tools used once, but too lazy to put back in the garage afterwards, end up here. Ask yourself, would I use it once a week? A month? Keep one screwdriver (the one that reverts between flat and Phillips head), wire cutter/pliers, small hammer, box opener, tape measure, and the big ass flashlight. Check the batteries of said torch.

Find your cache of empty Altoid boxes. These tins are the perfect size for credit cards, business cards, mini helpful people boxes, let alone the assortment now before you. Label them using a label maker if feeling industrious, or find some file folder labels, at least use a sharpie. Fill them - one will actually be Altoids, of course, next is paper clips, staples, rubber bands (but not your husband's hairbands, from experience), push pins, razor blades, twist ties, safety pins, miscellaneous seeds you picked up on walks in the neighborhood, most likely Icelandic or California Poppy.

Use the old greeting card boxes to sort the rest. We are talking not just three sizes, but three colors of post it notes.White glue stick, super glue, gorilla glue, at least one refill for the hot glue. Lighters, matches, birthday candles that must be over twenty years old because they go back to Amber's sixth birthday but, hey, they are still good. A size D battery that might be a part of the new automatic cat feeder.

Dedicate one to keys - spare keys, bike keys, neighbor keys, bike lock keys, padlock keys, fence keys, shed keys, storage shed keys (remember the pass code to get in, write it down, attach to key) keys you have no idea what they go to anymore but can't do be too safe don't throw them out. And of course a plethora of key rings.

Make a space for the scotch tape, duct tape, packing tape - both kinds, clear and tan. Then staples and stapler, too bad the three hole punch won't fit in, good thing the scissors are in the pen cup. As well as an exactoknife because the exacto blades are in the razor blades box. Honor that the toothpicks are in their own container.

Glasses cleaner - cloth, as well as the little packs of photographic lens wipes that Chip bought for his cameras, and the bottle of solution scored at a show in San Francisco presented by Money Magazine on the opportunities to invest in Marijuana products that is still somehow your favorite, maybe because the plastic container is peridot green.

Find a smallish recycled container, one that you've already lost the lid for (well that's true of most) just to throw in all of the remaining ephemera - Plastic bread bag closings you always want to throw away but somehow your husband adores: miscellaneous buttons that maybe match to something in your to-be-sewn pile: clothespins masquerading as clips for bags of frozen spinach or tortilla chips; the weird metal angle with the tiny nail you have no idea what it goes to; Xmas lite bulb fuses; The second knob for the stove because one broke but they're only sold in pairs; The big blue stick of chalk for writing FREE on the sidewalk anytime you have succulent cuttings or an office chair ready to be given away to the whims of the curb; A green felt cat toy that jingles softly.

When it gets cluttered, start again. Notice what piles up, what lingers. The ebb and the flow. The flotsam and the jetsam. Ask yourself the deeper questions, activate your inner Marie Kondo, be brutally honest - Do you really need that many Ikea Allen wrenches?

Close the drawer. Be at peace.

Herbcrafter’s Tarot

It’s the Pink Moon, full moon in Libra, sun in Aries, 2022. Everybody knows that the tarot is irresistible, and today I'm using the Herbcrafter’s Tarot written by Leticia Guthrie, artwork by Joanna Powell Colbert, published by US Game Systems. This is an irresistible deck and I’ve already bought three since somehow I keep giving them away.

My focus is on my holistic practice. So much has changed in the last two years with COVID. I shuffle the cards again and again, relishing in their newness, the stiff glossy cardboard with a pleasing back design of various herbs, roots, stems, and butterflies on a pale green background. I mix the cards with my energy and intentions, cutting the deck into three stacks using my left hand (heart), then making a new pile with my right hand (head) while softly saying, “In the name of the Maiden. Mother, and Crone, I'm here by myself, and I am never alone.” Swiftly I draw cards using the classic Motherpeace spread. Since they are new, I turn the reversed cards upright. I’ll think about them more later, most likely around three o’clock in the morning.

The first card is The Significator, my here and now, the main focus. Using my right hand, I pull Three - The Empress - Rose. Threes are the number of creativity, and this is a Major Arcana, a major life lesson. We see a rosary made of red beads with a flaming heart,  surrounded by succulent rose hips, fiery chili peppers, five-petaled English roses (reminds me of Placenta Bush) and crimson rose petals. In the middle is a heart made out of honeycomb, makes me think of the nursery rhyme, “The queen was in the parlor, eating bread and honey.” Upon reading the accompanying book, there is also a Venus of Willendorf, appropriate since the traditional Empress has the symbol for the planet Venus inscribed on her throne. It is a beautiful card. The book says, “Be vulnerable, yet strong. Nurture love and compassion. See beauty and abundance in every stage of life.”

When looking through said book, I like how each card has a little quote, describes the artwork and meaning, and then there's a section called “Crafting” which offers ways to honor the particular card. For this card, one suggestion is to create a rosary out of rosebuds, rose hips, or dry rose petal beads for love and compassion. Considering I'm focusing on my practice and my last name is Rose, I saw this as auspicious and reassuring.

The second one, Source of Strength, is Eight of Fire - Ginger pulled with my left hand. We see a vast kitchen with a wooden cutting board filled with dark brown ginger roots, some sliced to show pale yellows, as well as green onions, a glass cruet of olive oil, a bunch of well-used spatulas in a jar, a copper kettle, something flaming on the stove, a big cooking pot that could be a cauldron. Eights are rewards and Fire represents energy. “Adapt swiftly to unexpected changes. You can handle the heat. Act quickly when inspiration strikes.” One of the suggestions is to craft a magic ginger honey pot, which is intriguing.

The third is the The Challenge card, my particular workshop.  Using both hands now, I pick Two of Earth - Witch Hazel. Two are about balance, and Earth is the physical world - health, finances, material things. The card shows two blue birds twittering on a wicker birdhouse, another one balancing on a branch filled with bright yellow buds adorned with blue ribbons on a wispy, cloudy, slightly chilly day. There is snow on the ground and frosted green trees in the distance. Finding joy in each moment is my challenge. The book recommends, 

 “Full hands, rich life. Balance on the edges of depth and lightness. Find joy in each moment… Your stability may feel at risk but as the flowers promise relief is not far off… Decorate the leafless tree with strands of ribbons for each of your blessings… Cultivate joy. Hang birdhouses from winter trees and pause to sing with the birds while you work.“

The fourth revealed is The Root, which represents what I am bringing up from my deep past, childhood, and past lives. Again using both hands, they hover and choose Fourteen -  Temperance - Camellia. Another Major Arcana, the card of alchemical change. There is an earthy  bamboo tray with three white porcelain cups of steaming green tea, a delicate floral teapot and a bowl full of  fragrant leaves. The camellia has a beautiful yellow center with white petals and waxy green leaves. It's a very soothing card.

“Trust the magic of the present. See the secret in the symbol. Create new magic from what is familiar. Focus on the present moment to bring balance to opposing forces. There is magic in the mundane: ordinary tea bags stop minor bleeding, soothe sunburns, and reduce eye inflammation. Camilla is the oldest, most widely used botanical in history. Let ancient practices inspire fresh ideas.”  The book goes on to suggest learning how to make kombucha .

The fifth card shows The Sky, that is what is most on my mind, as well as energy that is available now. My fingers twitch and finally come together on Twenty - Awakening - Tulsi. Traditionally the World Card, this Major Arcana speaks to global consciousness. An overflowing bowl of dark green sprigs on creamy lace, gracefully adorned by a sandalwood mala with a golden yellow tassel, sprays of purple spears and a tear shaped oil lamp, weeping a single flame.

“Make an offering to the sacred. Awaken to your life purpose. Devotion to your calling is devotion to the world…Sacred service is the call of the divine… Tuls, also known as holy basil… enhances memory, restores energy, and clears toxins.”

The sixth card reflects The Immediate Past, the last six weeks or so, thinking back to the start of Love, Loss, and What I Ate. My left hand simply flips the top card, Nine of Air - Pomegranate. Nines are completions, Air is the mental realm, completing mental thoughts that have caused us anguish in the past. Freshly opened by a hand knife on a wooden table, bleeding  pomegranate seeds, we’re invited to look beyond the windowsill to see the pomegranate tree blooming outside, the mountains beckoning in the distance, a pathway of clouds. 

 “Claim your underworld crown… You are the sky, everything else is the weather… Let go of what you cannot control…  The deeper that sorrow carves to your being the more joy you can contain…Do not hurry your grief… Write your grief with a feather and pomegranate juice…Heal the heart when it is overcome by emotion.”

The seventh card is The Near Future, the next six weeks or so, what will most likely occur as I apply my free will and free choice. My right hand is guided to Five of Water - Goldenseal. Fives are change and water represents emotions. Instantly I feel immersed in the gentle calm gray creek, flowing easily beyond the woven fence. Bringing my focus back, I notice the swaying palm leaves, wispy white flowers in the soft breeze. It is very mossy, very mulchy, a healing space. 

“Seek out healing waters to ease your pain. A restored heart clears the vision. Golden Hope dwells deep underground… Grief is a necessary part of healing, you may be lost in sorrow or depression unable to move forward from a great loss, allowing your feelings to unfold. Goldenseal root medicine teaches us that healing can be very deep… Sadness can open the portal to intuition…Fill a small vial of bright yellow goldenseal water to remind you where hope is hidden.”

The eighth card is The Mirror, self-concept, how I see myself right now. Seven of Fire -  Cinnamon.  Interesting that Eight of Fire was my source of strength.  Sevens are a time of assessment, and Fire is energy - Time to assess my energy in my practice. Here, the rosary is red coral and blue turquoise, with a hammered silver skull, draped across a book with the goddess Ixchel on the front cover and the word Curanderismo on the spine.  There are slices of pale green lime and a jar full of papery brown cinnamon sticks, as well as a mortar and pestle and what looks like a shield of the Aztec calendar on top of a sturdy wooden table. In the background there is a comfy looking flaming hearth.

“Answer the call of the ancients. Seek visions from the ancestors. Take a stand for your whole, authentic self… Start with a study of your bloodlines, learn the history, take the medicine, eat the food of your people, your fore/four mothers will give you direction, use extra cinnamon in breakfast.”

The ninth card is the House card, the environment, people and energy that is around me right now. It slides out effortlessly,  Six of Water - Borage. Sixes are healing and water is emotion. Three fine stemmed wine glasses which float blossoms of blue borage beckon on a lacy white tablecloth. A serene goddess upholds a bowl. Two vases full of lavender spears and a white baby's breath. Imagine a picnic at a tranquil beach by the lake of calm, breathing in the dark green trees and the peaceful blue sky.

“Celebrate milestones old and new. Freely give, freely receive. Let your heart be comforted by the comfort of friends… Borage is a continuously flowering plant that encourages a long-lasting relationship(s).” It goes on to encourage crafting borage flower ice cubes for summer parties or float the flowers in your tub to buoy your spirits.

The tenth card is Hopes and Fears. Often the same thing, I like to think of this card as “how my hopes will conquer my fears.” Six of Fire - Nasturtium tickled my fingertips, asking for a response. Sixes are the number of healing, Fire is energy. The traditional card for being playful. Tall beeswax votive candles on a wooden table, ready to be decorated, anointed, blessed in the middle of this “holy mess.”A  little oil lamp, ready to pass the flame. Three short purple candles, tubes of gold and scarlet glitter. Nasturtiums abound, blood red orange, light yellow striped with secret licks of pomegranate, tickled by a particular friendly green reflected by the twining vines.

“Celebrate yourself and others. Call the circle, make some magic. Glitter and spice magnify power and joy. A table is set for making spells with friends…Celebrate your accomplishments with pizzazz.”

The last card, final outcome, what will most likely happen in the next year as I apply my free will, free choice: Eighteen - The Moon - Datura.  Another Major Arcana, there is a silver bowl with a fully blossomed pale white Datura, while on the outside on the black background we see the stages of it unfurling and unfolding. It is very graceful.  There's a lot of ease in this particular mandala, a reminder of the ebb and flow, seasons and tides in my practice. “Follow your heart. Trust your instincts and intuition. Your capacity for love is limitless. New experiences can cause a wellspring of feelings. Open your heart to spiritual guidance… Face the unknown.”

I bow, and say yes.

Ready to Quit Smoking for Good?

Smoking is an interesting habit - people quit smoking for as many reasons as they started smoking - and absolutely hypnosis is helpful in changing any habit. Hypnotherapy allows you to discover the deeper purpose behind smoking and how to fulfill that purpose in a new, healthier, deeply satisfying way. Because all of this is happening in your own mind, it is always the perfect right solution for you.

Some interesting facts: In breaking smoking cycle, it takes 3 days for the nicotine release; 21 days for the emotional release; and almost 2 years for the plaque build up to clear your arteries. Hypnosis is helpful for the immediate withdrawal symptoms; for processing the release of emotional toxins over the mid range; and for managing/decreasing stress in the long run.

I do a minimum of three sessions over one week to quit smoking for good. The first session is the “getting to know you” session, My intake includes looking at what is your main motivation, your 3 strongest reasons to quit; past success with quitting; support systems in your life; and what affirmations are you making now. Some examples: “I smell fresh”, “ I reach for health” and a personal favorite, “Every breath is a gift”.

During the first session I teach a simple, one minute self hypnosis technique that effectively anchors the feelings of whatever it is that smoking brings you into a part of the body. Repeating the technique while tapping that part of the body instantly brings you to that place, circumventing the need for an actual cigarette.

The second session is almost completely done in trance, and is to quit smoking entirely. This can include imagining all the future situations where you would be tempted to smoke and seeing yourself as a permanent nonsmoker. It also includes visualizing releasing all your smoking paraphernalia, from ash trays to lighters to packs or cartons of cigarettes. This reinforces your self-programming, especially when combined with your anchor.

The last session is a goodbye ritual, acknowledging how Father Tobacco has served you in life, and honoring Spirit of the Plants. I combine Reiki in my sessions, using the energy to further dissolve any stagnation. According to Chinese medicine, grief is stored in the lungs, and often folks who smoke are stuck in some sort of grief, and hypnosis allows for a symbolic death, mourning, and most importantly, moving on to reaffirm life.

Some folks feel it’s about having enough will power, but really I see it as changing wishful thinking into willful thinking. Feel the difference in saying out loud, “I wish I could stop smoking” and “I WILL stop smoking” When you say, “I will” your brain says, “How?” and is all excited to participate. The simple truth is: You will know when it is time to quit. I had one client come to quit smoking, which she did in 3 days, after over a year of weekly hypnotherapy sessions to address the real reason behind her smoking: stress (the proverbial smoke screen). Once she had built up the internal resources to manage her emotions and discovered ways to release her stress in a positive way, she was ready to let go of her smoking habit. Allow yourself all the time you need, and remember to embrace change as a doorway to a more peaceful existence.

I hope this is helpful. Click the Schedule Now button  when you are ready to quit smoking for good!

Thoughts on Hiking

Last summer we decided to drive up the coast and go hiking at Butano State Park which is a little tucked away place off of Highway 1 you really have to go quite a bit inland on Gazebo Creek road. This meant getting up relatively early, brushing teeth, putting on the traditional Santa Cruz layers, for me a short skirt, sweat shirt, and a heavy scarf. Plus sunglasses, mask could be needed, and of course my ubiquitous phone which really serves as my camera.

We stopped to get sandwiches at Cafe Evita, my favorite turkey and havarti sandwich on multigrain bread, and a pack of lightly salted potato chips. 

The drive was uneventful except for seeing the dancing layer of fog on the horizon and wondering if today was actually going to be cold or hot. 

While driving we decided to name as many state national or county parks that were in one hour driving from our house. We came up with 30. This is why we have a state park pass. At any given time in our backyard we can go hiking at the Pinnacles, be up in the redwoods at Big Basin, or simply take some time at the beach near Waddell Creek. Today's adventure was just north of Pescadero, Butono State Park where we do love to hike, and actually considered it for our wedding venue back in the day.

Parking was easy enough, and we had our pleasant picnic with stern warning not to leave any crumbs for the Blue Jays, who then might eat the eggs or birdlings of the Murrieta foul. We started off on the trail at an easy pace, but it quickly grew quite steep and I found myself counting my steps and needing the stop about every hundred or so, and take 30 seconds to do some deep breathing. Now I'm not going to say I'm out of shape, maybe I'm pear-shaped, but mostly I feel like either Tweedledum or Tweedledee. Yet I can move with the agility of the goat on these tiny trails, finding my footing as a little branch slips underneath my sneaker, or some other moment where I thought I was going to trip but instead I held myself gracefully.

We clamored around going over bridges, observing the creek, finding the blossoms of July - amazing choke berries, upright daisies, that ubiquitous don't say that one more time redwoods. All of this was in start contrast to the burnt out redwoods. We were not sure if these were from the recent fires or more ancient, until we crossed over, switch-backing this way and that, oh my aching thighs, all the way up to the other ridge. Now we could see the devastation of last year's wildfires the dark black skeletons of trees in contrast to the ones that had clearly died from the heat but still had brown prickles on them a little more natural looking if you will.

It was so quiet, it was not just quiet, it was silent. Walking along that luminous path with the dapple sunlight just spraying through the red woods, hearing my own breath, the crunch of my husband's feet behind me, the sense that the birds had also gone still. There was the babbling of the creek earlier there had been the waterfall. Later, as we cross the fire road and then the main road to get onto Mill Oak trail, I could hear a hum in the distance. I pointed this out to Chip, and we wondered if it was this the roar of the ocean, the traffic along Highway 1, or simply the sound of the wind in the trees. It had been so quiet, and yet we were markedly more silent just a few moments before in the deeper crevices of the wild. Maybe I was in the deeper crevices of my mind, I certainly knew I had to pay attention to my feet, not the amazing canopy or views around me, but really be grounded not slip, not trip, find the tiniest goat steps steps nimble, nimble, nimble, as we backtracked time and again over these tiny little trails.

At last we came to the point where it was either flat or downhill, since the beginning of our hike was all uphill. We always long for the downhills, but you have to pay just as much attention. It can be easily as treacherous ,as one feels more at ease, looks less at one feet, and does not remember that these are narrow trails at best.

What a metaphor for life. When we feel oh everything is easy going downhill. When we feel our muscles because we're going uphill. Where is it feel narrow, and when is it we come out to those broad vistas, new perspectives.

Thoughts on Negativity

Dear Dad,

Thank you for this article, For the New Year Say No to Negativity By John Tierney and Roy F. Baumeister

https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-the-new-year-say-no-to-negativity-11577464413

I found it quite interesting and have shared it with a few clients already.

Specifically, I liked "Post-traumatic stress disorder became common knowledge but not the concept of post-traumatic growth, which is actually far more common. Most people who undergo trauma ultimately feel that the experience has made them a stronger and better person." I feel that often my clients are pretty invested in being a victim, and part of my job is to get them to be invested in being a hero instead - ie, change the script, heal and deal, recognize the lesson in the trauma and then move on.

I disagree with "A single bad event can produce lifelong trauma, but there is no psychological term for the opposite of trauma because no good event has such a lasting impact." I would say that going to Wesleyan was not just a good event, but has still a lasting impact on my life. Interestingly,  I wanted to go to Georgetown but didn't get in, despite this being a "certain win" from the college counselor. I randomly had applied to Wesleyan which was "out of my league" again according to the counselor, but I had visited with Diana the year before and decided to apply as my long shot. 

I am thankful and aware of this good, and of the very good advice you gave me when I got divorced - always be invested in Amber's education. From early childcare doing Montessori the first seven years, Charter schools during junior/high school, to her graduating from UOP, I feel I totally see the good in these decisions and the lasting impact on Amber as well as my life. 

This paragraph is great -"Politicians and journalists tap into primal emotions by hyping threats from nature, technology, foreigners, political opponents—whatever will instantly trigger the brain’s alarm circuits. The presidency of Donald Trump has been a ratings bonanza because it has brought out the worst on both sides. Rarely a week goes by without some new warning that civilization is doomed." 

"The Rule of Four: It takes four good things to overcome one bad thing" was interesting. Certainly one of the strengths in Chip and my marriage is that we are constantly kind, considerate, polite, and supportive. We often talk about "the past" and how amazing our journey has been, as well as reiterate good experiences, mainly traveling together. "Engaging in nostalgia was long considered a sign of depression, but experimenters have repeatedly found it’s a tool not just for appreciating the past but also for brightening both the present and the future. One reason that happiness increases beyond middle age is that older people spend more time savoring good memories instead of obsessing about today’s worries."

Pretty much the only thing we fight about is our kids - which is why prenuptial agreements are our friend (another good piece of advice you gave me before getting married, with a lifetime positive impact). Anyway, besides for having a "don't ask, don't tell" policy, we've also been practicing a technique I adapted from a compassionate communication workshop called CAMRA - we each take turns to say 3 Celebrations, 3 Appreciations, 3 Mournings, # Reassurances, and 3 Action steps. One of my clients calls this "the shit sandwich - put the negative between slices of positive". However, it works because when we start with the celebrations and appreciations, the brain releases the feel-good neurotransmitters (serotonin, endorphins, dopamine). This makes it easier to hear the mournings, which tend to release the fight or flight hormones (adrenaline, testosterone, cortisol). There is an implicit agreement that as we listen to each other, it is not up to us to fix anything. This goes into reassurances, again it's not up to the partner to provide, just to listen. Last is action steps, which implies personal responsibility and the opportunity to stop focusing on the problems (negative) but the solutions (positive). It also has the 1:4 ratio, I notice.

I liked this - "Of all of Mark Twain’s aphorisms, the one with the most empirical support is a bit of wisdom from the title character of Pudd’nhead Wilson: “To get the full value of a joy, you must have somebody to divide it with.” Psychologists call it capitalization and have found that sharing good news is one of the most effective ways to become happier—but only if the other person responds enthusiastically, so make sure you rejoice in your friend’s good fortune (or at least fake it). Sharing good news makes the triumph more significant, so it’s more likely to be recalled later, which is another proven way to boost happiness." This is why I try to post something positive every day on my social media, rather than repeating bad news.

So, there are some thoughts. I hope it has a positive impact on your lawn bowling, just as you have made a long term positive impact in my life.

I love you, Dad,

Warmly,

Kayla

Pandemic Haikus

Punctuation
After three years of
Chronicling menopause
I get my period

Twenty Seconds

Dress, glasses, flip flops

Cats, keys, what I can carry

Evacuation

Pandemic Postcard
Pat my lap, the cat
Chooses to sit next to me
Feline distancing

Little Corner Store

Turning my back on

Promise of chips and beer, damn

I forgot my mask

10/4/2020
Dearest Lisa G.
How do you feel now that Trump
Has COVID-19?

New Normal

Don’t feel like cooking

Hope husband will do it

Bless Delivery

Day 24 - Loss

I don't often lose my temper or even my cool 

Unless someone makes me look like a fool 

Yes, the backs of earrings, countless pens, 

My way on the highway, one or two good friends.

The black and persimmon velvet scarf, that one sweater, 

Quite a few emails, as well as some important letters, 

My glasses at least a couple times a day,

When hiking in the Land of Medicine Buddha, I really lost my way.

Lost my best friend during the divorce, 

Had to close my bookstore in due course,

The recounts are done the electoral vote widens,

Will Trump ever cede he has lost to Biden?

The loss of lives, now a quarter million,

Will some fat cat makes another billion,

Sewing seeds of self-doubt, poverty and despair,

The nation's loss is a despot affair.

I've lost my job, my clients, and my wages,

All I can do now is write these pandemic pages,

In reviewing my losses, what do I find -

Of all the things I've lost, what I miss most is my mind.

Pandemic Pages

In this moment I am sitting on a rather pleasant deck in Freedom California, mask on, waiting for my hairdresser, who has two other clients being coiffed or their hair colored. Her dog is pleasant company, the hum of traffic soothing, so different from the last month of wild tires, sirens, and the sound of helicopter whirring.

I had a nice lunch with one of my mentors, swapping notes about this particular interim, the affect of our practices, both business and what we were eating, exercising, getting along with our spouse. I'm so sorry it took all these deaths to get to this place, where we are talking about racism, sexism, the corruption in our system, just like we started this conversation thirty years ago.

I didn't start it, don't get me wrong, but in 1985 when I started college it certainly was the hot topic. Which in my youthful ingenuity thought could be resolved in a few years. How like many of us now during Covid-19 and the actually reciprocation of climate change, no longer just a theory.

I made a timeline a few years ago, listing significant events in my life such as moving to a new country or a cat dying. I added in a presidential timeline, recognizing how oblivious I was besides for Watergate and Reagan being elected. Interesting to note what was happening in my life during the Clinton and Obama years, let alone the Bush nepotism.

I adjust my mask, happy to present my new book, knowing I will get into the most politics in this next hour ham.i have in months and will in my next hair appointment, after the election. Pati is well read, well informed, and certainly one of my main sources for political discourse let alone a good hair cut which will last. I'd vote her for president or a seat on the Supreme Court any day.

My face mask hangs from one ear, ready to be slung over the rest of my fast in a jiffy, the fastest mask of the west. My friend Z gifted me three reversible masks, hand sewn, wonderful fabric patterns, the new love and lint.