V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #79 – subtraction

January 13, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

I adopted my father’s rage at a young age, and learned to wrestle with the best of them, typically boys, ’cause Father said never hit a girl. Most days, I’d return from school with debris in matted hair and torn stockings. Mother would shake her head, muttering: “No one will ever love you.” I heard: […]

Decisive Action

January 12, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

Life presents challenges and I stumble to keep up. Chronic illness continues to form the backdrop of my life, so it becomes the baseline for any actions I take. Ric and I made a commitment to our health and our community this year, and that means that I have been more physically active than usual. […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #78: action

January 6, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

Rumination is one of my fortes. I get something stuck in my head and it will spin there nonstop if I let it, even disrupting sleep. It happened recently with one of our daughters. I took something she did personally, and blew it out of proportion, convincing myself that there was no hope for our […]

Pausing to Revel

December 19, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

Remnants of wrapping paper peek out from under the sofa. Leftover goodies tempt from the countertop. In the aftermath of our family gathering, I pause to enjoy the peace, processing the sweetness of the day. So many precious moments: “Grandma, can we have another present?” Three-year-old August, so enthralled with the magic of the day. […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #77: pause

December 16, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

As the world bustles, and we rush to meet deadlines, check off to-do lists, and fulfill those party invites, find a moment to pause, look, and listen. Share a photograph, thought, or inspiration. To participate, just create a post and then link back to this one, or drop a comment or link in the comment […]

Fa La La La La…

December 15, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

Soon, he’ll ramp up the Christmas tunes, my Santa-husband. I’ll be putting the last touches on the table setting, and stirring the soup pot. Even though it is daylight, our festive lights will be blazing. We are celebrating with family today. First, I will wrap up this week’s challenge, anticipating no fuel left in my […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #76: music

December 9, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

This week’s challenge was inspired by a new follower of mine on Twitter. His name is John Tiller, and he hails from Manchester, UK. After listening to his pinned track: “Battle Ready”, I promised to share his work, so here it is: https://johntiller.bandcamp.com/track/battle-ready John’s Twitter account is @itsjohntiller. Music is the focus this week. Share […]

Satisfaction

December 8, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

SimpleAlluringTemporalInspiringSweetFickleAttainableChosenTempoIntuitiveOftenNeglected. It’s been a week. Happy to have made it to Sunday, still breathing. Thank you dear blogging friends for keeping me sane with your wonderful posts and comments. Please take a moment to look back, if you missed any: Reverie in ReverseHeart to HeartReena SaxenaAWISEWOMANSJOURNEYSharing ThoughtsPHOTOGRAPHY OCDPoetryPaletteparallaxone letter UPSgeoilStuff and what if… See you […]

VJ’s Weekly Challenge #75: satisfying

December 2, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

“Look at this Grandma!” The video shows pink, elephant shaped, blobs falling from the sky and hitting rooftops. “It’s so satisfying!” “What’s satisfying about it?” “The way they land, and how the pink spreads out.” She then shows me another video, also satisfying, of a fingers squeezing a tube with holes in the top. Purple […]

Attempted Moderation

December 1, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

“Bah, Humbug!” Ric snarls at me as I shake my head when he reaches for a box of candy canes to throw in our cart. We are both on diets, and the Moms have clearly stated to keep the sugary treats to a minimum. “We don’t need them!” I do sound like Scrooge, and it’s […]

Wings

(Written during my bedbound years with ME/CFS)

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

May is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis awareness month. Also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, this disease is characterized by exhaustion after exertion. The exertion can be physical -taking a shower; emotional – worrying or obsessing; or mental- filling out forms. The best source of information about ME/cfs, as we call it, is the Bateman Horne Center. They […]

Sorry

Sorry –so much inadequacybundled into one wordas if five letterscan conveydepths of regret,shock, dismay seems I am the sparkto your lighter fluid –unintentional, I swear still reelingfrom the aftermathof the explosion attempting todeconstruct theformula –precautionary I am sorry –that you are enraged,that you are so obviously disappointedthat you are consumed with resentment –except, it is […]