V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #17: Attention

October 1, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

The quality of our lives is determined by the focus of our attention. – Cheri Huber As a child, I had a recurring dream: I’m crouched under a large, wooden chair, and Mickey Mouse is headed my way with a kettle of boiling water, intending to scald me, and no matter how much I scream, […]

Baseline

September 26, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Baseline is the name of the road on which my final high school stands. My ‘last chance’ authorities called it, as I’d been ‘asked to leave’ the previous one. Turned out the attendance officer was a parent of a former classmate and recognized me. I felt trapped. Skipping school was how I coped in those […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #17: Baseline

September 24, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

(Baseline Séance from Mariposaxprs) “Your results are right on the edge of normal,” the doctor told me after administering a mental competency test and adding up my score. “Really can’t tell from this whether there is a problem or not. Educated people tend to do better on these tests (masking cognitive impairment) and others not so […]

Shadows Linger

September 23, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Shadows shift, alter, but never fade. They are contrast for light, a companion to our fears, the joy of a good mystery. This week, it had been my intention to photograph shadows, to have fun with what emerged, but life does not always follow our intended map. Instead, another woman came forward to make allegations […]

Clouds and Shadows

September 20, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

I find myself drawn to clouds, trying to capture their essence. How, at times they rise, like sculptures of the gods… or how they dissipate, leaving wispy trails in their wake – not wanting to let go. I remember cloudless skies of Arizona – the perfection of blue crowning our days. It is that […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #16: Shadows

September 17, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

To contemplate is to look at shadows. – Victor Hugo A child, when first encountering its shadow, might at first feel fear. Later, she will experience fascination as she discovers that shadows stretch and play at her command. Carl Jung suggests that the shadow is representative of those parts of self that are suppressed and […]

An End to Irony

September 16, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

Life is full of irony, or so it feels when that is foremost on one’s mind. Here are just some of the ways that irony has played a role this week: Concerned that the hotel we were staying at was pet-friendly (and I am deadly allergic to cats), we made distancing ourselves from animals the […]

Discovering Ottawa: Manotick

September 15, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

We are drawn to Manotick, a suburb of Ottawa, to visit with friends. Arriving early, we decide to check out Watson’s Mill along the Rideau river. Unfortunately, as it is off-season, the mill is not open this day, however there is still plenty to explore. Next to the mill is a Veteran’s Memorial Garden with […]

Ah, Irony

September 14, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Jazz, from Steps and Pauses sent me this sign, taken in Uncertain, Texas, a place she says is worthy of a visit: I would think they have a rather large following. I spotted this sign, and well…I think the ironies speak for themselves: The black squirrel (featured) thought he had cleverly outrun his assailant – a raging […]

Stoic Hunter?

September 13, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Who is more stoic than the Great Blue, stealthily enduring rocks and rapids to catch the day’s meal? Appearances, however, have been known to deceive… seems this bird is no emotional void, no paragon of strength, but a closet thespian – caught him, mid rehearsal – aspiring to a phantom role – of the opera variety. (Written […]

This Life A Road

This life a road –the way preparedsigns to guide me,and still, I get lost. Construction, distraction,disobedience – throw me off –tendency to choose tougher routes,broken down and been sidelined And yet, the road still beckons,invites progression, thrills.A rolling stone gathers no moss,my father liked to say, and so… I push ahead, keep motoring,trust the obstacles […]

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 […]