Last week, I wrote my piece “A Somber Thought” randomly as a reflection.
Last night, I reworked it and submitted it to The Mighty.com, a social media site for people with disabilities and their caregivers.
They published it instantly, despite having accepted an earlier piece that may have “died on the vine.” The earlier piece was on what to expect at your next doctor’s visit during Covid.
The current piece on the Mighty has been shared to Yahoo News and Zenith News.
Body reliability is a type of privilege. One you don’t appreciate unless you have yours taken aware or you never had it.
Last night my dad invited the teenager and I for breakfast so he could spend the day with her.
But first she had to go to the pediatrician to get her meningitis vaccine and school physical.
I started a load of sheets— apparently the teenager needed all of hers washed—and the washing machine was acting funny.
On the way to the Poconos for breakfast— our local library called asking if I could stop by to help with a computer issue.
Pancakes
My dad took the teenager for a long motorcycle ride and she snapped this amazing photo.
And I already had a meeting with my blind friend Nancy to help her with her writing.
Then, I had a request for two more meetings and my mother-in-law asked if I could help her write a thank you card.
Somewhere along the line I decided to dye my hair between meetings.
My hair is dark brown but has been turning red. Not a nice red. A dry looking orange red. So I found some green envy Manic Panic in my bathroom and thought the green should neutralize the red.
I’m happy with the results.
My neighbor brought me an Impossible plant-based burger from Burger King. We shared onion rings, ate on the porch and went for our evening walk. We visited the sad house on Washington Street that has been foreclosed upon.
Pilgrimages are for the humble, the weak, the seeking and the hurting.
Pilgrimages are often undertaken by the rich and/or the spiritually shallow, often to gain stature.
My morning started in my backyard with my mother, who has always been far more talented and motivated in terms of gardening. She did a little bit of my weeding— I believe that’s part of her “love language” to help me with my household chores.
The veggies
The patio
The weed pile
After she left, I finished hanging the sheets on the clothesline and did some more weeding.
In those moments, I spent a lot of time reflecting. And I thought about the relationships I have been strengthening lately and the virtual pilgrimage via the El Camino that I have joined with friends on Facebook.
And I thought about how you have to have a strong sense of purpose and determination to take a pilgrimage — I know often religious commitment sparks such a journey but it often intersects with a need for healing, either spiritual or physical.
And the sense of facing challenge and achieving a difficult goal is part of the sense of success.
Then my neighbor (Sobaka’s Mom) said she was going for a walk at one of my favorite parks. I asked if she wanted company and she said sure. That she didn’t really want to go alone.
Of course, before I could go, I had to set Nala up with her puzzle of the day— Video of Today’s puzzle
We walked 5 miles. We talked about a little bit of everything. She’s a strong and plucky woman, and I enjoy her company.
Right now, I am in a mindset of hope and facing “a clean slate.” I am part of a Facebook group doing a virtual El Camino pilgrimage this summer and I find the timing of life to be at my speed right now.
My friend Fausta, also on the pilgrimage, posted about having a place to ponder. As a life coach, she’s name her business “Fausta’s Place to Ponder.” She encouraged all of us to think about and share our individual places.
I immediately wanted to join the discussion but I needed to reflect upon my “place.”
I realized that I have several.
My morning spot is my enclosed sun porch.
I love to gaze at the roses and use them to center myself and focus my thoughts. Two months ago the entire bush was covered with massive blooms, which of course, faded. So I trimmed them. And now I see these long, hearty stalks (an amazing amount of new growth) about you bless us with new flowers.
Life is much the same— we bloom, we sometimes get chopped, but we come back.
But I also like to ponder in my bedroom with my birds, often in the evening after a long day.
But I also love to ponder on road trips, solitary drives. These are the times when I often face my own versions of hard truth and decide on life change.
Last July, this small grey and white cat appeared in my neighbor’s yard. She was so small we thought she might be a kitten.
We tried to catch her— to no avail.
She disappeared as quickly as she came. A few mouth’s later she returned to my neighbor’s house.
But disappeared again.
Two months later, three solid grey tiny kittens appeared on her doorstep. It took about six weeks, but we trapped them.
The first was Mistofelees, now nicknamed Misty, the runt of the litter who always stayed behind when Mama and the others went out hunting.
They all lived under my neighbor’s porch.
We started feeding them, and got a trap as the December nights got colder and wetter.
Misty was terrified and for two weeks lived on our enclosed, heated sun porch.
Eventually, my daughter won his trust and he moved to her bedroom.
The second we nicknamed Smoky. Another neighbor found a home for it.
Fog was last at the end of January— he was so damn smart. We reunited him with his brother in the teen’s room and the two immediately snuggled up together.
I couldn’t bear to separate them.
Fog would not let anyone handle him, but after a while he started appreciating sitting next to a human on the couch or a good chin scratch.
Mama’s boys yesterday
Last weekend, I noticed Mama at the neighbor’s house again and she looked heavy.
I warned my neighbor.
On Tuesday, Mama walked up to the teenager and let us bring her home. She appears to be very pregnant. Someone in the next block has been feeding her.
I made a post on our neighborhood Facebook page but no one claimed her.
“Mama”
We bathed her, combed her, cleaned her ears and gave her expensive flea medicine.
Someone on Facebook recommended someone who has a cat rescue and can get her spayed.
We contacted that person and they can get her spayed today. We asked if we could foster her until the kittens are born as the organization finds them all good homes.
We were told yes.
A few hours later, we received a text that one of their regular foster family’s may take her.
This made us sad.
I feel like Mama wanted to have her kittens with us, because she has seen us raise her other kittens.
But I don’t have the money to get her spayed and her health assessed. Today is my last day of work and I already have too many cats.
There’s so much good activity in my life right now — I’ve been too busy to catch everyone up.
My last day at work is tomorrow and my colleague, Mr. Accordion, is coming over tonight.
I have been working hard publicizing Aspire to Autonomy’s upcoming events, and they have given me the title of Communications Director. I am working with a fantastic intern on public relations and I think, I hope, she is having fun.
Gayle, the teenager and I, went for a nice walk in Easton Cemetery last night. Every time I go up there I find more cool things!
Gayle, the teenager and I went to Porter’s Pub last night after the walk and they let me eat all the “stinky cheese.” Gayle bought me a very delicious salted caramel chocolate porter from Saucony Creek. To celebrate new beginnings!
I cashed in my free medium 2-topping pizza from Dominos.
I’ve been making Nala puzzles every morning to try and keep her busy.
We found someone that can get Mama cat spayed for free. (Did I mention we were out on a walk and our kittens’ mama came to us and we brought her home. She’s pregnant. Again.) We thought the organization would let us foster her and her kittens until they found homes… but now we’re being told they might keep her. So we are a tad sad.
And for multiple days in a row I have made 10,000 or more steps a day!
