Soul Runnings

Hi Friends! Let me start out by saying I've been a bit off today. I've fought to keep my head and spirits up. It was hard work weaning myself off of Effexor.  And I am determined not to return.  Luckily I have an arsenal of tools at my disposal. My most effective weapon against doom and gloom is working out at the gym with my son.  Today was Day 6!  (Ironically, he is also quitting smoking. Today was his 11th day without a cigarette. Woot woot! He told me he absolutely NEEDS to workout. It is his new addiction. Two nights ago, after hanging out with with his son and daughter (my 5th grandbaby!), I was tired and about to head home to my man.  I've been feeling turbulence in the sea of our relationship lately.  Probably due to my bipolarness.  But he's still here. And I love him for sticking by me.  Anyway, I was about to leave, when my son said he was going to the gym. It was already close to 8 p.m.  I told him I was awfully tired and needed to see my man, whom I had not

Day 1   Day 2 Day 3 Day 4   Hello Friends! I am so happy right now.  Here I am at the Belmont Library. I had a short day of teaching and then hoofed on over here to pick up a hold and do some computer work.  It is a stunningly beautiful day here in Portland, Oregon.  The sky is clear and baby blue. The air is crisp and cold, but the wind is still. For now. After the library, I'm heading out for an early dinner with my man.   I realize that I left you at "I plan on being gentle with myself" at my last post. But this week I worked out like a beast! Or perhaps I should say WITH a beast. My son! We met at the gym 4 days this week.  It brought back such fond memories from earlier days. When he was a kid.  First there was T-ball, then Taekwondo, then basketball. Interspersed in those sports, was the gym.  He's a good workout partner. He works out hard  - like a beast! We meet there and usually tell each other what our goals for the day are. Then we take a picture. And I pos

 ...and what have I done? Yesterday was my birthday. And today I am quite content with my age. First of all, turning 60 is not as tragic as I had imagined many, many moons ago. I feel like I have shed so much baggage over the last few years. And more importantly, gained a gentler perspective on life. Grandchildren will do that! As of this moment, I have 4 grandchildren; a 4 year-old granddaughter, a 2 year-old grandson and 7 1/2 month old twin granddaughters. Ask me at some not so distant moment in the future, and I will have 5!  My son and his wife are very pregnant.  My newest granddaughter is due 1/18.  We thought she might make a landing yesterday, 1/14. That was my birthday.  The big 6 0hhhh! For the last year I was seeing this birthdate as a kind of destination. I was hoping to have reached my desired weight.  That didn't quite happen.  But so much more did. We are still stuck in a pandemic. With that has come many changes.  At first there was fear, uncertainty and some denia

Hello Again My Friends! I left you hanging at the truck stop last post! So, we had just pulled into the overflowing parking lot at the Flying J Truck Stop in La Grande, Oregon.  Both directions of the I-84 freeway were closed to traffic.  The bus driver, a very sweet, gentle man with a strong Russian accent, (I'll call him Viktor), found a place to squeeze the bus in. Then he hopped and and grabbed the microphone. "Passengers, please remain seated.  I am going to go into the truck stop and explain our predicament.  I am going to take a woman with me to show peaceful intentions!" We all chuckled, knowing that our group was quite the motley crew! Viktor grabbed Mama Bartender and went inside.  I leaned my head against the window frame and gazed out into the snow.  Semi trucks were parked everywhere they could fit in the parking lot and lined up down the sidestreets.  We finally received news that the freeway was closed, not due to weather but do to an active shooter situati

 Dear Friends: I'm back and ready to finish the story! Where we left off, I had boarded the Greyhound in Twin Falls shortly after 5:00 a.m. and collapsed in my seat, ready for some rest and relaxation.  It was a smooth, quiet 2 hour ride to Boise. Still dark, there was not much scenary to watch outside the windows, so I balled up my coat to make a little pillow which I jammed between my head and the window.  Before I knew it, we were pulling into the parking lot of a Flying J convenience store in Boise. The bus driver bellowed we all had to debus so it could be cleaned and sanitized.  We would be on our way in about 30 minutes with a new driver. So far, so good! I hopped off the bus and went into the Flying J in search of refreshment. I ordered a breakfast burrito and orange juice and went back outside to wait. It was bitter cold, but the burrito warmed my tummy.  Back on board, our new driver, picked up the microphone to greet us. He had a pleasant, but very strong Russian accent.

Hello Friends! :) Ok, I am finally at a place where I can tell you the  rest of the story!  Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually!  Since I got back into Portland last Saturday, I have been busy lesson planning, teaching and adjusting to life in my new place. Things changed overnight for my family. And I am still reeling from it all.  I think my sinuses are taking the brunt of all the changes. My sinuses have been feeling like they are stuffed with cotton balls since my stay in Idaho. At first I blamed it on the altitude. Then the dry weather.  And the snow.   Now I have no idea what to blame my stuffed up sinuses on.  Maybe stress? There is abundant stress in my life currently, but I am trying to take each moment, calmly doing what needs to be done.  Perhaps my sinuses are a reminder that I am an imperfect human, just trying to adapt and survive like everyone else in this world? At this moment, I am at the corner coffee shop sipping a London Fog, with rose flavoring and so

Dear Friends: I must get this story down before I forget the details. Although, realistically I doubt I will ever forget this trip! I think I will just start at the very beginning of this saga. Long before I got on that bus.  Back to when my first grandchild was born. Just to give some perspective. But if you just want to here the Greyhound Story, feel free to check back tomorrow for Part 2! The Prequel When my first granddaughter, Grace was born, I was in a transitional living situation.  It seems like the past 10 years or so have been transitional for me.   Ok, truthfully, since I left home at 18, my life has been transitional. I will be 60 years old in less than 2 weeks.  And I am still in transition.   But I think I finally know what I want to be when I grow up: "Teacher Zit"a to my piano students "Zma" to my grandchildren "Mom" to my kids "Aunt Zita" to my niece and nephew "Great Aunt Zita" to my great nieces and "Baby" t