We are in the middle of experiencing the kind of winter rain that didn't really happen after we arrived here last January. This is day 3 of fairly consistent rain, sometimes with howling winds. Now we know what everyone was talking about! Still, the temps have been in the 60's and there are little patches of calm with some sun....not too bad for "winter."
Besides the relief of returning Obama to office, the elections in California secured both state houses for the Democratic party, and a tax proposition was passed to support education. Here's hoping those wins will come with wisdom, and that opportunities for good change will not be squandered by greediness.
I had 2 chances to travel to the LA area this past month. The first was a visit to my dear friend from residency days, Alicia. She and her husband Albey have a house in Sherman Oaks, near Albey's son's family. The house allows them to spend chunks of time with 2 incredible grandsons, who live very near by, while keeping their primary home in Moab. Alicia and I had fun "playing house," adding some things to their very nice space. And it was a wonderful chance for me to talk in depth about my "issues" with 2 people who have known me for decades. Just having time with them was very healing for me.
Trip #2 was over Thanksgiving, when Rich and I drove to visit his Uncle Rich and Aunt Jenny in Redlands. They are a delightful couple in their 80's, and since we have stayed with them several times before, the visit was quite relaxing for all of us. We enjoyed looking at old photos and hearing about Rich and Jenny's early days together in Kansas City. And we were very happy to be back home in Santa Cruz and away from the freeways of LA!
Yesterday brought a couple of new experiences, both good. There is a student group on the UCSC campus called CARE (don't know what the letters stand for...). Each quarter they have an event at one of the homeless shelters where they offer various services for the clients, like hygiene products, haircuts, foot washes, clothing, etc. Three of my colleagues from the Student Health Center and I went along to offer medical "consultations" to interested folks there. I am not sure we accomplished much besides helping people get referred to be seen at a real clinic, but it was so much fun for me to back with "my people." I made plans with the student organizers to become more involved in their future events. I am hoping this new link will give me a way to make use of my experience with this patient population, and maybe share some of what I have learned with some of the UCSC students. I feel happy about having this new opportunity to explore!
Then, last evening we attended my first "office party" in celebration of the upcoming holidays. It was fun to introduce Rich to the people he has been hearing about for the past 9 months! They really are a good group, and the event turned out to be quite nice. And Rich was a champ about it, although it was certainly not his cup of tea.
I am hoping to catch up on some home office and correspondence stuff this afternoon. And enjoy being warm and cozy at home with Rich and our cat "kids." I think we are going to see sun tomorrow!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
full moon #11
Tomorrow is the full moon. Wish it was not happening on the same day Hurricane Sandy is predicted to make landfall. Thinking of loved ones on the Right Coast and hoping they stay safe, warm and dry.
This month has been a little rocky emotionally for me. It was really hard to see Carrie go. And I think it was hard having her here as a "visitor." She experienced some trouble herself when she went back to Springfield this month but her "home" wasn't there. I can see we all still have some adjusting to do.
The loneliness for family is heightened by missing my old friends. Sure, I am making new friends, although it is admittedly slow. But intimacy doesn't happen overnight, and, for me, the need for it is present every day. My old teacher and dear friend Pat Owens passed this month. I am very sad not to be able to go to the celebration of her life next weekend.
My relationships at work are deepening bit by bit. I continue to miss the kind of work I was doing at The Kitchen Clinic, but getting involved in a couple of committees at work has helped me address my "need to do more." I tend to get a bit wistful when reading about health policy, and am hoping that someday I will find the intersection between reasonable lifestyle and meaningful work.
One of the good things about my new job is the wonderful health insurance we now have. Rich and I have both been busy catching up on all the preventive care we did not do when we had our high deductible insurance. I also had a bike wreck a couple of weeks back and have started having acupuncture for the first time to aid my recovery. I now have access to a whole spectrum of care I have never had before with my $20 copay!
Understanding first hand how losing the advances of Obamacare would affect real people has made watching the debates even more painful for me. Since California is considered a safely Democratic state, there is no advertising here related to the Presidential race. None. It is such a relief. I am having to do homework, though, on all the propositions on the upcoming ballot (which has already been mailed to my home) to understand what I am voting about. It really is a different world here politically.
The weather, the kittens, the incredible fall harvest of fresh produce all continue to be daily sources of joy for both Rich and me. Rich has been very persistent in finding his way in Northern California Golf Land, and it is starting to pay off in terms of building relationships and familiarity with local courses. His nature is just more patient than mine-just call him Mr. Delayed Gratification.
So this is how our family rolls. Me reaching, pushing. Rich steady, paced. The balance must be out there, somewhere...
This month has been a little rocky emotionally for me. It was really hard to see Carrie go. And I think it was hard having her here as a "visitor." She experienced some trouble herself when she went back to Springfield this month but her "home" wasn't there. I can see we all still have some adjusting to do.
The loneliness for family is heightened by missing my old friends. Sure, I am making new friends, although it is admittedly slow. But intimacy doesn't happen overnight, and, for me, the need for it is present every day. My old teacher and dear friend Pat Owens passed this month. I am very sad not to be able to go to the celebration of her life next weekend.
My relationships at work are deepening bit by bit. I continue to miss the kind of work I was doing at The Kitchen Clinic, but getting involved in a couple of committees at work has helped me address my "need to do more." I tend to get a bit wistful when reading about health policy, and am hoping that someday I will find the intersection between reasonable lifestyle and meaningful work.
One of the good things about my new job is the wonderful health insurance we now have. Rich and I have both been busy catching up on all the preventive care we did not do when we had our high deductible insurance. I also had a bike wreck a couple of weeks back and have started having acupuncture for the first time to aid my recovery. I now have access to a whole spectrum of care I have never had before with my $20 copay!
Understanding first hand how losing the advances of Obamacare would affect real people has made watching the debates even more painful for me. Since California is considered a safely Democratic state, there is no advertising here related to the Presidential race. None. It is such a relief. I am having to do homework, though, on all the propositions on the upcoming ballot (which has already been mailed to my home) to understand what I am voting about. It really is a different world here politically.
The weather, the kittens, the incredible fall harvest of fresh produce all continue to be daily sources of joy for both Rich and me. Rich has been very persistent in finding his way in Northern California Golf Land, and it is starting to pay off in terms of building relationships and familiarity with local courses. His nature is just more patient than mine-just call him Mr. Delayed Gratification.
So this is how our family rolls. Me reaching, pushing. Rich steady, paced. The balance must be out there, somewhere...
Saturday, September 29, 2012
full moon #10
We are having our Indian Summer in Santa Cruz. The next few days are forecast to be in the 80's and clear.
Yesterday, Travis and Carrie left for Illinois after a delightful 8 day visit. The weather was gorgeous when they arrived, but cooled off some, so they missed this warm front. Still, we had a wonderful time being together.
As it was their first visit to Santa Cruz, we did lots of local stuff, along with a weekend in San Francisco. We were especially lucky that Travis' sister, Whitney, who is in medical school in Portland, OR, was able to join us for 5 days of the visit. So, I had a week off with 4 of my favorite people and my 2 favorite kittens! Junebug and Bagheera loved all the attention they got from their new family members! Carrie was amazed that "even Travis" so enjoyed them! Poor Travis had not gotten a very friendly introduction to cats with our previous feline, Frances, who specialized in terrorizing unsuspecting visitors.
I would have to say that food played a central role in our time together. I consider Carrie a full blown "foodie," and she enjoyed seeing and eating all the beautiful local produce and fish. We had lots of fun comparing grocery stores and farmers markets and restaurants. After a long summer of feeding guests at the lodge, it was nice for her to enjoy good food prepared by others. Whitney made us some delicious "pancake sandwiches" one evening, and there were several ice cream samplings during the week. YUM! Yet, Rich and I are feeling good about paring down the frig contents this weekend...we can't keep up with those young 'uns for very long without paying significant consequences!
So, we visited several beach front parks, took the ferry to Sausalito with cousins Jill and Sarah, walked MILES in San Francisco, walked in the redwoods, UCSC, downtown, Seabright and Capitola. Carrie and Whitney had their first surfing lesson on a day which had the biggest waves in weeks...and I sent them all to see my new massage guru. I hated to see them go, but I needed some rest by the end of the week!
Even before their visit, I had more social events than usual in September. I had visitors from San Francisco on a couple of Saturdays this month, and had lunch with a dear old friend in Los Gatos. All of which reminded me how much I have designed this "new" life to be relaxing for me. Even having fun adds a level of stress!
So, I was happy to have a quiet Saturday today of errands, yoga class, and reading. And snuggling with Rich and these adorable kittens...
Yesterday, Travis and Carrie left for Illinois after a delightful 8 day visit. The weather was gorgeous when they arrived, but cooled off some, so they missed this warm front. Still, we had a wonderful time being together.
As it was their first visit to Santa Cruz, we did lots of local stuff, along with a weekend in San Francisco. We were especially lucky that Travis' sister, Whitney, who is in medical school in Portland, OR, was able to join us for 5 days of the visit. So, I had a week off with 4 of my favorite people and my 2 favorite kittens! Junebug and Bagheera loved all the attention they got from their new family members! Carrie was amazed that "even Travis" so enjoyed them! Poor Travis had not gotten a very friendly introduction to cats with our previous feline, Frances, who specialized in terrorizing unsuspecting visitors.
I would have to say that food played a central role in our time together. I consider Carrie a full blown "foodie," and she enjoyed seeing and eating all the beautiful local produce and fish. We had lots of fun comparing grocery stores and farmers markets and restaurants. After a long summer of feeding guests at the lodge, it was nice for her to enjoy good food prepared by others. Whitney made us some delicious "pancake sandwiches" one evening, and there were several ice cream samplings during the week. YUM! Yet, Rich and I are feeling good about paring down the frig contents this weekend...we can't keep up with those young 'uns for very long without paying significant consequences!
So, we visited several beach front parks, took the ferry to Sausalito with cousins Jill and Sarah, walked MILES in San Francisco, walked in the redwoods, UCSC, downtown, Seabright and Capitola. Carrie and Whitney had their first surfing lesson on a day which had the biggest waves in weeks...and I sent them all to see my new massage guru. I hated to see them go, but I needed some rest by the end of the week!
Even before their visit, I had more social events than usual in September. I had visitors from San Francisco on a couple of Saturdays this month, and had lunch with a dear old friend in Los Gatos. All of which reminded me how much I have designed this "new" life to be relaxing for me. Even having fun adds a level of stress!
So, I was happy to have a quiet Saturday today of errands, yoga class, and reading. And snuggling with Rich and these adorable kittens...
Thursday, August 30, 2012
full moon #9
Tomorrow is the full moon. I have loved watching the light through the skylights get brighter each night this week.
This is my second week back at work. The summer quarter students (a small group) are finishing up and the fall quarter students (our full load) are not back until later in September. So this is the part of the year the health center operates with a skeleton staff...hence our long summer breaks. Each clinician works 1 month and is off 2, and we rotate being here to keep the clinic open. It has been fun to work with a smaller group of the same co-workers each day...easier to get to know people better.
My new schedule of Wednesdays off seems good. I have been biking to work, then going to yoga classes on my days off. It seems like a good combination for me, along with plenty of walking in the neighborhood every day.
I have been reading some books by Julie Morgenstern, organizational guru, about getting your space and time and habits the way that best fits your current needs. I have found them really helpful as I continue to take stock of what I decide to include in my life here. It has taken restraint not to fill up all my spare time as soon as I have created it, but I am learning.
We are having a ball with our new kittens. Junebug is the first duck into every puddle, and she has no idea that she is significantly smaller than Bagherra. He is much more cautious, and likes to think things over before deciding what he wants to do. He stands in the door and looks outside for a while, as Junebug bounds off into the far corners of the yard. They are both excellent entertainment and good at snuggling.
The beautiful weather continues to astound us. They call September and October "The Locals' Summer," as the weather is warmer and clearer than the summer months when the tourists are around.
We are certainly looking forward to our first taste of fall on the Central Coast.
This is my second week back at work. The summer quarter students (a small group) are finishing up and the fall quarter students (our full load) are not back until later in September. So this is the part of the year the health center operates with a skeleton staff...hence our long summer breaks. Each clinician works 1 month and is off 2, and we rotate being here to keep the clinic open. It has been fun to work with a smaller group of the same co-workers each day...easier to get to know people better.
My new schedule of Wednesdays off seems good. I have been biking to work, then going to yoga classes on my days off. It seems like a good combination for me, along with plenty of walking in the neighborhood every day.
I have been reading some books by Julie Morgenstern, organizational guru, about getting your space and time and habits the way that best fits your current needs. I have found them really helpful as I continue to take stock of what I decide to include in my life here. It has taken restraint not to fill up all my spare time as soon as I have created it, but I am learning.
We are having a ball with our new kittens. Junebug is the first duck into every puddle, and she has no idea that she is significantly smaller than Bagherra. He is much more cautious, and likes to think things over before deciding what he wants to do. He stands in the door and looks outside for a while, as Junebug bounds off into the far corners of the yard. They are both excellent entertainment and good at snuggling.
The beautiful weather continues to astound us. They call September and October "The Locals' Summer," as the weather is warmer and clearer than the summer months when the tourists are around.
We are certainly looking forward to our first taste of fall on the Central Coast.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
presto: pesto
For me, pesto is the perfect expression of all that is good about summer. I love the stuff, especially when there are fresh tomatoes upon which it is slathered.
Today, I made pesto. It was a very lonely experience.
Last night, I stemmed the basil Rich grew for me. This morning, it was combined with bulk garlic, olive oil, parmesan, and pine nuts from my beloved local market using a hand held blender tool of some sort (after I discovered I had gotten rid of my food processor in the move). Tonight, it was simply scrumptious with roasted eggplant and red peppers. Rich became a little concerned about the noises of enjoyment I was making while consuming my dinner.
Making pesto is sort of a spiritual experience for me. My first memory of pesto production was in the Victorian house Gene and I shared with my dear friend Pat and her (then) partner, Mary. There were septs going down into the kitchen, upon which Pat and I sat all day one Saturday stemming an incredibly large harvest of basil. I do not know how many jars we filled that day, but I do remember that the quantities of pesto we ate we abnormally large.
I have since tried to recreate that experience in every place I have lived. Thee were wonderful "pesto parties" at my houses in Marshfield and in Springfield, made special by the friends and family who were there. Today, my orderly, quiet preparation paled in comparison.
One of my goals for this next year: to have a loud, bawdy group of women with whom to make pseto next year.
Today, I made pesto. It was a very lonely experience.
Last night, I stemmed the basil Rich grew for me. This morning, it was combined with bulk garlic, olive oil, parmesan, and pine nuts from my beloved local market using a hand held blender tool of some sort (after I discovered I had gotten rid of my food processor in the move). Tonight, it was simply scrumptious with roasted eggplant and red peppers. Rich became a little concerned about the noises of enjoyment I was making while consuming my dinner.
Making pesto is sort of a spiritual experience for me. My first memory of pesto production was in the Victorian house Gene and I shared with my dear friend Pat and her (then) partner, Mary. There were septs going down into the kitchen, upon which Pat and I sat all day one Saturday stemming an incredibly large harvest of basil. I do not know how many jars we filled that day, but I do remember that the quantities of pesto we ate we abnormally large.
I have since tried to recreate that experience in every place I have lived. Thee were wonderful "pesto parties" at my houses in Marshfield and in Springfield, made special by the friends and family who were there. Today, my orderly, quiet preparation paled in comparison.
One of my goals for this next year: to have a loud, bawdy group of women with whom to make pseto next year.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
full moon #8 shines on our new babies!
One of my goals for my time off this summer was to adopt kittens. We have been pet-less since our move and life is just missing something without them...
So on this past Saturday we went to the shelter to check out the kittens. We were hoping for litter mates. The place was pretty chaotic, I must say! We were having our second "visit" in the "visit room" when I tried to pick up a scared kitten and got myself scratched and bitten. Time out for wound cleaning and antibiotics. We will try again tomorrow.
Our luck was better Sunday. I had previewed the adoptable cats on line and was better prepared for the process ahead of us. I asked to see Junebug and Bagheera first. Junebug's cute face had caught my eye the day before, but I hadn't known she had a brother. They were just right for us. We briefly viewed a couple of other pairs, but I didn't need to visit with the others. I just knew.
We had just let them out of the carrier at home when Bagheera bolted. He found a great hiding place in a bookcase with an open back, and kept us looking in there for him for hours. Eventually, they were both out to play. And there has not been a dull moment since.
We kept the names they war given at the shelter. All black Bagheera's name comes from the Indian leopard in Rudyard Kipling's "Tales of Mowgli," known to many of us as "The Jungle Book." He is the more serious of the pair. Junebug is a tortie who is, well, cute as a bug. She is quick to lead the way into new adventures, but loses interest quickly while Bagheera stays to figure the whole thing out.
We found a darling vet down the street, another midwest transplant (from Minnesota). She and her husband share a small office we can walk to. Cute adolescent vets-to-be are their help. Perfect.
Lots of fun to come with these two!
So on this past Saturday we went to the shelter to check out the kittens. We were hoping for litter mates. The place was pretty chaotic, I must say! We were having our second "visit" in the "visit room" when I tried to pick up a scared kitten and got myself scratched and bitten. Time out for wound cleaning and antibiotics. We will try again tomorrow.
Our luck was better Sunday. I had previewed the adoptable cats on line and was better prepared for the process ahead of us. I asked to see Junebug and Bagheera first. Junebug's cute face had caught my eye the day before, but I hadn't known she had a brother. They were just right for us. We briefly viewed a couple of other pairs, but I didn't need to visit with the others. I just knew.
We had just let them out of the carrier at home when Bagheera bolted. He found a great hiding place in a bookcase with an open back, and kept us looking in there for him for hours. Eventually, they were both out to play. And there has not been a dull moment since.
We kept the names they war given at the shelter. All black Bagheera's name comes from the Indian leopard in Rudyard Kipling's "Tales of Mowgli," known to many of us as "The Jungle Book." He is the more serious of the pair. Junebug is a tortie who is, well, cute as a bug. She is quick to lead the way into new adventures, but loses interest quickly while Bagheera stays to figure the whole thing out.
We found a darling vet down the street, another midwest transplant (from Minnesota). She and her husband share a small office we can walk to. Cute adolescent vets-to-be are their help. Perfect.
Lots of fun to come with these two!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
summer tour 2012
This is my first morning waking up at home in 29 days, and it feels wonderful.
The first of my 2 months off was spent traveling to spend time with loved ones. I loved each of my 3 stops away, yet I dislike being away from Rich for such a long time.
My first stop was a visit to Cape Cod ( or, "the cape of the cod" as Will used to call it) beginning June 23. I flew into Boston and took the bus to the Cape where my dear friend Pat and her 12 year old son, Theo met me. Over 20 years ago she and her partner, Leslie, bought a broken down small cottage just outside of Wellfleet, on the outer Cape. It is a lovely, simple, grey shingled place with a large main room contiguous with the kitchen and dining area, 2 small bedrooms downstairs, and a bedroom loft upstairs. It is not on the water, but there are 2 bay beaches within short walks in both directions down the dirt road from their deck and garden. The house is on a small island which is not accessible by car at high tide. The expansive view near the bridge onto the island is simply magical: it is my favorite spot on the entire Cape.
We were a continuously changing group in the house during my 12 day stay. Pat and I and Theo were the constants, Pat's dad, Ed, was there for my first week there, and Leslie and their 17 year old daughter, Emma, were there on weekends. Leslie is teaching a summer course in Providence on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Emma has been going with her to keep up with her "just graduated from high school" life.
Our days revolved around 3 things: 90 year old Ed's needs, Theo's 9 to 2:30 weekday camp at the nearby Audobon reserve, and bug avoidance. Typically we would get Theo up and out (not as easy as it sounds) and off to camp with a packed lunch before Ed's shower and breakfast. Ed's right hip is fixed in extension, a result of a long bout with TB which he contracted in WWII. He dealt successfully with this for his entire adult life, but, now, combined with the other ravages of old age, it is a challenge for him to get up and down and in and out of cars. Luckily, both he and Pat are tall and strong, and they manage beautifully with the aid of a walker, a chair specially designed for him by Leslie, and extra bars in the bathroom. And with each day came a new strategy for how to best avoid the no-see-ums and the green head flies (ever the bane of Cape existence in June), in planning our mid-day outing with Ed and our afternoon outing with Theo.
These things left plenty of time for beautiful walks, swims in the bay and the fresh water ponds and the ocean, delicious meals, and the entertaining banter of multigenerational family life. When things got tense ("Theo, is your headgear on?!?!?"), Teddy, the charming family dog, was there to distract us.
At the end of my first week there, it was time to take Ed back to his apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Pat and I timed the 6 hour trek to avoid traffic on both ends, leaving the Cape on Sunday morning, staying overnight, then getting out of the city at 6am Monday morning.With Ed and his urinal in the backseat, the trip went just fine. The heat and action of the city were a good reminder of the beauty of the Cape, and we were glad to be back on the island Monday afternoon.
Full moon #6 occurred on Tuesday July 3-incredibly beautiful on the water-and on the 4th we had a long walk on the beach at Truro with our friends Cathy and Tucker. On the 5th, I took the bus back to Boston, had a delightful seafood meal with friends Brian and Linda, then flew out early am on the 6th for Canada.
Oh, Canada! I met up with my mom in Minneapolis, then we met up with my cousin, Jill in Winnepeg and the three of us took a hopper over to Red Lake. Carrie picked us up in the Eagle Falls Lodge truck, fed us lunch, took us to buy groceries, then captained their barge over the lake to the lodge. I was "helping" her dock the barge when I fell in the water causing great concern and confusion...a funny, muddy start to our stay!
This was the second year Carrie and Travis took a "break" mid-season to host family and friends at the lodge, rather than their usual guests. This year, most of the group was from Travis' mom's side of the family, hailing from Marshalltown, Iowa. Their group of 10 was led by Uncle Terry, a wonderfully positive and generous soul, and included two 5 year olds, and a 7, 10 and 13 year old. So to say there was excitement about fish and frogs does not begin to capture it! So with our "Case family" group of 3, 5 of Carrie and Travis' friends, Travis' brother, Carson, and our hosts (including Cosmo the camp dog), we were a big group! Each day was more fun than the last, and it was hard to leave my dear daughter, as always, when it was time for us to leave and for new guests to arrive on the 14th.
My last stop was a week in Kansas City with my son, Will and my friend, Alison. If I needed any reinforcement for having made the decision to leave Missouri, a week of humid 100 to 110 degree days served quite well.
Will has a nice apartment near Westport which he shared with me for the week. We shopped the first day for the week's food, and shared some nice meals out as well. While I had been in Canada, Will returned from a summer voice workshop in Vancouver which he really enjoyed. He met a teacher from Montreal whom he really liked, and had some good times with his friend, Ava, whom he met at a workshop a few years back in Germany. He is in the throes of sorting out his plans for the upcoming year, including his last semester of classes this fall and figuring out what graduate programs he wants to visit so that he can apply in the spring for the fall of 2013. We had a lot of fun together, including a yummy dinner out with our friends Margo and Isabel.
My week of daily visits with Alison was amazing. This beautiful, brilliant 31 year old woman suffered multiple strokes to her brainstem this past March. After her initial hospitalization in Kansas City, she spent several weeks at a rehab hospital in Lincoln, NE before returning to a facility in Merriam, KS about a month ago. We worked together at The Kitchen Clinic for a couple of years. She was the best healthcare administrator I have ever had in my 30+ years as a family doctor.
Because of the location of her strokes, Alison's mental function is completely intact, yet her body barely responds to the signals sent by her brain. She is quadriplegic, but has some movement in her left leg, including her ankle and toes. She can also open and close her jaw and is gaining in ability to swallow food. She communicates "yes" by using long blinks. And she can laugh-boy, can she laugh!
This was my first in-person visit with her since her strokes. I had done FaceTime with her in the past, so I was somewhat prepared for seeing her in this completely changed state, but, still, it was very hard to see someone I love so much suffering as a prisoner in her own body. Some people call this "locked in syndrome," and I plan to do some more reading by those who have regained their ability to as they recovered. Her courage and determination in this situation are unbelievable, as is the devoted care she is given by her husband, Chris.
We spent out time each day attending various therapy sessions, practicing movements and sounds, listening to music, reading books, tasting soft foods, and making lots of jokes. And re-positioning...always re-positioning. It was wonderful just to get to be with her. Chris' goal is to get her home with caregivers there. I left feeling inspired by them both, and hopeful that her communication, movement and eating skills will continue to progress so that she can enjoy herself more in the days ahead.
As much fun as all these experiences were, nothing beats the pleasure of being at home with your beloved. Our house definitely looks like Rich has been here by himself for a month-it is clean, but quite amusingly messy. What a dear he is! I am looking forward to spending the next 4 weeks (until I return to work on 8-20-12) going to lots of yoga classes and figuring out more of how I want to spend my time in this community. East, west, home is best: so hello again, Santa Cruz!
The first of my 2 months off was spent traveling to spend time with loved ones. I loved each of my 3 stops away, yet I dislike being away from Rich for such a long time.
My first stop was a visit to Cape Cod ( or, "the cape of the cod" as Will used to call it) beginning June 23. I flew into Boston and took the bus to the Cape where my dear friend Pat and her 12 year old son, Theo met me. Over 20 years ago she and her partner, Leslie, bought a broken down small cottage just outside of Wellfleet, on the outer Cape. It is a lovely, simple, grey shingled place with a large main room contiguous with the kitchen and dining area, 2 small bedrooms downstairs, and a bedroom loft upstairs. It is not on the water, but there are 2 bay beaches within short walks in both directions down the dirt road from their deck and garden. The house is on a small island which is not accessible by car at high tide. The expansive view near the bridge onto the island is simply magical: it is my favorite spot on the entire Cape.
We were a continuously changing group in the house during my 12 day stay. Pat and I and Theo were the constants, Pat's dad, Ed, was there for my first week there, and Leslie and their 17 year old daughter, Emma, were there on weekends. Leslie is teaching a summer course in Providence on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Emma has been going with her to keep up with her "just graduated from high school" life.
Our days revolved around 3 things: 90 year old Ed's needs, Theo's 9 to 2:30 weekday camp at the nearby Audobon reserve, and bug avoidance. Typically we would get Theo up and out (not as easy as it sounds) and off to camp with a packed lunch before Ed's shower and breakfast. Ed's right hip is fixed in extension, a result of a long bout with TB which he contracted in WWII. He dealt successfully with this for his entire adult life, but, now, combined with the other ravages of old age, it is a challenge for him to get up and down and in and out of cars. Luckily, both he and Pat are tall and strong, and they manage beautifully with the aid of a walker, a chair specially designed for him by Leslie, and extra bars in the bathroom. And with each day came a new strategy for how to best avoid the no-see-ums and the green head flies (ever the bane of Cape existence in June), in planning our mid-day outing with Ed and our afternoon outing with Theo.
These things left plenty of time for beautiful walks, swims in the bay and the fresh water ponds and the ocean, delicious meals, and the entertaining banter of multigenerational family life. When things got tense ("Theo, is your headgear on?!?!?"), Teddy, the charming family dog, was there to distract us.
At the end of my first week there, it was time to take Ed back to his apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Pat and I timed the 6 hour trek to avoid traffic on both ends, leaving the Cape on Sunday morning, staying overnight, then getting out of the city at 6am Monday morning.With Ed and his urinal in the backseat, the trip went just fine. The heat and action of the city were a good reminder of the beauty of the Cape, and we were glad to be back on the island Monday afternoon.
Full moon #6 occurred on Tuesday July 3-incredibly beautiful on the water-and on the 4th we had a long walk on the beach at Truro with our friends Cathy and Tucker. On the 5th, I took the bus back to Boston, had a delightful seafood meal with friends Brian and Linda, then flew out early am on the 6th for Canada.
Oh, Canada! I met up with my mom in Minneapolis, then we met up with my cousin, Jill in Winnepeg and the three of us took a hopper over to Red Lake. Carrie picked us up in the Eagle Falls Lodge truck, fed us lunch, took us to buy groceries, then captained their barge over the lake to the lodge. I was "helping" her dock the barge when I fell in the water causing great concern and confusion...a funny, muddy start to our stay!
This was the second year Carrie and Travis took a "break" mid-season to host family and friends at the lodge, rather than their usual guests. This year, most of the group was from Travis' mom's side of the family, hailing from Marshalltown, Iowa. Their group of 10 was led by Uncle Terry, a wonderfully positive and generous soul, and included two 5 year olds, and a 7, 10 and 13 year old. So to say there was excitement about fish and frogs does not begin to capture it! So with our "Case family" group of 3, 5 of Carrie and Travis' friends, Travis' brother, Carson, and our hosts (including Cosmo the camp dog), we were a big group! Each day was more fun than the last, and it was hard to leave my dear daughter, as always, when it was time for us to leave and for new guests to arrive on the 14th.
My last stop was a week in Kansas City with my son, Will and my friend, Alison. If I needed any reinforcement for having made the decision to leave Missouri, a week of humid 100 to 110 degree days served quite well.
Will has a nice apartment near Westport which he shared with me for the week. We shopped the first day for the week's food, and shared some nice meals out as well. While I had been in Canada, Will returned from a summer voice workshop in Vancouver which he really enjoyed. He met a teacher from Montreal whom he really liked, and had some good times with his friend, Ava, whom he met at a workshop a few years back in Germany. He is in the throes of sorting out his plans for the upcoming year, including his last semester of classes this fall and figuring out what graduate programs he wants to visit so that he can apply in the spring for the fall of 2013. We had a lot of fun together, including a yummy dinner out with our friends Margo and Isabel.
My week of daily visits with Alison was amazing. This beautiful, brilliant 31 year old woman suffered multiple strokes to her brainstem this past March. After her initial hospitalization in Kansas City, she spent several weeks at a rehab hospital in Lincoln, NE before returning to a facility in Merriam, KS about a month ago. We worked together at The Kitchen Clinic for a couple of years. She was the best healthcare administrator I have ever had in my 30+ years as a family doctor.
Because of the location of her strokes, Alison's mental function is completely intact, yet her body barely responds to the signals sent by her brain. She is quadriplegic, but has some movement in her left leg, including her ankle and toes. She can also open and close her jaw and is gaining in ability to swallow food. She communicates "yes" by using long blinks. And she can laugh-boy, can she laugh!
This was my first in-person visit with her since her strokes. I had done FaceTime with her in the past, so I was somewhat prepared for seeing her in this completely changed state, but, still, it was very hard to see someone I love so much suffering as a prisoner in her own body. Some people call this "locked in syndrome," and I plan to do some more reading by those who have regained their ability to as they recovered. Her courage and determination in this situation are unbelievable, as is the devoted care she is given by her husband, Chris.
We spent out time each day attending various therapy sessions, practicing movements and sounds, listening to music, reading books, tasting soft foods, and making lots of jokes. And re-positioning...always re-positioning. It was wonderful just to get to be with her. Chris' goal is to get her home with caregivers there. I left feeling inspired by them both, and hopeful that her communication, movement and eating skills will continue to progress so that she can enjoy herself more in the days ahead.
As much fun as all these experiences were, nothing beats the pleasure of being at home with your beloved. Our house definitely looks like Rich has been here by himself for a month-it is clean, but quite amusingly messy. What a dear he is! I am looking forward to spending the next 4 weeks (until I return to work on 8-20-12) going to lots of yoga classes and figuring out more of how I want to spend my time in this community. East, west, home is best: so hello again, Santa Cruz!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
full moon #6 + 3 days
I watched this month's full moon come and go, and thought several times about writing. I guess it is good that I am more into living the days now than writing about them.
At work, I have gone from worrying about not having benefits to worrying about which benefits to sign up for to worrying about which providers to sign up for to worrying about whether I will like our new providers. All of this is totally and completely needless. One would think we could all agree that it is in a country's best interest to educate its citizens and keep them healthy and safe. When I think about the resources wasted in administering healthcare programs which could be spend providing health care, I just get crazy. People don't need health insurance, they need healthcare.
That said, I am very fortunate to now have excellent benefits as an employee of the University of California. And I am grateful for this, as long as we insist on using the completely broken system we have.
And I now have a desk and a bookcase in an office that I share with one of my colleagues. I really love having my own little spot with my comfort objects near me.
I have also changed my means of transport to work: unless it is raining, I ride my bike! The last several miles of the trek is a long uphill climb, so there is a van you can meet at the bottom of the hill which has a trailer to bring your bike up the hill with you. So, with that help, it is a nice (only 2 short uphills) 20 minute ride to the shuttle, then a lovely 30 minute ride downhill with panoramic views of the Monterey Bay, and only one uphill climb when I am almost home. It's a start! My goal is to be able to ride the entire way up one day...
The highlight of the last month at home was a lovely visit from my dear friend, Pat, who lives in Rhode Island. We had 5 days together to walk and bike and eat and talk. It was just what I needed.
Rich and I were invited to dinner at one of his golf friends' home. Interesting. It was a side of Santa Cruz I had not yet experienced. Probably not going to become a regular part of our lives.
We continue to feel very happy about being here. Just soaking it in.
At work, I have gone from worrying about not having benefits to worrying about which benefits to sign up for to worrying about which providers to sign up for to worrying about whether I will like our new providers. All of this is totally and completely needless. One would think we could all agree that it is in a country's best interest to educate its citizens and keep them healthy and safe. When I think about the resources wasted in administering healthcare programs which could be spend providing health care, I just get crazy. People don't need health insurance, they need healthcare.
That said, I am very fortunate to now have excellent benefits as an employee of the University of California. And I am grateful for this, as long as we insist on using the completely broken system we have.
And I now have a desk and a bookcase in an office that I share with one of my colleagues. I really love having my own little spot with my comfort objects near me.
I have also changed my means of transport to work: unless it is raining, I ride my bike! The last several miles of the trek is a long uphill climb, so there is a van you can meet at the bottom of the hill which has a trailer to bring your bike up the hill with you. So, with that help, it is a nice (only 2 short uphills) 20 minute ride to the shuttle, then a lovely 30 minute ride downhill with panoramic views of the Monterey Bay, and only one uphill climb when I am almost home. It's a start! My goal is to be able to ride the entire way up one day...
The highlight of the last month at home was a lovely visit from my dear friend, Pat, who lives in Rhode Island. We had 5 days together to walk and bike and eat and talk. It was just what I needed.
Rich and I were invited to dinner at one of his golf friends' home. Interesting. It was a side of Santa Cruz I had not yet experienced. Probably not going to become a regular part of our lives.
We continue to feel very happy about being here. Just soaking it in.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
You can't hurry love...
I used to have a cassette tape of The Shirelles, a black women's group with a 1960's Motown sound. One of my favorite songs on that album had this chorus:
You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
Love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
I was thinking about that song this am when I was wishing for some nearby friends. Rich was thinking about playing a late round of golf in Monterey, so I was thinking about inviting a friend to have dinner. Then I realized I didn't really have anyone to call. I have already invited my only non-work friend, Virginia, to do something this weekend, and I don't want to be too needy (even though I probably am).
I was looking for something in the attic and found an old bowling pin I brought here from Missouri. It was the "prize" from a bowling party with some friends. We had all taken monikers from the 60's and signed out new names on the pin. It was good silly fun. I am taking that bowling pin with me to work today, just for company.
You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
Love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
I was thinking about that song this am when I was wishing for some nearby friends. Rich was thinking about playing a late round of golf in Monterey, so I was thinking about inviting a friend to have dinner. Then I realized I didn't really have anyone to call. I have already invited my only non-work friend, Virginia, to do something this weekend, and I don't want to be too needy (even though I probably am).
I was looking for something in the attic and found an old bowling pin I brought here from Missouri. It was the "prize" from a bowling party with some friends. We had all taken monikers from the 60's and signed out new names on the pin. It was good silly fun. I am taking that bowling pin with me to work today, just for company.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
At long last legal
Having spent the entirety of yesterday morning at the California DMV, we are finally legal in this state! It has been an interesting saga!
I had what I thought was a brilliant idea when we were packing in January: if we left our car titles in our safety deposit box in Springfield, we would not misplace them in the moving shuffle. OOPS! After we got our feet on the ground here, we looked into getting our California drivers licenses and car registration.
Guess what? You need a title to register a car-DUH!!!
So, I asked my sister Julie to go to our Springfield bank and get the title for us. OOPS! I had given her the key to the safety deposit box just before we left. Unfortunately, I gave it to her at the same time I was sending my dad's cat home with her (among other things), and she now cannot find the key.
So, I decided to mail her the one other key to the safety deposit box, which I had brought with us. I put it in a stamped envelope in my bicycle basket, along with some other mail, and headed up to the nearby post office. OOPS! When I got there, that envelope was no longer in the basket. I measured with another envelope, and, sure enough, the slots in my metal basket were large enough to let it slide through.
So, I went up and down the street several times: on bike, on foot, on one side, and then on the other. No luck. So I called Julie and let her know what happened. Nothing to do but wait.
My faith in humanity was restored when Julie received the key a few days later. Some decent human being saw this dropped envelope and mailed it!
Julie then went to the bank, key in hand, only to learn she was not on the list of those authorized to access the safety deposit box. She pushed the issue with the bank. I called and pushed the issue with the bank. There is no wiggle room for opening safety deposit boxes if you do not have prior written authorization.
So Julie brought the key back to us when she visited Santa Cruz in March. All we could do is wait until we were back in Springfield to open the box ourselves, which we did. We retrieved the titles. And, we got Julie officially authorized to use that darn safety deposit box!
Titles in hand, we were able to then sell Rich's car when we were home and get the Prius, which we drove out to California, registered. WHEW. Our new insurance agency here was happy we finally had the paperwork they needed-delivered today during my morning errands. On foot, of course.
I had what I thought was a brilliant idea when we were packing in January: if we left our car titles in our safety deposit box in Springfield, we would not misplace them in the moving shuffle. OOPS! After we got our feet on the ground here, we looked into getting our California drivers licenses and car registration.
Guess what? You need a title to register a car-DUH!!!
So, I asked my sister Julie to go to our Springfield bank and get the title for us. OOPS! I had given her the key to the safety deposit box just before we left. Unfortunately, I gave it to her at the same time I was sending my dad's cat home with her (among other things), and she now cannot find the key.
So, I decided to mail her the one other key to the safety deposit box, which I had brought with us. I put it in a stamped envelope in my bicycle basket, along with some other mail, and headed up to the nearby post office. OOPS! When I got there, that envelope was no longer in the basket. I measured with another envelope, and, sure enough, the slots in my metal basket were large enough to let it slide through.
So, I went up and down the street several times: on bike, on foot, on one side, and then on the other. No luck. So I called Julie and let her know what happened. Nothing to do but wait.
My faith in humanity was restored when Julie received the key a few days later. Some decent human being saw this dropped envelope and mailed it!
Julie then went to the bank, key in hand, only to learn she was not on the list of those authorized to access the safety deposit box. She pushed the issue with the bank. I called and pushed the issue with the bank. There is no wiggle room for opening safety deposit boxes if you do not have prior written authorization.
So Julie brought the key back to us when she visited Santa Cruz in March. All we could do is wait until we were back in Springfield to open the box ourselves, which we did. We retrieved the titles. And, we got Julie officially authorized to use that darn safety deposit box!
Titles in hand, we were able to then sell Rich's car when we were home and get the Prius, which we drove out to California, registered. WHEW. Our new insurance agency here was happy we finally had the paperwork they needed-delivered today during my morning errands. On foot, of course.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
full moon #5 SUPER MOON
Last night's full moon was called a super moon because the moon was closer to the earth than it has been for years. It has to do with the moon's elliptical path around the earth, and being on the short side of the ellipse this time around.
Interestingly, its timing feels like another new chapter for me as well. Things have settled out on the work front, and we just returned from our first trip back to Missouri since our move. Both of these happenings have had significance in my feeling more rooted here.
When I initially applied for work at UCSC, there was not an option for part-time work with benefits. However, when I told my boss last month that I was going to look for that kind of arrangement in the community, he was able to offer me a "4 days a week when school is in session" option. I was happy to accept! I will still have 2 months off in the summers and university holidays plus vacation time. And since my main aim was to protect some time off, this is a good solution. It has been an adjustment for me to be taking care of not-so-sick college students after my years with the oh-so-sick uninsured patients at The Kitchen Clinic, but I have some ideas for keeping it interesting.
We made a whirlwind trip through the midwest last week. We first flew to Carrie in Bloomington, IL so we could watch her run her 1st marathon. The Illinois Marathon was held at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana with around 20,000 runners in all. She had a time of 3h19m which qualified her for the Boston Marathon for the next couple of years...IF she wants to go (she will). Her husband Travis did a masterful job of planning our tour around the course so that we could watch and cheer half a dozen times, reminding us of her old cross country days. After giving her time to shower and eat a LOT of food, we put her in the backseat of the car and began the 7 hour drive to Kansas City. The next day was Will's senior voice recital for UMKC.
A dear old friend from KC was out of town and gave us the use of her beautiful home while we were there. This gift was a godsend, since we needed a kitchen to prepare for the reception which followed the recital. Will's friend Alex came from CA to help out, which was a lucky thing since my procrastinating son was still working on the translations for the program that afternoon!
His concert was unbelievable, an hour and a half of pure joy for his mother! All his aunts and uncles were there, and his grandmothers and lots of other friends and supporters...such a nice time. We wound up the evening gathered in our home-away-from-home, laughing the night away in our PJ's.
After a nice lunch together with family and friends, we headed down to Springfield the next day. We spent the next 3 days visiting family and friends and our old house and favorite golf courses. So much fun, and so exhausting! And it was sad being at Ginny's old house, looking at her empty chair through her front window...
We were happy to come HOME to Santa Cruz!
Interestingly, its timing feels like another new chapter for me as well. Things have settled out on the work front, and we just returned from our first trip back to Missouri since our move. Both of these happenings have had significance in my feeling more rooted here.
When I initially applied for work at UCSC, there was not an option for part-time work with benefits. However, when I told my boss last month that I was going to look for that kind of arrangement in the community, he was able to offer me a "4 days a week when school is in session" option. I was happy to accept! I will still have 2 months off in the summers and university holidays plus vacation time. And since my main aim was to protect some time off, this is a good solution. It has been an adjustment for me to be taking care of not-so-sick college students after my years with the oh-so-sick uninsured patients at The Kitchen Clinic, but I have some ideas for keeping it interesting.
We made a whirlwind trip through the midwest last week. We first flew to Carrie in Bloomington, IL so we could watch her run her 1st marathon. The Illinois Marathon was held at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana with around 20,000 runners in all. She had a time of 3h19m which qualified her for the Boston Marathon for the next couple of years...IF she wants to go (she will). Her husband Travis did a masterful job of planning our tour around the course so that we could watch and cheer half a dozen times, reminding us of her old cross country days. After giving her time to shower and eat a LOT of food, we put her in the backseat of the car and began the 7 hour drive to Kansas City. The next day was Will's senior voice recital for UMKC.
A dear old friend from KC was out of town and gave us the use of her beautiful home while we were there. This gift was a godsend, since we needed a kitchen to prepare for the reception which followed the recital. Will's friend Alex came from CA to help out, which was a lucky thing since my procrastinating son was still working on the translations for the program that afternoon!
His concert was unbelievable, an hour and a half of pure joy for his mother! All his aunts and uncles were there, and his grandmothers and lots of other friends and supporters...such a nice time. We wound up the evening gathered in our home-away-from-home, laughing the night away in our PJ's.
After a nice lunch together with family and friends, we headed down to Springfield the next day. We spent the next 3 days visiting family and friends and our old house and favorite golf courses. So much fun, and so exhausting! And it was sad being at Ginny's old house, looking at her empty chair through her front window...
We were happy to come HOME to Santa Cruz!
Friday, April 6, 2012
full moon #4
It is now 1/3 of a year since we left Missouri. I guess I still think of MO as "home," but each day I am more and more happy that we are here.
I just really like this town. It is small yet interesting and alive. Last night at supper I grabbed one of those weekly newspapers that had just done their vote on "The Best of Santa Cruz." I had fun pointing out to Rich that we lived in the "best" neighborhood, he played at the "best" golf course, and we had 2 out of the 3 "best" grocery stores within 2 blocks of home. We definitely had some good fortune when we first arrived here!
My mom returned to MO midweek. We had a fun time exploring the area together. Wherever she is, she reads. She reads the labels on all the frozen foods at Trader Joes. She reads the bulletin boards at the beaches. She reads the nature education boards at the parks. She is one of those "life long learners" who, for better or worse, seems never quite content with "what is."
As much as we enjoyed our visitors and extra family time, we are happy to be back in our little world of two. Having a house guest made us realize how loudly we talk to one another since neither of us seem to be able to hear anything anymore. And it is nice not thinking too much about what to eat.
I have decided that my next life project is going to be paying more attention to my physical condition. When I think about what in my life I would most like to be different, the thought of being in better shape often comes up. And there are certainly enough fun opportunities around here for being active!
Since I am a "per diem" employee at the health center, my work station varies depending on who is not using their desk on any particular day. This week, one of my favorite co-workers, Beth, a nurse practitioner, has been on vacation. So most days I have gotten to be in her office. I really like her sense of aesthetics, and her politics, so it has been very nice to share her desk.
I am a bathroom reader, so on my visit there this morning I picked up a book from Beth's desk called, "The Pocket Pema Chodron." Pema is a Bhuddist nun. One of my life mentors, Susan Essman introduced me to her books, and I love them. The reading below is the one I opened to, and it seemed just right:
Perfection is like death
We think that if we just meditated enough or jogged enough or ate perfect food, everything would be perfect. But from the view of someone who is awake, that's death. Seeking the security of perfection, rejoicing in feeling confirmed and whole, self-contained and comfortable, it is some kind of death. It doesn't have any fresh air. There's no room for something to come in and interrupt all that. We are killing the moment by controlling our experience. Doing this is setting ourselves up for failure, because sooner or later, we are going to have an experience we can't control: our house is going to burn down, someone we love is going to die, we're going to find out we have cancer, or somebody is going to spill tomato juice all over our white suit.
The essence of life is that it's challenging. Sometimes it is sweet, and sometimes it is bitter. Sometimes your body tenses, and sometimes it relaxes or opens. Sometimes, you have a headache, and sometimes you feel 100% healthy. From an awakened perspective, trying to tie up all the loose ends and finally get it together is death, because it involves rejecting at lot of your basic experience There is something aggressive about that approach to life, trying to flatten out all the rough spots and imperfections into a smooth ride. To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To live fully is to be always in no-man's-land, to experience each moment as completely new and fresh.
I just really like this town. It is small yet interesting and alive. Last night at supper I grabbed one of those weekly newspapers that had just done their vote on "The Best of Santa Cruz." I had fun pointing out to Rich that we lived in the "best" neighborhood, he played at the "best" golf course, and we had 2 out of the 3 "best" grocery stores within 2 blocks of home. We definitely had some good fortune when we first arrived here!
My mom returned to MO midweek. We had a fun time exploring the area together. Wherever she is, she reads. She reads the labels on all the frozen foods at Trader Joes. She reads the bulletin boards at the beaches. She reads the nature education boards at the parks. She is one of those "life long learners" who, for better or worse, seems never quite content with "what is."
As much as we enjoyed our visitors and extra family time, we are happy to be back in our little world of two. Having a house guest made us realize how loudly we talk to one another since neither of us seem to be able to hear anything anymore. And it is nice not thinking too much about what to eat.
I have decided that my next life project is going to be paying more attention to my physical condition. When I think about what in my life I would most like to be different, the thought of being in better shape often comes up. And there are certainly enough fun opportunities around here for being active!
Since I am a "per diem" employee at the health center, my work station varies depending on who is not using their desk on any particular day. This week, one of my favorite co-workers, Beth, a nurse practitioner, has been on vacation. So most days I have gotten to be in her office. I really like her sense of aesthetics, and her politics, so it has been very nice to share her desk.
I am a bathroom reader, so on my visit there this morning I picked up a book from Beth's desk called, "The Pocket Pema Chodron." Pema is a Bhuddist nun. One of my life mentors, Susan Essman introduced me to her books, and I love them. The reading below is the one I opened to, and it seemed just right:
Perfection is like death
We think that if we just meditated enough or jogged enough or ate perfect food, everything would be perfect. But from the view of someone who is awake, that's death. Seeking the security of perfection, rejoicing in feeling confirmed and whole, self-contained and comfortable, it is some kind of death. It doesn't have any fresh air. There's no room for something to come in and interrupt all that. We are killing the moment by controlling our experience. Doing this is setting ourselves up for failure, because sooner or later, we are going to have an experience we can't control: our house is going to burn down, someone we love is going to die, we're going to find out we have cancer, or somebody is going to spill tomato juice all over our white suit.
The essence of life is that it's challenging. Sometimes it is sweet, and sometimes it is bitter. Sometimes your body tenses, and sometimes it relaxes or opens. Sometimes, you have a headache, and sometimes you feel 100% healthy. From an awakened perspective, trying to tie up all the loose ends and finally get it together is death, because it involves rejecting at lot of your basic experience There is something aggressive about that approach to life, trying to flatten out all the rough spots and imperfections into a smooth ride. To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To live fully is to be always in no-man's-land, to experience each moment as completely new and fresh.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
family camp
3 very different people. Small space. Lots of rain. So many growth opportunities.
Last Saturday was a good day for us to practice being grown-ups. The day was cold and rainy. It was my birthday, which only served to give us all expectations that something better was supposed to be happening but wasn't.
I distracted myself for a large part of the day making a huge, HUGE pot of Moroccan chicken which we had for supper. We watched some of the sweet sixteen games and we bumped into one another a lot.
The weather improved some on Sunday, plus we had 2 great visitors. Frank and his aging dog, Sandy, came to hang out while an "Open House" was being held at Kay and Frank's beautiful home in the redwoods. Nice salmon dinner. Getting used to one another in this space. Reading is good.
Monday was another cold, wet day. By now, Miriam and I are regularly taking walks outside in the rain. I am getting better at working on my alignment while walking slowly and mindfully. Definitely not my natural state, but good. I took Miriam downtown and let her go to any store she wanted and look at anything she wanted for as long as she wanted. Breathe.
The entire time she has been in town, she has been trying to find a restaurant she went to in the 80's and really loved. Today we found it! It has changed hands and names but the space was there and she was very happy to see it.
Our nadir was definitely Tuesday, when Miriam felt really crummy. After dragging her out of bed we went to lunch at a great neighborhood place with my landlady, Virginia. She ate about 2 bites.
Last week we had made an appointment to have her blood work checked today, which worked out well. I had summarized her long medical history on 1 page for the poor family doctor who was supposed to figure her out in 7 minutes and get to the next patient. He was actually very lovely and did a great job given the circumstances.
Since we were in the neighborhood, we went up to the University and I showed her my new work place. Of course, she perked up and charmed all my co-workers. We negotiated what she might be willing to eat, and stopped downtown to buy a smoothie, ice cream and some chocolate before heading back home. Oh, and got a couple more books for her to read.
Hump day! I know I am not supposed to notice since I am not working, but I did. Frank and Kay had us out for a beautiful lunch and then showed us the new home they have purchased. Rich and I got a load of manure from Frank's chickens to help get our garden-to-be started. Miriam and I had a nice sunset walk to the beach along a street with gorgeous Victorian homes before the fog rolled in. And we got her return ticket purchased for next week. A good day. Hopefully more good days to come, hope she keeps feeling well.
Last Saturday was a good day for us to practice being grown-ups. The day was cold and rainy. It was my birthday, which only served to give us all expectations that something better was supposed to be happening but wasn't.
I distracted myself for a large part of the day making a huge, HUGE pot of Moroccan chicken which we had for supper. We watched some of the sweet sixteen games and we bumped into one another a lot.
The weather improved some on Sunday, plus we had 2 great visitors. Frank and his aging dog, Sandy, came to hang out while an "Open House" was being held at Kay and Frank's beautiful home in the redwoods. Nice salmon dinner. Getting used to one another in this space. Reading is good.
Monday was another cold, wet day. By now, Miriam and I are regularly taking walks outside in the rain. I am getting better at working on my alignment while walking slowly and mindfully. Definitely not my natural state, but good. I took Miriam downtown and let her go to any store she wanted and look at anything she wanted for as long as she wanted. Breathe.
The entire time she has been in town, she has been trying to find a restaurant she went to in the 80's and really loved. Today we found it! It has changed hands and names but the space was there and she was very happy to see it.
Our nadir was definitely Tuesday, when Miriam felt really crummy. After dragging her out of bed we went to lunch at a great neighborhood place with my landlady, Virginia. She ate about 2 bites.
Last week we had made an appointment to have her blood work checked today, which worked out well. I had summarized her long medical history on 1 page for the poor family doctor who was supposed to figure her out in 7 minutes and get to the next patient. He was actually very lovely and did a great job given the circumstances.
Since we were in the neighborhood, we went up to the University and I showed her my new work place. Of course, she perked up and charmed all my co-workers. We negotiated what she might be willing to eat, and stopped downtown to buy a smoothie, ice cream and some chocolate before heading back home. Oh, and got a couple more books for her to read.
Hump day! I know I am not supposed to notice since I am not working, but I did. Frank and Kay had us out for a beautiful lunch and then showed us the new home they have purchased. Rich and I got a load of manure from Frank's chickens to help get our garden-to-be started. Miriam and I had a nice sunset walk to the beach along a street with gorgeous Victorian homes before the fog rolled in. And we got her return ticket purchased for next week. A good day. Hopefully more good days to come, hope she keeps feeling well.
Friday, March 23, 2012
1st visit from the fam
Last Sunday evening, my California Cousin Sarah drove me to the San Jose Airport to pick up my mom and sister, Julie. Since Julie was not interested in sleeping with my mom, me or Rich, she rented a house at the beach for she and mom. She picked a fantastic place on line, with great views of Twin Lakes Beach, the lighthouse, and the sunset.
Sarah took off from her teaching job in Sacramento to spend time with them Monday, when I was at work. They had a great lunch on the wharf, but saved room for Julie's 50th birthday dinner at a seafood place on the harbor. 4 of our Santa Cruz relatives joined us for a fun evening.
Tuesday brought more long beach walks and a trip up Highway 1 with mom's brother, Ben, to celebrate her 77th birthday. So many beautiful views of the coast! We had lunch at a place called Duarte's, named for the family which has been serving there since 1894. The cream of artichoke soup was yummy!
On Wednesday, California Cousin Jill played tour guide for a visit to San Francisco. We met her at her home in San Jose, then drove to Daly City to take the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) into the city. First stop was a cable car ride from downtown to Fisherman's Wharf, and fresh seafood for lunch. Our timing was then perfect for a tour of the harbor. It was beautiful and sunny until we got out past Alcatraz near the Golden Gate bridge, then fog prevailed. Unbelievable how fast the weather can change on the bay! We re-fueled with some fresh sour dough bread and dark Ghiardelli chocolate, then took the trolley to the BART to the car. What a fun day!
Thursday we stayed in Santa Cruz, enjoying the beaches, the shops in Capitola Village with California Cousin Steve, and ice cream (twice!). The evening sky was something!
Today was airport return for Julie, but Mother=Miriam=Gran is staying on with us. After retrieving Rich from the golf course, we made our first grocery run together. Santa Cruz is gluten-free heaven for a certain 77 year old who has been surviving celiac sprue over 4 decades in the midwest. I am looking forward to some low key days enjoying this place with my mom.
Sarah took off from her teaching job in Sacramento to spend time with them Monday, when I was at work. They had a great lunch on the wharf, but saved room for Julie's 50th birthday dinner at a seafood place on the harbor. 4 of our Santa Cruz relatives joined us for a fun evening.
Tuesday brought more long beach walks and a trip up Highway 1 with mom's brother, Ben, to celebrate her 77th birthday. So many beautiful views of the coast! We had lunch at a place called Duarte's, named for the family which has been serving there since 1894. The cream of artichoke soup was yummy!
On Wednesday, California Cousin Jill played tour guide for a visit to San Francisco. We met her at her home in San Jose, then drove to Daly City to take the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) into the city. First stop was a cable car ride from downtown to Fisherman's Wharf, and fresh seafood for lunch. Our timing was then perfect for a tour of the harbor. It was beautiful and sunny until we got out past Alcatraz near the Golden Gate bridge, then fog prevailed. Unbelievable how fast the weather can change on the bay! We re-fueled with some fresh sour dough bread and dark Ghiardelli chocolate, then took the trolley to the BART to the car. What a fun day!
Thursday we stayed in Santa Cruz, enjoying the beaches, the shops in Capitola Village with California Cousin Steve, and ice cream (twice!). The evening sky was something!
Today was airport return for Julie, but Mother=Miriam=Gran is staying on with us. After retrieving Rich from the golf course, we made our first grocery run together. Santa Cruz is gluten-free heaven for a certain 77 year old who has been surviving celiac sprue over 4 decades in the midwest. I am looking forward to some low key days enjoying this place with my mom.
Monday, March 12, 2012
the good with the bad
Just after I got up this morning and was making coffee, my phone rang. It was my friend Ann calling to let me know our friend Ginny died this morning. I probably suffered more grief 4 months ago when her metastatic pancreatic cancer was diagnosed, but, still, it was hard to hear.
I went to the computer, and was greeted by an absolutely wonderful email from Will. His optimism was the perfect antidote to the sadness and loss I felt.
Then, while at work, I had a call from Chris, the husband of my 30 year old friend, Alison. When I got home, I returned his call. Inexplicably, this beautiful, healthy young woman is in the ICU on a respirator, having had multiple strokes. Just last weekend, I wrote a letter of recommendation for her for a masters program at KU, telling their admissions staff how incredibly bright she was, and bragging on her suburb communication skills. I still can't believe this news.
I then opened a letter from a friend who has known me since I was a baby. Glyna sent me good wishes on our move, and enclosed a story she wrote about her son, Neal, and I when we were toddlers. The story was about the our mothers' plan to let us have a tea party in the afternoons with pink popsicles if we ate our lunches and took our naps. Even with such a prized reward in the offing, it sounds like Neal did some pretty interesting negotiating along the way. What a lovely thing to share, 50 plus years later.
Life! The love we have for others causes so much pain and brings so much joy. Today was a good reminder to cherish each person we love every single day.
I went to the computer, and was greeted by an absolutely wonderful email from Will. His optimism was the perfect antidote to the sadness and loss I felt.
Then, while at work, I had a call from Chris, the husband of my 30 year old friend, Alison. When I got home, I returned his call. Inexplicably, this beautiful, healthy young woman is in the ICU on a respirator, having had multiple strokes. Just last weekend, I wrote a letter of recommendation for her for a masters program at KU, telling their admissions staff how incredibly bright she was, and bragging on her suburb communication skills. I still can't believe this news.
I then opened a letter from a friend who has known me since I was a baby. Glyna sent me good wishes on our move, and enclosed a story she wrote about her son, Neal, and I when we were toddlers. The story was about the our mothers' plan to let us have a tea party in the afternoons with pink popsicles if we ate our lunches and took our naps. Even with such a prized reward in the offing, it sounds like Neal did some pretty interesting negotiating along the way. What a lovely thing to share, 50 plus years later.
Life! The love we have for others causes so much pain and brings so much joy. Today was a good reminder to cherish each person we love every single day.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
full moon #3
so much change in so little time. we are very happy to be here.
the most difficult thing about the transition for me has been being away from my darling friend, Ginny, who is passing into another world.
my "star sister" will not be physically with me on "our" birthday this year---but she will always be a part of me.
wishing you a peaceful journey to the beyond, my dear one.
the most difficult thing about the transition for me has been being away from my darling friend, Ginny, who is passing into another world.
my "star sister" will not be physically with me on "our" birthday this year---but she will always be a part of me.
wishing you a peaceful journey to the beyond, my dear one.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
regular morning visitor
For the past several days, there is a sweet grey cat that paws at the glass in our front door until we come greet her. Or maybe him. She doesn't really want to come in, although Rich brought her in yesterday to show her she would be let back out. I love to watch him crouching down at the door talking to this cat. He says he is not ready for another pet yet, but I wonder.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Yesterday: Banana Slug, Day 1
March 1: Human Resources department UCS---sign lots of forms.
March 2: Student Health Center orientation--- more forms, HIPPA video, blood borne pathogens video, photo ID, electronic medical records log in.
And so: New Banana Slug Doc on the Block!
I had a perfectly pleasant first day yesterday. Good bus stop conversation with a senior environmental studies student. 4 deer grazing in the courtyard of the health center as I approached the building. Welcoming staff. Entertaining medical director-did I mention he sounds just like Alan Alda?
I am going to work full time for the next couple of weeks so I can get comfortable with their work flow. Thereafter, I will sign up for days I am available and they need coverage. Probably about half time...
Go Banana Slugs!
March 2: Student Health Center orientation--- more forms, HIPPA video, blood borne pathogens video, photo ID, electronic medical records log in.
And so: New Banana Slug Doc on the Block!
I had a perfectly pleasant first day yesterday. Good bus stop conversation with a senior environmental studies student. 4 deer grazing in the courtyard of the health center as I approached the building. Welcoming staff. Entertaining medical director-did I mention he sounds just like Alan Alda?
I am going to work full time for the next couple of weeks so I can get comfortable with their work flow. Thereafter, I will sign up for days I am available and they need coverage. Probably about half time...
Go Banana Slugs!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
grabbers get going
I have a new favorite object. It is called a grabber.
A couple of days ago I was taking a long walk with my cousin Jill---it has been so great to get to see her more often! I was telling her how I had been having a desire to start picking up trash on my walks, and that I had been thinking about trying to get one of those things people use to pick up trash. She told me they were called "grabbers" and she used to get to use them on the playground when she was doing lunch duty and that they were really fun. We turned the corner, and BAM! There she was! The Golden Grabber! She was a lovely woman wearing pearls picking up trash with a grabber and putting it into a tasteful reusable bag. We talked about grabbers for a bit, and she told me I could get one at the local hardware store, which turned out to be true. Her brilliant idea is that they should be made in short lengths for children because they would love using them and it would keep then happily busy on walks. Sounds like an entrepreneurial opportunity!
So I started thinking about "Grabber Girls," and I even started a song about us, to the tune of "Can Can Girls:"
we are the grabber girls
we always wear our pearls
we keep the beaches clean
so Santa Cruz stays green...
But then I realized that I was limiting participation by 50% for no good reason, so now I am thinking "Green Grabbers." We could even paint our tools green! Can't wait to see where this goes!
A couple of days ago I was taking a long walk with my cousin Jill---it has been so great to get to see her more often! I was telling her how I had been having a desire to start picking up trash on my walks, and that I had been thinking about trying to get one of those things people use to pick up trash. She told me they were called "grabbers" and she used to get to use them on the playground when she was doing lunch duty and that they were really fun. We turned the corner, and BAM! There she was! The Golden Grabber! She was a lovely woman wearing pearls picking up trash with a grabber and putting it into a tasteful reusable bag. We talked about grabbers for a bit, and she told me I could get one at the local hardware store, which turned out to be true. Her brilliant idea is that they should be made in short lengths for children because they would love using them and it would keep then happily busy on walks. Sounds like an entrepreneurial opportunity!
So I started thinking about "Grabber Girls," and I even started a song about us, to the tune of "Can Can Girls:"
we are the grabber girls
we always wear our pearls
we keep the beaches clean
so Santa Cruz stays green...
But then I realized that I was limiting participation by 50% for no good reason, so now I am thinking "Green Grabbers." We could even paint our tools green! Can't wait to see where this goes!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
the examined life
While I was doing dishes tonight (no dishwasher in our cottage, or, more to the point, no ROOM for a dishwasher...) I had a realization that perhaps the thing I like best about being in a new place is that it gives me cause for examining almost everything I do. Is this really the way I want the room to be? Is this how I want to spend this time? Is this really the product I want to buy?
On one hand, it is exhausting. Where are the familiar brands in the grocery store so I can just get what I usually get? On the other hand is the exhilaration of remembering I almost always have a choice.
On one hand, it is exhausting. Where are the familiar brands in the grocery store so I can just get what I usually get? On the other hand is the exhilaration of remembering I almost always have a choice.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
proud new non-owners!
The house closing went off ok. Yippee!!!
We are going to the harbor for dinner to celebrate!
Oh yeah-forgot to mention-last night was a new moon...
We are going to the harbor for dinner to celebrate!
Oh yeah-forgot to mention-last night was a new moon...
living in the moment? not so much.
Awake in the middle of the night for the first time in weeks. It could be that I am anxious about the closing of our house in MO, scheduled for tomorrow. It is happening about a month later than planned. There was a problem with the title on the house related to a mistake made when the house was sold years ago out of the original owners' trust, which took some time to get cleared up. Then during that
month of waiting there were plumbing problems quickly followed by roofing problems...I just cannot WAIT to archive about a million emails about things I never want to think about again.
In the midst of this, there is all the "stuff" that comes with changing banks, insurances, addresses, etc. etc. etc. It will be a relief to have our resources where we need them to be without always needing to do some kind of form or transfer or identity check. I keep trying to think about how to make things simpler this time...
The other funny thing to me is how I react to the combination of unstructured time, yet having "things to do." During most of my adult life, "things to do" have gotten wedged in around work time and family responsibilities. Now, it is largely up to me to decide how my time is spent. It is not exactly "vacation," but I could be treating it much more like that than I am. I have been putting a pretty high priority on getting things in my life organized the way I want them...thinking, I suppose, that the time investment now will pay off for me later. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I should just go to the beach and read a book while the going is good.
There is a part of me that still thinks I can get things "all caught up" so that THEN I can relax and just maintain. I know life just isn't that way. Maybe one day I will learn to accept the lack of order we call reality.
month of waiting there were plumbing problems quickly followed by roofing problems...I just cannot WAIT to archive about a million emails about things I never want to think about again.
In the midst of this, there is all the "stuff" that comes with changing banks, insurances, addresses, etc. etc. etc. It will be a relief to have our resources where we need them to be without always needing to do some kind of form or transfer or identity check. I keep trying to think about how to make things simpler this time...
The other funny thing to me is how I react to the combination of unstructured time, yet having "things to do." During most of my adult life, "things to do" have gotten wedged in around work time and family responsibilities. Now, it is largely up to me to decide how my time is spent. It is not exactly "vacation," but I could be treating it much more like that than I am. I have been putting a pretty high priority on getting things in my life organized the way I want them...thinking, I suppose, that the time investment now will pay off for me later. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I should just go to the beach and read a book while the going is good.
There is a part of me that still thinks I can get things "all caught up" so that THEN I can relax and just maintain. I know life just isn't that way. Maybe one day I will learn to accept the lack of order we call reality.
Friday, February 17, 2012
no longer unemployed
I got a call today from the Medical Director of the student health center at the University of California-Santa Cruz (UCSC) offering me a job there. I had a formal interview this past Monday with 6 staff, which seemed to go well. They liked my experience and my references (thank you Mark, Judy and Susan). Oh, and I passed my background and fingerprinting check. As Rich says, it's just a good thing I keep changing my last name.
They would like me to work full time, but I opted for the "per diem" position, which gives me control of the days I work, but no benefits. At this point in my life, time is worth far more than money. I am pleased and excited to join their group! Everyone I have met there seems like they will be fun to work with. My boss' voice reminds me of Alan Alda, and he seems like a terrific, well put together guy. More to come next week on orientation and start date...
I also had a couple of other interviews this week. I met with the Medical Director of a small local group wanting someone to help them start an urgent care. The group is primary care oriented, but they have a few more steps before they are ready to get started. The other was a 2 hour (!) phone interview with a large multi-specialty group. I started by telling the recruiter that I was not interested in being plugged into a primary care slot---so she was kind of at a loss for what to do with me. I tried my best to sell her on the idea that I would be a good person to help their organization create systems for dealing with patients with multiple chronic conditions, using multidisciplinary teams. In other words, provide care for those who will get Medicaid in 2014 a'la The Kitchen Clinic. She said she thought their recruitment committee would be "intrigued."So there are a couple of other hooks in the water which might be possibilities down the road.
There is also some interesting work going on in Santa Cruz as well as in the region related to helping elderly patients be able to keep living independently despite having chronic conditions. I would very much like to get involved in that work in some way. I have made a few exploratory contacts to learn more about local efforts which are underway.
I am incredibly fortunate to be qualified to work in a field where there is wide demand, and which is well compensated. Still, this experience of job seeking in my 50's helped me understand the vulnerable position so many people face. Work is part of my identity, a part of fulfilling what feels like my role in this world. I am just lucky I enjoy it so much.
They would like me to work full time, but I opted for the "per diem" position, which gives me control of the days I work, but no benefits. At this point in my life, time is worth far more than money. I am pleased and excited to join their group! Everyone I have met there seems like they will be fun to work with. My boss' voice reminds me of Alan Alda, and he seems like a terrific, well put together guy. More to come next week on orientation and start date...
I also had a couple of other interviews this week. I met with the Medical Director of a small local group wanting someone to help them start an urgent care. The group is primary care oriented, but they have a few more steps before they are ready to get started. The other was a 2 hour (!) phone interview with a large multi-specialty group. I started by telling the recruiter that I was not interested in being plugged into a primary care slot---so she was kind of at a loss for what to do with me. I tried my best to sell her on the idea that I would be a good person to help their organization create systems for dealing with patients with multiple chronic conditions, using multidisciplinary teams. In other words, provide care for those who will get Medicaid in 2014 a'la The Kitchen Clinic. She said she thought their recruitment committee would be "intrigued."So there are a couple of other hooks in the water which might be possibilities down the road.
There is also some interesting work going on in Santa Cruz as well as in the region related to helping elderly patients be able to keep living independently despite having chronic conditions. I would very much like to get involved in that work in some way. I have made a few exploratory contacts to learn more about local efforts which are underway.
I am incredibly fortunate to be qualified to work in a field where there is wide demand, and which is well compensated. Still, this experience of job seeking in my 50's helped me understand the vulnerable position so many people face. Work is part of my identity, a part of fulfilling what feels like my role in this world. I am just lucky I enjoy it so much.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Just back from a very satisfying grocery shopping experience at my new favorite local market. I have been wanting to put staple grains in those blue Bell jars for years, and now I have and they look very pretty in the window of the back porch. The little man who weighed my containers for me was very sweet and supportive, and the woman at check out loved my olive oil bottle and pepper grinder. The highlight of my bulk shopping was finding laundry soap for the first time ever!
One of my new neighbors was walking the same direction and asked to join me. I learned she likes to write-she is a cheerful soul. I felt very urbane with my rolling shopping cart, and found 2 coins on the way home but not my missing earring. Yet.
I am looking forward to a lovely Italian dinner with FRESH mozzarella and Italian sausage and greens and bread and raspberries. I hope I never forget how lucky I am now to have access to this incredible variety of healthy local foods!
One of my new neighbors was walking the same direction and asked to join me. I learned she likes to write-she is a cheerful soul. I felt very urbane with my rolling shopping cart, and found 2 coins on the way home but not my missing earring. Yet.
I am looking forward to a lovely Italian dinner with FRESH mozzarella and Italian sausage and greens and bread and raspberries. I hope I never forget how lucky I am now to have access to this incredible variety of healthy local foods!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
the happy side effects of having company
On Thursday, we had our first dinner guests in our new little home. Aunt Kay and Frank were here for pacific snapper and trimmings, including olallie berry pie, which neither Rich nor I had ever experienced. Yummy---like a tart blackberry! And, no, Carrie, I did not make the crust.
Aside from enjoying their company, as always, the fact that they were coming created a little momentum for me to look critically at the last dregs of unpacking and "just put it SOMEWHERE!"
I am the major (perhaps only) beneficiary of this action...Rich is far less affected by his environment than I. Having less clutter around has definitely made it easier for me to THINK about other things. Like what to do next.
It is quite easy for me to get caught up in being ABLE to do what others (prospective employers) want, and much more difficult for me to stay in touch with what I WANT to do with my time. On one hand, it would be pretty nice to have a job with benefits (after going on 7 years without them during my Kitchen Clinic days). On the other hand, it sure is easy to trade away the best of your waking hours for the illusion of security that benefits provide. One nice thing about being a family physician these days is that most medical systems in most places want (and need) more of them. Unfortunately, the way they tend to see us is as a production unit capable of performing certain functions they have identified as necessary. They are not particularly interested in others' thoughts about what would really benefit the patients they are "serving." This, in addition to my ever strengthening belief that it is a provision for health, not health care, that people need, has left me wary of "selling out." So many things to consider!
Easily the highlight of the week was being able to say hello to my friend, Ginny, who finally was freed from the hospital in Springfield yesterday. It was a salve to my soul just to hear her voice. I hope the coming days bring her some peaceful rest. She is a good reminder to me of that which is important. Namaste, dear Ginny.
Aside from enjoying their company, as always, the fact that they were coming created a little momentum for me to look critically at the last dregs of unpacking and "just put it SOMEWHERE!"
I am the major (perhaps only) beneficiary of this action...Rich is far less affected by his environment than I. Having less clutter around has definitely made it easier for me to THINK about other things. Like what to do next.
It is quite easy for me to get caught up in being ABLE to do what others (prospective employers) want, and much more difficult for me to stay in touch with what I WANT to do with my time. On one hand, it would be pretty nice to have a job with benefits (after going on 7 years without them during my Kitchen Clinic days). On the other hand, it sure is easy to trade away the best of your waking hours for the illusion of security that benefits provide. One nice thing about being a family physician these days is that most medical systems in most places want (and need) more of them. Unfortunately, the way they tend to see us is as a production unit capable of performing certain functions they have identified as necessary. They are not particularly interested in others' thoughts about what would really benefit the patients they are "serving." This, in addition to my ever strengthening belief that it is a provision for health, not health care, that people need, has left me wary of "selling out." So many things to consider!
Easily the highlight of the week was being able to say hello to my friend, Ginny, who finally was freed from the hospital in Springfield yesterday. It was a salve to my soul just to hear her voice. I hope the coming days bring her some peaceful rest. She is a good reminder to me of that which is important. Namaste, dear Ginny.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
full moon #2
"my barn having burned
to the ground
I can now see the moon..."
28 days ago, we left Missouri under a full moon. one lunar month later, we can see a beautiful full moon through the skylight of our upstairs bedroom.
talking with my friends about our move, the most asked question is: why?
why now? why Santa Cruz? how could you decide so quickly?
well, it wasn't a fast decision to leave Missouri. I would say the conversation about living somewhere else started very early in my relationship with Rich in 1999, and I had been thinking about it seriously since divorcing in 1994. in many ways, I was never "at home" in Missouri after returning there from New England in 1987.
it took a number of years of discussing Rich being unhappy with the cold winters and me being unhappy with the hot summers for us to identify a place with a more moderate climate in both seasons that we thought we would both enjoy. for at least 6 months before our departure, we had our sights on the central California coast, although we were definitely willing to change our minds if it didn't seem "right."
granted, we were distracted a few times by thinking about the Bay Area, thinking about San Diego, thinking about Oregon...but we kept coming back to the central coast. we borrowed the entire library collection on California a few times over. we identified more with Northern California, and the state's golf association splits at San Luis Obispo, so we eventually felt we would want to be at least that far north. yes, this is me talking about deciding where to live because of golf tournaments.
the time for a move was ripe, with both kids clearly gone and not coming back. I had been working on separating from The Kitchen Clinic for a good long while. and taking care of a 3 bedroom house on a double lot was taking up more time and delivering less pleasure all the time.
our trip up the coast from San Luis Obispo was all positive. not a bad place in the lot. but Santa Cruz felt more urban, yet still of a manageable size, and close to the things we wanted: family, weather, beach, university, and, yes, golf.
sometimes it still is scary to think we did this. we occasionally look at each one another in terror, knowing that in a very real sense "we" are "us," period. most of the time, we are grateful we gave one another enough strength to pull up stakes and try it. everyday, there are many things to love here that we did not have before.
and tomorrow? well, I still want to do some organizing in the back porch.
to the ground
I can now see the moon..."
28 days ago, we left Missouri under a full moon. one lunar month later, we can see a beautiful full moon through the skylight of our upstairs bedroom.
talking with my friends about our move, the most asked question is: why?
why now? why Santa Cruz? how could you decide so quickly?
well, it wasn't a fast decision to leave Missouri. I would say the conversation about living somewhere else started very early in my relationship with Rich in 1999, and I had been thinking about it seriously since divorcing in 1994. in many ways, I was never "at home" in Missouri after returning there from New England in 1987.
it took a number of years of discussing Rich being unhappy with the cold winters and me being unhappy with the hot summers for us to identify a place with a more moderate climate in both seasons that we thought we would both enjoy. for at least 6 months before our departure, we had our sights on the central California coast, although we were definitely willing to change our minds if it didn't seem "right."
granted, we were distracted a few times by thinking about the Bay Area, thinking about San Diego, thinking about Oregon...but we kept coming back to the central coast. we borrowed the entire library collection on California a few times over. we identified more with Northern California, and the state's golf association splits at San Luis Obispo, so we eventually felt we would want to be at least that far north. yes, this is me talking about deciding where to live because of golf tournaments.
the time for a move was ripe, with both kids clearly gone and not coming back. I had been working on separating from The Kitchen Clinic for a good long while. and taking care of a 3 bedroom house on a double lot was taking up more time and delivering less pleasure all the time.
our trip up the coast from San Luis Obispo was all positive. not a bad place in the lot. but Santa Cruz felt more urban, yet still of a manageable size, and close to the things we wanted: family, weather, beach, university, and, yes, golf.
sometimes it still is scary to think we did this. we occasionally look at each one another in terror, knowing that in a very real sense "we" are "us," period. most of the time, we are grateful we gave one another enough strength to pull up stakes and try it. everyday, there are many things to love here that we did not have before.
and tomorrow? well, I still want to do some organizing in the back porch.
Monday, February 6, 2012
new things I have done this week
-rode 2 buses from home to UCSC and 2 buses from campus to home. easy breezy. thinking of doing a study of what college kids do on the bus.
-met a woman who sells used clothing from her house 1 day monthly and has a great business.
-shopped a local farmers market where they had live blue grass music and fresh fish.
-checked out 3 thrift stores downtown.
-walked the beach at sunset instead of watching the Super Bowl.
-had 2 home visits from our new, funny, computer coach, Andrea. She talks back to the computer just like me!
-had phone interviews with 2 prospective employers.
-found the missing pictures in a garment box in the attic.
-checked out 2 more grocery stores with Rich.
-bought and returned more technological devices. ordered something called Apple TV and an HDMI cable. have no idea what they do.
-had the passenger side rear view mirror replaced after a street person pulled the original off the Prius.
-had our trash ignored because we left the bins on the sidewalk (they were supposed to be IN the street).
-wired money from 1 bank account in Missouri to another. oops!
-met a woman who sells used clothing from her house 1 day monthly and has a great business.
-shopped a local farmers market where they had live blue grass music and fresh fish.
-checked out 3 thrift stores downtown.
-walked the beach at sunset instead of watching the Super Bowl.
-had 2 home visits from our new, funny, computer coach, Andrea. She talks back to the computer just like me!
-had phone interviews with 2 prospective employers.
-found the missing pictures in a garment box in the attic.
-checked out 2 more grocery stores with Rich.
-bought and returned more technological devices. ordered something called Apple TV and an HDMI cable. have no idea what they do.
-had the passenger side rear view mirror replaced after a street person pulled the original off the Prius.
-had our trash ignored because we left the bins on the sidewalk (they were supposed to be IN the street).
-wired money from 1 bank account in Missouri to another. oops!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
which job where?
Even though 4 more days have passed, I have to admit we still have boxes in the guest room. I guess it is just natural to unpack the easy stuff first, but I have really gotten hung up on the boxes of paperwork and pictures. Just goes to show, you move your real problems with you!
I also started feeling a little anxious about getting the job search going, so I became distracted by updating my resume and looking online for openings. Not being bilingual, I am unqualified for most of the community health opportunities I have seen. There are a couple of large "medical foundations," as they seem to call not-for-profit medical groups here, which have family medicine jobs available, but I have not contacted them yet. I did apply online for a student health job at UC-Santa Cruz, and they had me over today for a lunch interview. The medical director is also a recovering community health person and seemed like a good guy. I am going over tomorrow to get fingerprinted, so we will see how that goes. It seems to me those fingerprints I did for my California license should work, but what do I know?
The UCSC campus is stunning. It is a large campus in a redwood forest overlooking the Monterey Bay. The student health center is a new LEEDS Gold Certified building with redwoods in the central courtyard. Whoa.
Over the weekend we had our first visitors, cousins Jill, Sarah and Cindy. They liked our little house! They picked us up for our first California party, which was in honor of Aunt Kay's husband, Frank. He was celebrating his 80th birthday! We had a yummy brunch in a lovely restaurant at a nearby resort. The best part was Frank telling stories about growing up in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Who knew they had multi-level horse stables designed like parking garages!?
I am looking forward to having less on the "must do now" list so that we can do more exploring! All in good time, I suppose...it's just getting harder to wait.
I also started feeling a little anxious about getting the job search going, so I became distracted by updating my resume and looking online for openings. Not being bilingual, I am unqualified for most of the community health opportunities I have seen. There are a couple of large "medical foundations," as they seem to call not-for-profit medical groups here, which have family medicine jobs available, but I have not contacted them yet. I did apply online for a student health job at UC-Santa Cruz, and they had me over today for a lunch interview. The medical director is also a recovering community health person and seemed like a good guy. I am going over tomorrow to get fingerprinted, so we will see how that goes. It seems to me those fingerprints I did for my California license should work, but what do I know?
The UCSC campus is stunning. It is a large campus in a redwood forest overlooking the Monterey Bay. The student health center is a new LEEDS Gold Certified building with redwoods in the central courtyard. Whoa.
Over the weekend we had our first visitors, cousins Jill, Sarah and Cindy. They liked our little house! They picked us up for our first California party, which was in honor of Aunt Kay's husband, Frank. He was celebrating his 80th birthday! We had a yummy brunch in a lovely restaurant at a nearby resort. The best part was Frank telling stories about growing up in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Who knew they had multi-level horse stables designed like parking garages!?
I am looking forward to having less on the "must do now" list so that we can do more exploring! All in good time, I suppose...it's just getting harder to wait.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
yearning now for order
We tried to keep our house in Missouri (mostly) intact until the kids left after Christmas. That was December 29. Tomorrow will mark a month of not really knowing where anything is. The time has come to restore a calm environment. So today's mission: get things put somewhere. I have been my own worst enemy in this...yesterday was largely spent RE-arranging things I had already done. While I made some good improvements, I need to get back to basic box unpacking. Although there are a million things I want to be doing, I am too preoccupied with making our home to enjoy much else. So, nose to the grindstone-let's do it!
Friday, January 27, 2012
shopping in the attic
In the run up to the move, we did a lot of what my friend Pat calls "de-accessioning." I would guess that we sold or gave away more than half of our stuff. And since we moved from a house with over 3000 square feet (plus basement, large attic, 3 car garage and shed) into 1350 square feet (with no garage or basement or shed) that is definitely a good thing!
And thank goodness for the small attic space we DO have! There, we created our very own strip mall yesterday. Everything useful that we want to keep but don't have room for in the house is being categorized and placed into the appropriate "store," complete with its own sign. So far, we have ToysRUs, Linens and Things, Memorobilia Matters, The Christmas Tree Shop, Travel Treasures and The Golf Shop.
Upon entering the short door to the attic (even I have to bend down to go through!) there is a floored area about 11x 15 square feet, some of it only a few feet high and all of it affected by varying degrees by rafters. The shops are around the periphery, and in the center is the "anchor store," TJMiriam (named after my mother, the shopper), containing 3 garment boxes which we may never open and lots of boxes of clothing and shoes we may never wear. As a side note, those who know Rich will be amused to know he just willingly went up to measure the space for the benefit of blog accuracy. He knows how I tend to exaggerate!
So the idea for the strip mall is this: whenever we think we need something, we go shop in the attic first. Old stuff has a way of looking new when you haven't seen it for awhile. Although there are so many wonderful new shops around here which I will enjoy checking out, Rich and I have agreed that we are going to try REALLY hard not to bring more stuff into the house unless we REALLY need it and we REALLY can't find something we already have that will serve the purpose. So, if anyone is even THINKING about giving us a house warming present, please don't.
I have to say, it really wasn't that hard to part with our stuff. Most of the things we liked went to people we care about who were able to actually USE it. And although they are way too much work for the money they produce, I kind of love having a good garage sale. There is something exhilarating about watching someone's face light up when they find something that makes them happy and only costs a quarter (my standard garage sale prices are a quarter or a dollar). I think of it as participatory recycling.
I reached a point of exhaustion before we moved when I was tempted to just chuck everything. I am so glad I didn't. I have the stuff I have because it suits me and makes me smile. For the most part, I have been happy to see most everything we have unpacked. And, with a fresh perspective, it is easier to identify the stuff I DON'T love in time to give it away before it becomes ingrained here. I can only think of one thing I got rid of that I regret: a little match holder my great aunt Mary gave me. I had never used it and thought I probably never would, so it went into a pile. What I realize now is that the reason I love most of my things is that they remind me of someone I love. They don't necessary have to DO anything, they are just trigger for fond memories.
And thank goodness for the small attic space we DO have! There, we created our very own strip mall yesterday. Everything useful that we want to keep but don't have room for in the house is being categorized and placed into the appropriate "store," complete with its own sign. So far, we have ToysRUs, Linens and Things, Memorobilia Matters, The Christmas Tree Shop, Travel Treasures and The Golf Shop.
Upon entering the short door to the attic (even I have to bend down to go through!) there is a floored area about 11x 15 square feet, some of it only a few feet high and all of it affected by varying degrees by rafters. The shops are around the periphery, and in the center is the "anchor store," TJMiriam (named after my mother, the shopper), containing 3 garment boxes which we may never open and lots of boxes of clothing and shoes we may never wear. As a side note, those who know Rich will be amused to know he just willingly went up to measure the space for the benefit of blog accuracy. He knows how I tend to exaggerate!
So the idea for the strip mall is this: whenever we think we need something, we go shop in the attic first. Old stuff has a way of looking new when you haven't seen it for awhile. Although there are so many wonderful new shops around here which I will enjoy checking out, Rich and I have agreed that we are going to try REALLY hard not to bring more stuff into the house unless we REALLY need it and we REALLY can't find something we already have that will serve the purpose. So, if anyone is even THINKING about giving us a house warming present, please don't.
I have to say, it really wasn't that hard to part with our stuff. Most of the things we liked went to people we care about who were able to actually USE it. And although they are way too much work for the money they produce, I kind of love having a good garage sale. There is something exhilarating about watching someone's face light up when they find something that makes them happy and only costs a quarter (my standard garage sale prices are a quarter or a dollar). I think of it as participatory recycling.
I reached a point of exhaustion before we moved when I was tempted to just chuck everything. I am so glad I didn't. I have the stuff I have because it suits me and makes me smile. For the most part, I have been happy to see most everything we have unpacked. And, with a fresh perspective, it is easier to identify the stuff I DON'T love in time to give it away before it becomes ingrained here. I can only think of one thing I got rid of that I regret: a little match holder my great aunt Mary gave me. I had never used it and thought I probably never would, so it went into a pile. What I realize now is that the reason I love most of my things is that they remind me of someone I love. They don't necessary have to DO anything, they are just trigger for fond memories.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
breakthrough day!
There comes a point in every move where a critical mass of things find their place. Suddenly, with little warning, it becomes possible to make progress without moving another item elsewhere to do so. Yesterday was the day the log jam opened! The living and dining room now looks like a living and dining room, just with a few boxes on the floor. And I am proud to say there are no longer ANY boxes on the bathroom floor! I can now see change with each passing hour.
The other "first" for yesterday was that Rich played his first round of golf in a couple of months. For those who know him, you know what a big deal that is! He played with a group at his new course, and really enjoyed himself. About half the golfers here walk the course, so that is a good thing for Rich.
But the REALLY GREAT thing about yesterday is that I got to talk with my dear friend Ginny in Missouri who is being really brave about a really challenging illness. She sounded just like the darling woman she is! I slept much more peacefully after hearing her voice.
My big step for this morning: I listed myself on JAMA's Career Center. I am excited to see what, if anything, happens from that. I cannot believe I am doing all this computer stuff! Wish me luck...
The other "first" for yesterday was that Rich played his first round of golf in a couple of months. For those who know him, you know what a big deal that is! He played with a group at his new course, and really enjoyed himself. About half the golfers here walk the course, so that is a good thing for Rich.
But the REALLY GREAT thing about yesterday is that I got to talk with my dear friend Ginny in Missouri who is being really brave about a really challenging illness. She sounded just like the darling woman she is! I slept much more peacefully after hearing her voice.
My big step for this morning: I listed myself on JAMA's Career Center. I am excited to see what, if anything, happens from that. I cannot believe I am doing all this computer stuff! Wish me luck...
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
a pleasant sort of chaos
We are in that funny stage of moving where there is no room to sit anything on any surface yet without moving something else. A bit tiresome at times, but overall we are enjoying seeing our things again and helping them find their new home in our new home. By golly, we almost have a functioning kitchen! I went to 2 great new places, a shop around the corner called "Greenspaces" and a kitchen store downtown called "Chefworks." Definitely will be returning to both.
Among yesterday's accomplishments:
-installing a new retractable clothesline in the backyard
-designing a pot rack for over the stove out of odds and ends and hanging it
-finding a beautiful wooden dish drainer
-posting our empty boxes on craigslist "free" site for the next desperate movers to use
-beginning the process of stocking staples in the kitchen
My dish cupboard has those darling cup hooks in it, just the right number for my white tea cups. And there are 2 cutting boards which pull out of the cabinets. I love discovering the old house details, complete with lots of hooks everywhere: my favorite!
It is s'posed to be around 70 today, more of the same happy puttering for me. This afternoon Rich will play his new course for the same time with a group of guys he has met there. I checked the distance to the beach from our house yesterday: just about a mile. Smiling broadly!
Among yesterday's accomplishments:
-installing a new retractable clothesline in the backyard
-designing a pot rack for over the stove out of odds and ends and hanging it
-finding a beautiful wooden dish drainer
-posting our empty boxes on craigslist "free" site for the next desperate movers to use
-beginning the process of stocking staples in the kitchen
My dish cupboard has those darling cup hooks in it, just the right number for my white tea cups. And there are 2 cutting boards which pull out of the cabinets. I love discovering the old house details, complete with lots of hooks everywhere: my favorite!
It is s'posed to be around 70 today, more of the same happy puttering for me. This afternoon Rich will play his new course for the same time with a group of guys he has met there. I checked the distance to the beach from our house yesterday: just about a mile. Smiling broadly!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
new moon
Two weeks ago, almost to the minute, we left Missouri under a full moon. Last night we gathered ourselves and our things together in our new home under a new moon. Now is the time for planting, for beginning new things.
I am up early, unable to sleep with so many things I want to do. And with the dawn will come a new day in our new world. I am eager!
I am up early, unable to sleep with so many things I want to do. And with the dawn will come a new day in our new world. I am eager!
Friday, January 20, 2012
no longer homeless
Yesterday morning we signed a lease agreement on our new home: a 2 bedroom bungalow in a neighborhood of East Santa Cruz called Seabright. We love it! It was a Victorian cottage when it was built in the 19-teens, then was "remodeled" in the 40's. It has the kind of old house quirks and personality that make us feel right at home. We are camping out in the living room on a foam mattress (a gift from our new landlady), with 2 blankets we found in the trunk of the car and another one we bought at Goodwill for $3.25. Rich is opting for a pair of folded pants for his pillow. I went for the $2.25 number at Goodwill. Our makeshift bedroom is situated in front of the beautiful gas stove...very cozy even in today's cool rainy weather.
As we looked at dozens and dozens of places for rent, a pattern emerged: each time we found "the best one yet," I filled out an application and mentally moved in. Rich, luckily, showed better judgment. If it were not for his restraint, we would now be in a place half this size in a less desirable location for about the same money. On the other hand, if not for my motivating energy to keep searching (and my Aunt Kay's suggestion that we try this neighborhood), we would never have stumbled upon this house. If this family were a car, I would be the accelerator and Rich would be the brakes. Both necessary for the thing to work.
We saw lots of dumps and lots of places considered "nice" but lacking character. It seems to me that most all of the houses I have lived in since my 1st apartment in college have had similar features. I just like old houses! One of our short term goals is to find the camera so that we can take some pictures to share. Maybe this weekend...
The other trend I have noticed, which seems opposite the first, is that when it comes to short term situations, I am patient and Rich is not. He is the one that goes rushing out on an errand but forgets to take an essential item, or becomes irritated with traffic delays. In these situations, I am more measured. Balance reigns once again.
Things checked off the list:
-mailing address changed
-utilities transferred
-accounts opened at the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union (what a cool place!)
-library cards obtained
-4 grocery store options identified
-golfers found for 3 regular games weekly at Rich's new home course
Things still on the list:
-check out nearby yoga options
-find movers to help unload the truck (due to arrive Monday)
-find a table and chairs small enough to fit in the breakfast nook
-cancel old ATT internet service (still not accomplished after half an hour on line, half an hour on the phone, and a visit to an ATT store!)
-find a Humana primary care provider
-update CV and start job search
On the Missouri front, the house closing has hit a snag. It seems there was a mistake made in the title process when the initial owners of the house sold it to the couple who owned it before us. The mistake was not caught when we purchased the house, but needs to be corrected before the closing can proceed. The delay will not impede the new owners' move, we will just do a short term lease until it is straightened out. So THIS is why you have to have Title Insurance! Our old neighbor, Mr. Brock, was friends with the inital owners, and helped us locate their heirs. Poor things, they have gotten dragged into the legalities surrounding their family trust...but their involvement will make the "fix" much simpler.
Since we have no kitchen things here yet, we are mostly bringing in prepared foods. Tonight is chicken enchiladas from Trader Joe's. We have made some tables by stacking emptied boxes, our only seating is in a window seat. Hopefully, we will have more restful sleep tonight!
As we looked at dozens and dozens of places for rent, a pattern emerged: each time we found "the best one yet," I filled out an application and mentally moved in. Rich, luckily, showed better judgment. If it were not for his restraint, we would now be in a place half this size in a less desirable location for about the same money. On the other hand, if not for my motivating energy to keep searching (and my Aunt Kay's suggestion that we try this neighborhood), we would never have stumbled upon this house. If this family were a car, I would be the accelerator and Rich would be the brakes. Both necessary for the thing to work.
We saw lots of dumps and lots of places considered "nice" but lacking character. It seems to me that most all of the houses I have lived in since my 1st apartment in college have had similar features. I just like old houses! One of our short term goals is to find the camera so that we can take some pictures to share. Maybe this weekend...
The other trend I have noticed, which seems opposite the first, is that when it comes to short term situations, I am patient and Rich is not. He is the one that goes rushing out on an errand but forgets to take an essential item, or becomes irritated with traffic delays. In these situations, I am more measured. Balance reigns once again.
Things checked off the list:
-mailing address changed
-utilities transferred
-accounts opened at the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union (what a cool place!)
-library cards obtained
-4 grocery store options identified
-golfers found for 3 regular games weekly at Rich's new home course
Things still on the list:
-check out nearby yoga options
-find movers to help unload the truck (due to arrive Monday)
-find a table and chairs small enough to fit in the breakfast nook
-cancel old ATT internet service (still not accomplished after half an hour on line, half an hour on the phone, and a visit to an ATT store!)
-find a Humana primary care provider
-update CV and start job search
On the Missouri front, the house closing has hit a snag. It seems there was a mistake made in the title process when the initial owners of the house sold it to the couple who owned it before us. The mistake was not caught when we purchased the house, but needs to be corrected before the closing can proceed. The delay will not impede the new owners' move, we will just do a short term lease until it is straightened out. So THIS is why you have to have Title Insurance! Our old neighbor, Mr. Brock, was friends with the inital owners, and helped us locate their heirs. Poor things, they have gotten dragged into the legalities surrounding their family trust...but their involvement will make the "fix" much simpler.
Since we have no kitchen things here yet, we are mostly bringing in prepared foods. Tonight is chicken enchiladas from Trader Joe's. We have made some tables by stacking emptied boxes, our only seating is in a window seat. Hopefully, we will have more restful sleep tonight!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
which house where?
Whoa! Who knew you could be so busy when you are not working?
Things I can no longer count that have happened in the past couple of days:
-number of times checking craigslist for new rental listings
-number of times management companies have told me to drive by the property before I ask to see it
-number of times I have rinsed out styrofoam dishes
-number of times I have misplaced reading and/or sunglasses
-number of times we have turned around and/or cursed
-number of times we have stopped in questionable locations to pee
-number of times we have been misled by directions given by a computer
-number of times I have thought we found just the right place, if only for a moment
-number of times I have been glad we came here
We have looked at lots of places and have made application on 2 houses, 1 of which we have now ruled out. We have seen a lot of places we never want to live. We have gained a new appreciation for the amount of space money can buy in Missouri. We have mentally committed ourselves to several different neighborhoods. I guess the good news is that there are a lot of good choices.
We think we have narrowed it down to 3 different areas of Santa Cruz, and hope to pin it down further tomorrow.
In the midst of house hunting, we were making long distance arrangements for our stuff to be moved here. A wonderful new friend of ours named Eric loaded a moving truck for us today and in about 5 days our furnishings will arrive in a terminal in San Jose. Today, this involved several phone calls and faxing of documents, not to mention getting permission for Eric to UN-load 2 rugs which were supposed to stay at our Missouri house for the new owners. This is one day that technology has actually helped me accomplish my goals.
In addition to having dinner at 2 new restaurants I adore last night and the night before, we had a delicious home cooked meal made by my Aunt Kay this evening. She and my Uncle Ben divorced when I was a child, and by our best recollection it has been 46 years since we saw one another. She and her husband Frank live on some of the most beautiful land I have ever seen, with redwoods everywhere in a wonderful 1930's home which is now solar powered. My cousin, Steve, had dinner with us. What a treat! I hope it will be the first of many good times together.
Time to get some rest before powering up for another unreal day in the realty world of northern California!
Things I can no longer count that have happened in the past couple of days:
-number of times checking craigslist for new rental listings
-number of times management companies have told me to drive by the property before I ask to see it
-number of times I have rinsed out styrofoam dishes
-number of times I have misplaced reading and/or sunglasses
-number of times we have turned around and/or cursed
-number of times we have stopped in questionable locations to pee
-number of times we have been misled by directions given by a computer
-number of times I have thought we found just the right place, if only for a moment
-number of times I have been glad we came here
We have looked at lots of places and have made application on 2 houses, 1 of which we have now ruled out. We have seen a lot of places we never want to live. We have gained a new appreciation for the amount of space money can buy in Missouri. We have mentally committed ourselves to several different neighborhoods. I guess the good news is that there are a lot of good choices.
We think we have narrowed it down to 3 different areas of Santa Cruz, and hope to pin it down further tomorrow.
In the midst of house hunting, we were making long distance arrangements for our stuff to be moved here. A wonderful new friend of ours named Eric loaded a moving truck for us today and in about 5 days our furnishings will arrive in a terminal in San Jose. Today, this involved several phone calls and faxing of documents, not to mention getting permission for Eric to UN-load 2 rugs which were supposed to stay at our Missouri house for the new owners. This is one day that technology has actually helped me accomplish my goals.
In addition to having dinner at 2 new restaurants I adore last night and the night before, we had a delicious home cooked meal made by my Aunt Kay this evening. She and my Uncle Ben divorced when I was a child, and by our best recollection it has been 46 years since we saw one another. She and her husband Frank live on some of the most beautiful land I have ever seen, with redwoods everywhere in a wonderful 1930's home which is now solar powered. My cousin, Steve, had dinner with us. What a treat! I hope it will be the first of many good times together.
Time to get some rest before powering up for another unreal day in the realty world of northern California!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
CRUZ-in' up the highway
Today was our best day yet! We started out (after our high fiber breakfast, of course!) by crossing Monterey to look at the town of Pacific Grove, which is right on the point of the peninsula. It was easily the most charming and best looking community we have visited so far, though I don't know much about the substance behind its appearance. There is a decent community course there with ocean views, but the whole picture seemed a bit staid.
So we took off for Santa Cruz, passing through several smaller communities en route, including the huge agricultural center of Watsonville, known for strawberries and artichokes. Upon our arrival in "Surf City" we visited an excellent public course. Built in 1970 in a park near the mountains, it had unbelievable redwoods everywhere. Rich talked with a 70 year old player there and the setting felt like a good fit. We were then off to explore the community, including a more suburban course, which had water views and redwoods, but was not of the same caliber. After lots of driving and looking we found our motel-of-the-day and again "moved in." We ended up downtown for dinner at a Mexican place in a fabulous old hotel building with high arched ceilings. Heavenly. The downtown crowd was as eclectic as the books say, and there was live street music on every corner. I am now remembering why I wanted to do this!
Tomorrow, a big step: check out housing!
So we took off for Santa Cruz, passing through several smaller communities en route, including the huge agricultural center of Watsonville, known for strawberries and artichokes. Upon our arrival in "Surf City" we visited an excellent public course. Built in 1970 in a park near the mountains, it had unbelievable redwoods everywhere. Rich talked with a 70 year old player there and the setting felt like a good fit. We were then off to explore the community, including a more suburban course, which had water views and redwoods, but was not of the same caliber. After lots of driving and looking we found our motel-of-the-day and again "moved in." We ended up downtown for dinner at a Mexican place in a fabulous old hotel building with high arched ceilings. Heavenly. The downtown crowd was as eclectic as the books say, and there was live street music on every corner. I am now remembering why I wanted to do this!
Tomorrow, a big step: check out housing!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
monterey bay
This morning, we decided to proceed north to the Monterey Bay area. Our first stop was Salinas, "the salad bowl of the world." Rich checked out a public course there before we headed toward the coast. He has had his eye on a course outside Monterey near Cal State Monterey Bay. He really liked the course, but the residential communities on either side not so much. I liked what I read about the direction of that campus of Cal State, but was disappointed that the campus was so spread out and car dependent.
We took route 1 into Monterey, and checked out the visitor's center there. We got a place to stay---this time the Sand Castle, staying with our "sand" theme. It is interesting to see how some of the older AAA motels are struggling agains't the chains, even though they are well maintained and have more personality.
We went for an early dinner, and could tell we were getting near San Frandcisco by the local fans glued to the Raiders/Saints play-off game at the restaurant. What a wild game! We could follow what was happening by the groans and cheers of the local crowd.
I am finding all this new sensory input exhausting! Lots to digest each day, so anxious for sorting it all out in dreamland. We are thinking we will wonder around Pacific Grove tomorrow, perhaps. Will better know when the new day dawns.
We took route 1 into Monterey, and checked out the visitor's center there. We got a place to stay---this time the Sand Castle, staying with our "sand" theme. It is interesting to see how some of the older AAA motels are struggling agains't the chains, even though they are well maintained and have more personality.
We went for an early dinner, and could tell we were getting near San Frandcisco by the local fans glued to the Raiders/Saints play-off game at the restaurant. What a wild game! We could follow what was happening by the groans and cheers of the local crowd.
I am finding all this new sensory input exhausting! Lots to digest each day, so anxious for sorting it all out in dreamland. We are thinking we will wonder around Pacific Grove tomorrow, perhaps. Will better know when the new day dawns.
Friday, January 13, 2012
trying out SLO
I was feeling very positive about taking highway 58 across the state from Bakersfield to San Luis Obispo because my birth year is 1958. It was a most challenging drive. I can only liken in to downhill snow skiing, except that the back and forth turns happened going up AND going down. Rich and I were both green by the time we reached Santa Margarita, where we would south toward our destination. We decided to celebrate our survival by eating a huge breakfast at Tina's Place on the main drag of this wanna-be-western town. Skim milk? You have GOT to be kidding!
While we ate, we looked at the 1-12-12 edition of the San Luis Opispo (SLO) paper, which Rich has been getting on-line for months. Today's headline: Plastic bags banned in SLO county! There was a picture on the front page of 2 people testifying before the county commission with a year's worth of plastic bags attached to their bodies like feathers! This must be THE place!
The short drive into SLO was gorgeous, with spectacular mountain and ocean views. We checked in to the Sands Motel, a locally owned business, and happily unpacked our hastily and poorly packed car. What a lot of junk we had in there! At least now it is organized junk.
Rich was itching to begin his search for an everyday golf course, and I headed out to explore the town and rent a bike. It is a small, darling, lively town. We ended the day by riding the trolley to downtown for the regular Thursday night Farmers Market. It was nice, but this is NOT Paris. Too many Americans who think the farmer's market is for entertainment instead of food shopping!
This morning, we made a trip along the coast to check out the more southern beach towns in the county, and visited a couple of courses. Nice courses, but too "golf-community-ish" for Rich's taste. In the afternoon he tried again (with similar results) while I biked around town. By the end of the day we had agreed: this is a good place but probably not the one for us.
We had dinner by the creek that runs through the town. There is a great story about the CalPoly students convincing the city to preserve the creek, making it, along with the San Luis mission, a destination. Boy, were they right! It is lovely, and very well designed!
On tomorrow's agenda: another day here or head up to the Monteray Bay area. We will sleep on it, tummies full of fish and local berries!
While we ate, we looked at the 1-12-12 edition of the San Luis Opispo (SLO) paper, which Rich has been getting on-line for months. Today's headline: Plastic bags banned in SLO county! There was a picture on the front page of 2 people testifying before the county commission with a year's worth of plastic bags attached to their bodies like feathers! This must be THE place!
The short drive into SLO was gorgeous, with spectacular mountain and ocean views. We checked in to the Sands Motel, a locally owned business, and happily unpacked our hastily and poorly packed car. What a lot of junk we had in there! At least now it is organized junk.
Rich was itching to begin his search for an everyday golf course, and I headed out to explore the town and rent a bike. It is a small, darling, lively town. We ended the day by riding the trolley to downtown for the regular Thursday night Farmers Market. It was nice, but this is NOT Paris. Too many Americans who think the farmer's market is for entertainment instead of food shopping!
This morning, we made a trip along the coast to check out the more southern beach towns in the county, and visited a couple of courses. Nice courses, but too "golf-community-ish" for Rich's taste. In the afternoon he tried again (with similar results) while I biked around town. By the end of the day we had agreed: this is a good place but probably not the one for us.
We had dinner by the creek that runs through the town. There is a great story about the CalPoly students convincing the city to preserve the creek, making it, along with the San Luis mission, a destination. Boy, were they right! It is lovely, and very well designed!
On tomorrow's agenda: another day here or head up to the Monteray Bay area. We will sleep on it, tummies full of fish and local berries!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
greetings from California to anyone patient enough to still be trying to look at this! I just figured out I needed to "punch that save button" before I post...so hopefully am now on track. "technologically challenged" doesn't begin to capture it.
we finally got on the road early Tuesday morning. it was still dark in Springfield, and the full moon was beautiful and directly in our path west. we have been thinking of it as a sign of our full family life waning as we move toward a new life together. maybe by the time the new moon rises in a couple of weeks we will have an idea where that new life will be.
we are thinking that being totally exhausted is a good precursor to my sitting in a car for a few days. as a famously
fidgety rider, having no energy stores served me well. we had spent the prior 10 days packing, 2 days before that having a moving sale, and the week before that going to daily family holiday gatherings. none of my many previous moves prepared me for the physical and emotional work of clearing out our family home for a cross country move. the parade of possessions seemed endless, and as time went on I got more ruthless in my downsizing. a couple of days before we left I chucked a whole box of high school mementos without blinking.
2 words for how we spent our first day: Oklahoma and Texas. in stark contrast to the bleak scenery of the day, our evening entry into new mexico was magical. an amazing pink and orange sunset faded into blues and purples, then sparking lights at the foot of the mountains guided us to our planned stop in Albuquerque.
we were on the road early again Wednesday, and enjoyed the lovely desert terrain of new Mexico and Arizona. rich is a champion driver, and did the heavy lifting of the trip with me spelling him just in the middle of of our long driving days. when we crossed into California in the afternoon it was as if we had suddenly gone into a second world cow try. the sleek Arizona roads became potholes and the impoverishment of Needles was a striking change.things slowly normalized as we crossed the dessert, and we stopped in Bakersfield to sleep. lost items so far in the car: rich's medicine, spare keys, my Bluetooth. we are anxious to be in one spot for more than a few hours, and have our sights set on San Luis obispo for today. only 2 or 3 hours in the car!
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