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...
