BulgingButtons

Not bad for a fat girl


4 Comments

Taking November Off

writers-need-a-break-too.jpgThis year I’ve decided not to attempt NaNoWriMo or NaBloPoMo, the writing challenges that I’ve enjoyed in the past. This year is just far too hectic for me to even think about doing a challenge like either of those. A novel this month? Nope. A blog post each day? Uh uh.

I consider it a good day if I make it to work on time with my lunch in hand and matching shoes on my feet. I’m taking a class, attempting to participate in my writing group, and traveling out of town twice this month. I’ve also agreed to be an advance reader for a friend and prepare a review of the novel for its launch date. In November. Of course. It’s enough.

I do miss the daily routine of blogging before heading off to work, or making sure I get it done before the clock strikes midnight. I miss the links to other fascinating blogs and “meeting” bloggers with huge hearts and imaginations. I even miss the increased blog traffic it generates (I’m not gonna lie people, I like it when the numbers go up). I don’t miss the stress, though. There’s definitely a little pressure there, albeit self-inflicted. At the end, though, I’m always glad I’ve done it. I’ll miss that feeling of satisfaction this year.

Overall, I’m glad I didn’t commit to one more thing. I’ll be out of town, doing classwork, preparing Thanksgiving dinner with my sweetheart, and working. I’m thankful I chose not to stress myself out even more. Sometimes you just have to say enough is enough.


2 Comments

Halloween Around My House

Quite a while ago I published a blog post lamenting the loss of some of my favorite fall and Halloween decorations. It was a blow. Really. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Then again, it probably was. Mine, in fact. I moved out of my old house and my former husband moved back in. I left behind some items to be donated, and he took them. Apparently my decor was in the mix, somewhere. Sad story, right?

Except that it has a happy ending. He never dropped off that box. He delivered all the other donations, but he figured that someday I’d want that box. He even asked me about it, but I thought he was talking about some old junky plastic stuff, not things my son had made and ceramic items that I really like and handmade decorations. I told him to just get rid of it, but he didn’t. He put it aside. He even moved it when he sold the house and moved out. Then he moved it again.

Eventually that box came up in conversation, and I told him how I regretted telling him to get rid of that stuff. He smiled. He told me he had it. I was shocked. I actually cried. I know. I’m a sap. It’s just stuff. But he was kind. He wasn’t vengeful. He knew I would want it and he kept it. He delivered it a short time later. I appreciate that, more than he’ll ever truly understand. I knew there was a reason I married him in the first place. There were lots of reasons, in fact. It was nice that he reminded me. Happy Halloween.


7 Comments

Not Great, But Thanks for Asking

So here’s the update on Mom’s surgery, for those who wondered. No, it was not a miracle fix. In fact, something didn’t go quite right. I won’t say it went wrong exactly, but the result isn’t what was anticipated, and somehow, during the recovery, something shifted in a way that it wasn’t supposed to. I’m not sure exactly. I wasn’t at the appointment, so I’ve only heard the news second-hand, but I know that things aren’t exactly on track.

So now what?

Now there’s a new appointment with a new doctor to try a new “procedure” to fix that which went awry. It’s to be done in the office, and a few days later Mom will be evaluated again to see if the procedure was effective at getting things back on track.

If it was, great. She can continue healing and hopefully the end result with be all good.

turtle.jpg

If it wasn’t, no so great. It will mean a second surgery, and it sounds like this one will be more involved than the first one.

 

“Maybe I’ll schedule it for Christmas break, if it has to be done,” said Mom. Oh. Christmas seems like a long time away. Shouldn’t it be done soon? I don’t know. I’m not there. I wasn’t at the appointment.

I feel guilty about that. I live 2,000 miles away. I can’t help. At least not in a go to appointments, run to the grocery store, pick up eye drops at CVS kind of way.

We won’t know until the end of next week what the next steps are, but I feel awful that I can’t take her to the “procedure” appointment on Tuesday or the follow-up on Friday. Fortunately she has many good people in her life who are able and willing to step forward to help, but I would rather it was me.

If you happen to think of it, a positive word for Mom and her doctors would be appreciated. Thanks for listening, internet, you are too kind.