Introduction It’d been a hell of a year.  In June of 2016, my Dad suffered a massive stroke. To say it changed my world is to put it mildly.  There’s a scene in the show One Mississippi where Tig’s mother had just passed away. As Tig was getting ready for bed, her partner tells her, “You need to get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day.”  “Tomorrow is actually a very small day, because my mother’s not in it.” Tig responded.  I had to turn the show off after that. ... VIEW POST

Travis the Mechanic and Midnight in New Mexico "Are you going to be able to enjoy this vacation?" someone asked me, knowing it would end with leaving my daughter thousands of miles away. "I sure hope so," I answered since we, after the year we’d had, really needed this vacation to be a vacation. The next morning we got up and started packing Harold, Hannah's car, not just with luggage for the trip, but with moving boxes. Setting the GPS to our first destination and pulling out of the ... VIEW POST

Starring Ben and Lois I woke up to the sounds of Matt coming in and out of the front door as I lingered in bed, wondering what kind of mood he was in, especially since we'd gone to bed somewhat angry with each other, not to mention his aggravation over the lingering car repair. At this point Hannah started stirring.  The plan was to tour the Carlsbad Caverns, then head to Arizona.  Between sinus pressure, poor sleep, and feeling stiff and swollen from sitting in the car ... VIEW POST

That Night in La Jolla We'd made it to our Airbnb in San Diego by the late afternoon. Once we unpacked the car and settled into our room, we asked our lovely host for dinner suggestions. The local barbecue restaurant she'd suggested had a really long line wrapped around the building. We were too tired and hungry to wait, so we ended up at Olive Garden. After dinner, I suggested we walk along the beach and maybe try to find the seals our host had mentioned. We were enchanted with the ... VIEW POST

A Good Day in San Diego We originally wanted to enjoy breakfast on the back patio of the Airbnb, but there was another guest whose loud and intrusive presence made us uncomfortable. So, we left.  After breakfast, we revisited our original plan to visit the San Diego Zoo. Between ticket prices and feeling worn out, we decided to spend the day lounging on a nearby beach. The warm sun, crashing waves, and gentle breeze rocked us to sleep. These types of days were a respite to my ... VIEW POST

Where Wishes Come True Have you ever experienced an inner shift, one where you’re now resigned to and committed to making the rest of your world reflect that shift, but nothing has changed just yet?  A caterpillar transformed into a beautiful butterfly, wings ready to bear.A babe prepared to leave the womb where he was fearfully and wonderfully knitThis innate need to transition wells up insidefilling your soul, claiming your voice, but the time is yet; Like a wave on the brink ... VIEW POST