It’s raining today, even though it’s January, and I guess that will do for now. I’m late getting to the blog, other things seemed to jump the line and demand my earlier attention.

Some days are like that.

I’ve been doing the Yoga with Adriene Center challenge, which is 30 days of yoga based on the theme, a tradition she does every January. I could use some centering.

We’ll see if it helps.

Today I feel slow and unwieldy for some reason, like I’m taking plodding, heavy steps forward. Clumsy, but it’s still forward.

Is it in the direction I want to head? Well time will let me know. Time always lets us know.

Not necessarily promptly, which is its own set of issues, but still, we find out.

So that’s what I have for you today. We don’t have to be graceful, we don’t have to be swift, we don’t have to be adroit, we don’t have to be the best.

We just have to be.

Have a great Wednesday.

Check out  my full-length novels: 
Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   
Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 
Her Cousin Much Removed
The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.
And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s quick and weird and FREE!
Peruse Montraps Publishing
See what I’m writing on Medium.

It’s Wednesday, and the sky is gray, getting ready for the big storm, I imagine. And then frigid temps.

Fun ahead.

Today I am tired, my brain is tired, my thoughts are tired, and maybe it’s the weather, and maybe it’s the year ending, and maybe it’s just because I’m tired.

All three are possible.

But I’m not going to pretend to be anything else. Not today. Today I am tired and while I am tired I will be tired. I won’t try to make myself untired.

We’ll see how that goes.

We spend so much time pretending to be things we aren’t. Pretending to feel things we don’t, giving impressions of moods that we’re not in.

What happens if we stop?

What if we don’t pretend to be anything else?

Today. This hour. This minute.

You can go back any time you like, but try it on for size.

And see how it feels.

Have a great Wednesday.

Check out  my full-length novels: 
Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   
Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 
Her Cousin Much Removed
The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.
And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s quick and weird and FREE!
Peruse Montraps Publishing
See what I’m writing on Medium.

CW: suicide.

Were these prompts always here? Did I just not notice them?

Today was “Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech.” And I have to wonder…is there anyone who hasn’t done either of those things? Or at least one of them?

Even back in the recesses of youth?

And now the very thing meant to steer the conversation has derailed it. Or maybe not. I guess we’ll have to see how this all goes.

Today is one of those days that is gray inside and outside, with a rain that is neither pretty nor dramatic, but only there.

My thoughts are consumed right now with the death of Twitch–real name Stephen Bos– as I remember his incredible talent, and remember watching the sparks fly between him and his future wife, Allison Hoker on So You Think You Can Dance. And dance they could.

Have you ever performed on stage?

Twitch’s cause of death, they say, was suicide. And my heart hurts for his family, my heart hurts for him, for whatever was so overwhelming inside of him he couldn’t survive it.

Was all his life a stage?

I wish comfort to his family who will now have to learn a different way to live. We are sad but they are devastated.

Have you ever performed on stage?

Twitch did. And he was glorious.

So I opened this post, got distracted with other things, and came back to find a prompt: “Do you have a favorite place you’ve visited? Where is it?”

I’ve never gotten a prompt before, though usually I get further than not starting a post before something pulls my attention away. But you know what?

Why not go with the prompt?

We don’t always have to take the hard road. There isn’t necessarily honor or extra universal bonus points in it. It’s OK to take the road more traveled, if that’s your inkling.

So do I have a favorite place I’ve visited?

That’s a harder question than it sounds because going anywhere can be a gift. I’ve been very, very lucky. I’ve gotten to see Darwin’s finches with my own eyes, flittering through customs and perched on the back of a tour bus seat.

I’ve seen otters playing among glaciers in Alaska and breathed air cool and crisp even in the middle of July.

I’ve watched the funniest play I’ve ever seen in London, and wandered through an Edinburgh crammed to its gills during the Festival, I’ve glimpsed treasures in our nation’s capital and the most unbelievable flowers made of glass in Boston.

Here at home I can visit some of the world’s greatest works of art like old friends, examine the skeletons of long-gone beasts, Zen out jellyfish living their calm existence. Choosing a favorite seems unnecessary.

They’re all amazing in their own way, all special experiences neatly filed away in my mind.

So I guess only sort of used the prompt. And there’s nothing wrong with that either.

Have a great Wednesday.

Check out  my full-length novels: 
Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   
Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 
Her Cousin Much Removed
The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.
And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s quick and weird and FREE!
Peruse Montraps Publishing
See what I’m writing on Medium.

I started titling this “MondayThoughts” so maybe our first bit of wisdom for today should be get the day right.

It never hurts.

It’s a gray day, and it’s cold and windy so the last day of November definitely feels like November. Wear your cozies if you’ve got ’em.

Unless you’re in a part of the world where it’s early summer, then you probably don’t want to do that. Fair enough.

OK I’m back, had to put on some fuzzy socks. Like I said. Cozies.

While the cold weather brings its challenges and its chill, there’s something about layering against the cold. About soft, tactile fabrics and mugs of steaming hot drinks.

About letting the weather outside do what it’s going to do as you get on with what you’re going to do, separated by a plane of glass and a to-do list.

The flavors that you see now, the mints and and the chocolate and the gingerbread, and the fruits we get this time of year.

We are meant to flow with the seasons, to fortify ourselves against the risks of them but to enjoy their unique gifts as well. Look for what you can only find right now, at this time, in this moment, on this last day of the second-to-last month of the year.

And have a great Wednesday.

Check out  my full-length novels: 
Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   
Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 
Her Cousin Much Removed
The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.
And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s quick and weird and FREE!
Peruse Montraps Publishing
See what I’m writing on Medium.

And we’re snowing again, but today I think it’s going to stick. It was going to have to.

Eventually.

Somehow I cricked my neck while sleeping, and it’s bothering me. I did yoga to try to ease the tightness but it didn’t seem to help. I’ll work it out.

Eventually.

Somethings we want right now. Like unsore necks.

And some things can wait a while. Like a full coating of snow.

But most of the time, we really have no control over either. Probably especially the snow, but hey, you’ve to got to be optimistic.

The best we can do is adapt. Grab the cold weather gear. Watch out for patches of ice.

Don’t push it with the neck.

I feel like I’m missing an opportunity with not sticking your neck out but it’s not exactly relevant, no matter how appropriate the wordplay.

Alas.

Anyway, back to that point drifting off in the distance, there’s much we can’t control, but if we adapt, we can do our best to deal with it.

Eventually.

Check out  my full-length novels: 
Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   
Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 
Her Cousin Much Removed
The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.
And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s quick and weird and FREE!
Peruse Montraps Publishing
See what I’m writing on Medium.

Five minutes ago the sky was gray and it looked pretty bleak. And now it’s sunny.

You never know when the weather’s going to change.

The doom and gloom has soaked in everywhere, it’s like 100% humidity, in the air, coating the walls. People were very willing to accept it as the reality too.

Well.

It’s not so clear that was right.

We don’t have the full picture yet, and many races are yet to be decided, but one thing is certain: it’s not anywhere close to as bad as they said it would be.

What did they know?

Turns out, not much more than the rest of us.

So I will ask of you a favor the next time this happens which could be later today or could be in two years or could be a few months from now.

Wait.

And see.

Don’t assume the ending before you’re even in the middle.

Wait.

And see.

We know when we know, and that goes for all things.

Wait.

And see.

And have a great Wednesday.

Check out  my full-length novels: 
Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   
Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 
Her Cousin Much Removed
The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.
And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s quick and weird and FREE!
Peruse Montraps Publishing
See what I’m writing on Medium.

It’s another sunny day here in Chicago, even though the calendar says it’s November. It’s warm too, we just never know what we’re going to get around here.

Isn’t that true of everything.

I made granola for the first time, it’s a surprisingly simple process, and it’s fantastic. I’d link to the recipe, but I don’t have it handy, I printed it out so it would take a little bit of work.

And I haven’t had enough coffee for a little bit of work.

But I’ve definitely baked far more complicated foods. And the best part of the homemade granola is you know exactly what is in it, you can customize it as you like.

Now that’s not true of everything.

Sometimes the life surprises are good ones, and very, very often they are not. But all we can do is keep on going.

Isn’t that true of everything.

Have a great Wednesday.

Check out  my full-length novels: 
Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   
Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 
Her Cousin Much Removed
The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.
And download Better Living Through GRAVY and Other Oddities, it’s quick and weird and FREE!
Peruse Montraps Publishing
See what I’m writing on Medium.