I See What You Meme

I got to spend the last week in Florida.  Yes, for those of you reading my blog in Virginia or other frigid climates, you are allowed to be a tad jealous.  Even though the evenings were cool, I got by with a sweater. And I walked on the beach almost every day.   It all ends tomorrow.   Overall, I had a great time with friends and family.  I spoke at my hometown library to a crowd of over 60 people and also presented to a great Girl Scout troop run by an old childhood friend. After all of that, I had a chance for some rest and relaxation.   I did have a few realizations during my trip. I have become the queen of reminiscence. I think I drove Roger crazy with stories of "there used to be a huge hotel in this spot" and "back when I was a kid, nothing was built out here" and "I remember when...".  Yeah, I'm getting older.  There is a mixture of feelings in watching your hometown change, especially when you don't live there all the time.   H

On Monday, I did something incredibly stupid.  Without going into details (they just aren't necessary), a moderate sized box fell on my head.   At the time, I said a few choice words, rubbed my head, took some ibuprofen, and moved on.  By Tuesday, I had a nice little bruise and some tenderness but nothing else in the way of symptoms.  On Tuesday night, the headaches started.  I wasn't feeling good.  I couldn't sleep.   Roger and I had a conversation. At 1 AM.  Me: (after checking my symptoms on Web MD) I think I might have a concussion. Roger: Well then you need to go the ER. Now.  Me: No I don't. What good would that do? I will just sit there for two hours and then I'll be even more sleep deprived in the morning. Roger: Well just promise me you will go if it gets worse.  Did I mention we had this conversation at 1 AM? The headache kept coming and going through Wednesday. It seemed worse in the evening. I was too busy trying to tie things up at work b

It could have been a really bad day.  I could have stayed at home and moped. I could have done nothing but cry.  I could have been miserable.  Instead, I was inspired by Roger's amazing blog posts ( Part 1 and Part 2 ).  I have some wonderful colleagues at work who treated me to lunch and distracting conversation (Breaking Bad and the Walking Dead, anyone?).  I was touched by the multiple messages I received via phone, text, and facebook post.  My heart was warmed every time I saw a butterfly posted in Charlotte's honor as someone's profile picture.   To top it off, we came together with friends and neighbors to release a bunch of purple balloons. This has become our annual tradition on this day and I think it is a good thing.  I know. It might not be the most environmentally friendly thing to do.  However, I'm a rabid recycler and a Tree Hugger in all kinds of other ways. It balances out in the end.   In short, I felt loved and supported.  I love knowing t

Have you heard this question a lot lately? I have.  Three years after losing Charlotte, I still feel like I don't quite handle the holidays well.  Worse, I still don't know how to answer this question.   On the plus side, I am blessed with a great job and had two full weeks (three full weekends!) of vacation time.  I completed a number of projects around the house and managed to work on some pending CJSTUF projects that had been on my to-do list for quite some time.  I had some grown-up playdates (AKA lunch!) with friends.  I was able to sleep in and managed to get in some pleasure reading as well.  Who can complain? On the other hand, I experienced the usual grief flare ups.  It actually started early, thanks to the horrible events in Connecticut .  Learning that any parent has lost their child, regardless of the cause, tends to open my heart up again. The ache returns. It was a rough week leading up to Christmas.  Then Christmas arrived.  We were surrounded by family a