Tag Archives: Anxiety

ABOUT PTSD AND RECOVERY

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

I was in my mid-sixties when a therapist first suggested that I was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. My response was, “No. Impossible.” Dr. B. handed me a book and asked me to read several pages out loud. When I … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fear, Healing, Life, Memoir, Mental Health, Navigating Through Life, Trauma | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Power Outage

Posted on March 9, 2013 by

This past Wednesday when the power went out at 6 AM I started counting my blessings. I had firewood, a fireplace, a gas stove on which I could cook, and hot water. The snow, ten inches in all, was not … Continue reading →

Posted in Gratefulness, Navigating Through Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?

Posted on March 2, 2013 by

Fear can be a good thing. It keeps us safe and on our toes when we dodge an out of control car. Or when we walk down an unlit street in middle of the night hoping the dog will pee … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals I Love, Compassion, Dogs, Fear, Healing, Memoir, Navigating Through Life, Trauma | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

On Burning My Journals

Posted on February 22, 2013 by

When we decided to move from our house on the banks of the South Fork Rivanna River Reservoir almost three years ago, I was in a hurry to get out and move into a smaller place in town, rather than … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, family, Gratefulness, Memoir, Navigating Through Life, Perfectionism, stories, Trauma, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Getting Lost

Posted on February 16, 2013 by

“When we lose our map, our real knowledge of the path begins.” Mark Nepo, Seven Thousand Ways To Listen One Halloween evening, a very long time ago, when I was maybe in second grade, my mom helped me get dressed … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Fear, Kindness, Life, Memoir, Navigating Through Life, Quotes, stories, Travels, Wise Words | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Dogs In My Toolbox

Posted on February 9, 2013 by

There is a toolbox in my heart.  It’s filled with all sorts of things that help me navigate through my days and keep my life on the straight and narrow. When I begin to feel a bit off, anxious, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals I Love, Books, Dogs, Friendships, Gratefulness, Healthy Living, love, Matters of the Spirit, Mental Health, Navigating Through Life, stories | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

THE SENSATION OF BLISS

Posted on February 6, 2013 by

“A few years ago I was overwhelmed by deep anxiety, a fundamental, intense anxiety with no storyline attached. I felt very vulnerable, very afraid and raw. While I sat and breathed with it, relaxed into it, stayed with it, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Matters of the Spirit, Mental Health, Navigating Through Life, Quotes, stories, The Garden, Uncategorized, Wise Words | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Making Progress

Posted on February 2, 2013 by

Yikes! Yesterday was the first day of February. I set a deadline to finish a draft of my memoir by September first. I don’t know where last month’s thirty-one days went. I swear it was just yesterday that I welcomed … Continue reading →

Posted in Addiction, Being Creative, Books, Classes, Memoir, Navigating Through Life, Quotes, Time, Wise Words, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Gift Of The Magi

Posted on January 5, 2013 by

My annual Christmas doldrums stayed away until the week before the big day. They slowly made their way into those early mornings hours when I worry myself awake. They like to sit on my chest, heavy and soggy with tears, … Continue reading →

Posted in Being Creative, Childhood, Christmas, family, Gratefulness, Kindness, Matters of the Spirit, Memoir, Travels | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Children And Guns

Posted on December 7, 2012 by

When I was a child, my parents kept shotguns and rifles in our home. My father had brought a number of them back with him from Europe after World War II and used them for hunting. My mother often went … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, family, Fear, Navigating Through Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments