All Ariel, All The Time

A Week with My Girl

NY & NH- September 2-10

Crazy full after one of Russel's
famous dinners

For 30+ years I've had this amazing person in my life. I've learned so much from Ariel and continue to. Time with her is some of the most precious, and having a full week was pretty fantastic.














Highlights:

• Being each others' Plus One for Lincoln's wedding. Both of us have known Lincoln since he was three so witnessing his marriage to Kaitlin was a family event, full of memories and gladness.

Lake Ontario- Great Lake number five!

• Journeying to Lake Ontario so I could swim in my fifth and final Great Lake. Beautiful, pastoral New York state back roads.
• Having Ariel handle a lousy perfect storm of physical ailments for me that resulted in a trip to the Syracuse Hospital Emergency Room. This girl ruled. Every step of the way she was clear, efficient, patient and protective. I felt both lucky and proud that she had grown into this kind of high functioning adult.

• Enjoying the warmth and coziness of Tim and Jill's home in Canterbury for five days with her. The comfort and ease Ariel feels with her 'aunties' and 'uncles' in Canterbury are a testament to the years of deep community that our Canterbury children grew up in. It's a joy to experience that sense of family and to see her soaking it up, too.

Barbecue at Russel's- so much good food and wonderful
family for company.

Schnitz cookies- 'broke da mouth' good

• Our trip to Portsmouth with me on my scooter. Checking out another happening town that has more and more to offer in diverse and fun ways. We bought Schnitz cookies at Ceres Bakery- best cookies ever- in memory of many a happy visit there.
• Talks about our futures. Keeping open to the candy shop of opportunities the world has to offer, knowing neither of us is stuck and change can be great.

Return of the Native

Canterbury- Like coming home

September 5- 19, Canterbury, New Hampshire

Full Harvest Moon with Fire at North
Family Farm in Canterbury

This town where I grew,
Quiet, safe, friendly, beautiful,
Truly an oasis of community
In a dislocated world.

The same people, the same homes-
So much unchanged.
And yet I am... changed.
More restless, more curious,
Ready for the next new.

These people, their ways have been my measure:
Steady, honest, hardworking,
True to their word.
Beguiling me into believing this was the norm,
Warping my expectations for the people of the world.

I am off now,
Ready for disappointment,
Ready for delight,
Learning the true pulse of the world
In all its irregularities.
Tasting the brew.

My Right Foot

A Piscean Dilemma

Pisces have a focus on the foot. Each astrological sign has its own attending body part and mine is my feet. Oh, they've seen troubles on their way- cuts requiring stitches, broken toes, plantars warts, and the 2001 'drop', which resulted in two broken heels, as well as some nasty arthritis in my two big toes.

In Ann Arbor the foot issue arose mysteriously. Suddenly my right foot hurt to the point that walking was not a good option. For a traveling nomad, this did not suit! But the timing was actually as good as it could be, if it needed to happen at all.

My friend Vicki 'helping' me dance at Lincoln's wedding

I am of the mind that the universe brings me/us interesting occurrences as we might need them. I don't know why I needed to be hobbled at this point in my trip, but I am trusting that I will understand in time. The trick for me is to find the upbeat way to roll with it. So I'm thankful that this happened during the time that I'd be with family and friends in their homes, instead of on the road.




Interesting factoids:

Rolling through Portsmouth with Ariel

• The foot issue was first diagnosed as cellulitus, a particularly scary infection when googled. So antibiotics were prescribed and emergency room visited with non-conclusive X-rays taken.
• The foot didn't respond to antibiotics as anticipated. Another emergency room visit with another round of x-rays- viola, a fracture of the metatarsal.
• During the second visit I had two interesting neighbors on either side of me. On my right was a Somali man with a burnt hand from butchering a goat. Needed an interpreter to get at the details. My favorite part was when he talked about a worm he had in his stomach that talked when the man was hungry. (I choose to believe that this was indeed a talking worm instead of the stomach's hunger grumblings that Ariel was picturing.)
• On the left was a man who had exhibited a seizure and said he was in withdrawal from ____ and needed some ____. Much moaning and groaning and thrashing. After an hour the doctor came in reporting that she'd called around to find that this man was a 'malingerer' and showed no signs of having a seizure. He acted out in order to get free drugs. No drugs would be administered. He proceeded to yell and carry on saying he was dying. From the nurse I hear "get your head out of the rails or I'll get it out myself". 
• If you're going to spend 6.5 hours in the emergency room, better to have a little drama to pass the time. And a loving daughter as company.

Much to my delight, there is a scooter made for one-footers like myself. So visiting Portsmouth NH and Acadia ME were doable with the scooter. Where there's a will, there's a way.

ABCs

Inspired by Visits to the Toilet

Cleveland

My sister, Dinah, has a wonderful ABC in her guest bathroom, there to be read while sitting on the loo. I was inspired to write my own, not unlike the original, but my own.

Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park, Maine

A-    Adapt to change
B-   Bring an open heart
C-   Catalyze creativity
D-   Defend the defenseless
E-    Eat with gusto
F-    Find courage
G-   Generate enthusiasm
H-   Head toward a challenge
I-     Investigate the shadows
J-     Jump into joy
K-   Kiss a friend
L-    Laugh at life
M-   Muddle through
N-   Notice the small things
O-   Overturn your assumptions
P-    Pass on an epiphany

First sighting of the sun in the USA

Q-   Quest for compassion
R-   Reinvent yourself
S-    Sing in the shower
T-    Take a hand
U-   Use what you have
V-   Validate others
W-  Walk lightly on the earth
X-   Express gratitude
Y-    Yuck more, frown less
Z-    Zero in on love

Cold, clear, a magnificent

In A Family Way

The Hodgson Compound

Cleveland- August 25 to September 2

I'm not sure how many days I spent by myself this summer. I know there was a 13-day stretch with no one I knew in it, but many more shorter stretches of time on my own. So much of that time was really great, with the expanding realization that I am enough. And some of the time felt like I was working hard to make it meaningful and worthwhile. In hindsight, less than halfway through, every bit of it has been important, whether thrilling or shlogging.

Eliana is smitten with Dinah, or Mimi as she
calls her. It's a joy to see this love affair play
out every day, and to see the joy on Dinah's
face with this incredible small being.

But getting to Cleveland to see my sister, Dinah, and her family, my family, was such a welcome change. Ever since August 25th I have been waist deep in loved ones, and it's been wonderful. Not conducive to writing blog posts, but in all other ways conducive to fun and sharing. And somehow I have forgotten that taking photos is a thing.

Dinah and John have moved to the country! They have land and space and they don't have to lock their doors! Their dogs are happy and relaxed, they see deer out their windows and they are 20 feet from their son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

Eliana's true love is Bobcats. She's a trucks
and tractors kinda girl.

Taking the time, as I can in my present untethered state, to stay for awhile means no pressured schedules to fit everyone in. It was fun to wave to Chris and Jacquelyn, Dinah's son and daughter-in-law, and not worry that I was missing an opportunity to see them. Eliana, their 20-month old daughter, was in and out of the house everyday. So this is what extended family looks like.

Chris is driving Miss Ellie in another of her favorite things
a golf cart.

Any time with Dinah is always so full and special. Despite so many cultural differences, we are extremely simpatico and can always find the bridges to each others hearts. But having that much time with John was a delight. We can joke and poke with each other, learn from each other, not talk or talk, and just become comfortably adjusted to each other. Rarely has there been time for that.

We met in the middle between houses to enjoy a sit-down.

My niece, Caitlin, has become, in a couple of years, this confident, competent, full-fledged adult, managing a huge catering business in Cleveland (part of Chris' empire of food serving establishments- they got the contract to cater the RNC!). They all make Cleveland seem like the center of the universe, and darned fun to visit!

The girl has style.

Chris brought me to a few different food venues and events
that he knew I'd love. I get a kick out of this declaration.