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Z is for Ziggy

Ziggy the cat. It’s not as though I had much of a choice for a Z subject. Just like when we met him at the Humane Society and he jumped from the attendant on to me and started nuzzling. Hi I’m your cat, it’s about time you got here. He has been with us for […]

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Y is for Yes!

Over this month, I’m learning more about what I want to say yes to in my life going forward, as well as those items or ways of being that I’m willing to let go. I’m recognizing that pacing matters. It’s not new but it’s a reconfirmed understanding. I don’t like to hurry. Related to that […]

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X is for . . . Maps?

Hmmmmm. Aside from brand names such as xfinity, xcel, and xerox, I don’t know a lot of x words aside from xenophobia and many from chemistry class–xylitol, anyone? X does get used as a personal mark if you can’t write your own name, and its often a way to mark one’s choice. And of course, […]

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Wonder

A sense of wonder. Being wonder-full is wonderful. A few days ago, I was walking home and I became aware of a busy-ness in my peripheral vision. Stopping to look, I noticed a house with a bird feeder on its porch. It was busy, and the main birds were goldfinches, along with some house finches. […]

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Van Life?

Be a van lifer. It’s a thing, fixing up a van and taking it on the road. For some it is a full time way of living, allowing more flexibility in where and how one lives, often with less expense. For others, it’s a part-time gig, traveling part of the year and returning to a […]

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Urgent, or Not so

Wow, I’ve made it as far as U in the blogging from A to Z challenge. Well done me, for a first month of retirement adventure. Urgent. I’m working on letting fewer and fewer things hit the category of urgent, or its horrible relative, emergent. I’ve never enjoyed feeling rushed, and after more than half […]

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Trust

What to trust? Always a question. As time goes on, I’m learning more and more to listen to myself and trust my own internal knowing. This morning, I looked at the weather app on my phone and found this: What to do with this? In this case, an obvious and easy solution-I looked out the […]

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S is for Scary

Scary is the word for this fire season. I live in the western US, and forest fires have been a part of the ecosystem for as long as I’ve been around. However, things are changing. It used to be that May to October was fire season. Well, it’s different these days. The Marshall fire was […]

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Reassessing

It’s R day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Reassessing seems a good thing to explore as I am finding it an important component on my new journey of retirement. What matters to me now? What do I want to keep? What is it time to let go of or do differently? Sounds […]

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I Quit

I quit working. Finally, after many years, I don’t have a next on the work for pay list. Done. Three weeks ago was my last day seeing clients. I’m not missing work, or the schedule. I’m surprised by how quickly I can lose track of days. I’d like it not to matter at all what […]

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P is For Progress

The Marshall Fire burned through my area nearly 4 months ago. Out walking today, there was noticeable progress on some fronts. Some lots now are cleared of all debris, burned trees are removed. It’s a big project, clearing all of this from more than a thousand locations, and recently the county published a listing of […]

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Old observances

This is a big weekend for spring holiday observances. The big 3 monotheistic religions have something going on, in order of chronological appearance: Passover, Easter and Ramadan. I grew up nominally Christian, following that calendar of celebrations. However, it was more about being helpful and of service to those in needs as opposed to following […]

What’s Next?

Odd Squad is a children’s program PBS. All the “agents” have names starting with O, and they investigate all manner of bizarre and absurd events. It’s funny, and my child self would have enjoyed this a lot (think Monty Python for kids). One of the characters is Doctor O. Once she’s finished with a problem, […]

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Magpies, meadowlarks, Mergansers and More

Its M day in the Blogging from A to Z April challenge. Halfway through the month and the alphabet. My theme this year is split between two; this is the first month of my retirement and it is the fourth month of recovery from the Marshall Fire in my area. Today’s post covers both themes. […]

L is for Loud

In the aftermath of the Marshall Fire, it’s been loud around here, and I expect that it will get louder. In fire recovery, demolition is getting going, removing old foundations (the heat weakens the concrete so it is no longer structurally sound) and all manner of burnt objects, from bathtubs and air conditioners to bicycles […]

K is for Kind

“My religion is very simple, my religion is Kindness” Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama. That about covers it.

Just

Just. A strange word, just. It can be used to minimize or simplify. It’s just a cold or just say no. In both of these examples, there appears to be an undervaluing of experience or complexity. It may be just a cold, but that doesn’t mean one doesn’t feel terrible and is enduring something that, […]

I is for icky and irritable

That’s how I feel today. Don’t know why. Not ill, but certainly blah. Sad, ready to cry. Perhaps depressed, not necessarily. I’ve certainly been depressed in the past, but I just don’t know. Out of sorts. No reason. Perhaps the season Time to wait and see. Hang in there. It will change, it always does. […]

No Hurry

I guess I better hurry, this post was “due” on Saturday. Actually, I’m not hurrying. It will or will not get done. Part of this challenge for me is allowing. This is my first month of full retirement, and I’m tired of feeling obligated or scheduled. So, doing things when and if I feel like […]

Good? Grief

Apologies to Charles Schulz and Charlie Brown. I’m behind on my A to Z challenge. I stalled out whilst working on G, which I originally intended to be on gardening. One of the deals I made with myself in taking on this challenge in my first month of retirement is viewing the challenge as an […]

F is for Fun

I thought about using Fire for my F word today, as it, along with retirement, is this months blogging theme. Instead, I’m choosing Fun. In the aftermath of the Marshall Fire, and following many years of working, first as a family physician, then as a therapist specializing in trauma, both fascinating and intense occupations, I’m […]

EDGY

It’s E day in the April blogging from A to Z challenge. Today, I choose edgy. I’m feeling that way, as are many others in my area. Why? It’s windy, with gusts up to 60 miles per hour, and there’s a red flag warning, meaning that current conditions are ripe for wildfires. So no open […]

D is for Ducks

Ducks? OK, Steph, you said the themes for this month are retirement and fires. How do ducks fit in? Well, mid-morning yesterday, BA and I were taking a walk. Down to the tiny “fishing” pond in an open space area half a mile from the house. And sure enough, there were ducks and geese down […]

C is for chores and choice

This retirement thing is work. As a self-employed person, stopping seeing clients isn’t the end. Cleaning out my desk and turning in my key, like one sees in movies isn’t how it goes. Yes, I’ve cleaned out my desk and removed some stuff from my office. I’ve spoken with my landlord and we’ve a plan […]

Burned

Well, yesterday was “B” day in the blogging from A to Z challenge. I’m writing a bit erratically, enjoying my new found retirement and giving myself permission to be less reliable than usual. Today, I’m writing about burned. Particularly, the Marshall Fire, which roared through my area just over 3 months ago, on December 30, […]

A is for Ambivalent

So, here it is April 1. Last year, I found out about the Blogging from A to Z challenge a few days into the month. I liked the idea and began participating. I made it through R before I ran out of motivation. I told myself that this year I’d do the whole thing. And […]