I started writing this blog in 2004 when my mother’s health was declining and my desire to move home to New Orleans was all consuming. I wrote my way through one crisis after another until it felt like I had nothing left to say. Then 16 years later, the coronavirus slapped us all upside the head and I found myself looking for a weight to anchor my days. As Carrie Fisher said, “Take your broken…
I refer to Katrina as the 2005 Federal Flood – as many bloggers who covered the event do. After all, it was the failure of the levees built by the Corp of Engineers that caused the flooding. So it comes as no surprise to me the pandemic spread of the coronavirus points back to failure of the federal government to warn us properly. January 2020 – US senators debriefed on the potential spread of COVID-19…
I was talking about the pandemic to a friend of mine who is a sculptor. I’m not sure we called it the “pandemic” but why not. My friend has been steadily busting her ass in all different directions – a state of the art gallery, multiple moves, art work, all of it, and now it’s all come to a grinding halt. I told her I had returned here to write and record. She said she…
We are all learning social distancing. This morning I ran into Ann wearing the same 100 Men Hall tee shirt as me and said, “Hey, let’s take a selfie so I can put them online” and then I went to stand next to her and she reminded me to distance. Then later the same day, I was in my car and saw her again, and she came towards the car and I immediately pulled my…
At 60 years old, I’m redefining fun for me. It’s surprising how hard I’ve had to consider what is fun since it changed without my knowing it. I came to the conclusion a few years ago that fun for me was a hike in nature or a good long walk on the beach, a bike ride through a beautiful neighborhood, writing in a group, a gathering of gals with spirits and apps, a yummy dinner…
I’ve been reading what the experts say and it appears this coronavirus might have the tenacity to stick around forever. There is hope that some of us become immune and hope that someone will find a vaccine. Today, I had to tell Tin that he is most likely not going back to school to finish 5th grade. Instead, there is going to be a lot more of me, the dog, the cat and the fish…
The Kabbalah speaks about an Angel assigned to you when you are in the womb to show you everything you will need to know to be able to complete your tikkun in this lifetime. But because our brains expand in many directions as we grow older, we simply don’t remember the soul memory – so to reignite remembering we can use one of the 72 names of God as a mantra. Breath in vav, breathe…
There are silver linings to this pandemic. Families quarantined together are experiencing a closeness unknown before this time. Friends near and far are receiving text messages, emails, and Facetime/Zoom/Skype/What’sApp missives to stay safe and know they are loved. The world seems smaller. The dogs are getting walked. The pantries are being cleaned. We are capable of anything including: Not making money Not being physically close to people Not freaking out Teaching our own kids Cooking…
Thank God It’s Fabulous Today was another day of undoing. I didn’t sleep all night so when I went back to bed at 5AM this morning, it was no surprise the next time I looked at the clock was 10AM. That meant I was late for everything – getting Tin set up on school work, breakfast, which now felt almost like lunch, and on and on. I managed to make two onion pies – help…
NYT: At least 85,000 people have been infected in the United States. As states pleaded for supplies, the White House canceled a plan to produce thousands of ventilators. NYT: New Orleans Faces a Virus Nightmare, and Mardi Gras May Be Why. Louisiana may be experiencing the world’s fastest growth in new cases. I can’t remember when it was I realized that no one else takes the form of your parent – dad or mom –…