Meanderings: April 2021

Somehow I managed to make it through 2020 without a blog post, except the first week - still in the Before Time. So in terms of this blog, 2020 didn't happen!

If only it were that simple. What a crappy year for everyone. It was the Murphy's Law of years. And 2021 didn't start out much better - pandemic surges and variants, the Big Lie, the insurrection. But things have calmed down a little in April, with sanity finally returned to the White House and millions of vaccines in arms.

How was my 2020 you ask? Actually not much changed for me after the initial couple of months of near-quarantine. It worked out quite well for a couple of introverts. Laurie had to close her family childcare for ten weeks, so we had lots of quiet time together. We had groceries delivered at first, then she did the shopping when all the criteria were established at our local grocery store. We agreed that my risk for Covid was much higher than hers, so she became the designated shopper. Not much else was open for business those initial months, so we did a lot of online shopping (mostly for books!). Thank Goddess for the essential workers! After a while, and with the acquiring of a variety of masks, I started to feel more comfortable going out in the world - grocery shopping, and library and Powell's book pickups (still curbside) were the extent of my outings, until recently. And taking Liza out for her scoots. She's been quite happy to have us home more.

The changes to my routine have been small, but significant. I joined a group of writers in March 2020 (led by the incomparable Kate Gray) for a daily morning meditation and prompt followed by 20 minutes of writing, and the reading of the piece that contained the prompt. When the group came to a close at the end of April, many of us wanted to continue, so we now have an established, close-knit group that follows almost the same process. It's a wonderful way to start the day and to get back to writing.

I extended the meditation piece and began my own mindfulness meditation practice, mostly using the Ten Percent Happier app. I've stayed with it for almost a year, doing morning meditation followed by my writing group. I feel so much more balanced than I did a year ago; I'm more patient, not likely to get upset (except about Republicans), and feel quite contented with life as it is. I'm still amazed that I get up by 7am every morning and wheel out to the cottage for my morning rituals. They have come to mean a great deal to me and to my well-being. Laurie likes to say that I "aced the pandemic!"

I read some fabulous books during the year. Some of my favorites were Braiding Sweetgrass, Hamnet, The Signature of All Things, Bring Up the Bodies, Caste, The Book of Longing, Homegoing, Mink River, and The Invention of Wings. It is lovely to be reading again. My focus is so much better, now that I'm meditating and not taking any more pain meds (besides ibuprofen). New mantra: Meditation, not medication!

I'm now in the middle of an online writing intensive with Natalie Goldberg, with emphasis on intense! 2,000+ of us from all over the world gather on Zoom twice a week for her talks (Saturdays) and writing practice (Saturdays and Wednesdays); after her talk we go to small breakout rooms and read what we've written. I've been able to get down to some tender places, especially around disability issues. Natalie's style is to write nonstop - meaning not lifting your hand - for the specified amount of time in order to keep your Monkey Mind from interfering. No editing, no crossing out. I'm not always successful, but it is a good practice. I've also joined a small Portland group that sprang out of the class; we're meeting on Zoom for now, but hope to do in-person sessions once it is safe.

My May getaway spot

Laurie and I were both able to get vaccinated in February, which is a huge relief. We're starting to make plans for traveling a bit - including a drive to North Bend to visit Laurie's sister Charlotte and partner CJ. And I've scheduled a solo retreat to the coast in May, where I plan to write for four days.

I have found it extremely difficult and frustrating to find fully accessible accommodations on AirBnB or VRBO. I think there is a great opportunity for people who could provide that. The places I've stayed in the last several years are not ADA, but have worked OK for wheelchair/scooter. It's a bit anxiety-producing to book a place and hope that it works out like the owner says it will. I don't require much (e.g. don't need wheelchair-height counters or roll-in shower), but it is nice to be able to get into and out of the place without assistance and get from room to room in my wheelchair.

I've been working with a yoga therapist this year - it's been a wonderful experience. As much as I balk at doing yoga in a chair (oh, I miss my robust yoga practice!) it really feels good to stretch my sedentary body. EB has also encouraged my creativity and my meditation practice. She even had me "dancing" to some funky music!

I'm still enjoying photography - lots of gorgeous spring flowers and birds to photograph now. I just ordered a new camera! one with a powerful built-in zoom, so I don't have to carry extra equipment and will be able to get some of those shots that have been inaccessible to me. I hope it arrives before our travels.

Here are some local spring photos: