The View Up Here

I know this isn't the most well-crafted piece I've ever written. I just need to get the thoughts out there. Thank you for reading. Trying to come up with a response to the election of Donald Trump as prez. It's not just about Trump, you see. It's about the backlash and the hate and the IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD and all the other negative feedback. I understand fully that people who voted for Hillary are in mourning. They feel that rights will be taken away from segments of our population, that healthcare will be decimated, that war will be inevitable. (I voted for neither of them, for my conscience would not allow it, and I live in a solidly Blue state anyway.) Trump's campaign was an ugly one. I'm no political scientist, nor do I play one on TV, but even a lay person like myself can see that people in this country have been unhappy and hurting for a very long time, and Trump keyed right into that. His inflammatory speeches and bold proclamations wh...

An quick update on discernment and life in general... In a nutshell, last week I found out that I need another root canal. I don't mind telling you I was angry as all get out. Root canals are a little piece of hell on earth as far as I'm concerned. Then this week I was informed that NYS Medicaid will not pay for it. Instead of being (rightfully) outraged at socialized medicine that won't pay for something as necessary as a root canal, I am trying instead to be grateful that Medicaid paid for the routine exam and cleaning so that I didn't walk around with a face full of infection for months without knowing it. In any case, my options are: pay OOP, get the tooth pulled, or take a chance on antibiotics killing the infection. I'm going with the first option, but I do not have regular work because since moving back to NYS, I've been making a whole lot of space and time for traveling to discern with various communities. I have been relying with immense gratit...

I really dislike winter. Well, to be more accurate, I dislike the long, cold, damp of winter in the Northeast. Specifically, in Western New York. Winter in Salt Lake was cold but dry, so it was tolerable. Winter here - and the scary thing is we haven't even begun, really, with all these warm temps in the 50s and 60s - is going be a bear. Since I can't change the weather, I need to change my 'tude. I also need to recognize that I can take better care of myself in winter. Maybe you have similar problems with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) aka "the winter blues." Of course, exercise is one key way of being healthier in winter, but for many of us, it's not enough. Here are some ways to make the best of things this winter: Find beautiful places to go for a walk. Maybe it's close by your home, maybe you have to drive to get there. But seeing the beauty in wintry nature on a sunny (if cold) day will do much to lift your spirits. Take soothing hot ...