I’m not taking up boxing or flying anywhere soon. “Fight or Flight” has been what I’ve been feeling like internally for a while. The same thing happened last year, when early morning & late night meetings led to burn out and exhausted anxiety. Here we are again. Given the state of things, I am super happy to have a job & thankful to still be remote. The one down side is not having a set time to leave for the day. 6:15am meetings & again at 7:30 pm makes for a long day. Several counterparts are in Asia, so we need to accommodate the different time zones.
I’m in the “I wish my racing brain had a pause button” phase again. Waking up with an instant to do list in my head, things to follow up on, wondering what the day will bring isn’t healthy. I’m aware of it, and trying to remember to pause and breathe deeply. I continually feel like I’m letting people down. Since it’s nearing the year end review time at work, it’s a good chance to focus on the good things this year. Maybe gratitude & good things should be added to my daily list. I need to shift the focus.
As we near the holiday seasons, you’ll see lots of cute family photos or trips or presents. Just know that behind those photos is likely someone burned out, just trying to hang on. Also, if you ask them how they are doing, you’ll probably get an answer of “fine” or maybe the slightly more accurate answer of “busy.”
We all see things differently. I wish I knew more about neurodiversity previously. When watching an Iron Man sequence in a movie, I realized people visualize (in their mind) differently also. In the movie, Iron Man moves 3d images around using his hands. One of my boys had a lightbulb moment and said, “that’s what it’s like.” I was confused because this was a movie and it must be made up, right? Nope. All 3 of them can see things in their mind in 3d – move it around and see it from different angles. So, you never know what’s going on in someone’s mind… are they making mental list, is there a song on repeat or is there a 3d image being moved around?
Fight or flight mode isn’t something you can see most of the time. It may be like the duck feet paddling under water. Sure, there are times when people actually fight or flee, but often times it’s not something visible. People keep going about their day, Ground Hogs Day style until the song changes. Someday I will have great advice of a trick/method/magic that worked wonders. I’m not there yet.
Peace be with you on your journey of enough. You’re not alone, whether you’re in fight or flight mode or smooth sailing, keep going.
I’m still struggling to get back to regular writing. Earlier this year, we went to AZ to visit relatives. We also did some hiking. I took this picture after I climbed a section of Chapel Rock that I was convinced I couldn’t do. “Healing in Progress” seems fitting.
We had gotten to a point in the trail that seemed daunting. Myles and Cam scrambled up the slick rocks. There was not much to hold onto and the footing area was small. I tried a few times, but couldn’t hoist myself up. I decided instead of risking injury, I would wait for them to go up and come back down. I was fine with the decision. I even stepped outside of my comfort zone and offered to take pics for strangers. There was a flat/shelf-like area and it had a stunning backdrop … great photo op. I took pictures for couples, singles, groups etc. I even gave people suggestions on how to climb the rock, based on everyone I had watched.
Me thinking I’d be fine just hanging out here This is the rock I had difficulty with. Yes it did look like a giant butt.
A while later, Cam returned to get me. “You HAVE to come up – it’s amazing! I will help you.” So he climbed down to grab by hand and help give me a boost up. And he was right – the views were amazing! I would have been fine staying where I was, I didn’t feel defeated. I would have missed some amazing views and a whole new adventure. I saw people who I had taken photos of or who I had given unsolicited climbing advice to & they smiled and said, “you made it!” Myles was a bit shocked that strangers were acting like friends, since I’m normally pretty introverted. I figured I wouldn’t see them again, so I had nothing to be embarrassed about. Sometimes we need to borrow confidence & trust in ourselves.
I made it to the end of the trail
I needed this “healing in progress” reminder lately. I had to schedule my yearly MRI, but it took me 2 months to get in to see the Dr. I went in on a Wednesday for routine bloodwork, breast exam and left with orders for an MRI. While I was there, they did my flu and pneumonia shots. 5 days later, I went in for my MRI. I’ve been having them yearly for the last 10 years, so I’m aware of the routine. 1) Fill out the paperwork and try to remember details from 10 years ago, while knowing my whole extended family medical history off the top of my head. 2) Change into the giant scrub pants & two gowns (in a room that is like a closet). 3) Get IV started for upcoming contrast. 4) Lay face down with arms over head, chest through an open area in the table. 5) Close eyes to reduce claustrophobic tendencies. 6) Insert ear plugs & put on headphones with music loud enough to somewhat dampen the VERY loud MRI noises. 7) Get slid into the machine, breathe deep and try to think good thoughts for 45 min. 8) Get slid back out, helped up, re-robed and go to get dressed. Then I wait. I waited for the results to appear in my chart. When it popped in, I scanned through, looking for the benign words I’ve seen in years past. Although it didn’t say that. It said something about significantly larger lymph nodes on the left and on the right. They wanted to do an ultrasound and likely a biopsy on the right lymph node.
My heart stopped. I felt nauseous. Was the cancer back? Was this a new one? Why the lymph nodes? How quickly can I get in? I’ll spare you the long details, but since the radiology place is a different company than my Dr office, it took several days for the orders to get called over so I could schedule the ultrasound & biopsy. Oh and the one (& only) radiologist was gone, so it would be 2 weeks after the MRI before I could get in.
There is only so much that can be done to distract someone who is waiting to find out health news. I helped build a shed. I went for walks. I looked up all possible reasons for why the lymph nodes would be so swollen. One possibility was reacting to vaccines. Although 5 days should have been enough time, and I felt fine after the shots, I was hoping I was one of the few people who react with swollen lymph nodes.
I showed up early to the appointment & tried to breathe as they ultrasound the right side then the left. After, the tech asked if I was feeling OK the day of the MRI. I said I felt fine but had my shots 5 days before. Oh good, she said, because now they all seem normal. The Dr came in to look also and confirmed that things were back to normal. What an enormous relief! I went to the car & texted my guys right away and said lots of words of thanks as my eyes welled up with happy tears.
“Healing in progress” applies to us all at some point in our lives. Remember that everyone is going through something & you may not be able to see it. Act with compassion. Peace be with you on your journey of enough.
I was scrolling through my phone at lunch and found someone talking about ADHD traits and one of them had to do with “closed loop.” (Pasha Marlowe) Summary is that people with ADHD need to close the loop on a conversation because having it open just means they will keep thinking about it. This got me thinking about the hundreds of half conversations or thoughts in my head. I imagined them looking like colorful half loops – almost a spaghetti diagram (work/manufacturing related)… so that’s what I made. The above picture is just a fraction of what was running through my mind at the time. I did not include work related things, so this is just the “non work” side of my brain. Just a part of it. It’s pretty and exhausting and incomplete.
I found every color of pen I had and started making half loops of current thoughts. “What are you doing?,” my husband asked. I kept going until I used every color once, then I decided I could use it more than once because I wasn’t nearly done and it was looking neat. I look the paper outside and set it in the grass. I needed to actually touch grass today. I needed to ground myself because my head was spinning like the picture and the work diagram would have been even larger, had I written that one out.
“Circle back around” is a phrase used especially in corporate America and has become kind of a joke or cliche. When Pasha was talking about how ADHD people need to close those loops, I had an “Ah ha” moment. Yep, that’s me. I want to be able to check the box, cross the thing off the list or put the issue to rest, and if there is a lingering open loop that won’t happen.
I am not a medical professional, doctor or therapist, but I’ve found it interesting to learn more about ADHD in women and how high-functioning women often go undiagnosed. They mask their true selves so much that they don’t even really know who they are. They become a different person for every situation. They read the energy of the room and adjust accordingly. Sometimes they can misjudge and if they get it wrong they will dwell on that mistake for a while.
Growing up, ADHD was something only hyper boys had. There isn’t more ADHD/Autism because of external factors, but because we are understanding more about it (my opinion). It makes me sad that there is a push to stigmatize it again and also to reduce the research and education associated with it. I’m scared to get tested but I also probably know the answer.
I don’t have a solution. Just be patient with me if I ask questions or need to circle back around. I may get to a point where I just need to be quiet and not talk, or I may just spill all the things at once. Until then, I’ll be on my colorful looping spaghetti diagrams, feeling like I’m on the “sit & spin” and hoping for a pause.
I said I was going to write more, then life went at warp speed and suddenly it’s the middle of July! Things have been busy, but in a good way.
We had graduation parties for friends from his old school (we moved part way through 4th grade). It was great to catch up and see those little kids now as adults. It was the first place Cam became a Para. It was the place that held a fundraiser to help pay for my cancer treatment. It was our first all night Cancer Walk. The visit almost helped close that chapter, but left us wondering, “what if we would have stayed?” How would our lives be different? The school won’t be one we visit again, but it gave me a lump in my throat as the kids walked across the stage. We saw our old back yard, the willow tree that is now taller than the house, the garden that is no longer a garden, the fire pit that had everyone wonderingas we built it , “what are they doing?” The house is no longer ours, but so many memories were shaped there. Memories each of us will cherish in our own way.
We had our own graduation party & ceremony. The prep for that was significant, but I’m glad I took some time off work since the ceremony was in the last day of school & the party was on the day after. We had a gorgeous day and amazing smoked brisket. We were thankful for family and friends who could stop by and celebrate. This class was over 320 kids, so I only knew a few of them – kids who were in the same sports or activities or groups. Since Myles was full time at the Tech school his senior year, many of his own classmates thought he was already gone. It was fun to go through all of the pictures, but hard to put them away again. Time for the next chapter though.
After graduation, I ended up getting run down and sick for a few days. This delayed our Farmer’s Market again. We went to some more grad parties in June. Then mid June, my nephew got married, so we went to Hecla, SD/Oakes, ND area and helped and celebrated with them. It was a beautiful ceremony and day. It was great to see so many family members. All of my mom’s siblings and most of their spouses were there. Catching up with cousins and aunts & uncles reminded me of the invisible safety net we have – all supporting each other, even though it’s not always visible. (also, I got my family picture, so I was happy!)
After the wedding, my sister came for a quick visit. Too cold for a river float at the time so we did some berry picking instead.
Then on to Harvey, ND for my father-in-law’s birthday. I won’t tell you his age since he didn’t want to make a big deal of it, but it was great to see them.
On the way home, we stopped at the lake where my side of the family was gathering. We took pontoon rides, jumped in the lake and enjoyed great food. My great nieces and nephews are getting bigger and we needed our annual “sisters at the lake” picture.
While we were there, I talked to Dallas who was telling me about his upcoming 4th of July weekend in the Tetons. I said that sounded like fun and we should go sometime. It’s about 6 hrs from Bozeman. He called me back later & said, “Why don’t you come this weekend? We have a camper you can stay in and I’m bringing my boat.” If you know me, you know my answer was a quick “yes!” So we skipped the big Farmer’s Market on 4th of July weekend and drove to WY instead. It was a long drive so we broke it up into 2 sections. The guys fly fished the Snake river, we hiked, went across Jenny Lake, rode on the boat on Jackson Lake, got caught in a downpour, went to an island, saw moose and deer & generally just disconnected. It was a great trip and they caught quite a bit of lake trout.
By the end of the trip, my social battery has been depleted, even though I was in the wilderness. The constant “going/doing/visiting” over the last 2 months had caught up with me. I love to travel and spend time with family, it was just more than this introvert was used to.
We did our first Farmer’s Market finally last weekend. The weather was great and it was nice that people had missed us being there.
Sunday, we did 130 jars of jam to help replenish our inventory and use up some fruit. As a reward for the hard work, we floated down the river nearby. It’s one of my favorite things to do. It was very crowded since it was 88 degrees, so it was a little less relaxing than normal, but still beautiful & still water.
So after all of that, are we staying home this weekend? Ha ha, nope. Also I have a work trip next week so I’ll be gone for most of the week. Time flies when you’re having fun, right?! It’s true. August will be here before we know it, and college will start for Myles. We have a significant anniversary coming up also. Plans for that are TBD depending on a few things.
Why am I sharing all of this? Because it’s a little out of my comfort zone & I want to share some ideas of places to go, but also share the pics if you can’t or don’t plan to ever travel there. Maybe someday I’ll be a travel blogger and travel around rating coffee shops and hiking trails and water features. Or, if this is my mid life crisis, I guess I’ll live to 104!
So in the words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” And in the words of Aerosmith, “I don’t want to miss a thing!”
I looked back at my published posts, and I haven’t written since August. I have drafts, but never published. I have things started, but lacked the confidence. Where do I begin? What do I explain? It’s been so long.
But as I was walking to the mailbox in the rain, a whole series of paragraphs flooded my mind. And, I decided it was time. Ready or not.
I made cookies for my husband’s birthday. I’ve made cakes or lemon bars in the past, but raisin cookies are his favorite. The smell of cinnamon and nutmeg filled the house and I started thinking about cookies, and how they mean something different to me than they do to most people.
Most people probably don’t think much about them. But when I think about cookies, I have a mix of emotions & memories. I remember baking cookies with my mom. I remember the special mixing fork she used (never a stand/hand mixer), the homemade frosting for sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies with walnuts and without, tiny gingersnaps and the people we shared them with. I remember all of the times my boys stood on a chair with their tiny aprons, helping to mix cookies, sneaking a bite of dough, dumping a whole container of sprinkles, decorating sugar cookies and saving some chocolate chips off to the side.
Cookies bring me joy. They are like a hug in the form of a treat. I’d bake when I was frustrated, as a way to calm down. I’d bake to bring treats for the kids or to a friend. As the years passed, the boys learned to bake on their own too. Last year, Myles made almost all of the treats for the Farmer’s Market. Dallas has made brownies and pies, much to the surprise of his roommates.
Cookies also bring me guilt & shame. As a T2 diabetic, I know I shouldn’t be eating them. The lower sugar or artificial sugar ones just don’t taste the same. I think I’ve only made cookies once since Christmas, so I cannot blame them on my weight. And my blood sugar has stayed remarkably “in range” despite the added pounds. I’m not exactly sure how to get past the guilt part. It’s a work in progress. Maybe I just need to focus on the joy that they bring to me and to others.
My fresh start is to get back to writing. Even for a brief while… if nothing else, just for me. It’s not something that will bring me fame or fortune, just peace. And I will probably have a cookie with my coffee.
I’m going to attempt to be “OOO” = Out Of Office this weekend for the long weekend. Work has been crazy ever since I started my new job. Although it may seem like I’ve been on several adventures, work stress never leaves and I’m often online early mornings or later evenings. I’ve been in “fight or flight” mode since April. I’m pretty sure my cortisol levels are not healthy.
I really can’t believe that it’s the end of August. Our youngest started school on Monday at the Technical College, but it’s also his senior year in high school. We recently took a trip to MT to see our other son. We had a great time and quite a few unique experiences. This month has been filled with work, travel, canning, family surgery, more canning and more work. August will end with a trip to Seattle… without my computer!
Why Seattle? Why not?! We have not been there before, August is the least rainy month in Seattle, and if I don’t force myself to leave work behind, I might snap. We will do a quick 2 full days of tourist things and then fly back. Driving there is not on my bucket list and we are under time constraints. I have my notebook of ideas (no spreadsheets this time, uncle Brian), some suggestions from friends and the advice of strangers in a “Seattle tourism” Facebook group. Will I still worry about work? Probably. But I will not be checking emails or capacity charts or batch numbers for almost 4 days.
Life is short. You’ve seen the stories & heard about people who wait for retirement before they have their adventures only to get them cut short by health issues or other things. I’m not waiting. I’m having experiences while I can. I’m grabbing those 4 day weekends, skipping a farmers market or two and seeing something new. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. I don’t currently have the mental capacity to work on my Copywriting dream or write my next book. I’m just trying to hang on. I’ve lost friends, had strained relationships and have not been kind to myself in the last few years. I’m not the same. I’ve shifted timelines but I don’t think I am done shifting yet. I feel like there is more. There is more to life than work and there are more changes to come.
Even though I haven’t written much in the last few months, life sure has been going at full speed. Tonight we did 32 jars of hot salsa and 35 jars of pickles (& I had an hour conference call). Sometime before Friday at noon, I’ll throw some things in a suitcase and call it good. If I forget something, Seattle has stores. For almost 4 days, I will be OOO. I’ll report back if you’d like to hear about it. Travel blogger is on my someday/wish list. I just don’t think people vacation hard like we do. We try to cram as much in as we can. Maybe there is a market for it though?? We’ll see.
Peace be with you on your journey of enough. And yes, our journey will include coffee from the original Starbucks (even though we prefer our local coffee shop with my favorite barista).
It’s August 1st, yet I feel like August is already over. The jam packed “last month of summer” has my head spinning. Although I no longer need to worry about summer camps, there are still a lot of things packed into August. Our garden is in full swing, we are trying to process pickles and keep our tomatoes/onions/peppers growing for salsa, there are acting classes, bowling tournaments, trips to see family, trips with family, a comedy show and an anniversary, among many other things.
I’ve been trying to learn more about ADHD, and as I do, several of the things listed ring a bell. I never thought of myself as having ADHD. I had good grades in school, active in a lot of things, but not hyperactive. It was never considered. This is pretty common for women. Something that really resonated was the idea of “wait mode.” Wait mode is when your mind is overly focused on an upcoming event. You have a hard time accomplishing anything else because you are waiting for the other thing. Like if there is an appointment later in the day, your whole day is shot because you’re thinking about that appointment, backtracking time as to when you need to leave. How early should you be there?, What if there is traffic? What do you need to get done before the appointment? What about after? (And 100 other things). It’s common with people who have ADHD, or anxiety & depression.
So, in my head, August is almost over. On the first day. It’s like an appointment, but in the form of a month. Will I be productive in August? Probably, but I will also be thinking about these multiple events along with the timing and coordination of each. Which things overlap? What other arrangements have not been made yet? How will I manage working remotely and at different times while I’m gone? Throw in some “worst case scenario” thoughts, and it gets to be a lot. My brain needs a pause button. I’ve tried very hard not to lose myself in drinking etc, but I still grab a snack when I’m extra stressed out. Being fluffier than I’d like causes me to feel shame and talk negatively… it’s a whole loop. Growing up as Gen X, there was a lot of body shaming. That all stuck in my head. While I did not have an eating disorder, I certainly have a tricky relationship with food.
Anyway, that’s the squirrel brain tangent (just a snippet). So for August, my challenge to myself is to write it out, but be present. I have some boundary work to do also. I’m going to try to reduce the amount of “wait mode” in August. (Notice I said I wasn’t going to get rid of it, because I don’t think changing my entire personality in a month is a realistic goal.) Maybe I just need a daily reminder of what day it is today, without jumping ahead too far. Today is August 1st, and I will try to plan for today (after I write out the whole month because I am a planner by profession and it is just my nature.)
Peace be with you on your journey of enough. If you’re in wait mode also, maybe we can wait together and have some coffee.
Last year, we made a ton of pickles. For some reason I didn’t write down how many pints jars we made, but it was a lot. Like probably 150-200 jars. We have 4 left. We sold most of them, gifted several and ate some ourselves. Family function? I’ll bring the pickles.
The baby dill pickles are a favorite. Do you know how many tiny cucumbers it takes to make baby dills? A lot. Our cucumbers just started producing and we made our first dozen jars for the season. Pickles take patience. The seeds need to be planted, watered & weeded. The cucumber plants need to have enough sun, enough heat, and few bugs/pests. You may need to train them on a fence or trellis. Then you need to pick them just at the right time. They need to be washed and trimmed and cut. Then after the jars are washed, garlic, cucumbers and dill are added. The hot brine is poured over and the jars are water bathed. Then they need to be covered while they cool so that they seal. They need to be labeled on top and the side and boxed up for the market. Patience. It doesn’t take long to eat a jar of pickles, but it takes a long time to make a jar.
We often want instant gratification. We don’t like to wait. We are impatient if our computer is slow. People are impatient at the market (not wanting to wait in line.) It’s difficult to be patient. It’s often hard to be patient with ourselves. It takes a while to change. I’m guilty of this myself. I want to be good at my job now. I want to lose weight now. We try to rush from one thing to the next without fully experiencing the growth part. if we rush to pick, we may miss one hiding behind a leaf. They may grow into the fence or need to be guided and moved.
Peace be with you on your journey of enough. Enjoy the pickles, but understand they took months to make. Don’t rush past the growth phase.
We were married 7 years before we had kids. That wasn’t the original plan. I didn’t find out I had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) until a few years after things didn’t just “happen on their own.” At the time, I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t know the percentage of people who struggle with infertility (one in 6). It wasn’t discussed in our conservative Midwest communities. When people asked, “When are you going to have kids?,” or “Why haven’t you started a family yet?,” we would deflect or make a joke. Instead of crying in the bathroom over their hurtful questions, I wish I would have told them my story. I should have talked about it more. Maybe people would realize how common it is, and how many people are impacted by potential reproductive legislation.
We wanted kids. We wanted a family. We needed a fertility specialist to make that happen. So when I hear of legislation restricting IVF or other fertility treatments, my heart sinks. Those people who already feel disappointed or hopeless may have fewer options. You’re entitled to your beliefs, but keep in mind that legislation may impact someone you love/care about, you just don’t know their story.
Mother’s Day, baptisms and other people’s pregnancies sparked tears, sadness and longing… for several years. I felt alone, depressed and discouraged. There wasn’t a support group, a Facebook group or blog posts discussing infertility. The injections/shots, medications and procedures were not covered by our insurance. Each time before we did get pregnant, it was going to be “the last round.” The financial, emotional and physical toll was just too much. I do not regret it at all.
My sharps container for fertility shots was replaced with one for gestational diabetes, which was replaced with one for type 2 diabetes 16 yrs later. Still no regrets. My cancer may have been caused by birth control, but that medication also made things slightly easier each month. Maybe we just need to change the name to “hormone management.” The cancer may have been caused by fertility treatments and increased hormone levels, yet I have 2 wonderful sons as a result. The cancer may have been caused by microwaved food, microplastics, environmental issues, some genetic marker that didn’t show up, extra weight, not taking care of myself…. and on and on and on. I won’t ever know.
I try to stay away from politics and opinions, but this one hits pretty close to home. Given the upcoming elections, I thought it was important to share my story in a little more detail. I probably won’t change your mind, but maybe I’ll make you think a little. If you made it this far, thanks for listening.
Peace be with you on your journey of enough. We could all use a little extra peace at the moment. Please be kind to one another.
Myles with Miles Axlerod cake (age 6)Car show (18)
Our youngest son, Myles recently turned 18. The picture of him with the “Miles cake” from the Cars movie makes me smile. That grin is the best! This time for his birthday, we did some shopping (for suits of course), went to a casino, stopped at MN largest candy store and went to a car show. He starts his senior year in high school soon. Time is flying by. The next year will be filled with nostalgia, grad planning and senior year moments. It won’t be a “typical” senior year since most of his classes will be at the Technical College. He has a world full of options, more skills and talent that he realizes, and a smile that can brighten anyone’s day.
He’s embarking on a road trip soon with a fellow You Tube buddy. Am I nervous about them traveling alone? A little, but I’m more excited for them than anything. I hope that he’s picked up some tips from our previous trips. I hope he listens to his gut, keeps his phone charged and is aware of his surroundings. But mostly, I hope they have fun. I hope they create some corememories & have some amazing videos! They will learn through experience and have some great stories to tell.
I’m certainly not a parenting expert. I’ve made my share of mistakes and have some regrets. I’m thankful for the time spent together and memories made. Roots & wings, right? Boundaries, a safe space and the freedom to experience life. It must be a shocking transition to go from having too many rules to be an independent adult after graduation. I hope I’ve given them a balance.
I blinked again and he’s 18. He works at the coffee shop, has a YouTube channel (The Unspecified Show) & a podcast (Be Unspecified Podcast). He does not know what he wants to do after high school, and that’s ok. Honestly, he should just make something up. It’s really just a conversation starter – it’s not like people follow up with you later to see if you’ve done what you said. Nobody ever asked me if I was a physical therapist (original major in college). Even my degree isn’t related to what I do now.
Anyway, I hope they have a wonderful week long adventure. I can’t wait to hear about it. Peace be with you on your journey of enough. If you’re not able to go on an adventure of your own, check out their videos in a couple of weeks.
journeyofenough 