Posted by Lisa in Life Monday, May 6th, 2013
I have torn cartilage in my left shoulder. It aches when I turn the steering wheel on the car or open the refrigerator—and wakes me up when I’m asleep. If this is what 50 feels like, I’m not sure I’ll survive 60. And 70 is looking like a horror story. (Note to self: be more tolerant of my parents’ growing feebility.)
I have no idea what initiated the pain, which started to hurt maybe two months ago. Perhaps I slept on it funny?
Initially I treated my shoulder the way I treat every new ache my middle-aged body tosses … Read more →
Cave Spring High School, growing old, middle age, old injury, torn cartilage
Posted by Lisa in Life Saturday, November 3rd, 2012
My biggest worry about the drive from Maine to our new home in Georgia was the cat. Up to this point in his life, our Maine Coon, Pemaquid has a maintained a perfect record of always throwing up after 15-minutes in the car. And he yowls. Non-stop.
Like his owner (me, not Ron) Pemaquid has a bit of an anxiety disorder. And traveling really stresses him out. I pictured our journey south as 20 hours of nonstop vomit and yowl, yowl and vomit.
Luckily it hasn’t worked out that way.
As a preventative measure, Ron visited the vet a couple … Read more →
cat, cat carrier, cat throws up in car, cat vomit, kitty Xanex, Maine Coon, Pemaquid, traveling with a cat
(Flashback to my trip to Monhegan island this summer—which accurately describes my current ability to achieve a quiet mind as I juggle packing, work, and life)
Day off, quiet mind. That was my goal for my final day on Monhegan. After all, I’d come to this small Maine island to relax.
I’d written my heart out for the past four days—four blog posts completed—and now it was rest time. And not turn on my computer.
Yea! My first no computer day in as long as I could remember.
I lingered in bed until late morning, then climbed down the … Read more →
bad boyfriends, bad dates, maine, maine island, Monhegan, Monhegan Maine, ocean sounds, Quiet Mind, wave sounds
What I’ve Been Doing Instead of Blogging-Part 2—
My plan to stop squandering opportunities—to travel, write, and experience more—hinges on decreasing our monthly expenses. When Ron and I move to Atlanta, we will downsize from a four-bedroom house and a two-bedroom condo—to just a two bedroom condo.
This means that two-thirds of our belongings had to go!
The easy way out would have been a trip to the dump. (Actually many, many trips to the dump.) I admit to a few dump trips, but whenever possible I’ve tried to find new homes for my belongings. Places where they will … Read more →
american idol, Charlie Trotter, Chez Panisse Pasta Pizza & Calzone, Cold Weather Cooking, Cosmo's Factory for Hair, cutting costs, downsizing, eliminate clutter, Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites, New Orleans French Market, Peaks Island, Peaks Island list, Peaks Island Tax and Energy Assistance, yard sale
Sorry about my hiatus.
I’ve been juggling hard. Ron and I have been busy: working; trying to sell two Maine houses and the ice cream store prior to our move to Atlanta; trying to get rid of the 2/3 of our belongings that won’t fit in our new, smaller residence—and seeing Lindsey off for her freshman year at Elon University in North Carolina.
My blog is the ball that got dropped last week and won’t be making it back into the air again for at least another week.
But what I’ve lost in writing time, I’ve gained in hours … Read more →
back to school, blueberry, blueberry ricotta pancakes, brunch, Elon University, empty nest, image, maple syrup, pancake, photo, recipe, ricotta cheese, wild maine blueberries
Posted by Lisa in Travel Thursday, August 9th, 2012
My desire for the approval of other beings has gone a little bit too far. I’ve turned to insects.
I like when people agree with my choices. When someone tells me they like my shirt, I smile and stand a little straighter. Their compliment validates my choice and makes me feel just a little bit more savvy in regards to my taste.
Connie has great taste, so if she likes my shirt, I must have good taste too…
But insects?
Monhegan is a beautiful island, so of course I spent my first morning walking and snapping photos. First I … Read more →
beach plum, bee balm, butterfly, cone flower, coneflower, honeybee, images, Monarch, Monhegan, photo, photograph, photographs, pictures, purple cone flower, purple coneflower, sea rose, sunflower
My body had relaxed, thanks to my trip to Primo with Aunt Matoo. Now it was time to work on my head. Specifically my internal Chatterbox, the little voice that is always ready with a list of shoulds and coulds.
It was almost time to catch the ferry to Monhegan island. My chatterbox had ceased to scold, but continued to negotiate.
You can’t take a whole week off of work. What if you work a few hours every day—just to keep up? it said.
I hate you, I answered.
Matoo and I had a little time, so we explored Port Clyde. … Read more →
Allen Island, chatterbox, commercial fishing vessels, downeast, downeast maine, harbor seals, images, kayaks, lobster buoys, maine, Manana island, marshall point lighthouse, Monhegan, Monhegan House, Monhegan Island, Mosquito Island lobster company, photographs, photos, pictures, Port Clyde, Port Clyde ferry, Port Clyde general store, Primo, seals, Wyeth, Wyeth compound
Life is full of happy surprises. Here’s one: A couple of nights ago, I was desperately burned out so I thought that going to dinner might push me over the edge. Instead, it was just the thing I needed to transport me across the threshold from my typical state of stress into a vacation state of mind.
Aunt Matoo and I were on our way to catch the Port Clyde ferry to spend a week writing (me) and painting (her) on Monhegan Island. As we drove, I tried to ignore that I felt terrible. My head throbbed. My eyes … Read more →
amuse, arugula, aunt matoo, bacon, chickens, Coppa, cucumber, dune lines, exposed filament bulbs, farm, farm to table, fennel, fettuccine, flowers, garden, headache, images, little red hen, maine, Martha Lubell, Matoo, Melissa Kelly, Monhegan, mortadella, photographs, photos, pigs, Port Clyde, Port Clyde ferry, Primo, red hen, ricotta, Rockland, salumi, seedlings, Shop-Rite, smoked salmon, smoked trout, speck, swordfish, vacation, vegetables, villeroy & boch, zucchini blossom
Posted by Lisa in Life Tuesday, July 31st, 2012
What is wrong with me, I thought. I’m writing this blog with the premise that I’m going to stop squandering my opportunities to travel and make art—and then here I was, passing up an opportunity to visit Monhegan Island.
And so I fixed it. I’m off to Monhegan, a place where artists such as Jamie Wyeth and Edward Hopper for inspiration.
And now me. Because inspiration is always good. And because I REALLY need to relax.
Life has been incredibly hectic lately. Work is booming and I’ve made a real effort to keep up this blog. (I LOVE writing … Read more →
Edward Hopper, Hopper, images, Jamie Wyeth, maine, Marianne Mitchell, Martha Lubell, Matoo, Monhegan, Monhegan Island, moving, photographs, photos, Port Clyde, stress, Wyeth
Now that I’m an empty nester, I’m free to write and photograph and visit Marrakesh and learn to bake macaroons – all the things I always said I’d do some day. So what stops me? The voice in my head that says, “Go to your desk and generate billable hours.” Help!
