Pandemic: Life Impacts Now

More concern, more deliberation, more mindfulness probably sums it up pretty well. I woke up in the wee hours of Saturday morning feeling unsettled. Actually, I’ve been waking [up] at about 3 am for several days now. Clearly, worry is high right now all over the place. It’s not just about one topic, either, and that’s part of what’s tough. I counted about 10 categories of concerns there in the dark. Health of kids, health of ALL of my people: 90-year-old mom, older siblings, my guy, friends, etc., getting things done, budgeting, planning ahead, my daughter’s braces situation which rightfully changes now, which are the gnarly doorknobs and any handle really that need extra cleaning attention(?), is laundry temperature important right now for killing germs(?), what will schooling look like now(?), my online teaching plan, plus much more serious concerns than those even — in other words,...

Pandemic: Musical Distancing

The band I’m in of a bunch of GenX friends is creatively experimenting with a way to play music while socially distancing during the pandemic. We are all part of a stay at home order by our governor and it sparked a new way to come together. One of our members is a huge David Bowie fan and this song, Five Years, is our first effort to play separately together each in our own homes. We had great fun making this happen. It’s a reminder that unexpected snafus can turn into happy accidents and deliberate new creative directions. We might even make a habit of...

Pandemic: Future Focus

I’m only weeks into a career transition phase of my life. As I seek a new position with a stable, vibrant company, this pandemic is catapulting us into a different time that feels even less stable than ever in my memory. We’ll likely make cultural and historical references in terms of ‘before the COVID-19 pandemic’ or ‘after the COVID-19 pandemic’ now. I have a journalistic, digital media background and, as an observant writer, remember vividly what was happening in the world around me when my dad died, August 3rd, 2001. It was only a few weeks before 9/11. All sorts of people from national leaders and media personalities to neighbors down the street began referring to life as ‘before 9/11’ and ‘after 9/11‘ when referencing past influence on the present. Anything ’before 9/11’ seemed much farther behind us and less relevant than what was referenced as ’after 9/11’ because the world was...

Pandemic: Time At Home

This has been an unusual opportunity for an unexpected helpful slow down of sorts to focus on what matters – the health and well-being of human beings. This shift has me spending more direct time with my kids since school is cancelled for the time being and we’re waiting for next steps. I’ve started on some home organization projects I’ve been wanting to get done (for too long). One involves my 15-year-old daughter sitting with me to go through storage totes of her old stuff from when she was four and five. I didn’t expect it to be fun, but it was a hoot. We laughed so much pulling out various funny memories and useless junk from the boxes. There were things I assumed she’d remember from childhood she had no clue about and there were things she remembered that stunned me. Unexpected bonding opportunity. Plus, it was satisfying to have emptied two boxes tonight after supper...

Chimayo On A Whim

Walking onto Chimayo Mission ground on a whim – Adrian having never been there and my having been there with my mom and sisters a couple years prior – I thought maybe he’d like to experience it. It was special and impactful – not for a second expecting that versus the sightseeing detour I assumed it’d be. We walked into the start of an outdoor Mass able to experience that as we entered. Just moments before – getting out of the car and beginning to walk – I noted a tiny heart shaped natural stone on the ground – less than an inch square. I quietly reached down to pick it up and kept walking holding it between my fingers thinking about that unusual moment. Once the service was over – beautiful as it was framed by the mountains behind under a canopy of trees and sun shades – we walked up to the church itself. The legend has to do...

Culinary Learning: Piñon

Just plop me in a new place and tell me to go figure it out. What’s not to love about that kind of geographic adventure? Piñon – Adrian purchased two bags from a Native American couple along a road in Taos while exploring. Pine nuts are not something I know much about – beyond specific recipes that call for them. I get them for that purpose noting they are higher priced than I’d expect having to make sure they don’t go rancid with the high oil content once I purchase them. I’ve tried them as I use them noting oiliness and lack of flavor. With that point of reference, here’s what they were like this time around closer to their original state. I don’t even think I realized how their shell worked I’m so used to buying the meats alone in some plastic container in the supermarket. He jumped in the car showing me the bags saying –...