If you ask any blogger or anyone with an online presence they will tell you that I have committed one of the most egregious blogging “sins”one can commit. I have been offline for an incredibly long time, my blog site being largely ignored.

If you have been looking for me online I apologize for being scarce. It was necessary for me to be largely offline as I attended to several life challenges that presented themselves in quick succession over the last several years. My blogging momentum ground to a complete stop as I addressed these situations and maintained a hold, albeit sometimes tenuous, on my physical, emotional and spiritual balance.

I stopped most of my online activity, including socisl media in response to a former roommate who secretly recorded our conversations, and followed me around the house on numerous occasions with a camera recording my actions, despite my repeated demands that she stop. She had regailed me of stories of her own online prowess, I wanted to give her as little fodder for whatever was happening in her mind that was causing her to nehave the way she was behaving. That roomate did other things which would take a while to describe and wouldn’t help or change anything, so I have chosen to allow her and Karma to work that out and not put any more energy there.

Shortly after that roomate leaving, with assistance from the police, another roomate was in a tramatic accident, requiring seven months of surgeries and recovery before returning home. In the time he was recuperating, I cared for and trained his adorable, but mannerless dog. This insured that my roommate’s dog wouldn’t be an accidental danger to him when he came home in a wheelchair. I also learned how to build a ramp and deck with extra wide stairs to accomodate both wheelchair and walker, which would allow my roommate to be as mobile as possible during his recovery. Unfortunately the project was not in my budget and I was financially strapped before this hurdle presented itself. Never one to let failure be an option, I started hosting Airbnb to pay for the deck that allowed my roommate to come home when he was far enough along in his recovery to do so.

During this time, my partner’s parents became ill and required ongoing support until they transitioned out of this life, Mom in the winter and Dad in the spring of 2019.

Unfortunately blogging got moved to the back burner, then off the stove all together until about a month ago, when I realized how far away from my affirmation and manifestation practice I had become. That led me to realize how much I missed blogging about my practice.I looked at my blog posts and was shocked to find exactly how much time had passed since posting last.

Despite the beginning of this post and the fact that Donald Trump has been the Commander in Grief in America for almost as long as I have been offline, the time between post has been far from terrible personally. For American civil rights the story is a far different one, but that is a topic for a different post.

I have been able to retain ownership of my home, which was the biggest challenge I faced when I posted my last blog. I have been able to work full time despite the effects of Multiple Sclerosis, and as I mentioned, began hosting AirBnB successfully. That is until March of 2020 when I like most of the world went into a mandatory stay at home order. Our first mandatory order lasted four months. The three weeks later lasted one month with most businesses remaining closed for several more months. Our governor was fast to shut down and slow to reopen. I for one appreciated his caution. I used the time of the lockdowns to learn about digital mnarketing, photo and video editing, practice Tagolog and Hebrew, deep clean my house-twice, catch up on reading, binge watch a couple of shows, paint and create other art, tend my garden, and I did a couple of projects around the house. Included in those projects was dedicating a larger room to fitness, making it a workout room. The room that was my workout room became my video recording studio. I had to have a dedicated room for interpreting, and I had been planning a video aspect for my coaching business, so I used every dollar I could on creating a video studio that will allow me to make high quality videos. Two rooms remained AirBnB rooms, though with the world in lockdown,those rooms remained empty for more than a year and a half. I had a few private contract jobs that went forward virtually. With everyone ordered to stay home, there was little to interpret, but I did a few live jobs, all safely distanced. I needed to do something to earn income and I found myself selling Cutco Cutlery. I have loved these knives since I first used them, so this seemed like a good fit. I was able to work from home, set my own schedule and interact with others, albeit over Zoom. For the most part, I used the pandemic as an opportunity to deepen my connection to my spirituality, identify and re-align with my purpose. I was largely off social media, to avoid the distractions that come with it. I stalked some friends and posted occasioinally but for the most part, I treated the time like a retreat. Luisa and I spent time together of course, but I also made it a point to insure that I had plenty of time to listen to Spirit.

I released my book LIving Life in Dayenu Finding and Creating Radical Gratitude in Everyday Moments in March of 2020. The release party was scheduled for a day that would become my cities first day of limited events–no more than ten people. Time for a change of plans. I did an online reading and release as we all followed a mandatory stay at home order a week later.in March of 2020. The release party was scheduled for a day that would become my cities first day of limited events–no more than ten people. Time for a change of plans. I did an online reading and release as we all followed a mandatory stay at home order a week later. 

Luisa and I were part of an original pod of four (the two of us, her son and his partner) We played a lot of cards and games, walked, cooked and video chatted and had many meals over Zoom. We participated in several car birthday parades, and hosted one too. Luisa and I decorated the driveways of some young villagers who had birthdays as a surprise (with parental permission). We became experts at car picnics when the stay at home orders lifted and we could purchase carryout (but the partks and beaches remained closed). We marched for equality while remaining masked and socially distanced. We supported artisist and activists online and in person when that became and option. We bought masks from friends, some who sold them as income, some who donated one to health workers for each one we bought when there was a national shortage. When the stay at home orders were lifted, but the parks were still closed, I offered my yard to a couple of friends who didn’t have yards and who missed the outdoors. They could come for a couple of hours of contact free alone time in the back yard. When it became safer I sat with them… masked and keeping distance of course.

The hardest part of the quarantine for me was the number of friends and loved ones who passed away during quarantine some from Covid 19, several from other causes, including a cherished niece Gloria who passed unexpectedly at 31 (not Covid related). In a recent All Saints Day presentation I counted 15 friends and aquaintences who have passed since the first quarantine. Seeing their pictures reminded me of the grief I have not processed for most of them.

Like many, financial challenges arose for me, but I have experience with financial hardship, so I knew how to get through. We didn’t hoard a single thing, and we never ran out of toilet paper. We had both just bought some before the lockdown for our individual houses. I had purchased for Air BnB which was now closed indefinately, so I had a costco sized package.Fortunately most of our pod eats a plant base diet, so hoarders didn’t hoard what we eat, because it doesnt store well. I was glad to find bleach after two months. Cleaning supplies was the one thing I found hard to come by.

I realized that my quarantine experience was far easier than some folks had, especially those with large families in one home, families in small homes, those who were struggling before Covid 19 arrived where they live, those who have children and suddenly became teacher and tech experts for their kids, and likely for their own work as well. I know that folks who are more extroverted than I am had a hard time with the isolation aspect. My heart goes out especially to those who were quarantined alone, moreso if they had limted internet access. Some folks I know were in this category and I know the quaantine was very hard on them.

I have prioritized self-care again, and am committed to a healthy work/restore balance as the world reopens. I work in person at three jobs regularly, which leave me available for Zoom jobs and my coaching practice.

I practice sustainability and increase my practice whenever my budget permits an upgrade. My Next goal is to install rain water reclamation barrels in all seven of my downspouts and a pump system thst allows me to push the water to desired places in the yard from each barrel.

I just wanted to take a moment say hello after my long absence. I have missed blogging and am very glad to be back!

More than that, I am eager to hear how YOU are? How are you adjusting to the state of things where you live? What do you want me to know about your quarantine/pandemic experience?

I am looking forward to hearing from you!