I feel like today was god’s way of telling me, “I got your back.”

The absolutely unbelievably idyllic setting would be reason enough.

But I need. I want. I am drawn. I want to work those looms.

I’m feeling some eerie parallels with the Hard Times I experienced from 2012 – 2015.

• Then: While my father was dying, I felt stuck in suspended animation, unable to truly enjoy much of anything, seriously afraid I’d run out of money. Practically speaking I felt unable to leave New England or the tri-state area, afraid what would happen if I did, sure that if I traveled far, THAT would be the trigger.
• Now: Once again, thanx COVID, I can’t travel. I’m afraid to leave New England or go anywhere on an overnight.

• Then: I started getting mouth pain. It wasn’t the most excruciating pain in the world, but it was constant, unless you count seconds or minutes where it would be gone and it would be like suddenly noticing silence; and you’d be like, “Hey, I feel pretty good, could it finally be…” nope.
• And it was impervious to anything – with one strange exception, which was gum chewing. But gum would get tasteless, my jaw would get tired, and you can’t chew while you’re trying to fall asleep. Nothing else helped. No medicine, no position, not hot water or cold, not pressure or relaxation, it would just always there, there, there,
• Now: I’ve got these headaches. They’re in my sinus areas; but I don’t have any stuffy or runny nose, just headaches. They aren’t excruciating, they’re just constant. (I haven’t tried gum.) Except for some seconds or minutes where I notice they are gone, and I’m like, “Hey, this feels pretty good…” then whoomp. They’re impervious to anything. Sometimes my old pal the mouth pain comes along with them.
• None of it usually keeps me from sleeping. But gaining consciousness is a strange feeling. I slowly wake up, and there’s no pain at first, but there comes a consciousness threshold where the pain all kicks in again. Sigh, a nice welcome back to reality.

• Then: My marriage was in its worst shape ever for a while there. It was, until now, hard to remember exactly how haywire it was; but I was miserable, and it was like X was just a mirror of me. We were unhappy and angry with each other all the time. I started to wonder why the hell we were together.
• Now: X and I blew up at each other last night. Now I remember what that period was like. I’m so unhappy, there’s a weight on me, I cannot be happy with him, and he is not the type that can rise to the occasion and carry us forward when I’m down – far from it.

I’m just seeing these parallels and I’m scared.

Can knowledge & hindsight & wisdom & self-awareness save me from going There again?

Been down one time,

Been down two times,

Never going back again

As usually happens sooner or later, the goats discovered the other day that they had a magnificent, huge, tasty pumpkin patch growing right in their own backyard.

They started chomping down on my best one (foreground above), the very day after I said to myself “I should harvest that one this weekend.” So I saved the next two best ones, even though they were still very pale. Here’s the big ‘un:

I’ve pretty much stopped reading national news except for science news. I just look at nature and remember what’s real.

Yesterday’s adventure took us to Duxbury, Waitsfield, Moretown, & Fayston, four new towns to capture for my VT251 challenge.  Shout-outs to the adorable Singing Spindle in Duxbury; Mad River Fiber Arts & Mill, and Collaborative Brewing Co.

Seen on a 10-mile bike loop on Isle La Motte.

Today was a perfect day, and we didn’t even have to pay someone not to fuck it up.

I wish I could post this one in smell-o-vision.

Not to mention the basil I’m using for din-dins tonight.

I think you can see it from space.