We've been in Laguna Beach, CA since
the death of my stepmother in November, scrambling with an estate
sale and house renovation, sleeping on a bouncy airbed there. Both
she and my father died in the house. In certain rooms I always felt
someone else was there. It was scary. Sounds at night. Chilling
horripilation. A vivid sense of people or things with unfinished
business and foreign agendas, and they didn't want to leave. I kept
lights on at night. Things improved after a massive estate sale.
Apparently some of the spirits were connected to the stuff. The
place is being extensively (real estate agents, contractors,
fumigation, paint, landscaping, vacating to hotels...) redone and
feels very good now. It will be worth it. Whew!
While in the house, saturated in
spirits and memories, I worked on family genealogy. A fascinating
documentation puzzle, organizing, digitizing, sleuthing going back 7
generations. I deciphered crumbling clippings, scrawlings on the
back of photos, even tintypes into a five foot tall stack of plastic
bins and discovered ..my sister died on the 67 day voyage from..,
..built his home.., ..was the first white woman in.., ..4 of their 8
children were doctors or dentists.., … had 16 children..,
...factory and store destroyed in the 1906 SF earthquake..,
..enlisted for WW1.., ..sold the car dealerships.., ..photographer
killed in a flash flood.., ..designed the entrance to the SF Worlds
Fair.., ..died of pneumonia.., ..married Jesse James'
granddaughter.., ..Darjeeling.., ..government censored letters..,
..wrote a book.., ..died of alcoholism.. The work gave me a much
better sense of who I am and the origins of the 'family stuff' I've
worked on for decades. I got it all into a program with pictures,
audio and video. I'm glad I did it. I feel more grounded now, for
sure.
In Laguna 3% of the population turned
out for the Women's March, compared to .3% nationwide. As a
therapist, I know nothing heals without being revealed and
experienced, and that is happening. Long term, say Paleozoic, I'm
optimistic. My degree is in atmn college, I worked on atmospheric photochemistry.
Now say ahhh for dental delights
including Leigh's surgery to extract a molar embedded in a sinus, our
cleanings, fillings, crowns and an extraction for me. Highlights:
still dopey on anesthetic, I helped Leigh check the engine oil. I
had a crown installed on my birthday. I'm a strange one, indeed!
Oh, the frazzling telomeres. Hopefully we're done with that.
Leigh's recovery continues to amaze me.
The change in her since Peru is profound and permanent.
I've put a lot of energy and research
into tax and financial planning, wills, trusts, dissolving my
corporation, consolidating, reallocating and such. Incredibly, we've
found a solution to Leigh's crushing student loan debt.
Meanwhile, the boat sits unattended in
GA. You don't want to leave a boat unattended for long, but we
haven't had a choice. And we miss her! By the time we get back
there, the sailing season will be ending. We still have to move our
disabled boat ~50 miles and get her out of the water. Let alone
repairs and our intentions for the Bahamas, Cuba and Guatemala! And
we miss our wonderful sailing community!
So the past few months have been a lot
of busy and very necessary work. Cleaned and conscious. Getting
ready for the next thing. I'm excited to see what happens next.
Leigh found the word for it. Coddiwomple. Eventually we all share
the same destination, don't we?
Give a call, drop a note or send a text: I'd love to hear from you!