June 21 & June 22, 2016

Malbec and insect repellent do not taste good together. ;) I need more practice using bug repellent. (Note to self: keep mouth closed when spraying.) I spent about a half hour outside in the garden tonight and about a half an hour this afternoon. There’s something grounding about photographing perennials and strolling through the yard in my bare feet, especially since there’s been a lot going on personally and professionally. Thank goodness jury duty was cancelled today; the thought of being sequestered in the middle of uncertainty absolutely terrifies me. This is the second time in three months that I have been summoned, and then the trial is cancelled.

I had a job interview last Friday for a full-time position, and I am waiting to hear back sometime this week. The part-time adjunct teaching gigs have fallen through this summer due to low enrollment and college closings. I was not expecting this setback this spring and summer, but I am doing my best to roll with it. It’s not worth my health not to—during a wellness checkup last month my blood pressure was high for the first time—perhaps because the medical assistant repeatedly gouged my cold, clammy middle finger in the attempt to extract blood.

Anyhow, I am cuddling with Steve and the kitties, playing music, taking photographs of animals and flowers, working out several times a week, and writing poetry. I am also doing my best to reach out to family and friends and not to retreat from the world, even though that is what my introverted self really wants to do.