I’m tempted to start off this blog post with an apology for the length of time since my last post, but I’m afraid I can’t really be sorry. So much is going on that any day I get dressed is a small victory. I am making progress on various areas of life, but I’m afraid that much of it is just too tiring to talk about.

Tonight’s post is just to break the “radio silence” and give an update about various things. I have some photos to make it more interesting.

Key

Last weekend, Key got his NW2 title. He was wonderful, but his handler was more than a little scattered. Still, a title is a title!

This weekend I chose to putter around the house because we have several big weeks coming up, including two nose work weekends. Key is delighted to report that puttering included an exploratory hike in Silver Falls State Park which was covered in snow.

Snow?

Yes, my friend.

Art

I’m not sure I ever reported that my art is in the Wild Women Show currently happening (for another week) at the River Gallery in Independence.

I’m equally unsure if I reported that my piece, “Page 1”, is hanging in the Salem Reads show at the Salem Library.

 

As far as upcoming news, however, I am delighted to report that my painting, “Loss”, was selected for the Spring WSO show.

 

I’m looking forward to the Portland convention that will accompany it. #traveloregon

I also have some deadlines coming up that I hope to make, so things are going apace.

Birding

I’ve been doing some birding. Here are some pictures from the last month to prove it.

Grief

Mom’s estate is in probate (it’s just me, so it’s really a formality). Occasionally something comes up and I have to do another round of notifications, but things are definitely slowing down. I’ve met with the lawyers, the money people, and the CPA. In less than two months I’ll do her memorial, which will be another little rite of passage.

People ask how I am doing. I think it’s best to answer this question in the form of a graph.

Generally, I am getting less sad. I miss Mom. I find I miss her advice and the ability to bounce ideas off her. I miss filing away little stories to tell her about my day. I’m slowly finding ways to deal with this. My resilience to stress if very low, which is a problem; something happens and it will take me much longer than normal to get over it. I think that will return, but it will just take time.

Thank you all for your support!