pins and needles

Once upon a time, I wrote in my journal that the problem with living too close to the line is that when something happens, you’re over the edge in no time flat. It’s usually a migraine that shoves me over the edge about five times a year. After the last one I started seeing a naturopathic physician to find out what else could be done. Last week our attempts failed and when my prescriptions failed again too, I called her. On Thursday she rushed me in, settled me in an over-stuffed black recliner and for the first time in my somewhat skeptical life, I tried acupuncture.

I’m here to say that within two hours I felt my spirits lift, the pressure inside my head significantly diminished, and I could multi-task once again. The next day noise still bothered me a little but I no longer felt the urge to shush everyone around me. By Monday I was tiptop, feeling quite relieved and extremely grateful that what is normally a two to four week ordeal for me was cut so amazingly short. I'm a believer.

To answer everyone’s first question: No, it didn’t hurt.

sweet seventeen

Yesterday I bumped into an old friend at the deli counter of a local grocery store. She and her husband worked with the UMC youth group where I went off and on during high school. We hadn’t seen each other in many years so we exchanged the usual life details. She looked absolutely shocked when I said our daughter is a junior and our son is a freshman.

Honestly, it is a little shocking to me too. When did it happen that our little roly-poly toddlers turned into a lady and gentleman? Each stage has been fun - frightening sometimes but definitely fun too.


The young lady pictured here is talking about going away to college the year after next. Sometimes, that can’t get here soon enough. Other times, I dread the thought. She is lovely inside and out, humorous, artistic, opinionated, mostly hard working, extremely determined, adventuresome as long as a friend comes along, very tender hearted, creative, and more independent in her mind than mine. It was her seventeenth birthday yesterday and I think she is amazing.