I've been posting pictures I've "doodlewashed" and sometimes poems on my Instagram.
I've enjoyed the drawing, painting and writing - it's peaceful, creative and fun. I recognize that my skills are primitive and what I'd like to tell people is that it's still ok to do things like that anyway.
I'm walking a lot - Dave and I are beginning our Camino de Santiago by walking every day - 5-8 miles by the end of the day. I've lost the weight I gained in the last year or so and having fun.
In June, we flew to South Dakota for Scott Bauman's funeral - Our 32 year old nephew who fell at home and passed away. A very sudden, shocking death. Almost all the family was able to gather and be there for Judy, Brian, Brett and Jessica and for each other.
That same weekend was the last I heard from our next door name Sheryl. I'd been texting her to check on her but she never responded. This last Monday, I started asking neighbors if they'd seen or heard from her. Randy gave me her daughter's name and I found her on Facebook and sent her a message. I called the police. (It turns out they'd done 2 other welfare checks earlier in July.) They won't go inside the house. By 9:30pm, neighbor Chad had gotten the back door open and when they still wouldn't go in, Chad went in himself. And found her. Sadly, she'd been gone for some time.
It makes me look at life, family, neighbors, mental illness, loneliness, and grief in new ways.
