Still here

Just that all my online time has been spent reading and digesting the hurricane news. Most of my offline time has been spent feeling sick.

What have I been doing to distract myself?

Why, reading a delightfully diverting book about pirates! The Laffite brothers, to be precise, who plied their trade in illegal slaves through New Orleans in the early 19th century. How pleasing.

Thinking about my music therapy professor. She lived in New Orleans in the early 80s and was a department head at Children's Hospital in addition to keeping a private practice. She is a veritable whirlwind of energy and resourcefulness. This is a woman who went without sleep for days - some said weeks - rather than neglect a single student or client. I wonder what she's doing, whether she's starting the school year in Eau Claire as usual or what. Sometimes I wish she were President. Or head of FEMA. I'm convinced she could do it all and still cure stroke victims in her free time.

Navigating the incredibly delicate waters between jobs. My high school English teacher once said the longer you leave a bandage on, the harder it will be to remove it - flesh grows into the fabric and you're left with a bloody, putrid mess. That's about where I'm at, for all sorts of unbloggable reasons. The good news is I do have a berth on a friendly vessel waiting for me.

Cleaning out the raspberry patch. Discovered 3 or 4 bushes with new fruit coming in. Not as sweet at July's, but still a blessing.

Also finding a real apple branch grafted to a crapabble tree in my in-law's yard. With two real apples, which Kayla and I ate before I thought to take a picture.

Travelling to St. Louis for a beautiful wedding.