I’ve been getting out for hikes, enjoying the fall leaves in the different places that I have been staying. Also been spending time with Annemarie and Emmy during Annemarie’s last week at home. They came over to Mom’s one day with my sister Michelle. We cleaned out the cupboards in the patio and one of the sheds for Mom, getting rid of a lot of stuff. I was very grateful for the hazardous waste place where I could drop off boxes of old cleaners.
I looked after Rosco for a good part of these last two weeks. We saw some beautiful sunsets on our walks. Doing some found poetry collage. which has been a lot of fun.
Went for a hike with my sister Nata on Halloween morning. What a beautiful day, hiking up in the hills behind her place in San Rafael! There was a great view of the Civic Center. Later that day, I went to an art exhibit with a wonderful variety of ceramics, photography and sculpture made from colorful discarded materials. Really cool and fun. I also checked out the artist studios and exhibit space in the building. Very evocative work – one of photographs of work done by a tattoo artist to help cover up people’s scars from surgery or self harm. An installation about the impact of the electoral college versus popular vote.
I didn’t do anything for Halloween, Rosco’s neighborhood was too hilly for trick or treating, and I knew he needed a quiet evening. The next day after I headed over to Emmy’s, where she, Annemarie, Garrett, Chrissy and I made delicious pizzas and hung out together. It was bittersweet as it was my last chance to spend time with Annemarie before she went back to New Zealand the next day. I need to plan a trip over to see her in 2026, it’s been too long since I’ve been to Aotearoa.
The next day when my low oil light came on in my car I discovered that I had forgotten to put the oil cap back on when I had added oil a few days before. Luckily, it did not seem to do any damage to my engine bay besides making a mess. A very friendly and helpful guy at O’Reilly Auto Parts got me a replacement cap and refilled my oil. I have been so impressed with everyone at my local O’Reilly sit store, they always go above and beyond. Unfortunately, when I got back to Rosco’s house I saw that I had spilled a good amount of oil all over the driveway. I spent time researching different techniques for cleaning up oil, discovered that dishwashing liquid does not work at all, but found a product, Oil Eater, that surprisingly did a really good job and did not require lots of scrubbing. Lesson learned!
I hiked in a new area, which took me up through a eucalyptus grove to a cemetery above San Anselmo with beautiful views of Mount Tam. I stumbled upon my orthodontist’s gravestone. I’ve been preparing everything for the tax return at work and plugging away on my Gap Year guide.
I had a really down day last Monday when my cousin let me know that my uncle who had recently had quadruple bypass surgery and seemed to be doing really well, took a rapid turn for the worse and passed away. That was really hard as it was unexpected, and he was so young, only 67. I met Brendan, my ex-husband when Peter married my Aunt Ruth. Their kids are about my kids’ age. He was somebody who was so full of life, loved cars and was just a very vibrant human being. I had signed up to go to a short play festival at the Mill Valley library. After I learned about Peter’s passing I thought about not going, but then realized it would probably be better for me if I got out around people doing something that I enjoy. In the end I was really glad I did. There were seven short play readings, each eight to 12 minutes. Some were funny, some were intense and thought provoking. A few related to Marin County history. The library was packed, and the audience was very appreciative.
I got to talk to Annemarie on her birthday in New Zealand. It’s always so good when I can see her and talk to her, especially right after she left. After I finished looking after Rosco I had a day and a half at home then packed my stuff up and headed to Emmy’s to look after Winston for the weekend while she and Garrett went to a wedding. Winston and I got out for walks and I made some collage art.
On Saturday, I volunteered for the Ridge Trail Service day, working with a group of people at the Crockett Hills Regional Park. We were regrading part of the trail so that water would run off and not cause deep crevasses in the trail. The fog was really thick on my drive in, but by the time I got to the work area, we were above the fog and it was just gorgeous. It was a beautiful day for working outdoors.
That motivated me to get out and watch the sunset was at my old stomping grounds Lime Ridge Open Space. It was fantastic, almost no one around, so peaceful. It inspired me to get up early the next morning so I could watch the sunrise from Newhall Community Park. On my way in I saw a coyote! The sky was just gorgeous. I stopped at Lime Ridge to watch the sunset again before heading back to mom’s on Sunday night.
I’ve been emotionally kind of up and down the last couple of weeks. Some days have been hard, not just because of my uncle’s passing away, but feeling like I’m in an unsettled space right now. Trying to figure out where I want to go next. I know I need something more challenging in terms of a career. But I’m really struggling with also wanting the flexibility that I have right now. I’m wondering how I can have a more flexible schedule than I did when I was working full-time but still do work that is interesting and compelling, where I feel like I’m learning and I’m making a positive difference in the world? I’m struggling with feelings that I’m just not doing enough, even though my days are busy between my part-time paid work, working on my book, volunteering, making art and just living life. I don’t want to be constantly busy. Always a work in progress!