I did NOT love having to shop for a new e-reader when mine suddenly conked out, but I am loving the used-but-like-new Kobo Libra H2O that I found on an online auction site. It's a step up from my old Aura, as it's a bit bigger, has page turn buttons, and works in both landscape … Continue reading Share Four Somethings: February 2023
Last year, I embarked on a journey of trying to solve some longstanding health issues, which I shared with you in these posts. This year, although those questions are not all worked through, I felt strong enough to start another kind of venture, a training in Spiritual Direction that is offered online by the Sisters … Continue reading A New Journey: My spiritual direction training, Part I
When I chose the word "connect" as an intentional practice for the year, I didn't know what to expect or how to proceed. But through the months, it led me on an inner journey that accompanied my efforts to improve my physical health, and along the way I collected new and fascinating evidence for the … Continue reading #OneWord2022: Everything is connected
This year I decided to explore functional medicine as a way to address chronic health issues. It's been a very interesting journey, but it didn't lead quite where I expected. I suppose I was hoping to find someone who would finally solve my problems, if I was willing to put enough time and resources into … Continue reading My Functional Medicine Journey, Part IV: Finished?
This year, for my lectio divina practice, I've been slowly reading through the Psalms (very slowly -- I'm only on #56). As any readers of these ancient songs will notice, they display a somewhat schizophrenic split between beautiful lines of praise celebrating a loving relationship with God, and hate-filled, violent passages invoking death to the … Continue reading #OneWord2022: Connecting with people
This month I took a strengths assessment survey as part of a writing workshop I'm taking part in. Interestingly enough, given that my One Word is "connect," my top strength came out as "Connectedness." Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com The survey's description of this characteristic includes phrases like "In your soul you know we … Continue reading #OneWord2022: Connecting with strength
It's been over half a year now since I decided to try using Functional Medicine to address my longstanding digestive issues and migraine headaches. This involved testing to assess my gut microbiota and other factors, changing my diet to a more gut-friendly mode, taking supplements and probiotics to support healing and good flora, and "brain … Continue reading My Functional Medicine Journey, Part III: Assessment and next steps
On our way back from Bivio this summer, we took a jaunt through northern Italy to visit a friend of my husband's for a few days. This was the Sudtirol region, which has close ties with neighboring Austria, and where German is still mixed in with Italian in a lot of places. Interestingly, as soon … Continue reading Postcards from Switzerland (and Italy): Two sacred sites
This year, I've been making a concerted effort to improve my health, especially regarding the digestive issues and migraine headaches that have plagued me for almost half my life. With a number of transitions in my life going on, including a move to Switzerland at the same time as going through menopause , things really … Continue reading #OneWord2022: The health connection
At the start of Europe's heat wave in July, we decamped for cooler climes in the Alps. We stayed in the delightful town of Bivio in Val Surses, just across the Julierpass from the famous Engadin valley where my husband and I had stayed shortly after we were married 18 years ago. We got to … Continue reading Postcards from Switzerland: Val Surses and Engadin
