I used to be filled with fear. Heights, crowds, closed in spaces...all of which made flying problematic. As with most fears, gradual desensitization can help you conquer them. A lot of my fears fell away after a serious illness 16 years ago. I faced my own mortality head-on and realized these petty things didn't mean that much in the grand scheme of things.
One of my favorite things to do when I travel is hunt down independent coffee houses. Havens of peace and caffeine, these little out of the way mom and pop shops build our communities by offering a quiet place to converse or reflect.
After several busy weeks since arriving in West Virginia, I am enjoying a little down time. My daughter was hanging out with her fellow classmates yesterday, so I spent the day exploring the Historic Depot District of Richmond, Indiana. Sweet little antique shops, a great used book shop (2 Sisters Bookstore), Roscoe's Coffee Bar & Tap House, and a late lunch in Little Sheba's Restaurant provided a lovely junket on an unseasonably warm December day.
Edit: Garden Manor is no longer an active B&B.
Richmond, Indiana is conveniently located at the crossroads of America. If you find yourself traveling cross country and need to spend the night, I would highly recommend Garden Manor B&B. Run by a lovely Quaker couple, the house is easily accessible to the interstate. There is one room available for rent. It is furnished with Janine's grandmother's chestnut bed, hence the name "Chestnut Room". Bright, comfortable, clean and quiet. I found this on Airbnb. $45/night, room, breakfast (homemade delights), WIFI and lovely hosts. Very safe if traveling alone.
As I was leaving the B&B yesterday to head to the commencement, my host told me there was a grocery store not far away in case I wanted to buy my daughter some flowers. I stopped and picked out a graduation card, but as I stood in front of the flowers, it just seemed a waste since she has to fly back home on Sunday. I absentmindedly twirled my necklace and felt the sudden sting of tears. It's not what you think though...not entirely.
Just when you think...perhaps...you've seen it all. I have to tell you...it's been a while since I've had this much fun with my ex and his family and our daughter. We had made plans to have dinner last night. When they were naming off restaurants, I jumped at the chance for German cuisine. I hadn't been to a good German restaurant since Frankfort, IL two years ago.
The atmosphere at The Steinkeller in Oxford, OH was great and the food was special. And then, in walks this round little fellow in his lederhosen and perky little hat with an accordion. He did the typical polkas and oom-pa-pa music. Then, he whipped out....Uptown Funk as well as a number of heavy metal cuts and country ballads. On the accordion. In lederhosen.
I can die now. I've seen everything.
Warning: Kleenex Moment
https://www.facebook.com/markschultz/videos/10153764558437603/
I've always been the kind to cry during Kodak commercials. I should have been an official tester for sappy Hallmark cards. Things move me. Beauty breaks my heart open. Babies, puppies, soldiers coming home to their mamas....puddle. My mom always said I wore my heart on my sleeve and I do. That's not a bad thing. It may not always be comfortable for people but it's rarely inappropriate to shed a tear in public. It's what makes us human. And we need a whole big dose of humanity and love in our world right now. So, on that note, I'm sharing this beautiful song. Music is the universal language of love and light. Let's spread some around and get this weekend off to a loving start, shall we?
Not to sound too cliché, but honestly...today is all we've got. There are no promises. We are a heartbeat away from eternity. I don't want to spend what precious time I have left worrying. Or angry. Or jealous. About anything. Yeah, easier said than done, I know. But it's a lofty goal.
Today, I am as old as I have ever been. I have achieved a certain level of credibility merely by riding this planet 62 times around the sun. I've seen 22,824 sunsets. I am some sort of authority on sunsets by now, I think. I can stand proud in my ability to adapt and survive. I am a freaking warrior princess.
As we march through the season, I am remembering all the wonderful holidays I have been blessed to be a part of. When I was Jewish, one of my favorites of course was Hanukkah. A lot of people think of it as the Jewish equivalent to Christmas and I suppose in secular circles it appears so. In reality, it is a very minor Jewish holiday and has been given more prominence by Hallmark and commercialization.
The other day I was messing around with my iPhone trying to figure out how long it had been since something had happened. After adding and calculating and trying to figure out leap years, I figured there had to be an app for that. And there is. Several, in fact. I chose one appropriately called "Days Since" and downloaded it. I figured out my answer then started playing with the app. And, of course, the first date I put in was the date and time Mr. Virgo died. I was stunned to see a monumental day coming soon. So, I set my phone alarm for yesterday afternoon at 3:40 and waited for the time to hit 3:42. One thousand days.
Yesterday was one of those wonderful days that started out great and just kept getting better. When I first woke up, I still had some remnants of a headache that's been bugging me in the background. So I thought I'd just hang out at home, laze around, and skip church. Then that still, small voice said to get up and go so I got up and went. I was so happy I did because it was another one of those days when the sermon was personally written to me. Have you ever felt that? You go into church, maybe thinking about a problem, or wondering about something and before you know it, you get your answer. I love it when that happens.