sailing weekend, amongst other diversions...

spent last weekend in Rhode Island with girlfriends...we learned a little bit about racing a sail boat, America's Cup-style in Newport, ate yummy lobster rolls and clam bellies, enjoyed WaterFire in Providence, brunch with drag queens... and i fell in love with the "heavenly bed" from the Westin hotel....maybe i just needed sleep, and away from my "smoker's paradise"....

amazing grace...

one of my elderly clients, N, has been dealing with some feelings of guilt regarding all the "bad" things he's done in the past---referring to his participation in wars and the things he had to do b/c of it, as well as other things in his past. in our sessions he's processed some of these horrible things, and a few weeks back he told me he didn't think he'd "make it" (meaning, to heaven, which he believed in. as a young man, he had been thinking of becoming a pastor like his father).
one of the songs we always sing in the session is "amazing grace" and we had talked about what that meant, and i reminded him of the criminal on the cross next to Jesus and what Jesus' response to his plea for remembrance of him. grace is just that, undeserved favor. it is not karma....we get grace when we ask for forgiveness and believe what Jesus says is true of himself and of us.

today, out of the blue, N tells me, "i've been thinking about what you said....i think i'm going to make it."

i felt like the angels rejoiced.

don't feed the animals...

outside the construction site where they are building a new Walgreens around the corner from me.

smoker's paradise...

...that is what the new place that i just moved into is being called right now. previous tenants were chain smokers, who lived there for the last 12 years with their 4 cats. i'm having a very difficult time adjusting, physiologically, to this place since my vocal cords are irritated when i'm there...and i was feeling a bit light-headed this morning spending time there with the painters (or perhaps that's due to not having had my morning coffee?? let's hope so).

we ordered these smoke removal things called "room shocker"--yeah, not sure about the name, but i'm hoping it'll work. would hate to have to move out before i even got a chance to move in....though, it'd be easier, since everything is still mostly packed.


a positive from the move: amazing friends who are willing to help us clean!! you guys rock!