As we here in the United States are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, I’m giving thanks for all the people who visit my blog, especially those who have stuck with me despite my irregular posting as I deal with personal and family health issues. ❤
Join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/11/26/one-liner-wednesday-what-did-you-do-yesterday/. Also, congratulate Linda on the publication of her new book, which came out yesterday!
(Hearts by Angie Traverse)
Twenty years ago today, my friend Angie died.
We had met when we were volunteering at the middle school our children attended. Angie was kind and caring and funny and talented and we became friends, although she had a plethora of friends already. Because we were both doing volunteering and taking care of family, we had the flexibility to meet for lunch and chat or work on committee projects. Because Angie’s good will also embraced family, she got to know my parents.
We thought that, one day, we would become grandparents and have multi-generational hangouts.
Unfortunately, a nagging cough when Angie was 50 turned out to be stage 3 lung cancer. It was a shock because she had never been a smoker. Despite all the best efforts of her medical team, the cancer eventually progressed and took her life at 54.
March 25th was Good Friday that year.
There was a charitable fund set up in her name and, for years, I gave to it every year on March 25th and on her October birthday. The last few years, though, the website has disappeared. I think the fund probably had enough contribution for it to be endowed so its work can continue.
I’ve written about Angie before here at Top of JC’s Mind and even had a poem published about our friendship and her loss.
I didn’t know it at the time, but Angie’s death was followed by the loss of my long-time parish community and the death of B’s dad, the first loss of a grandparent for our daughters.
2005 became one of the worst years of my life.
I fear that 2025 may be even worse, especially when I look at what is happening in the United States as our democracy disintegrates and damages lives here and abroad.
Personally, this will be the year where we figure out what is going on with my health and address it or the year where I have to deal with giving up what I thought my life as an elder would be.
A small problem when people are dying or being threatened or losing family members because Trump/Musk/Vance et al think they can break laws, norms, and ethical obligations and concentrate all power in the executive branch.
I am sorry that I am too weak to be out on the streets for protests and have to confine my activities to online posts and messages and phone calls.
I’m hoping we can turn 2025 around after these horrible last couple of months.
Trying – while mourning for those who have been hurt.
And still, twenty years later, missing Angie.
Is anyone else having problems with the WordPress editor? Sometimes, when I’m working on a draft, it won’t let me go back to a previous paragraph to make edits. It seems to freeze on the paragraph I’m in. To get out of it, I usually have to look at a preview of the post and hit edit from there to open it in a new tab.
I’ve tried asking WordPress for help but no luck so far. Just wondering if others are seeing this happen.
Join us for Just Jot It January! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/13/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-13th-2025/
If I looked back through my ten plus years of posts here, I’m sure I would find plenty that talk about my being behind on posting and lots of other things.
Even though I’ve tried to pair down on my commitments, I never seem to be caught up.
Dealing with my health over these last ten months, things have gotten way worse. I feel like I am only handling about a third of what I used to do – and, some days, not even that.
I’ve cut out a lot of tasks, assuming I would get back to them when I was better.
Now, I wonder if these cuts will be permanent…
At some point, if I re-define what I should be doing, maybe I won’t be behind anymore.
That would be novel…
*****
Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday this week is “in front/behind.” This post also is part of Just Jot It January. Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/03/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2025-daily-prompt-for-jan-4th/
So, despite all odds, I’m making another run at posting every day in January, courtesy of Linda’s Just Jot It January or #JusJoJan.
This is the 11th year Linda has hosted this initiative. I participated for the first time in 2015. While it’s not required to post every day, I usually manage it.
I admit that I try to stash away a few posts to throw in when I don’t have time and/or brain on a given day.
I have an appointment with a vascular neurologist later today, which may or may not help with the brain part of the equation.
Linda does offer prompts for the day on her blog, which many people find useful. I tend to do my own thing, other than her continuing One-Liner Wednesday and Stream of Consciousness Saturday series.
Please join us, once, twice, or up to 31 times!
*****
To join Just Jot It January, visit here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/02/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-2nd-2025/
Linda G. Hill of Life in Progress is bringing us Just Jot It January for the 11th year and you are all invited to join by linking your January posts to her blog each day!
To participate in One-Liner Wednesday and/or Just Jot It January, visit here: https://lindaghill.com/2025/01/01/one-liner-wednesday-jusjojan25-the-1st-happy-new-year/
in honor of what would have been my friend Joan’s 65th birthday, I’m sharing this post I wrote about her when she passed away in June of this year with love and fond memories.
Please join us for Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2024/11/20/one-liner-wednesday-my-cup/
I don’t remember if I had a security blanket when I was little but I could sure use one now…
Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday this week is “blanket.” Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2024/11/15/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-nov-16-2024/ (Admittedly, this is a very brief excursion in stream of consciousness, but I am really struggling with brain fog and fatigue lately and I figured a short post was better than no post.)
I had thought I’d write another post in my Vote for Democracy ’24 series on Wednesday.
Or Thursday.
Or today, but I’m not ready yet.
I’m usually decent at writing in close proximity to events, but not now. As it happens, we’ve had some major developments on the family health scene and most of my limited brainpower has been going there.
I’m grateful for the many people who have been writing compassionate, reflective, supportive pieces about the election results and the path forward. I appreciate the show of love and community.
I’ll join in when I’m able.
Peace,
JC
(Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash)
Retired US Marine general and longest serving chief of staff to Donald Trump when he was president “said that, in his opinion, Mr. Trump met the definition of a fascist, would govern like a dictator if allowed, and had no understanding of the Constitution or the concept of rule of law.” Source: New York Times (gift link to article) which backs up my recent post on this subject
This timely warning comes to you as part of Linda’s One-Liner Wednesdays, which is usually much lighter or inspiring than this. To join us, visit here: https://lindaghill.com/2024/10/23/one-liner-wednesday-no-better-time/
Joanne Corey 