Natural anxiety relief

11 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment

by Cocktails With Hemingway in Beach, California, Pismo Beach, Serenity, Spirituality, Wanda

How fortunate I am to live in one of the most beautiful places in the country.  There’s been no shortage of ugliness in San Luis Obispo County, yet as soon as I round that curve going south on the 101 and the Pacific Ocean magically appears….I feel better instantly.  While there are countless places that offer seaside access, my preferred spot is a residential street in Pismo Beach near the Marie Callendar’s restaurant.  After parking I waddle down the seemingly endless stairs until I get to the sand.  My pants always get soaked– I can’t be on a beach without at least making contact with the water– and there’s sand in my car for the next week.  No matter how thoroughly I brush myself off both before and after getting into Wanda, sand manages to find its way into my apartment too.  I can easily sit here for hours on end.  It is a calm, safe, and happy place for me.

Because I didn’t discover this little slice of paradise until I had a vehicle, Adam’s never been here with me.  I can’t wait to show it to him.  When we pack a picnic lunch and bring Tatum he’s going to be so delighted.  Although I’ve vacationed at the beach plenty of times I’ve never actually lived near the water, and Adam had never been to the beach prior to our arrival in California– so this is new experience for our little family.  Some of the locals say you tire of the beach after a while.  Honestly I don’t see how that could happen…ever.

I am blessed to see the wonder of creation around me.  As soon as I catch that first glimpse of ocean, my entire mood is transformed.  Optimism replaces pessimism; serenity replaces anxiety; faith replaces helplessness; quiet determination replaces anger; a feeling of contentment [albeit temporarily] eases my sorrow; and the sunshine warming my body and the breeze tickling my face replaces my isolation.  I am not alone.

While I’m no photographer, I think these images fulfill my mission:  showing you as best I can what I see from my vantage point.  Even the most stunning shots typically don’t do a gorgeous place justice.  I give thanks for living in a place of great beauty.  Something tells me I wouldn’t be experiencing the full cathartic effect of nature if I lived in a place such as….Detroit.  My sacred spot is the first family outing I have planned once I have recovered from my surgery.

 

10 days until Tatum arrives.  <3

 

With infinite love, gratitude, and respect,

Sloane

So drained

20 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment

by Cocktails With Hemingway in Adam, Employment, Wanda

Kisses for the love of my life

His dessert didn't last very long

He refused pictures at this point

Chaos ensued this morning when I arrived at the office.  We’re not open on Fridays yet I wanted to meet our coffee distributor so all of our congregants would be sufficiently caffeinated come Sunday.  The alarm went off and I waddled downstairs in attempts to avoid the police dispatch, to no avail.  Shortly before the officer arrived the alarm sounded again [while I was on the phone with the security company nonetheless] so that was a pain.  Luckily the technician’s coming Monday so hopefully that’s a successful mission.  Better to be overreactive than unresponsive!

Adam and I had a wonderful morning.  He loved meeting Wanda.  Maybe sometime before his eighteenth birthday he’ll get to enjoy a ride.  He was filled with loaded questions today ["Are you still married to Daddy?"  "When can I come home with you?"  "Does sister live with us or does she stay with my aunt?"  "How much does Daddy love you?"] that broke my heart while simultaneously making my blood boil.  I seriously contemplated calling my social worker to defer to her unsurpassed authority on matters of consequence….but opted against it.

Today’s meeting with my therapist went well.  She insisted upon a meeting with herself [and her supervisor] and my social worker [and her supervisor] along with me.  Our hope is that in a group setting our concerns will not be dismissed because they will go ‘on the record’ for multiple individuals to hear.  Additionally, they intend to medically refute some of the diagnoses that came from Dr. Will.  They’ll also inquire as to why the social worker refuses to amend the report when there is factual evidence exonerating me from some of the less than savory allegations.

I know I’ve reneged on my original stance to say nothing regarding all of this.  Do I have a choice?  Not the way I see it….while I have always [and will always] be compliant with the powers that be, gone are the days where I am cooperative and polite.  See how far that got me.  Gone are the days of frustration– and utter helplessness– where I feel backed into a corner.  Nobody puts Sloane Reed in a corner!  I’ll use my proverbial sledgehammer to knock down the walls and create my own exit, thank you very much.

Without going into too much detail– that’s disrespectful to Facebook and/or CWH about job plans before I speak directly to my employers– I need to consider my options for an early maternity leave as soon as possible.  Three professionals now have told me that my bed rest should have started, like, yesterday.  Sigh.

Forgive me for my failure to adequately blog.  I’m just so drained.

With infinite love, gratitude, and respect,

Sloane

Paging Dr. Reed

15 Jan 2012 1 Comment

by Cocktails With Hemingway in Adam, Pregnancy, Quotes, Three F's, Unitarian Universalists, Wanda

I had a kit just like this when I was a little girl. =)

Something so very special happened today.  <3 

All in due time it will be discussed here….

 

Yesterday morning I went to McCarthy Wholesale to sign papers for my new vehicle!  Although I highly doubt that I know enough people in this area to make any difference with my recommendations, I cannot say enough good things about this place.  Everybody in SLO County looking to purchase a high quality pre-owned vehicle should come to McCarthy.  They’ve been voted #1 Used Car Dealer six years in a row by the New Times [the equivalent to the Memphis Flyer] so their presence in the community is well established.  Everyone on staff was friendly, knowledgeable, professional, and made the process of purchasing a car go off without a hitch.  And they’ll work with you on financing too!  I cannot thank them enough for helping me.

After careful consideration I have named my Ford Explorer…Wanda.  The two of us got hopelessly lost this morning and I loved every moment of it.  ‘Investigating’ winding two lane roads that are off the grid is not something I can afford to do again but it was a fun adventure.  Consider me an expert in every back road east of the 101 from Paso to San Luis Obispo.  How nice it was to be behind the wheel again.  Most importantly, for the first time ever, the title is in my name.  I OWN you, Wanda.  You will drain my financial resources but I still adore and appreciate you.

Oh Adam.  My sweet boy.  Half my heart aches so terribly yet I can’t even discuss it.  Without the Three F’s [Faith, Family, Friends]….10 days.

Quote of the Day:  “Dang Germans.  They’re just trying to get back at us for making them sign that thing in France.” – Mr. Taylor [ [Jamie's dad as he struggled with the repairs on her VW]]

With infinite love, gratitude, and respect,

Sloane