Newport, RI is beautiful. If you ever have a chance to visit, do. Even in winter, it's beautiful. I loved watching the water, the high and low tides, and the beautiful sunrises.
However, the Hyatt (on Goat Island) was undergoing renovations during our conference. I pray I won't get sick from inhaling the drywall dust, the mold (from the construction breaking into the building and melting snow) and the off-gassing of the new materials. I was in one of the older rooms (so no off-gassing during sleep hours) and the A/C/heating unit sounded like a jet engine. And just wouldn't be tweaked to an appropriate temperature. My room was overly warm most of the time, and although I was tempted to just turn the bloody thing off, I was afraid I'd wake up to a 50 degree room.
But Newport is still beautiful despite all of that.
The conference was great. The MLA Big Band was terrific, we raised money for MLA's funds, and not only did I get to visit with old friends and make new ones, I learned so much about what my colleagues are doing around the US and Canada.
Back to reality... I'm trying to catch up on a week's work, and I'm having surgery ("girl stuff", enough said!) on Friday. Although I keep telling myself it's pretty minor surgery, it's still a little unnerving, and in the end, I won't know if it solves issues until about 3-6 weeks from now -- or even later. I'm taking it easy this weekend -- not working Saturday, not singing at church, etc. on Sunday.
My dreams have been strange ones for over a month now. My dad died 13 March 2001, and that anniversary is just a few days away. My friend Jen and I joke about being in the Dead Dads Club. It's not a fun club to be in, but when you find another person who's in it, you connect emotionally. My mind and my heart are still processing Dad's death on so many levels, and perhaps that accounts for some of the recurring theme dreams I've been having. His suicide forever changed me -- and in some ways for good. Why? There are assumptions I cannot make. No matter how much I think I know someone, I really don't. I can't know what that person is truly thinking and feeling. So, I need to be kinder in my actions, and know that we all carry burdens we hide from the world.
This time of year is difficult. While the sun lingers longer (hallelujah!), it's still cold, and it seems winter will never end. Yesterday evening on my way to church, I saw the trees have started turning slightly green -- they too are looking forward to spring. I think I saw (and heard) red-winged blackbirds at the feeder this morning; they too return in early spring. Those signs of early spring seem to help lift some of my gloom -- at least for a little while.
I'm afraid there's no point or profound observations in this post. Just musings. Thanks for reading.
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