Hearing-aid

Last year brought deeper experiences of listening to just 'being.' I had the great opportunity to be humbled by the human body, when I delt with an illness that emerged out of the blue. With any great change that happens, there is a greater chance to seek 'your truth.' So that's just what I have been trying to do. It's caused me to strengthen my will, to stay true to my beliefs, and to honor my limits. It was a good year to experiment, because I certainly had the material for it!

We walked into the new year boldly. We've been thinking of buying a house in upstate NY for some time now. Ithaca NY has been on our minds for awhile. It's a great fit for us. It's a progressive city. Supportive of sustainable living, and organic farming, Ithacans have a real compassion for each other, and their town. We immediately feel a sense of renewed, positive, diverse, community when we visit. So, we began an online search for homes, and have had quite an experience since then. More to come....

making friends with food

So, tonight I'll be packing my books, p.j.'s, and personals for a week-long, all-inclusive trip to the Hirakata Hospital in Osaka, Japan. My trip is packed with a few tests which names end with the word: 'scope!' Yes, it's a week of invasive testing with the hopes of finding out what my guts are trying to tell me.
Today is a day of many preparations, but perhaps the most unforgettable preparation of the day is to eat the 3 meals of powdered/mush food given to me by the hospital before the first exam tomorrow. I just had the first meal of rice porridge, powdered egg, and powdered miso soup. Nasty... I am quite picky about certain textures of food....so it's been a roller coaster ride of gag reflex with this meal! The food is very salty, and once boiling water is poured over these 'foods,' a jelly-like texture emerges. Water and tea chasers are saving me from this traumatic food experience!
The three meals and snack are packaged in a delightful box entitled: 'Enimaclin.' There are 4 photos of each meal on one side of the box. Each photo shows a nice presentation of each meal. Lovely dishes filled with 'food'...a different place mat for each meal...even color-coordinated floral arrangements. It nearly distracts or camouflages the fact that the food tastes like a mouth-full of seawater, and already digested food!
Beyond the food though, I feel better about staying in the hospital for 1 week. Given the nature of these tests, I wouldn't feel comfortable traveling back and forth over the course of a week. Besides, it will give me time to read and maybe (if I'm not too stubborn) I will find some space to listen to myself, and to reflect upon this whole thing.