Tag: tears

The Daily EO: February 22nd, 2016

Tears gathered in my eyes and streamed down my face.

“What is wrong with me?”I thought as cast my mind back to the past week.  I’d had many emotional experiences in the last week.  I’d been offered a temporary position while I looked for something permanent, LinkedIn keeps sending me the job posting that essentially replaced me, I spoke to a recruiter who referred to me as “high caliber”, I attended a Yuology YuLounge seminar focused on me (quivering nose and flushed cheeks in front of strangers is not usually my thing, but I left feeling lighter)

But what was affecting me now?

I continued to reflect upon the journey I am on (without sounding like a Biggest Loser contestant – you know “This journey is such a gift, I’m getting my life back, I will never go back to how I was before. sob.”).  I know there are going to be up and downs, but never have I stood in my kitchen and had tears start unexpectedly except in the darkest moments of grief.

I don’t particularly feel sad today, in fact, I feel pretty good!  The sun is shining (every outside wall we have in our condo is a window), I spoke with a friend this morning (Hi Nancy!), I noticed on my run this morning that the cherry blossoms are starting (I love living in Vancouver), I had a pleasant lunch with a friend (we both could not read the posted menu because we neither of had our corrective lenses with us – ended up pointing at the display case), and then I spoke to a recruiter about future options (“high caliber”  Yep, that’s me.)

This is a good day, right?

So, why am I moved to tears while making baked beans?  Am I cracking up?

February 22, 2016 Extra-Ordinary:  Onions.

It costs me $.75/day to wear daily contact lenses.  Trying to be cost focused in my unemployment I’ve been only wearing them occasionally (using squinting and glasses).  I forgot that cutting onions while wearing contacts protects your eyes from making sulfuric acid from “onion gas” and tears.  So, when you don’t wear them, lots of tears.

So, I am fine, everyone!  I’m good, everything is okay!  Carry on!  Nothing happening over here!

God, gotta wear those contacts – I could’ve ended up with fish for lunch, and therapy. . . .

 

 

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The Daily EO: July 15th, 2012

(In Cranbrook, BC)

Last time I was home I told you about my parents house, decorating and building their home.  I didn’t ever mention the landscaping projects they undertook.  The entire yard had a plan, and all the gardens were trimmed with logs standing upright.   The average diameter of each log – depending on the area in the yard – was about 12″ and each was securely placed in position with at least 12″ underground.  Cedar and Juniper shrubs dotted the front yard and the gardens featured my mom’s favorite geraniums and marigolds.

Shrubs are attractive when they are small, contained and the roots haven’t yet gained the strength to break through concrete and sewer pipes.  Once they – sorry for the pun – lay down their roots, watch out.  That sucker is not coming out without a fight, and even when you manage to win the shrub battle, the roots remain to make gardening projects harder.   When I move into a new house – I tear out the shrubs and plant flowering bushes.   (ask anyone about having their house foundation/pipes damaged by invasive roots and you’ll maybe understand why I do).

Cranbrook gets a fair amount of precipitation and cold winters.   Pavement and outdoor landscaping features face harsh conditions.  Logs – even treated ones – are going to start to wear, crumble and eventually need replacing after 40 years.  But thanks to the asphalt flush against and the shrub roots, our logs grip the earth.

In addition to the other things she’s passed on to me, my mom has passed on an allergy to sulpha drugs and juniper shrubs.   While the yard is low on sulpha, it is ripe with juniper shrubs.  Wearing my brother’s gardening gloves, flip flops and no wedding rings, I pounded and shreded those half fossilized decorative logs with a crowbar.

As I sweated, broke out into a rash from Juniper, and worried about removing a toe with a misplaced swing, I considered the effort my parents must have put into planting these logs.  And I cursed them.

July 15th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary:    While placing the logs, did my parents consider that 40 years later their children may be ripping out all of their work?