Trippin' with Susan Straley

6/4/2020 It is Thursday,  I only have a quick moment to write before I get ready to go to a birthday gathering.  I am excited to tell you all about my first trip in my Weeroll.  But this afternoon a group of neighbors with whom I have been having COVID-Style happy hours is going to celebrate one of our member's birthday.  This time, however, the birthday gal wants to have our gathering inside her house, on her chairs, eating a shared cake. Yes, keeping our distance inside .   I am not sure it is safe if one of us happens to be sick and doesn't know it. That is the big thing about this illness.  You can be sick and contagious and not have symptoms and spread it around to quite a few people, just by talking, sighing, laughing. But, hey, enough is being said about the turmoil in the world without me reminding anyone.  Instead I will insert a link to a video of an interview of the Dali Lama on how he deals with fear and change.  You may find it a nice reminder to turn

April 6, 2020 Each night I sit in my bed and write down the numbers in my diary. Last night it was: World Cases  1,272,860 World Deaths   69,424 US Cases  336,673 US Deaths  9,616 Florida Cases  12,350 Florida Deaths  221 Citrus County Cases  43 Citrus County Deaths 2 I look back and compare from a day or two ago trying to grasp and get my mind around it all and trying to see the bigger picture. Then I write down the things that I am grateful for that day.  Because it's all kind of scary, isn't it? I am grateful for blue sky, and butterflies.  I am grateful for conversations with friends.  I saw a humming bird today in the front garden.  I am grateful for the rain. I am grateful for farmers and grocery store clerks and truck drivers.  They are still working and exposing themselves and when they return home, the expose their families to possible infection. Since I last wrote the Governor of Florida issued a shutter-in-place order.  We are only to go out for

I am really surprised at how easy life and decisions can become once you decide on a path and start down it. I still agonize a bit over decisions, I still hit major obstacles.  But wow, I have made some major decisions (to me) and I don't feel a lot of regret or angst.  Isn't it a hoot that at 66 we can still get a thrill out of life's challenges and twists and we still struggle and worry for naught? Of course it helps to have supportive folks offering to help. Speaking of worry and stress... A fellow biker told me about a book she is reading by Mayo Clinic.  Guide to Stress Free Living The biker said she is always doing something and she didn't feel that Thai Chi was as good a meditation as doing nothing.  Yet she doesn't like doing nothing. I have been saying "no" to some things I want to do because I need to have some down time.  Balance is what keeps me healthy. I want to do so much, but my parents and then George were the ones to hold me

Sunday, 1/12/2020 Greetings! The last time I wrote to you I was just writing about the books and not about what is going on with me.  Sorry, that is what happens with a passion and project that needs to be spread to have an impact. So, what IS happening. THE GUY OK.  In the video count-down to launch of kindle version of THE JOURNEY CONTINUES , I mentioned that I got a call from a guy a week after Thanksgiving wishing me, "Happy Thankgiving".  He stuttered and was nervous (or pretended to be) and I engaged him in conversation a bit to kind of ease the tension and show him I wasn't going to bite. I didn't know what to think about this interest in me.  It is over a year and a half since George passed.  Some friends asked me if I would ever want a relationship with a man again.  I told them, "NO!" pretty fast and pretty decisive. But then this guy called and showed an interest and I started to run through my head the pros and cons. The guy eventua

Tuesday December 10, 2019 Hello, I am excited!  I have a special gift for you, readers of this blog. But before I tell you about that, let me tell you about the book launch celebrations. The last I wrote I said that I hoped to update you on Saturday about the book launch and how it went.  That didn't happen on Saturday.  I am feeling a mixture of accomplishment and freedom from deadlines.   It feels pretty good! So excuse me if I took a break from writing for a few days. Book Launch Review The launch on Saturday at the Cattle Dog started out strange.  Last time (for the launch of the first book in the Trippin' Series) when I arrived they had a table set up for me facing the big, main room serving area. This time they didn't have it set up for me.  Instead they had a back room area reserved for me with one huge conference table.  It felt weird.  This was a celebration with friends, not a formal business meeting. As I began to haul in my stuff I realized th