The west coast windstorms swept in from the ocean drowning December in its usual cyclical trend. This year, the rain and wind seemed particularly heartless in the year we call 2020. When the rain stopped for a few days, the twinkling lights on houses and patios lit up the night sky, and filled the air... Continue Reading →
The Road Ahead
The weak light of the sun filters through the clouds, radiating a soft glow on a grey November day. Soggy amber leaves thread the groove beneath the curb of the sidewalk. The road stretches clear and quiet ahead. A cool breeze rushes over my face, each breath reminding me how lucky I am to be... Continue Reading →
The Gold Outside My Window
“We never saw it coming. We never could have guessed that a virus would change our world. The possibility only existed in movies, and there was always a dynamic hero that came to the rescue with a cure.” - J.G. Chayko - Imagine RA Network: Chronic Illness in a Pandemic Life. The year is 2020.... Continue Reading →
Harvesting Life
The turning of the year is fast approaching. The darkness emerges a little earlier each day, the mornings are damp and shrouded in a ghostly mist, Mother Nature dresses in her finest colors and summons the howling wind to whip up a potpourri of brilliant splendor for our eyes. The burnt light from the harvest... Continue Reading →
Shadows in Twilight: Arthritis Awareness Month
It’s almost the end of September. The mornings linger in darkness a little longer, the dew sparkles on the grass, the sun sets a little earlier, an evening chill pierces the dusk. The summer is behind us as we fall into autumn, and it has been a quiet month. The summer was eventful and full... Continue Reading →
I Do, I Can, and I Will: A Pandemic Wedding
The warm glow in the sky announced the sun’s presence, as it gracefully crested the mountain tops, casting a rosy blush over the surface of the ocean. A breeze swept softly off the water, cleansing the air with a salty bouquet. Two bald eagles sat in the treetops watching the figures below encroach on the... Continue Reading →
A Pandemic Summer, An Extraordinary Life
Springtime came in quietly this year, lush with vibrant life and cherry blossoms. It was an unusual spring. The commerce that ran our daily lives was suspended in the web of an inhospitable virus. For a few weeks, the human footprint was reduced, and the natural world flourished. Mother Nature was given her chance to... Continue Reading →
Resurgence: A Covid life with RA
The sun warms my skin through the window. The mountains rise on either side of the road, green and lush from the spring rains sweeping through the valley. The blue sky is dappled with wisps of high cloud as we drive down the twisting highway. Once over the peak, we dip down into the desert... Continue Reading →
The Twilight
The day is nearing its end. The traffic is hushed, the wind wafts softly through the leaves; the birds are singing their evening song. The heaving world is moving into stillness. I sit on my patio and exhale the remains of another day, take a moment to unwind beneath a purple sky pin-pricked with starlight,... Continue Reading →
Sometimes You Just Have to Say…
I like to think I’m a pretty positive person - and when RA invaded my life, I found a way to look at the lighter side. I rarely complain about my flares and bad days because, quite frankly, those of us who have some form of inflammatory arthritis already know how bad it can get,... Continue Reading →