Thawing at the Moon’s Feet

A frozen Charles River

The city skyline twinkled in the deep, dark night. Its light reflected upon the icy waters of the Atlantic.

En route to work, my car scurried around snowbanks from February’s fury. I rushed into the hospital to receive handoff from the off going nurse.

“He’s very fascinating, if you get a chance to chat with him,” my co-nurse reported during shift change. “But the main thing is to watch his breathing. And his wound.”

I scribbled notes and stuffed them into my pocket. “Got it.”

~ ~ ~

His gray hair seemed like it had just been combed. He leaned against a stack of pillows. His skin and lips were pink; his breathing fine. He gave a gentle nod. “Hello.”

I checked his vital signs. “How are you feeling? Any pain?”

“Actually…” he hesitated.

Sweet Autumn Mornings

autumn mornings, new england. october, 2014.

Glimpsing beyond the shutters, one eye half open, I gasped in awe.

Breaking through the clouds, a radiant light shone upon the trees. Its autumn leaves basked in the sun, reflecting a golden hue.  The last time I saw the sun magnify like that was during a chilly November in Versailles, France. When the sun’s rays shone upon the palace exterior at sunset, the rich yellow walls melted into a luminous gold.

I had a piece of Versailles outside my window. 

Winter versus Woman

Round 1. Fight!

“Winter storm warning. Difficult commute home ahead.”

It was deceivingly quiet and beautiful. Twirling flakes sashayed through the air, landing on the ground like a pirouetting ballerina.  Then the sky released its wrath, unleashing layer upon layer of snow. Equipped for battle with my fleece jacket (atop my scrubs, atop my long sleeve T and leggings), mittens, beanie, scarf, 2 pairs of wool socks, snow boots, and coat, I rushed out at 5:45pm, hoping to get home before conditions worsened. It shouldn’t be too bad.. it’s not like it’s a blizzard or anything. Or so I thought.

To Spend Christmas Alone

a giant wooden bear. Harajaku, Tokyo.

It’s not so bad, you just need a plan:

1) Start a few weeks early, mailing out cards and gifts in advance. (Just because you can’t be with your friends and family on Christmas Day doesn’t mean you don’t send your season’s greetings.)

2) Go grocery shopping before Christmas Day, because on the day of, the stores will be closed and you’ll be left hungry. Since you’ll be alone, there ain’t no one to cook for you but yourself. (And if you don’t know how to cook, maybe it’s a good time to start learning..)

On Monday and Tuesday I had to work as usual. It was a cold and rainy evening commute. Without an umbrella, I couldn’t walk to the full service grocery store (aka ‘Whole Paycheck’) so I walked to a nearby store and picked up ham, green beans, and mashed potatoes. Unfortunately they didn’t have real potatoes or fresh green beans so I was obligated to buy boxed potatoes and prewashed green beans. Don’t judge. =P  

3) All the love you would have given to your friends and family- give to your neighbors and those around you instead. 

The reason why I couldn’t spend Christmas with my family is because

In Winter’s Grasp

what winter brings (feb. 2013)

Riiing. Riiing.

Maybe she’s not home. 

“Hello?”

“Hello, may I speak with Mrs. A?”

“Who is this?”

“This is Soapie, a nurse at the clinic…”

“Oh,” he paused. “She died,  a few days ago.”

Fresh Fridays: Sounds like Fall / Big Boys

one of my fav autumn walks. 2008

Plucked off by the wind,
yellow leaves flutter,
twirl in circles upon descent,
speckle across the street

I walk towards Thoreau path

Ode to Summer

larger than life piano. montreal botanical garden.

Where did summer go? Can you stay for awhile?
Sand in our toes, we slurped ice cream by the beach
on warm, sleeveless nights, we lingered, walked a mile
green mountains, or city lights, all in our reach.

Fresh Fridays: The Little Things

Cherry Blossoms in April

It is the little things that remind me of God’s goodness and His never ending kindness.  Although the past few weeks have been rough (evident in my last 4 posts that were tagged “death” and “tragedy”), I am forcing myself to stop and recognize the many blessings in my daily life.

I’m thankful for….

Fresh Fridays: You handle snow well

I couldn’t see.  Gobs of ice clung to my glasses and flew into my eyes. Condensation made it worse, my exhalations into my scarf fogged up my lenses.  Oh if only glasses had miniature windshield wipers!

Two weeks ago, a winter storm took us by surprise. It was a horrendous morning commute. I was only a few steps away from the front door, but struggling to move forward. The wind gusts blew cold and fierce, the snow horizontal. I stumbled a bit,

When Snow Melts

It is the brunt of February.  The once soft snow, is now rock hard. It clings to the curbs, refusing to melt. Fierce winds blow, piercing my face like a thousand needle pricks. Each second, I shiver, feeling colder and colder.

But inwardly, my heart is warm. As I walk through this storm, God is with me.

I can’t see Him clearly.  When I breathe out the cold air, condensation fogs up my glasses and my vision becomes hazy.

But He sees me.

And He knows.

I have much to be thankful for.

~ ~ ~

Hello!

If you’re one of my old readers, welcome! I’m a bit saddened to retire my old blog (my faithful ol’ xanga). I made many friends there and received so much encouragement and support in my writing. But the time has come to transition to a new space, so here I am.

If you’re one of my new readers, nice to have you here!

I have tons of stories in my head, eager to be shared on this blog, so subscribe, bookmark, and look out for it. =)

~ ~ ~

“What happens when snow melts?

It becomes spring.”

– Kana, in Takaya’s Fruits Basket