Blogging, Favorite Things, Grief, Life, Photography, Soul Homework, What I Kept

what i kept – march 2024

Kari

these are the things i kept on my phone in the month of march.

click here to read previous posts.

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i wrote this down in december. i was looking in my calendar and found it.
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my dad is back in the hospital. he is in intensive care and doing well. we are waiting for the results of an mri test he had yesterday.

one thing i’ve learned from my dad’s battle with cancer is that it is unpredictable. on friday, one of his nurses said “one thing at a time” while working on something, and that has stuck with me ever since.

when i’m overwhelmed by the uncertainty of his situation, i think of her words. maybe you can use her words today as well. ❤️

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57 thoughts on “what i kept – march 2024”

    1. He has both good and bad days. Mostly good. He is having difficulty breathing and swallowing, so there are no plans for him to leave the ICU as of today. So we’re just taking it one day at a time. ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I’m sorry to hear about your dad. My mom just got out of the ICU herself. Big hugs for you and your father.

    There’s a quote that gets thrown around a lot about everyone is either in a storm, coming out of a storm, or heading into a storm and I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. Life’s never easy, but it’s the only one we get!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Oh, Engie, I’m glad that your mom is no longer in the intensive care unit. I hope she is doing well. Thank you for the hugs. ❤️

      You are right about storms. This entire process has made me reflect on how we all die and how everything we’re doing here is about avoiding death. Storms are constantly on the horizon. It’s how we handle them that makes life meaningful, I think.

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  6. Love the dog photos…disease is definitely unpredictable. I gotta a friend who spent 9 months in the hospital waiting on a heart transplant, he has been on a new kind of med and is now on his way home because he was now told with the transplant the heart might only be good for 11-15 years, the heart he has has improved so he is taking his chances on the new med. He is in his mid 40’s. I hope your dad recovers.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Every photo in the post made me smile – except the one of the ICU, of course. I’m so sorry to hear your dad is there.

    More books to add to my TBR list, thank you.

    xoxo

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Kari, the page you highlighted in that book (Find a place…) is so powerful. I read it twice! It’s perfect for the time we’re living in because everything is geared toward everything BUT living in the present. Today, it’s all about documenting what we’re doing instead of living in the moment and actually experiencing it.

    Love the photograph of the back the dogs heads!

    Also, beautiful capture of the sparrow in the Love video. I can’t believe how close that camera gets.

    Please know that I continue to send you TONS of love and energy every morning when I’m doing a Reiki session on myself. I’m sending it to you, your mom, and your dad, with the intension that you all feel supported.

    And the nurse is right, “one thing at a time.” Wise words!

    X to you, dear friend!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Isn’t that powerful? I’m still having trouble being present. I think much of it is numbing myself because of what my dad is going through.

      I took them with me when I picked up Ella from school one day. Buddy loves the car and is such a good boy. Biscuits is not a good car passenger. This was the last time they would go with me to pick up Ella from school. 🤣.

      I love that bird camera. It has brought me so much joy.

      Friend, I know you are. I feel it. Thank you so much for doing it and being a part of my life. I appreciate you so much. 😘❤️

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  9. Life really is just one thing at a time. Otherwise, it’s too easy to be overwhelmed. I love your most recent selfie. You are getting younger, right? And I’m loving each and every dog ear pictured.

    I am a Book Dragon, too. And I miss malls. Hanging out at the mall was a rite of passage for teens in suburban Ohio.

    I hope you find joy this week. XOXO

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love you. Marry me. ❤️

      I really miss malls. Mike and I went for a walk in this mall one Saturday, and it felt very sad. This mall will eventually be demolished to make way for an outdoor version, as is the case with another of our favorites. Sigh.

      I am finding small joys! I hope you are too. 😘

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  10. One thing at a time. Yes. Much love to you and sending everything I’ve got, Care Bear Stare-wise, in your direction.

    Every single page you photographed really resonated with me. I was just talking to someone this weekend about rest and meditation. She said to me she thought sitting in meditation was, for her, a waste, when she could be doing better things. This is obviously not how I view meditation, and I felt a little bit judged, but then I wondered if her meditation is just something different – like walking or doing the dishes or something. Anyway, rest! Rest is so important.

    “We are all made of these stories even if we do not know these stories” ahhhh yes. So good.

    That selfie is beautiful. Your hair is getting so long!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love this so much. Thank you, friend.

      I love how you reframed it. Maybe she was struggling with meditation (as I am) and saw it as a failure, which she interpreted in a negative way But you are absolutely correct that doing other everyday things can be meditation. Walking, running, yoga, or even doing the dishes. I love that.

      It is getting so long. ❤️

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  13. I’m sorry your dad is in the icu. Sending you love. I love all your dog photos, especially the one with your mom! She looks good–and so do you. That nurse is wise. I got through a hard time by focusing on only the next right thing. That idea blew my mind when someone introduced it. So simple, but profound. Wish I could give you a big hug.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, friend. I feel your love.

      She looks good, doesn’t she? We’re doing pretty well given what we’re going through. The soul homework/yoga/feel my feelings combo seem to be very beneficial to me. It could be helping all of us through osmosis? One day at a time is also very healing. I will carry this with me forever. I do not want to think about tomorrow ever again.

      I wish I could hug you, too.

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  14. I’m so sorry that your dad had to go to the ICU. I’m sending you even more good thoughts and positive energy. You kept so many wonderful things in March, and I found them comforting and inspiring, and so joyful. I love your bird cam! What a show! And all the wonderful pictures of your dogs – especially the one of your mom with the dog! Your selfie is lovely, and I love your calming blue room in the background.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Michelle. We’ll absorb all of the positive energy. The bird camera has provided a lot of entertainment over the years. I would recommend one to anyone who loves birds. Thank you for your lovely comments. I really appreciate them (and you). ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I’m sorry to know your dad is in the ICU. Obviously where he needs to be right now; sounds like he is getting good care and the staff are attending to family too. Blessings to you all.

    I really like the pieces on every human being sacred, and the father laying dying and dead. Both resonated for me.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. He is getting excellent care. We are glad he is there because we are unable to care for him at home right now. Thank you for the blessings, friend.

      I liked them too. I am glad they resonated with you as well. ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Aw Kari I’m so sorry your dad is in the ICU. That nurse is very wise. We are big fans of taking things one thing at a time in my house.

    Also moment by moment or
    minute by minute. Or even squirrel video to squirrel video (or horse video, bird video, walking through the Cotswolds video…) Love the latest batch of YT videos you posted btw!

    Sending you & your family so much love. I hope today’s moments include a big unexpected laugh (like your massive bird feeder visitor!) 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, friend. Day by day is serving me well. It feels a lot safer in one day at a time.

      It makes me very happy that you like my YouTube videos. When I’m going through a difficult or sad time, I feel guilty about sharing joyful things. Even uploading my bird videos to Instagram makes me feel guilty. (I’m working through this in therapy) But sometimes, in the midst of all this, all I want to do is share happiness. I want to do this on the blog, but my ego sometimes prevents me from doing so here, too. Sigh.

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      1. I think I get this Kari. Myself & my family (even my sweet cat) have been hit with a series of very sad things. Things that may never get better. Every day we have to think about life and death kinds of questions. Stuff that makes me yearn for the simple decisions & worries of my twenties. It makes living surreal. But I will share what one of my dearest loved ones said – he said he had no worries for the future. He was at peace and everything happening made him realize how lucky & blessed he had been his whole life. And then we just laughed and told happy/funny stories for the rest of the visit. More and more I’m finding that joy and laughter and *sharing* that joy with others helps me get through things. Even the unbearable. I still feel sadness and anger but I also feel the love and joy. Sending you so much love ❤️

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I love this outlook, Maddie. There will always be setbacks in life, but there will also be good things.

        One night, my mom, Mike, and I were in the car leaving the hospital, and we were all laughing so hard at something so silly. My mom said something like, “Oh, it’s so good to laugh.” Yes, it is. ❤️

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  18. The cardinal page really resonated with me. Last Friday, I took a walk through a snowy park. I had the entire place to myself, and I enjoyed hearing all the cardinals singing their songs. Felt like a solo performance just for me.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Your Dad’s nurse is one hundred percent correct. You can only tackle or take on one thing at a time. Sending him so much love. And to you, and your whole family.

    I had a giggle at the male cardinal bit; holy shit, it’s 12 degrees out here!

    Our Biscuit (and Lolo’s Max) also love to sit behind us, so seeing Buddy behind your Mom on the chair made me smile. XO

    Liked by 1 person

  20. I love your random phone pics! I agree with that nurse. “one thing at a time”. Even though we think our brain can handle more, I need to practice putting all my energy towards the one thing right in front of me.

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  21. Praying for you, your dad, and your family. The nurse’s message is so true, and so easy to forget. It works across the board: One thing at a time.

    I read the post on my phone while traveling and I didn’t see Buddy sitting behind your mom until I hopped onto my laptop (now that I’m home) and the photo is bigger. So cute.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Sorry to hear that you Dad is back in the hospital. May his stay be brief and his recovery speedy <3

    Love that piece on rest. So important that we find time to just be, especially when life is the way it is. I’ll admit to being pretty busy while having my cancer treatment – working, seeing friends, spending weekends with my boyfriend of the time, and supporting my mother – but I really enjoyed the quiet evenings alone which I got to spend on the sofa, eating a nourishing home made meal, and putting my feet up to rest.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I appreciate it. He is still in the ICU, and there are no plans for his release from the hospital. A day at a time. ❤️

      I love that piece as well. Deb, I love how you discovered so much to love while recovering from cancer. If you don’t mind my asking, what type of cancer did you have?

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  24. I’m sorry to read about your father being in the hospital, that cannot be easy for you and your family. Glad you are able to be around for your mother. 

    “The more you know the less you need” is a profound thought. As a younger person I certainly was the opposite, but as an older wiser woman I’d say that is spot on. 

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