My Favorite Blogs

Since I started this blog I have discovered new blogs and rediscovered older ones. I love the "dashboard" on blogger that gives me access to all of them through one portal. Here, for the record, are my favorites:

1. HearingSparks by Megan Sparks. Megan is 24 years old, lives in Arizona, and posts frequently on a range of topics related to hearing impairment. She has posted her audiogram so I can see that she has less hearing than I do. I enjoy her perspective and frequently learn something new. She recently posted an article on captioned radio, which I've long thought would be helpful.

2. Dreamsicle Journeys by Paula McNamee AND Hidden Nest Studio by Cynthia Mooney, both members of the Portland Artist Collective. Their posts remind me of the creative spirit living inside.

3. My friends Kim Sherman (Living Peacefully) and Alice Shirley (The Importune Cat) have blogs that remind me of positive spiritual energy that keeps us going.

Thank you to all of you for enriching my life through your writing.

Campfire

For me, summer is camping by a lake. I love everything about camping - being outdoors, making campfires, pulling out my art supplies to sketch or paint by the lake while Tom fishes, swimming or just floating around on the water, paddling in circles.

This week we went camping in Central Oregon with friends, Tom and I in our 20 year old "4 Wheel" camper that sits on the back of our red pick up truck. We had perfect sunny days, cool nights, no mosquitoes, a very pleasant campsite, and the company of good friends. So it took me by surprise one night when we sat around the campfire talking about what the future holds when I realized I was working so hard to hear in the dark that I was loosing patience. Rather than ask one more time for someone to repeat something, I went to bed.

So, what is the lesson learned here? I don't have to be the last one up by the campfire? I can let myself enjoy the experience without hearing everything? I can have empathy for my conversation partners? (I'm usually not the only one who is frustrated by my repeated requests for repetition.)

As it turned out, everyone else was tired as well, and the campfire circle broke up right after I went to bed, so I didn't miss anything after all.