living well and dying with dignity
At autumnal equinox, day and night are in equal balance. It marks the beginning of increasingly shorter daylight hours and longer nights, and it’s right around the corner on September 22, 2024. When the summer fun is done, and fall makes her subtle debut, we human beings can become the epitome of “human doings”! Waning … Read more
It’s been a while since my last Long Covid (LC) Series post. That is because I am better but not normal. The good news is that I have been enjoying summer in Flagstaff. There have been social interactions (virtually and outdoors), Llumination Quests (ask me about this), reading, research, writing, consults, and precious time with … Read more
This edition of the seasonal timings explores a celebration with rich history in both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon cultural traditions. Lughnasadh (pronounced loo NAS ah) occurs at the midpoint between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox. This holiday is traditionally celebrated on the eve of July 31st and into the next day, August 1st while … Read more
For the first three years living with Long Covid (and not knowing it), I spent a lot of time avoiding allergy triggers and another covid infection. I masked in public places (still do), and tested frequently for covid before and after social interactions. Most of my limited social interactions were (and still are) in outdoor … Read more
Readers following the Long Covid (LC) series may note that I referenced a “trigger event” that increased my symptoms in 2023. Today I want to share about this, hoping it is of some use to other LC patients. The event was related to a covid vaccine. To be very clear, I am not anti-vax and … Read more
This edition of the seasonal timings will explore summer in the northern hemisphere. Summer solstice occurs on or around June 21st when the sun is at its most northerly point relative to the celestial equator. The definition of solstice comes from the Latin words, “sol” (sun) and sistere (stopped or stationary). At solstice, the sun … Read more
When I started blogging the ABC’s of Living Well my intention was to share the things I have learned from walking alongside hospice patients and their caregivers. Given that I am now almost to the end of the alphabet, it seems fitting to delve into the subjects of dying and death. Mindfully crossing (conscious transitions) … Read more
Xings can happen swiftly and may be celebratory and joyful or shocking and traumatic. A Xing can happen in an instant, beginning or ending an entire era. A baby’s first breath, for example, is a joyful single moment that forever changes its life and that of its family. Another swift Xing is the moment one … Read more
Since Further Shore was founded out of my desire to provide education about supporting the dying, “X” is for Xing is the best place to address the biggest elephant in the room; everyone dies. The definition of dying is the process of bodily termination; death is the irreversible cessation of all vital bodily functions. Readers … Read more
In this edition of the seasonal timings, May Day, also known as Beltane, is right around the corner on May 1st. This day marks the midpoint between the Vernal (Spring) Equinox and the Summer Solstice. The Celtic holiday, Beltane, marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and puts an emphasis on joyful fire … Read more