RockWall Cottage Chronicles #11
A newsy, sometimes amusing, usually interesting fly-on-the-RockWall view of my life as an author with updates from my Substack adventures.
The small cottage where I live and write has been affectionally named RockWall Cottage because of the rock wall that divides our side of the property from the side of the property where our friends, the owners of the cottage, live. (Learn More)
What Has Been Happening at RockWall Cottage?
Writing! Lots of Writing. Conversations with survivors! Lots of conversations along with big doses of self-care. Dinner with friends, a birthday party, grandchildren off to high school and college, and lots of sorting and organizing . . . again.
I have enjoyed planning and writing new content—the details are below.
The Continuing Saga of the Chickens
We discovered that we have two roosters. That was not the plan and things may get complicated since we are in a country setting, but not that country-ish!
The Silkie rooster was hard to identify because Hugo—who used to be Margo—hadn’t yet developed the thin “stickie-outie” streamers on his crown that would have helped us realize he was a rooster. We had to watch for a while to figure out who was echoing Elvis.
Cock-a-doodle-doo . . . Cock-a-doodle-doo
Surprise! Now Elvis has male and female backup singers named Hugo and Lola. (If you missed the story of the naming of the chicken after children’s book characters, you can watch the story of Elvis on this video: Bawk & Roll.)
News, Highlights from Previous Weeks, What’s Coming, and Other Stuff
What is coming in September?
The “What I Wish I Had Known Before Beginning Therapy” series will wrap up tomorrow. I hope the summary in tomorrow’s post will help you find any articles you may have missed. The plan is to create a stand-alone resource.
This week’s main content will be the first part of Trauma in the Pews 2.0, Section III. It begins with the story of a dear friend who continues to inspire me though she left this life far too early. I told her that her story would not be forgotten, so be sure to read the post! I will complete the final part of the book later in the fall. This content will include a preview for free subscribers.
Next week will be devoted to a four-day series based on a part of my healing journey that I have not previously shared. This sharing has been a work in progress for years and my village of support agrees that it is an important addition to many of the current conversations—and that I am ready to be BRAVE once again. Healing is a remarkable thing. This content will be available to all subscribers.
This month’s McMusings will have a trauma-informed/sensitive/responsive focus on several political discussions. My perspectives on these issues have changed in many ways as I worked to heal and understand the impact of trauma. I do not often see the impact of trauma as a lens for political concerns, so I am wading in.
The We Do Therapy Series: Beginning the last week in September, Scott and I will discuss the following topics/parts of our story in a four-day series. (Read the Introduction here.) Don’t hold me to this—my writing is always a work in progress! This will be paid subscriber content with a free preview for everyone.
The Engagement: When Trauma Attracts Trauma
The Wedding: Glimpses of Baggage on a Picture-Perfect Day
The Honeymoon: Dueling PTSD Re-Enactments and Reactions
The Marriage: How Co-Dependency Helps and Harms
The Healing Journey: Not Taking the Messiness of Healing Personally
Hiding in the Church: How the Patriarchy Harmed Us Both
Church Teachings: How Toxic Theology Harmed Kept Us From Healing
Therapy Lessons #1: Arguments as Trigger Wars
Therapy Lesson #2: Recognizing an Off-Roading Event
Therapy Lesson #3: When No One Understands Boundaries
Therapy Lesson #4: Packing and Unpacking our Cigarettes (i.e. Baggage)
Therapy Lesson #5: Holding Tightly to the Good Memories