My Pet Head-Rock

I found this tiny skull made of howlite on a recent trip to Door County, WI. Notice the gray streak -- right where my surgical scar was! At this time last year, my head was pinned in place, my scalp cut open, and a section of my skull temporarily removed. That sounds a lot more dramatic than it turned out to be. A year later, I look back on that time with some fondness, partly because it was such an odd, fascinating experience to go through and partly because as stressful as my pre-surgical days were last year, my current level of stress is much higher. The hazy-dazy respite of relatively pain-free brain surgery would be a relief compared to watching my mother go through the long, drawn-out process of dying. Last year, my husband and my older sister were in attendance at the hospital as I went under the knife. My other sister left that day for a work trip to Uganda (lucky bitch). Notably absent were my parents. I completely understood their absence and didn't mi