Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

It’s 6 am. I’ve been awake nearly an hour after 4+ hours of sleep. The monastery church bells are ringing. I’m surprised because I read that they don’t ring again until Easter, although there was disagreement on the internet about what Orthodox churches actually do or should do. Yesterday they didn’t ring at all until…

Walk-hike above Vrdnik Since I finally felt moderately awake and normal today we decided to take a walk above town. First Jim went to our favorite little bakery on the other side of town and brought home some pastries to go with eggs. He is once again the designated breakfast cook and I am the…

It’s 5:30 am here in Vrdnik Serbia. Roosters woke me at about 4:15 after about 6.5 hours sleep. I am still exhausted given that I did not sleep at all the night we flew, and only 4 hours the next 2 nights. Yesterday my head felt tortured because I was so tired. I don’t understand…

Jessica has Moved On  When I got home from walking in Carkeek today there was a group email from Jessica’s friend saying Jessica died last night at around 6:30. She took the death with dignity drugs and died at home with her sons Isaac and Adrian and close friends with her. The process was peaceful. …

Eve reclines on the bed pausing whatever she is doing every few minutes to cough or blow her nose. She had expected to be clearly on the mend by now but today is the worst she has felt since waking with a sore throat 5 days ago. She wonders if her two friends she saw…

I’m sitting on the balcony watching the day arrive. It was very quiet aside from morning birds until a few minutes ago when the church bells rang and a small boat began puttering its way across the water. I love hearing the robust voices of the men on the boat even from up here on…

Our first afternoon here we walked down our steep hill to the (narrow) main drag that follows the shore  that is lined with cafe bars, fast food shacks, boat tour booths and bathrooms (was happily surprised to see these). The beaches are covered with small white rough pebbles and the aqua and turquoise water clear,…

The drive from Virpazar to Trebinje was beautiful and only stressful now and then. The road was mostly in good shape and not too narrow or frightening, it’s just the darn speeding impatient drivers that make it scary for me. There was an extended section of rocky dirt road that was under construction with nobody…

I’m sitting in front of the open door by our balcony at our apartment across the bridge from the old city of Trogir in Croatia, just north of Split. Somebody is downstairs on their balcony coughing frequently. Aside from that, and the birds chittering, and a very occasional scooter or boat going by somewhere in…

I’m sitting on the terrace, waiting to go down to the yard by the lower house for breakfast. This will be my last time to sit here, at least on this trip. As I write that I think of my friend and her cancer diagnosis and being told a month ago she likely has 8-12…