Good morning Turlock and the Central Valley! The warmest hey you to you on the other side of the world! Come home. Today’s sage advice for the health of it is… Embrace your sad. Let it wash over you like a wave. It’s life. -R My dad passed away early yesterday morning. My brother and myself at his bedside, letting go. It was anticlimactic, as far as great deaths go. His lungs were breathing, his heart beating, until they weren’t. It was just that quiet of an exit. He had fought, like a warrior! As my brother and I checked off the end stages from our hospice work book, we were finally where there just wasn’t anything else to check. I looked at him and said, “shit.” The room dark, I played him music from my phone, even though my dad, his essence, had left earlier in the day. It was a skin full of tired that I looked at. I had my eyes closed, listening to his breathing. Then just like that it stopped. My dad ceased to be, and my brother and I stood a little stunned. Almost like we really didn’t think it would actually get here. Dean leaned close and whispered something in his ear. I went to get the nurse. I approached, as I had a million different times in my head. “My dad…” I couldn’t finish the statement. I was unable to say that he had died. The sentence jumbled in my mouth, caught in my throat. I stood, my eyes begging for help. They knew. Without needing to find a way to say my dad and death ion the same line, I just turned and walked back to where the body of my father lay. Paleing by the second. The rest is a blur. My brother kissed me, took his bible and left the room. I look back once more at my childhood, my youth, my young adulthood. They were heaped at his feet. I closed the door quietly as I left. Nothing left there for me. With my mom now. Walter Lynn Hunt. My dad. On behalf of Jess, myself, and the entire Dry Lake Wellness family, come in and have a cup of coffee with us. -R #ruthmcleod-kearns #jessehenrich #medicalmarijuana #cityofturlock

Greetings fellow Turlockians and the Central Valley! Hey you on the other side of the world, almost home. Today’s sage advice for the health of it is… It is softball season! Dry Lake has a team on the field! So watch out! Follow the laughter if you are looking for us. Come out and say “go team!” -R These last days of my dad’s life have been fulfilling on every level. My parents had built that beautiful house, in part so they could die there. My mom gave so much thought into it, and for her it came true. But for my dad, he moved into an assisted living apartment two summers ago. We never discussed the angst of deviating from my mom’s vision. But she had left, and we were left, holding onto my dad in the vacuum of her absence. It was amazing we made it five years without her. But now it is time for my dad to go on home with her. To finish what they started, some 60 years ago. My brother and I have been in the care of the nurses that work in this, new home. In this last home of his. I have taken many memories, had my heart broke, and stand ready to take the memory of my parents and run like hell for the finish line. Brenda, owns my brother and my heart. Something she said the other day really got me. As she was tending to my father in the tenderest of ways, I asked about her family. “I have no children. So when this is me, I will be in the loving hands of strangers.” She was so at ease saying this, comfortable with her plan. But as I watched her, a person i didn’t know before this, be the way she was with my dad, I think she will be alright. It is in our angst we see the light, feel the warmth. She is our loving stranger, and I will forever be in her debt. On behalf of Jess, myself, and the entire Dry Lake Wellness family, come in and have a cup of coffee with us. -R #ruthmcleod-kearns #jessehenrich #medicalmarijuana #cityofturlock

Greetings fellow Turlockians and the Central Valley! Hey you on the other side of the world! Come on home! Today’s sage advice for the health of it is… Tell those you love just that. It’s all I’ve got. Come in to club and say hi. -R One thing I delight in, is the languages of family. As a couple, you have a rhythm, words, that can say a sentence. A look, a certain way one raises an eyebrow, a “hmmmmmm,” it all matters. Then our kids come and start to understand us. We then do silly stuff like spell our intents or displeasure. My brother once spelled to his wife, L-E-T-S G-O! In front of their dinner companions, who were adults and absolutely knew what he said. My parents were way too smart to just spell. They spoke” arp” language. A version of pig latin I suspect. They were fluent and fast. They would throw in way more “arps” to throw us off, and it worked. This morning, my frail, sweet father gave me a smile that I will never forget. With tears in my eyes, I said I love you in my very limited arp skills. One tear tear streamed down his cheek. He smiled and I rested my head against his. My heart took a picture. Forever inked inside. On behalf of Jess, myself, and the entire Dry Lake Wellness family, come in and have a cup of coffee with us. -R #medicalmarijuana #ruthmcleod-kearns #jessehenrich #cityofturlock

Hello Turlock and the Central Valley! The hugest hey you to you on the other side of the world, almost home. Todays sage advice for the health of it is… If you are looking at your phone, don’t just cross the street fool! Looking good and all, but not smart! I went to a concert. I am a huge live music person. Love everything about it. But at this show? I have a treat. The band was Avett Brothers. A blue funk, folk sound. Love these guys. And apparently, so does a ton of other people! The fans are some of the best in the world, but this one fan, she was magnificent. She was suburban wife beautiful. She was like a girl next door look. Clean. She had auburn curls, she had them up in a clip of some sort that made the look messy, but it looked almost on purpose. It made her look soft. Tortoise shell glasses, round, sat on her face, and the entire look worked! What made her so beautiful, was her young fella that she had as her date. He inherited her curls, but his hair was blonde, wild, and long. It was made for the tussle, which she did frequently, and I wanted to as well. This, I wondered was his first show. He sat, while she stood and danced, and sang. The moment I fell in love with her was watching her not go two lines without looking back at him and smiling. A big can you believe this smile! I doubt he was as full of the moment like she was, but much later in life he will remember his young beautiful mom, who danced like no tomorrow, and tousled his hair. Lucky boy! Lucky mom! On behalf of Jess, myself and the entire Dry Lake Wellness family, come in and have a cup of coffee with us! -R #ruthmcleod-kearns #jessehenrich #medicalmarijuana #cityofturlock

Good morning Turlock, Central Valley and to you on the other side of the world. Come home. Today’s sage advice for the health of it is… we are walking for cancer on April 21. Please come and support Dry Lakes Team! Donations accepted here, and walkers accepted every single day! Sometimes it isn’t our individual health, it’s all of ours! These days are spent with my dad. Reminiscing on all the yesterdays. The laughs, the can you believe that shit happened. All of it. I know this is exactly what my mom would have wanted for him. Yesterday, this gem arose. My mom had a time when dinners were pretty important. I was like 10. She always carried the “not waste” attitude with her. I think growing up in the great depression does that. This was only unfortunate when she served stuff like Orange Squash. I just could not! So the wait out started. About an hour in, she started to get exasperated. She said this. “Kid, there are starving children in China that would do anything for this food.” I replied, “Yea? Name one.” You can imagine how that went. Have safe journeys, and a kizmet day! On behalf of Jess, myself, and the entire Dry Lake Wellness family, come in and have a cup of coffee with us! -R #ruthmcleod-kearns #jessehenrich #medicalmarijuana #cityofturlock

Good morning Turlock and the Central Valley! Hey there to you on the other side of the world. Almost home. Today’s sage advice for the health of it is… Harlequin is one of the strains that will help lower blood sugar by lowering fat around your waist. I feel with the amount of pot I have smoked in my life, I should look like a Barbie doll. But my blood sugar is good. Oh well. Come in and talk with me about it. Bingo tonight! -R My mom has been so around lately. Waiting for my dad. Whispering remember whens… So today, I celebrate her, again. My mom used to take me out of school, and we would hit the road just her and I. There was some reason to her decisions I am sure. But when you are like 8 or 9, what you saw was just two rough and wild gals on the open road. Nothing else mattered. Not on those trips. Because of my age, she was the only one that drove. So there would be times she would just tire out. But if we had a place to be, she would get to a rest stop, get her sleeping bag and sleep on the hood, under the stars. That left me the bed she made in her little wagon, for me to sleep. We were a system, her and I. It was late in the night, somewhere by the border in Texas. I have no memory of where we had been, or where we were going. Funny how that goes. My mind, my heart, cling to the moments that made her, her. The unique, a little crazy, loud, phenomenal woman. My hero! I heard commotion and woke up to three men saying something to her. They wanted something, and all I heard was “not tonight boys!” Like a ninja movie, in one move, she opened up the bag, grabbed her very illegal knife she slept with, and did a hop and stood before them blade a wielding. Later I told her in my mind I thought, “well that was a solid 8.5.” Boy would we laugh. There was some yelling, a slight lunge by her and they were off, and so were we. To a hotel. Loved that woman like the air I breathe! Have a great day! On behalf of Jess, myself, and the entire Dry Lake Wellness family, come in and have a cup of coffee with us. -R #ruthmcleod-kearns #jessehenrich #medicalmarijuana #cityofturlock

Good morning fellow Turlockians! Swell greetings to the Central Valley! And the warmest hey you, to you on the other side of the world. Almost home! The sage advice for the health of it is… If you are medical, searching for only medical, come to Dry Lake! My dad is dying. It isn’t tragic, and indeed his life has been long. Much of it after a “should have killed him heart attack” in 97. And one or two after. This is a completely different journey than with my mom, for we had a different dynamic. What my mom was, could never be duplicated. We had to build something him and I. And I know he is fine with this, so I am too. I realized these last few days that this is the end of my mom’s story. The complete. When I think of him, the best of him, it has her right there. So wish him well, send their story to the heavens. For that is truly where it belongs. My mom will protect it, because she was that person to the “them” that’s about to finish. Never was that fact more evident than when it was just him and I standing. The siblings who live, have their own story with him. And with her. Soon it will only be me. The scent of their story fresh in my hair, my scarf, even in my skin. I will ride on that for some time. It was a privilege to be a part of such a wonderful thing. Soon Mom. Soon. On behalf of Jess, myself and the entire Dry Lake Wellness family, come in and have a cup of coffee with us! -R #ruthmcleod-kearns #jessehenrich #medicalmarijuana #cityofturlock

Good morning fellow Turlockians! Hey to the Central Valley, and the very warmest of hello’s to you on the other side of the world! Come on home. The sage advice for the health of it is… In this rainy time, don’t get discouraged if you hurt. Just get through. The sun will be out soon, with relief. Come in and talk with me if you need an atta boy, or to play ping pong! -r --- In my work, I get the honor of hearing about issues people have. I say that, with the largest heart, filled with awe over the individual journeys many have to walk. When life and death is always on the table. To hurt in ways I can’t even imagine. As she sat across from me, her angst was palpable. Anxiety mixed with a large amount of fear. She was younger than I, and a million percent more friable. There was something that stirred a maternal need to shelter her. To make things better somehow. She was broken. In a million pieces, for a trillion reasons. Nothing had ever gone right for her. As we were discussing her diagnosis’s, after a minute, she had tears in her eyes and said, “I’m sorry. I’m crazy I know.” The look of resign in her eyes when she said that made my heart break. I’ve been a little crazy before, but too proud to say I was sorry for it. I languished in my crazy. My mom taught me this. You know, I hope I gave her something. I don’t think I could have, but this what I received. If she was discussing a heart problem, a form of cancer, she never would have apologized. But when our brain goes wafty, we feel we have failed. And there is shame, and to the core sadness. I was struck with her strength, to melt down and then stand up and resume her day. It’s ok my dear friend. You are a beautiful, giving, kind woman. I am infinitely better for sitting with you for a bit. Please do come back. Forever a friend. Be complete and well! On behalf of Jess, myself, and the entire Dry Lake Wellness family, come in and have a cup of coffee with us. -R #ruthmcleod-kearns #jessehenrich #medicalmarijuana #cityofturlock

It’s us Jess and Ruth

Good morning Turlockians and the central Valley! The hugest of hellos to you on the other side of the world. Almost home. Today’s sage advice for the health of it is… Ever have a moment when you realize your not in perfect shape? Ok, don’t panic, just start doing something. Not a sprint, your health. Though something needs to happen. Dog walk at 4. Free house roll for participating. Dog no dog, come walk. --- I was honored to be Jess’s date at a wedding on Saturday. I love weddings, the entire thing. Oh we had fun, we danced, we drank, we celebrated love. The time came for the mother son dance. Look on… It was sunset, at what was a rainy kind of day. The moisture now a memory, and remnants of the sun saying good night wafted through light grey large low clouds. Pink was a subtle backdrop behind The setting was fairly ideal, we sat around a pool at a golf club nestled in the hills. White billowing fabric tented us in, but not too close, just perfect. I didn’t recognize the song. It had lyrics one would think would be played at this time. I did recognize the love and pride in her eyes. His face so handsome, so new and neatly trimmed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and at one point their heads rested on each other as they swayed. They whispered and I secretly wondered of what? Times when he was a goofball and she probably saved his life? We all have those stories. I choose to think it was some words of advice, of love. From one generation passing wisdom forward. Shadows were more prevalent than light, and nobody saw or cared that I wanted to run, to cry. But then I realized this day wasn’t about me. Never was. This was about a beautiful exchange I was privileged to see, to enjoy. The rest of the evening could not have been better. I am grateful for the moments age pays me back for my aches and pains by telling me to remember the obvious. It usually isn’t about us. Take a second, and don’t just react. Be well and celebrate love! On behalf of Jess, myself and the entire Dry Lake Wellness family, come in and have a cup of coffee with us. -R #ruthmcleod-kearns #jesshenrich #nickgarcia #medicalmarijuana #cityofturlock

Hey there Turlock and the Central Valley. The warmest hi to you on the other side of the world. Today’s sage advice for the health of it is… If you are recovering from, say a party with a rock band. Come in. I kinda get it. -R --- I am starting to understand some of the layers of understanding each decade gives us. With retrospect in particular. In my career, I watched atrocities of humanity unfold right before me. You know how you become, and remain a Trauma Nurse? By limiting your intake to systems only. I saw airway, breathing, circulation and so forth. It sounds a little callous, but there is no way you can be effective in this type of work without the ability to separate. If I grieved each loss too deeply I wouldn’t have had a career. I had PTSD super bad for a bit. I stand healthy and whole, and ironically I remember so much more about these kids now, than ever before. I find this amazing really. The down side is, it has put a face on many I needed to be faceless so I wouldn’t go insane. But I take it ok now. Time is kind like that. If you work now, or before in a field like mine, be open to processing stuff long after the fact. Alas, sometimes it hurts just a little. That’s ok. Or you become haunted, fucked up. I have dwelled there, and I can’t say I hated it. I needed to be crazy for just a moment. No shame in that. I take things in now immediately, and completely. Open to be baptized in another. In another’s crazy. It was a privilege to see what I saw. Not for the faint of heart for sure. So my retrospect grows. I accept and cherish it. Bring it on! Have a great weekend! On behalf of Jess, myself, and the entire Dry Lake Wellness family, come in and have a cup of coffee with us! Two today. -R #ruthmcleod-kearns #jessehenrich #medicalmarijuana #cityofturlock

Hello Turlock, and the Central Valley! Greetings from Dry Lake! The sage advice for the dope of it is… PARTY TONIGHT!!! WITH ROCK BAND! Come in and say happy birthday to Jess! ---------------------------------- I find myself at the bank daily. I have long since started going at peak hours to just hang back and people watch. And I was yet again handed a gift. I bequeath this to you. I watched her. She was probably in her early 40’s. I say this not because of aging on her person, for her skin was flawless. Her eyes were slightly angled, and shone blue. The bluest of blue. Her hands, slender, with a nicely arranged rings. They were silver medal, and just the right amount. She had a nice manicure. I felt she had some money. I say she was in her 40’s for the mere fact of her attire. It was classic Channel, with a long sleek coat that covered her pantsuit. I feel everybody in the bank had noted her. But there was nothing about her that shouted “LOOK!” You were just drawn there. Know what I mean? Above, in the music arena that plays to such crowds, the theme song from Grease started playing. You’re the One That I Want, ooh ooh ooh. Super catchy. But to no one more than the woman. As she looked intently at her phone, she started to tap the beat with her shiny black stilettos. I mean spark on the beat. I smile because I don’t even think she knew she was doing it. WHAT? She started to have a rhythmic move with her hips. Again, still staring at her phone. It was almost like the beginnings of a flash mob. Except I am at this branch a lot, I know these gals, and this is not the core group for a flash anything. Let alone a mob. She is called to the window. Never a beat missed, beautiful, put together like an ace. And she had rhythm. Oh man did it work! Be awesome! Dance in the bank! Have a kizmet day! On behalf of Jess, myself and entire Dry Lake Wellness family, come in and have a cup of coffee with us! -R #ruthmcleod-kearns #jessehenrich #medicalmarijuana #cityofturlock