Catherine Finger

A Dizzying Proposition

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One of my least favorite and most disruptive life experiences is the unexpected visit and subsequent long-term relationship with Meniere’s Disease. When first given this French-sounding diagnosis I thought it sounder cuter than it actually is. Five years, permanent hearing loss, daily tinnitus, and numerous bouts of vertigo later—let me tell you it ain’t exactly awesome.

For the blissfully unaware, suffice it to say that bouts of vertigo can range from the mildly annoying—when I move too fast, I get dizzy—to the incapacitating bouts that restrict most movement and don’t even allow me to look at a screen. Which means reading is out, writing is definitely not happening, and if I even move, I toss my cookies. These days are really long, really lonely, and really not so swell.

As a woman of faith, I have come to accept my own vertigo as a thorn in the flesh experience. Sure, I’m praying about it, but I also know my God is bigger than my vertigo and if He chooses to leave it unabated, He must have reasons of His own. Fine. What if one of those reasons involves me writing about vertigo?

Having recently moved through a moderate episode and the emotional hangover that followed, I found myself wondering what an aging serial killer would do if he/she suffered from such inopportune bouts of vertigo. How much fun would it be to write about a killer in the throes of their mission-of-the-moment only to be thwarted not by the authorities, but by incapacitating nausea?

While a better woman would start some sort of compassionate blog designed to encourage others sharing this ridiculous malady, my mind goes straight to my favorite fiction genres of thrillers, suspense, and murder mysteries. The odds are strong that one of my bad guys—or girls—is going to encounter a French-seeming visitor who might just take up a lot more space than originally intended. I’m pretty sure that’s going to make for some fun writing which should translate into an entertaining read.

Here’s to putting our pencils where our struggles lie—and creating stronger stories as a result of our respective journeys.

Cruising into 2020–with the Three C’s

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I realized recently that some of my favorite beings have names beginning with the letter C. I swear I didn’t plan this, and I think it could make for a great blog series, when I get around to it. Especially the travel piece. Maybe next year? But I’m getting ahead of myself. 

My own name, as you may have noticed, is Catherine. I don’t count myself as one of the Three C’s—but I suppose I could. Four C’s doesn’t sound as cool though.

My dog’s name is Christie—short for “Christie, The Christmas Pup.”  (She comes with a story of her own.) Well into her eleventh year, we’ve been a tight team since she first crawled up my leg like a little kitten when she was a tiny six weeks old.  She came into my life in the earliest moments of a long period of pain in my life and having her little heartbeat and loving personality was a blessing time without number. 

My horse’s name is Clara—she came with this name. Meeting Clara truly was a love at first sight experience and we’re about to celebrate our third year of partnership bliss in January. If you’ve never been in love with a horse before, I highly recommend it. Horses invite you into a slower, surer world with gentle, knowing eyes and whisper soft muzzles. You can’t be in tune with your horse if you are divided in your mind, heart, or soul. They have this miraculous way of bringing balance and peace in the midst of a noisy, fractured world.

Last but not least, comes Cosmo. Cosmo may seem an unlikely addition to the Three C’s—but he provides a sense of safety with the promise of adventure without even breaking a sweat. He’s an easy to maneuver home on wheels making it easy for the aforementioned C’s and I to travel around the country seeking adventure, horse shows, conferences, and the occasional independent bookstore. Sure, he has a lot of parts, and he can be rather cranky and complicated (usually late at night during inclement weather.) Other than that, he’s the perfect gentleman.

As I contemplate the vast expanse of a brand-new year tucked inside a brand-new decade, I’m looking forward to whatever lies around that next bend in the road. The Three C’s and I hope to see you down the road in 2020. We’d love to hear about your travel and adventure plans for the new year—online or in person!