White Dove Re-Visit

**I found this image from a website called Greater Goods (greatergoodsonline.com). They appear to be a pretty cool site, selling merchandise from artists the world over, buying from companies who support Fair Trade. Check them out if you have a chance.**

The day before yesterday I was outside looking for White Dove; although I know she will eventually make her way to another location I have grown used to her presence and am enjoying her daily visits. At first I didn't see her. Then, I noticed her perched on the roof of one of the homes across from us, looking down at a fellow who was looking up at her. I saw him point her out to his friend, who glanced at her briefly, apparently too occupied with her own day to take notice of this super cool bird. Later, I went outside to bring our trash to the dumpster and spotted White Dove soaring with a pack of pigeons, her white body a pretty contrast to the blue of the autumn sky and to the dark bodies of the birds with whom she was flying. Yesterday morning one of the two meditational books I read on a daily basis contained a reading about animal spirits and how they sometimes enter our lives bearing a message of some sort. I thought about what sort of message White Dove might be relaying to me, and considered the sight of her flying freely through the sky, oblivious to the differences between her and her flying companions. She cared not that she was different from her fellow birds, no self-consciousness held her back from gliding through the warm October air. I smiled to myself, thinking that sometimes -not always, but sometimes- I suffer from the malady of self consciousness. My religious beliefs are different from those of mainstream society, my appearance can sometimes reach the boudaries of artsiness, my thoughts run deeper than those of so many of the people I meet during the day (I mean, come on-I've been going on about this bird for days!!). Sometimes I feel like I landed here many years ago from another country on some other plane of existence. I know that I need to watch those feelings of "apartness", lest they deter me from growing, from participating fully in life, from using the gifts I've been given to the fullest and for the greatest good. In the same vein, I cannot afford to let fear separate me from a spiritual path that is deeply meaningful and extraordinarily special to me , or to allow apprehension to keep me from passing this wonderful tradition on to my daughter, thereby depriving her of some of the richness of the things I've learned from it (and will continue to learn). White Dove did not arrive yesterday, but she visited us today. I fed her some bread and thanked her for her gift.

Homesick Blues

I was sitting in my usual spot at the kitchen table, guzzling my morning coffee and reading a book I just purchased entitled "Cottage Witchery" by Ellen Dugan when suddenly I was overcome with a sadness that brought tears to my eyes. Something she wrote (I can't remember what it was now, being a busy Mom who is almost always doing more than two things at a time) touched a chord deep within my being. I was overcome with a feeling of loss over being so far from my family and from the places where I grew up and where my childhood memories are. It's not like I'm in a mental place where I hate Florida today (although I do occasionally experience those days); if anything, I've been content since I returned from our trip to Massachusetts. I love our little home and our tiny garden and the local wildlife (which consists of birds, fish and iguanas), as well as the friends and acquaintances I have here. My recent trip home was difficult on an emotional level, so when I came back south I felt a sense of calm, like I was safe within my own world once again. I do miss my family, though, and the energies of New England. It's where I'm from and a part of her will always run in my veins. The sadness was only momentary; I went on with my day, too busy to consider it much further. But, it was so sharp, so gut wrenching in the moment, like a hard pinch underneath the arm that takes you by surprise. And now, here I am in the moment, as my daughter runs upstairs to show me what a brilliant shade of pink she's painted her big toe!

October Wind

This picture comes from Shelley Walsh, from a gallery I found online entitled "Rural Warrington". They are beautiful pictures that really make me think of the Fall season back home.

October is here in the South, but it's difficult to feel it. This morning I sat on the cool stones of my patio, white candle lit, saying my morning prayers to the God/Goddess, when I felt a slight breeze that spoke to me of brightly colored leaves, misty mornings and the faintest scent of wood smoke from the fireplaces of nearby homes. If I "listen" hard enough, I can feel autumn even here, where the temperatures are still rising to the 80's.

A Visitor

This little girl showed up yesterday out of the blue, quite literally. I'm actually not sure if the bird is a girl, but I've been calling her that because she seems to have a girly vibe. Bebe and I were getting ready to go out when I saw her across the street. People were walking by here, glancing at her briefly, and then continueing on their way without giving her much thought, but I thought she was beautiful in that she's completely white and has huge eyes. After standing on the sidewalk for a moment watching her, she toddled across the street and stood on the sidewalk next to us, giving us the observatory bird side eye. I was amazed that she was tame enough to venture so close to us (especially to my daughter, who is in the crazy three stage). When we returned home a couple of hours later I was surprised to see her still on the sidewalk, back on the other side of our street. I enticed her back to us with some birdfood, and when my husband arrived home he fed her as well. This morning when Bebe and I walked him out to his truck White Bird was still there, waiting patiently to be fed again, maybe. I obliged her by giving her a meal of some rolls, and while she was eating I checked her over a bit visually. Her wings appear to be fine, nothing hanging where it shouldn't be and no feathers clipped. I don't know if she was once someone's family member or if she just wandered here by chance, nor do I know how long she will stay with us. It's special and cool to have a member of nature come hang out for awhile, though. It's rare that we get to interact with the animal world at such a close level.

A Possibly Fried Compressor

I think our fridge is on it's way to being broken. It was fine as of yesterday, making not a peep out of the ordinary, but this morning it began making a funny whistling noise and now every time it cycles on it starts sounding like it's about to sprout wings and take off for the clouds. It seems like the compressor might be getting ready to take a crap and I'm none too happy about that, since we have quite a bit of food in the fridge and it can be difficult getting things fixed when landlords are involved. I'm projecting, however. Maybe it won't be a problem at all. I wish I could just wave my wand and the problem would be solved, but my magic doesn't generally work that way. I guess I could try...

Alternatively, I can dream about the above model, a Northstar retro fridge which runs around $4,000.00. It's my favorite color and looks like it belongs in June Cleaver's house. Wouldn't it look great with a black skull and crossbones profile on it?

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Blogger isn't cooperating with me tonight and I'm too tired to fight with the site. I got Bebe into bed ontime (I've been struggling with trying to get a reasonable schedule going and think I'm finally winning the battle - I'm so undisciplined) and, although I felt tired, I pulled out my paints and worked on my painting for awhile. I was a little bit tired at first but was buoyed by the thought that the only time I will ever have to be creative is at night after my daughter has gone to bed and the house is quiet. There isn't any time left in the day anymore; it seems like every minute is filled with doing work for N, raising our daughter, cleaning house, running errands, cooking. It's insane how busy I am most days; I swear I'm busier nowadays than I was when I worked at the law office. Anyway, the important thing is that I got a little painting in tonight. If I can keep doing this a few times a week (and once I start I feel great because art is one of my passions) I should be able to get this painting done and to its rightful owner. That leaves me free to work on other peices, which I'm excited about. I'm EXHAUSTED now and am going to find my way to bed.

Monday Again

The party went well on Saturday. All the kids we invited showed up (although I had a moment of Mommy anxiety since most everyone showed up a little bit late and I feared no one would show at all), there were lots of games for the kids to play, we had plenty of food, Bebe got lots of cool gifts, and everyone seemed to have a good time. The only bad moment was when Chuck E. Cheese came out to do his Chucky dance and one of my daughter's friends started screaming in terror. My best friend's husband whispered, "No one likes a rat." to my husband, which I thought was funny, and I told little Dez that I thought Chucky was a bit scary also. As for Bebe, she laughed and blew out her candles, almost in one puff. How did she get to be three so quickly?

Friday night we had a small family party with just one friend, Bebe's Godfather. I made an eggplant baked ziti ala Rachael Ray and we let Bebe open her gifts from us, a big dollhouse and a couple of other things. Earlier that day I was reminded of just how tenuous life can be, and just how vulnerable our little ones are as children and how vulnerable we are as parents. Our daughter gave us a quite a scare, the details of which I won't go into, but suffice to say that I am grateful today that we had some good spirits looking out for us on Friday. There is nothing like parenthood to make a person realize how fragile life can be, for the love of a parent for a child is like no other kind of love that exists on this earth!

Sweet Blessings

Bubbe's kitty showed up a couple of days ago, after almost one whole week of being missing. We don't know where she was, only that she was clean upon her arrival home, if not a bit sickish. I'd put a couple of posters around town in the hopes that someone would find her and call; I'm not sure if her sudden appearance at 3AM had anything to do with that. I think that probably she just escaped from wherever she was; it'd been raining here for days while she was gone so she must have been sheltered someplace. I did a meditation the day before she returned. Bubbe had feared the worst, but when I did the meditation I had a very strong feeling that she was alive and basically okay but feeling not feeling well. I'm relieved that she returned home; she is Bubbe's companion and one of the only creatures keeping her sane these days, when her life seems to be filled with so much difficulty.

Hubby and I bought our daughter her birthday presents today while a friend babysat. I think she will be excited when she opens them-we bought her a dollhouse with some additional furniture, and a Leap Frog letter spelling toy with the money my aunt sent to buy her something from us. The party is set for Saturday and today I found out from a girl friend that she will probably be coming with her little daughter. Hooray!!!! Another little one at the party!!!! I think my friend L in Miami will also be in attendance, which makes me happy as we've been close for many years and I'd hoped she'd be able to make it.

Another day closes.

Saturday Sunshine

Ah, Saturday. Hubby and I both overslept this morning which created a rush for both of us in the early hours. He had to work today and I, as always, have tons of stuff to do. I stopped by I's house yesterday for a bit. Her cat has not surfaced yet and my search around the neighborhood turned up nil. It's very depressing; I've no idea where she could've wandered off to and hope that I's inkling that someone hurt her turns out to have no basis in reality. My experience with some of the less desirable humans on our planet has shown me that, alas, evil, animal-hurting people do exist. I felt sad when I left I's house. The idea of being sixty five years old and utterly alone in a small apartment terrifies me. This woman had it all years ago-money, a nice family, a beautiful house up north plus a condo in South Florida. Now, suddenly, she's here by herself, her one son died a year ago, her other isn't speaking with her. I think the dysfunction of it all has triggered me to want to help her fix things, which I can't really do. Because it reminds me so much of my own familial dysfunction (of which I'm not much a part of these days because I live over 1000 miles away from everyone) I have a deep desire to soothe the pain she's experiencing. Being a friend is always a good thing; it's just important for me to not lose sight of the responsibilities I have to my own life. One of the problems I've experienced in the past is not dealing with my own problems by getting lost in those of other people. I can't do that today-not that I have so many problems right now, but I do have responsibilities. Today, I'll make and print out some lost cat flyers to post around town (although with all the rain we're having I'm not sure where I'll post them), give my self a manicure/pedicure (my nails look horrid because I hate doing them and never have the time besides), send out birthday invites, deposit a check into my account so I'll have money to run the house with next week, buy cat food because my cat is snubbing the food I've been giving her (so particular, that one), and maybe do a craft with Little One. We have a craft to do in honor of the arrival of autumn. It's already 12:30, so now I'm really in a rush. No discipline do I have. Sigh.

Birthdays and Other Sundries

I reserved a party at Chuck E. Cheese for little one for next Saturday, so that's off my mind somewhat now. I'm relieved, actually, because usually we do parties at our house and that means I spend more time in the kitchen than I do hanging out with our friends. It will be more fun for our daughter, and it will mean zero cleanup for me after the festivities have ended.

Today we need to run errands. It's a rainy grey day here and I would like nothing more than to stay here making Halloween/Autumn crafts with Little One, but work needs to be done in spite of my not wanting to do it. I have to go to FedEx, the Humane Society (a friend of mine is missing her cat and I said I'd check there since she can't get out), Walgreens (twice), my friend's house, the library to drop off a video (they only let you take the cursed things out for five days). I'm tired just thinking about all of this stuff. And the work I have to complete also entails some things I need to do at home in the way of cleaning and writing out the ever present bills. Sigh.

So far we have an autumn leaf garland, some orange sparkly skeletons, a spider web and spider that I made from black construction paper this morning, and a few store bought tchatches of the Halloween nature as our seasonal decorations. Somehow, I'm turning into a Martha Steward wannabe or something. How did I go from rock and roll to Martha Stewart Living???? She's been to jail, so she's kind of tough now, right? Whatever. Suddenly I'm a suburban house Mom. No minivan though. No minivan.

Friiiiiddddaayyyy

Well, the landlady agreed to help us out by paying the security to the commandos, but she doesn't really have the money to fork over any more than we do and my gut tells me that this whole situation is going to end badly someplace. I did a meditation session this morning where I came to the conclusion that it's possibly time to leave the place that has been our home for the past year; I don't really want to move out, and I'm not sure yet that we will, but there are some factors that I'm uncomfortable with and this might be God's way of telling us that other things are in our future and we need to move toward those things. We've been wanting to buy a house, but it's so expensive to buy here! The taxes are high, home prices are high, the cost of gas here is higher (by about .20) than it was when I was in Mass., the cost of living is high. Are we in Florida or California? The prices of homes aren't quite as high here as they are on the west coast, but we're approaching that era, I believe. That is, if people keep moving here. I bumped into ANOTHER friend the other day who has had enough of this place and is moving to Tennessee with his wife. The only people who seem to keep moving to Florida are people from other countries. Apparently, they are the only ones who can afford to be here. That said, I'm not sure if we could even buy a house right now. Maybe we could rent one....'tis a vicious cycle.

Oy Vay is All I Can Say

We had a fantastic day, my little one and I, at least until I received a frantic telephone call from the lady who owns the unit we live in. Have I mentioned how much I HATE condo association nazis? Especially the ones here??? The first part of our day was spent hanging out at the library with some girl friends of mine and their kids. After that we all went to lunch and the kids got to hang out some more while the adults talked. It was nice spending time with the girls; they are hands down two of the coolest women I've met in the whole time I've been here in South Florida. Good friends are difficult to come by in these parts, and I've been blessed with more than one so I count myself among the fortunate. After lunch we all parted ways and Bebe and I went to a mystical sort of store that I love. I have been frequenting the place for many years and am familiar with the owners. After I browsed the store for a bit I settled on some candles, oil and incense that I needed, chatted with one of the owners, then left for home. It was on the way back to the house that my cell phone rang. Not recognizing the phone number that showed on the caller ID, I let the call go to voice mail. I have a fairly strict policy about not answering calls when I don't recognize the number, as most of the people with whom I converse on a daily basis are programmed into my cell. To say that I'm glad I did NOT answer the call would be an understatement, as I need to gather myself before I call this woman back. I like the woman who owns the place where we live and I have no idea what to say to her. Also, I have a distinct feeling that I'm not going to like what she is going to say to me. Apparently, the commandos aren't satisfied with the package I completed for them (which contained any and all relevant information they should need for us to stay here) and want me to fill out another one (like I do nothing all day and have time to dick around with a bunch of people who are so obviously just trying to make it impossible for renters to stay here). They are also giving the unit owner a hard time and threatening all sorts of legal fees, which I sincerely hope she doesn't expect us to pay since we signed nothing agreeing to pay legal fees arising from her not proceding along the correct avenue when we moved in. The bottom line is that we would never have moved into this place had we been aware that the association would require an additional $1000.00 on top of the large sum of money we paid to the owner when we moved in (first, last, yada yada). We were not even aware that the management company had an issue with renters living here. It seems funny to me that I grew up in an area where the average home would cost a person wanting to move there close to a million dollars. I lived in a house with a huge backyard and went to a good school in a nice, suburban area with very little crime and a killer high school basketball team. I look at the people who live here and I laugh that so many of the residents walk around with their noses in the air acting like they're the balls because they live here. We live in nice townhomes right next to the highway, a marina, a garbage incinerator, and an ugly main road. Our health insurance went up right after we moved here, with the reason being that the area we now live in is more unhealthy than the one we moved from (although health insurance companies need little reason to raise their rates anyway). The real estate market here is shaky at best; there are places in here for sale that aren't selling. People who bought theses places as investments are getting into trouble because they can't sell the units and are renting in an effort to keep them. So, if the management company wants to act like a bunch of immature jacksticks, they can enjoy managing a community full of foreclosures and empty units. Sounds like paradise to me! As for us, we'll probably have to move yet again, hopefully into a less controversial environment.

Feeling Pretty Good

here on this rainy day. I spent some time at a friend's house last night helping her get her apartment straightened out a little bit. She's been feeling under the weather and unable to do this sort of thing so it was nice to be able to give her a bit of a hand. I arrived home last night at close to 11PM, tumbled into bed, and woke up at 6AM to face the new day. I decided that I'm not going to obsess over this Dominican Republic job. It might happen, it might not happen, it might happen and be a great thing. Who knows what my HP has planned for us? Maybe he'll take the job and the time that I have to myself will allow me to focus more on my artwork. I have a playdate with a girl friend and her kids today. Little One will have fun. It's a stormy, grey day outside and not a good day for anything but indoor activities, and they have a nice house filled with positive energy (a contrast to my friend's house last night, which made me feel slightly sad and drained-it's horrible to be older and alone) and it will be nice to hang out with her and watch the kids doing kid things. Ciao!

And Now for My Next Trick...

let me pull a map of the Dominican Republic out of my ass. This is the newest surprise in my life-the possibility that my husband will be going out of town to do a job here. I keep telling him I will follow him anywhere as long as it's Colorado or California!! At any rate, we're not invited on this trip; he was only looking into getting a passport for himself, which causes me much anxiety and inner conflict. He seems to have so much work here in Florida right now, but I suppose he's thinking about the possibility that any day now the construction industry could dry up. I'm not happy about it; after he told me about the trip I felt sick to my stomach. I never would've made a good military wife. Then again, I always swore I would never marry someone in the military because I know that I do not have the personality to worry constantly about my husband being in situations where he could get blown up or worse. I very much admire those women able to deal with this sort of thing, but I'm not one of them. Call it a personality defect, if you want, but I just call it knowing one's own limitations. We have a three year old child who can't stand to be separated from her father for a few hours, let alone several days (weeks? who knows?). I suppose I'm projecting all sorts of negative possibility. Already I'm thinking that if he takes this one job, then the next time an out of town gig comes up it will be that much easier for him to say yes to it, and pretty soon he'll be away all the time. Of course, we're not even at that point, and we may never be, but my mind is just running away, imagining weeks of taking care of a little one alone while my husband is on the road. Oh, and what about those beautiful Dominican women? It's too much to contemplate. On another note, a good friend of ours just came back from California and wants to move out there. He was flying back from a trip to Alaska (he owns a small aircraft) and made a few stops, among them California and Nevada, and said that when he returned to Florida after feasting his eyes on the sheer majesty of the mountains and the beauty of the forests out west well-he said he felt like he'd been plopped back down into a mucky swamp. Yup. Pretty accurate. There is good and bad everywhere. Preference of habitat comes down to what a person likes and dislikes. I love the mountains, the ocean, and old wooded areas. We boast two out of three of those things here, but the mindset here is so different from the west coast. Alas, Florida is where we're stuck, at least for now. I have lots of friends here who I would miss if we went away, but so many of them seem to be leaving lately that I sometimes wonder if we won't wake up one day to find ourselves alone here anyway!!!

Happy Yom Kippur

Tonight starts Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. It's a pretty serious day as holidays go, and a time of the year meant for reflection and figuring out ways that we can improve in the coming year. I think, also, that it's a good time of year for forgiving the wrongs done to us during the past months, for in doing so we free ourselves up mentally and spiritually. Holding grudges and concentrating on the slights of other people prevents us from really looking at ourselves and making the decision to be better people, and prevents us from becoming as healthy as we are able to be. When has anger and resentment ever felt good? I mean, harboring a bit of darkness over an incident that hurt your feelings, or cost you money, or harmed you in any way at all might feel good initially. After all, we're not obligated to allow people to trample over us. Over time, however, these feelings can mutate into a much uglier emotional state, and even lead us to become more bitter people who view humanity as a whole as a cruel, hopeless lot. This is a tragic condition, because there are so many out in the world whose aim it is to do good, to do right, to use their talents and abilities to help other people (which, in the end, is what really brings us happiness). That said, you never know how much your kind words, or your smile, or your offer of help could effect someone else in a positive way, maybe even change the course of his or her life for good. I hope everyone celebrating Yom Kippur this year finds the holiday to be positively transformative, and that, regardless of your chosen spiritual path (I also follow Celtic spirituality and enjoy the reflect aspect of the Celtic holidays of this time of year as well), this day finds you sweet rather than bitter, happy rather than sad, healthy rather than sick, and of a giving and generous heart.

You scored as Mary Read, You are very unconventional, you defy the rules as often as you can and like to take as many risks as possible. You will probably end up living happily under a bridge somewhere laughing at all the unsavory deeds you once instigated. Mary Read 92% Captain James T. Hook 75% Captain Jack Sparrow 67% Black Beard 67% Long John Silvers 50% Sinbad 50% Morgan Adams 50% Dread Pirate Roberts 33% Captain Barbosa 17% Will Turner 17% What kind of Pirate are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Hmmm, I took the pirate quiz and this is what I came up with. Pretty right on, although I hope to never be living under a bridge!!! Arghhh!!!! Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!

WOW

So, on Saturday one of my husband's employees died right in front of him. He tried to save him, as did the paramedics when they arrived, but there was nothing anyone could do. As far as the doctor at the hospital could figure out on the fly, he died from a massive heart attack. Wow. He was just here at our house on Monday and, just like that, he's gone. This definitely emphasizes to me how important it is to live each day to the fullest (yes, I did paint today-not for very long, but for any hour or so) and also to watch the things that go into our bodies. I try to cook healthy foods, but once in awhile I slip up, and sometimes we're not aware of how much yucky fat and such is in the foods we eat. Thankfully, we eat home most nights so I know what's going into the food I'm preparing (food recalls aside...now there's a recall on Dole salad mix) and I can control ingredients like salt and butter. Smart Balance is great! Anyway, the funeral is going to be in Pennsylvania, since he was from there, so we'll probably send some flowers. I need to call and find out when it's going to be. Abundant sighs..

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig

Well, Massachusetts was great. I got to spend lots of time with my Mom, and over the first weekend I was there DH flew up and we went to a graduation/birthday party for my sister, brother and me (my sister graduated from college and my brother and I were each celebrating birthdays, two days apart). Things got fairly crazy but no fights or drunken driving; the worst incident that occurred was a half drunk guy talking trash to a girl who I think might have been his girlfriend at one time and that was over pretty fast. On Sunday we went to the King Richard's Faire in Carver with two of my brothers, my sis in law and my one brother's girlfriend. DH bought me a birthday gift of some cool jewelry (I love silver), we ate some food, laughed a lot, and just generally hung out and had a good time. My little one was very overwhelmed by the traveling experience and was a bit crazy for the duration of the trip. My Mom, who is used to living a quiet, albeit busy, life, had some difficulty with the toddler insanity, but we got through it mostly okay. She was able to walk us to the gate at the airport when it was time to leave, which airport staff doesn't usually allow, so we had some extra time to hang out before boarding time came. By then I was teary eyed and not very happy; the only thing that kept me from completely breaking down on the plane was the fact that my almost three year old daughter was with me and I didn't want to upset her. This was a good thing; because of her I was able to pull myself together in spite of my sadness and focus on the good things and people I was coming home to rather than the good people and things I was leaving behind. Which brings me to this: Today I found out my friend Jo Ann scored us free High Holiday tickets. Yay!!!!! We'll both get to be good Jews this year and attend Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur services, thanks to the good will of some kind hearted temple members who felt bad for us poor little Jewish girls (I seriously could not afford the $150.00 ticket this year!!!). So, I had good news to greet me amidst the craziness of all the work which piled up for me while I was out of town, and the landlord telling me we're going to have to shell out more money to the blasted condo association because they want an additional security deposit and blah blah. These people are crazy! Anyway, happy Monday!

Start Spreadin' the News

We're leavin' today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At roughly 3pm my daughter and I will get on a plane (we're flying Southwest Airlines) bound for Providence, Rhode Island, where my Mom and friend David will meet us and we'll head across the border to Massachusetts, my beloved home state. I'm looking forward to seeing my family and my home turf. I've missed both terribly. DH said today that he would move to the Cape in a second if he could figure out how to work there. He knows I want to go back to school for art therapy and that I could do it there. Then, over time, I could become an art therapist like I dream of and he could play golf and whatever. I'd better start working on that portfolio; you never know when God will throw you a curve ball that gives you a chance to actually go forward on a path you've been practically begging Him to be able to tread. I've known many a person for whom this has happened; I just spoke a few days ago with a woman at the bank who is moving back home to Maryland after being here for ten years. She sited missing her family as the foremost reason for the leave, as well as having tired of our endless summers. This is yet another person leaving Florida; I've known so many over the past few years. Why can't it be us? I want this to happen under the best of circumstances (ie, I don't want something traumatic to necessitate a move and have been clear about that in my prayers) and for the good of all of us. I know those of you living in climates where it gets cold during the winter months probably can't understand my pining for my home state. All I can say is live where I do for awhile. Some people never want to leave, but for the majority of people I've known here over the years, the novelty of living in the subtropics wears off after a time, and the longing for other places creeps into their souls. This has definitely been the case for me. There is a longing within my soul that plumbs the depths of the oceans deepest reaches. It cannot be squelched and it cannot be ignored. Wow! It's almost 11am. I have to finish up my packing and get my daughter and myself ready to get out of here. I don't want to be rushing around at the last minute like I always seem to be! Have a great weekend!

Boston Bound in a Few Days!!!

I'm so excited!!!! My daughter and I leave for Massachusetts (we're actually flying in to Rhode Island) on Saturday afternoon, arriving just in time for dinner at Pizzeria Uno, or wherever the mood takes my Mom and my friend David and me. While I hate flying for various reasons, I'm looking forward to our arrival in my home state. It's been way too long since we've been there and I will cherish every moment we spend on hometown ground. (BTW, I didn't take the above picture but hope to have lots of my own when I return to South Florida.) This week is going to be all about tying up loose ends, such as getting the necessary bills paid out and updating DH's qualifier's license so he doesn't get jammed up with permits and inspections while I'm gone. Among the hats I wear, secretary is one them and when I'm gone he's left to writing his bills out by hand and having to do all of his own footwork. It's actually one of the things I dislike about going out of town, although he manages just fine without me. Last year he was happy to have me back to help out again, but I think he'll enjoy a few days of pseudo-bachelorhood just the same. Seeing our friends yesterday was fantastic; they reminded me of how much we need to make our own way in the world and do what is best for us and our immediate family in spite of what we'd like to be doing for the rest of our family and, in some cases, to soothe our own homesickness. I will try to keep that in mind while I'm in the Bay State, but it's always difficult. I miss my family terribly and while I'm visiting with them all I can think is that I never want to have to leave them again, snow or no snow. Well, lots to do today, so I'm out.