this week

since. I rolled off the board of a non-profit I volunteer for. I've had some. free time. which. of course. immediately. gets snatched. up. with other. duties. strike that. choices.
now. I pick. and choose. my time. a lovely predicament.
one. of my favorite things. I did. while sitting on the board. was to work with our local art center. this collaborative project. a plein air Paint Out. twice a year. with a follow-up. exhibit. now. I'm lucky. to be able to continue with this project.
working. chatting. learning. these talented artists are a refreshing view. on life. such a gift.
it is. truly. a pleasure. to continue. sharing. these hours.

'Art is not a thing; it is a way.'

on the ottoman

few books have held my attention recently. and. then. along comes. this little gem.

I see. trailers. for the new movie. I'm always hesitant. to see a movie. of a book. I like so much. especially this one. which. has photos. embedded throughout. my vision. vs the big screen version. but I would be. curious. to see how the storyline was brought to life.

five stars. and. bonus. there are. sequels.

'I had just come to accept that my life would be ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen.'

catching up

Evangeline has had. a busy few weeks. cross country to California. a detour to Joshua Tree National Forest. cheer squad at Disneyland. and. just this week. girls getaway to celebrate. happy 60 my friend.

back. home again. to. football. Friday night brewery visits. antiquing. movie-going. doing nothing.

welcome. fall. you're my favorite.

'we were together. I forget the rest.'

fall plans

several options are looming. planning. highly anticipated. maybes.

a marathon. at Disneyland. over Labor Day. takes us back to the sunshine state. he runs. I cheer.

an unexpected family reunion. our niece and family are planning a California trip in October. a fitting discovery, so to speak, over Columbus Day. several other family members on the hubs side are considering. the journey. so maybe. just maybe. this just might work out. to gather the gang.

a train trip. to Chicago. then westward. lazy. quiet. unhurried. much bantered about. to be decided.

for tonight. a few hours. at the local brewery. the hubs volunteers there. serving beer. friends gather. lovely happy hour(s).

and back again

it's been awhile. goodness. now that I look, almost 2 months. sorry about that. I'll just say. time flies.

losing my friend. has been. so. very. hard. I keep expecting. things. phone calls. doorbell rings. grocery store sightings. but all. I have. are memories. lovely. lonely. my heart will ache. for a very. long. time.

busy work. has kept me, well, busy. it's quite lovely. to be occupied. but not overwhelmed.

someone told me this morning. champagne problems. so. very. true.

time allowed for.
impromptu travel. up to Granbury. for a get-away. out to California. for birthdays.
friends. for happy hours.
deep thoughts. on just about every topic.

so. here I am. where are you?

'to like many people spontaneously and without effort is perhaps the greatest of all sources of personal happiness.'

saying goodbye

today. I'm realizing that saying goodbye is. a very. long. process. one, I think. I may never be successful in doing. and. I'm okay with that.

yesterday. I listened. the difference between grief and mourning. jumbled words. intertwined emotions. and I think. 'how lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.'

saying goodbye. I know the reality. I'm just. not. ready. to accept.

E

our dear friend, E, passed away on Sunday.

it seems. impossible. that she is gone.

gone. never forgotten. she touched. so many lives. I smile at the thought of her through tearful eyes and a heavy heart.

'she lived and laughed and loved and left. and the world will never be the same.'