Ten years ago, Roy’s parents passed away. We commemorated the 10th anniversary of their passing with a family get-together weekend at the country home of Roy’s sister and brother-in-law. There were 17 adults, 11 children, 2 large dogs and 1 cat who made it to upstate New York and we had an action-packed several days. Here are a few photos of some of the quieter moments. (There was no internet access up there which is why you haven’t heard from me until now.) A great time was had by all!

Tomorrow we hitch up the team and move ‘em out. Destination: upstate New York for Roy’s family reunion. This summer is just galloping along! Hopefully the weather will cooperate but if not we’ve learned to roll with it.

I’ll post snapshots from the road…

Pisgah Forest

Got a Wii Fit for my birthday and the first week has been everything I had hoped for: An exercise program custom-fitted for my good and bad days. Routines too simple to make excuses for. Laughter at outrageous activities like trying to head soccer balls while sneakers are being thrown at you. My goodness - a fitness routine with a sense of humor! I love it!

You can read all about my adventure - I Fall Down and I Get Up Again - one of those things that doesn’t get easier as you get older.

I managed to snap some pictures before the clouds and rain rolled in Fortunately, it cleared up later in the day and the fireworks lit up a star-filled sky. There’s nothing like a small-town 4th!

Courtesy of Zalita

One year ago today I started blogging.

I’ve written about the fascinating and the uplifting , the ridiculous and the profound, the magnificent and the mundane, the old and the new. I’ve written in sickness and in health, happy and not so happy. I’ve shared good news, bad news and no news.
Such is the cycle of a blog. Thanks to my readers who comment and the lurkers who don’t. I know you’re out there! T’would be nice to hear from you. Thanks, too, to my new friends who’ve reached beyond the confines of the internet to become part of my larger circle. It’s been fun to get to know you.

Here’s to another year of connecting in this forum!

“People say to me so often, ‘Jane, how can you be so peaceful when everywhere around you people want books signed, people are asking these questions and yet you seem peaceful,’ and I always answer that it is the peace of the forest that I carry inside.”

– Jane Goodall

Summer in Brevard

Well, it’s been an interesting few days. Highlights were a family emergency, an unscheduled plane re-fueling and an acute gall bladder attack.

But we’re here, and things are settling down. There’s a cool breeze today, allowing us to open the windows, and the sound of the creek is calming and centering.

It’s important for me to remember that I may not have control over what happens, but I do have control over how I choose to respond.

West Sedona

As we pack up some boxes to send back east for the summer, I’m marveling at how quickly this Arizona town has become “home”. And yet the east is still home. How can that be?

I think it’s that I’m “at home” in the east, but my heart is at home in Sedona.

Roy and I were having a conversation about where he or I would live if something happened to the other. My first thought was that I would move to wherever the kids were, but I realized that they’ll be moving around themselves for careers. Baltimore is where the rest of my family lives, but I’ve been gone too long for it to feel like home anymore. And I do love North Carolina, but…

My heart is at home in Sedona.

Is there a special place where your heart is at home?