It's almost Christmas. Time passes so quickly now, that it seems a blur. Things from the past are now indelibly printed in my mind, but the things I want and need to remember that are more recent, are like watercolors in the rain. Blurry and running fast. It's becoming more clear to me now why the elderly recall their passed loved ones so clearly at the end. Recent events have come so thick and fast that there's no time to deeply emboss them into your quilt of memories like you would want.

My baby girl (almost 15) is in high school, doing pretty good, too. She's gone to two (count 'em, 2!) dances already, and the Winter Dance, with the theme "Nightmare before Christmas", is where she met a new boy. He calls her all the time, and he seems real sweet, so we'll see how this newest puppy love plays out. :)

Helloooo there, no body! Haven't unloaded in a bit, having been too busy!!! Spent a wonderful week in Texas with my favorite greatniece!! Okay, so she's my only greatniece (on my side anyway) and she's a beautiful baby girl, so I am prejudiced. Enormously so. Immediately upon my triumphant return from Texas (complete with $155.00 speeding ticket) I loaded up and flew to Denver for a conference, and ended up in the 4th Annual Denver Zombie Crawl. After trying unsuccessfully to catch up at work, it quickly became apparent that I would have to burn the midnight oil, and so have been working until 10 p.m. at my second job in another town, while trying to remain afloat at my first job, and keep studying for my Sunday School lessons to teach some pretty bright teens, and add in a quick "non-traditional" (I'll say!!!) wedding veil (pink and black) and I am totally exhausted!!!! All of you out there who cares, shout "Poor Baby!"

As for documentation of the Zombie Crawl, stay tuned. Photos to be added.

Back to Cleaning Closets...

Been going through the closet today. For real. Ditching some stuff, probably not as much as I should be, but some things are like old friends. The old soft shirts, the ragged jeans that you can't wear anywhere but in the house. But they've been there a long time, and you just don't get rid of things just because they're out of style. I've never been stylish anyway, so some of my old familiar friends are hanging around. Like Rod, he's been one of my favorites for a long, long, long time. So mellow, most of the time, but when he turns loose, he turns loose. I like to think that I'm that way. Probably wishful glamorized thinking, but there it is. Straight out of the closet!

Weeks flying by...

It's so hard to believe, but the weeks are flying by and Christmas will soon be here. I look at pictures of my little girl, and am amazed to see a beautiful young lady stroll by me in the house. She's a mischievous little imp, and a sophisticated young lady, and a tomboy, and more, all rolled into one. And I am so blessed to have her in my life. I am amazed and dismayed and a little alarmed at how quickly the time is flying by. This week, signing up for high school, then next week, graduation, then soon, wedding plans and grandkids. Yes, it's true, the weeks are flying by, just like my mama said they would.

Family Reunions

Family reunions. Funny name. Implies that one is reacquainting oneself with family. That may have been true for my daddy, but I had met 3 of the people there once, except for the people that came with me. It should have made me uncomfortable, being there with all those strangers, some of whom I would normally have not necessarily been drawn to. But there is a very strange thing, difficult to describe, that made me feel connected to those people. Being related by blood is a strong bond. I found myself looking at pictures of people I never had, and never would know, nodding my head, smiling, and all the while putting together the physical attributes and deciding who belonged to whom, and who was a spouse, etc. The funny thing was that the dominant attribute was the gorgeous laughing blue eyes, which my brother-in-law has, and he was picked out as a family member more than we were! He has been in the family for 25 years, so maybe there is some truth to the saying that the longer you live with someone, the more you look like them. I hope it's not always true, because my husband has a full beard...
The other funny thing was that all the family who was not there seemed to be represented nonetheless. So many of the 3rd cousins on various limbs of the family tree have strong resemblances. Maybe that's why I didn't feel so awkward there. And why I will go back next year if the opportunity arises.

Sharing a few Moments

I am taking time to clean my closets. Not literally. That's too much trouble and I don't have the time or the energy for that. No, I'm talking about my mental closets, and unfortunately, there's as much or more clutter than the real closet. But so much in there to take out, look at, and put away again. Occasionally, something to throw away, but not much... All those memories in there are what makes me me. Good, bad, or otherwise... As days go by, and I look through the closets, it gives me an opportunity to relive some really good things, too examine some tough things without so much pain, and to reorder the things that are important. Since the day when I was 26 and heard the words that I never expected to hear, "You have cancer" my life changed. In that instant, it became crystal clear that priorities needed to be examined, and so I did. My family is first and foremost, way before me. I can't think of a thing that will ever change that.