Off to a girlfriends' long weekend and will return Tues. of next week.
We all are going to kick back, explore and laugh, just laugh.

We are all so ready for a bit of a change so it will be a good time, because we are going to make it a great time.

It is not often that we can take these types of diversions together and so it will be memorable and be one of those warm spots we dream up in the weary months...maybe even something to look forward to for another escape in tradition.

Tradition is an established way of creating fond and potent memories, it often is in a religious context but when you can go beyond and include friends and a little bit of nature and adventure, oh, the memories go overthemoon!

n. See you all soon...

You have been so welcome in my life. I once had a letter writing best friend, via a club for such, we wrote each other all through all the births of my babes and all my many moves. I miss him, he passed away a couple of years ago and I continue communicating with his lovely wife, weird how that happens, but we all actually met one sunny beautiful afternoon in upstate NY. I believe it was at Monticello, I could be wrong. We did a short tour and then had a picnic together. We all connected and were on our way to our other lives, but it was a memorable couple of hours because Jim and I continued to commuinicate until he was incommunicado, one of the saddest moments of my life.

I just love to connect with people, and so did Jim. The internet helped us journey. We may not have moved much but our screens brought us love, condolences and hugs anytime we needed them. Life seems complicated now, what used to be a hug from a relative in your home, is now a hug from a new found friend in cyberspace. I wonder if any of my new Stream friends feel the same as I do.

Blogging is a great avenue to find a fulfillment beyond the everyday Main Street we all travel. It is very diverse and full of information and very good people, and I love to open my heart to all the new and wonderful personalities in my Stream. I find my travels through the Stream very much mimic life.

n.

Well, an influx of books have hit the shelves for our summer reading pleasure. I will name a few I picked for my beach reads, While You're Here, Doc Farmyard Adventures of a Maine Veterinarian by Bradford B. Brown, DVM; The Cottagers by Marshall N. Klimasewiski; We Took to the Woods by Louise Dickinson Rich; Lisey's Story by Stephen King; Stormy Weather by Paulette Jiles.

Now, mind you, I have a library full of books to read, but I just can't resist the purchase of one of those possibly life altering stories hidden in the pages between a book cover. I'm also a hopeless channel flipper, coasting between several books at once. It keeps my mind alert to keep straight the cast of characters and story lines for each book. I pick up a story according to my mood, sometimes several books in a day. This is my freedom of summer routine, because I don't find I do this with the same frenzy in the winter, spring or fall.

The venue of my reading also changes, almost as much as the books do;
on a bench outside, in the dark library, on a pool chaise, in my bed,
at the beach, etc. the beach, being the least desirable. I am always interrupted or distracted while I am reading at the beach; a Frisbee will hit me in the head, someone's beach towel is shaken inches from my face, a radio blares, children are screaming, the wind turns the pages or I am distracted by the varieties of bodies strung into bathing suits, similar to the way I drape my Christmas tree, rather free form and sometimes tight fitting. But, none of this stops me from my serial reading, whatever fits the mood, after all it's summer!

n.

When my life gets hectic and out of sorts, I bring this picture of tranquility to mind and it calms me. The picture is this imaginary little log cabin on the edge of the woods, in front of it is a glassy, quiet lake, sun reflecting in the ripples from a light breeze. It is a perfect day and a perfect reflection. I can sigh from the peace it brings. Nature does this for me. The perfect elixir to sip on when nothing else is right.

Sometimes, just taking a walk around a lake is just as nice, but it is in this vision somehow, the simple little cabin, brings me home.
Home is peace to me and therefore helps complete the fantasy. A simple cabin in the woods has a stream of smoke pouring out of it's chimney. Someone is home and maybe enjoying a good read and a warm fire. There is peace for that person at this moment and I can enjoy their moment, as well.

Life is sometimes very demanding, but these simple little dreams can sometimes recharge me and take me home. My friendships also recharge me and fill my life with happiness. I hate when my mind wanders to places filled with negative thoughts, maybe about friendship gone sour, with no explanation. My mind over analyzes these things, and I don't like to linger long in these dark thoughts. They are negative thoughts that don't get answered sometimes and I have to drop them. Not everyone is going to be head over heels about me, so, I have to just get over it...so I go to my happy place, a simple cabin in the woods. I'll put out my "Welcome" mat for all my friends on the stream.

n.

Graduation Day!! I was on remote control the entire day and was forgetting all the details I am usually really good at remembering, but not on this day, the graduation from high school of my first born. The day was sunny and warm. We arrived at the small school and handed in our all important admission tickets, which I finally found, after frantically looking through all my piles, as the family waited impatiently in the car. We watched as the class was introduced and photographed, their unique personalities shining through all the pomp and circumstance. A former alumni spoke and was a little long-winded, causing much squirming and yawns. Then the moment when they all received their diploma, again the personalities emerged, adding much needed levity. The receiving line lasted for what seemed like forever, we hopped on at the end, so we could enjoy all the people congratulating them. The Headmaster, told us we should be very proud, that our son had made such an impact on the school in such a short time there. I thought about this and realized it is my son who should be so very proud.

So, forgetful or not, another milestone has been reached by my oldest and he will go on and perhaps, wow the world, as he has wowed us.

n.