Hello, Dear Friends...

Well, a ridiculous ammount of time has passed since my last posting. Honestly, the reason for that was that I could not seem to face my last entry about losing my wonderful dog, Brady. The grief over losing that precious friend has been deeper than I ever imagined. But, I am ready to move on and want to share the blessings of this life of mine. There is so much to be thankful for and Brady will always be a part of that for me. I want to thank all of you dear friends who offered kind words, support and compassion to me after his loss. What a precious gift you have given me. We are not alone on this journey of ours and it means so much to know that there are those willing to walk alongside and share their joys and sorrows. Truly..you blessed me beyond measure!

So! Time to go forward to as a favorite song of mine says,"Live your life with arms wide open. Today is how your book begins..the rest is still unwritten." In that spirit, let me attempt to begin another chapter and bring you up to speed a bit on what is going on with this wildberry girl. The little granddaughter in my previous post is over a year old already and a miraculous joy in my life! I get to just play three times a week and have her to myself while my daughter works...how fun is that? She is a little imp, overflowing with personality and smiles..I never imagined that being a Gramma was going to be such fun..I get to have the best of both worlds..a little one to watch learn and grow and also, my "big girl" granddaughter, Emily, who is now 8 years old and so much fun to be with. We love to talk about fairies and angels and she has a thousand questions! She lives far away, so I don't see her as often, but she is always in my heart. I find this stage of life to be such a creative and powerful time. It is as if all of my creative energy and passion for life has multiplied and taken on a life of it's own. I find I know myself more than I ever have and I feel comfortable in my own skin. It is a nice perk, amidst all of the hot flashes and the endless little surprises that come with this age of mine. My hair is about 50% grey now and I just can't bring myself to dye it..I like it. It seems like a rite of passage or something. I don't feel like I want to look younger than I am...with joy and laughter, let the wrinkles come! To me, they are evidence of a life filled with emotion..proof that there is life in these bones and the story has just begun a new chapter! Well, I suppose that this all sounds so lofty and grand and I am just so in control of my life and at peace with all around me..ha! Give me a minute or two and when the next hot flash hits, we will see how I do..all I can say is, "Thank goodness my husband doesn't read this blog or he would probably tell you a very different story!" But, for now...for tonight...all is right with my world. My children are safe..my grandchildren are happy..and I have a warm roof over my head on this chilly New England evening. A cup of Chai Tea before going to bed and we can call it a day to truly be thankful for.