I had to drive a couple hours today to the wake of one of my many uncles who passed away last week. 11 children in my mother's family and Phil was the second to last surviving brother-in-law. Five uncles gone in the last nine years including my father. It was a time of reuniting with many relatives paying their respects and also a time of reflection as one cant help but do when there is a death.

I have trouble staying awake when I drive and with my knee problems driving wasnt very…

I always find myself on New Years, just moving in slow motion..doing lots of thinking. The past year has been filled with much pain, stress, frustrations, difficulties, hard work, emotionally heated hours with tenants, family....

That is what is so good about winter. It slows me down. I look out the window and reflect. How can you not when you see such cold beauty? Just sitting there begging us to look and think.  Nothing is growing, nothing is green. Hail the whites and browns and…

Such a gorgeous warm sunny day. Unlike the cold wet windy day ten years ago. My dad passed away in the early evening. I got up that morning and spent the day in my sweats down in the basement working on my snowman crafts....for some reason wanting to feel isolated and hidden.

Dad was a man of the earth, a farmer. Tall and strong and a gardener of the fields. From him I learned about appreciating the small wonders and to respect nature.…

Had our first freeze a few days ago. What I love about that first time, is to take a walk through the woods and listen to all the green leaves left on many trees---fall. Sounds like rain. My dog and I did just that the other morning. I had many photo ops but Hogan is persistent in moving on and smelling and seeing and checking things out. So many things still I would like to get done out in the garden but too many other things calling to me. Today my oldest baby turns 26. My second born…