Waterfall,

I don't know what's wrong with me. I haven't been to see you, Dan and Anne. I've been a horrible friend.

Why is it I just want to be alone most of the time right now? I guess it might be anniversaries approaching.

I love you.

Wow! Its been a long time since I posted on my own blog. Where have I been?

Doing everything but what I should - I have neglected my health, my soul and my friends. Well watch out everyone! I am on my way back.

I love the fall - I love the cool weather, the colors, the smells and the laughter. I love cuddling in a sweater, watching a fire with a glass of wine and being outdoors. I love the fall flavors - the squash, pumpkin pies, casseroles and snuggling under the comforter.

Exciting times are ahead - Waterfall's baby is due in less than a month; there are birthday's galore include the celebration of the birth of our Lord; work is crazy busy as usual at this time of year; and time with family is more frequent.

Life is what we make it - will someone always remind me that I need to stop and ...

Visiting Hawaii was wonderful. I would never have imagined a place so beautiful, a people so friendly or a peace so inviting. We had a wonderful time.

This wonderful time was followed by a crazy time in Orlando. Work called and I answered. I can't complain though because I scheduled it.

Now I am back to work for a week only to be followed by surgery on my foot. I'm scared but know that I must go through with the surgery if I am to experience life the way I want to.

I am thankful for everyone around me - my husband, my children - natural and step, my mother and sisters - natural and through marriage, and my friends. More importantly - I am thankful for the ones who have been in my life and no longer are present on earth.

Life is precious - breathe, enjoy, experience but handle with care.

Hawaiian Days & Nights

So, my wonderful Mosey and I are preparing for our long awaited honeymoon. We are heading to Hawaii in 21 days! The excitement is starting to build. We are planning securing our home, taking care of our mail and our pets, traveling to the airport and what clothes we will take.

But more importantly, we are planning how we will spend this time together. It is important right now that we do this. We've been through alot in the past year and a half together. Mosey is a wonderful man. He works hard. I hope he can relax with me and enjoy our days together.

Tomorrow - what new plans have we made! I think we'll need to investigate some heavy duty sunscreen.

April 15th is here!

As any good bean counter/tax preparer will tell you there is no better day than April 15th (as long as it falls on a non-holiday weekday). It is the day that we realize that we will once again be gaining life.

Our eyes will no longer squint at the light of the sun. Eye squinting is, of course, due to the fact that we arrive at work long before the sun rises and leave well after it sets. We could be confused with vampires if it were for the lack of receding hair lines. Oh wait...most men bean counters do have receding hair lines. So maybe there is no difference. Good thing we don't all work for a governmental tax office.

Our skin will no longer make white copy paper look tan. We will be able to achieve a natural tan without the use of tanning beds and lotions. We will have a rosy look to our cheeks without the use of cosmetics and our eyes will shine in our faces instead of being shadowed with dark circles like a raccoon.

Our muscles will start to show. The fat on our bodies will start to melt away because we can once again get outside an play. Our fingers and hands will get a well deserved rest along with our rear-ends.

But better yet, we will get to know our loved ones again. Being a bean counter/tax preparer allows us to look at our relationships new each year. Its like falling in love all over again. We get to know our loved ones and our loved ones get to know us.

So...the butterflies in my stomach can be from the excitement of seeing my 24th tax season come to an end or from the excitement of falling in love with my husband again. I choose the latter.

A Glorious Day of the Lord

Today is Easter. The day our Saviour is risen. Praise be to God. Mosey and I decided that we would experience an Easter in nature. We went on a hike from Wayah Gap, looped around Silar Bald shelter, then back down once again. The sky was a beautiful blue, the tempurature was in the 50's and the company was excellent. God presented us with a wonderful day to experience him in an untraditional setting.



Yes, I know its Easter. And tradition and the Church tells us that we should be in church. But I have never cottoned to those individuals that never grace the doors of a church except for Easter and Christmas (C & E'ers we call them) and after the deaths of my brother in friend in a matter of days, I didn't feel in the mood to experience the "social" aspect of Mass. It would have been wonderful if it could have been God, the priest, Mosey and me only, but alas the church was probably busting at the seams.



I love God and I know He loves me! And I know in time I will be ready to go back and spend my time with Him and talk to Him. But for today, I needed to take care of myself and my family. I know that this is God's way of taking care of me.

He is allowing me time to come to terms with all that has happened. A shut down is necessary. The pain is more than then heart can bear.

Friday Night Delight

It is wonderful. My Mosey came home early from his walk about Fontana. It is good having him home. What it is about being in a relationship that you need your breaks but once you've got one you don't want one anymore?

Mosey's walk about was ended abruptly by severe storms. I wasn't worried about my hikery man because he is well experienced with nature, was walking with two other hikery friends, and was prepared for inclement weather. Sad thing is Mosey's offspring felt I should go and retrieve him from his big adventure.

Question is - how do you find someone in the Smokey Mountains that doesn't have a lojack or any other kind of tracking device? And how would my mature husband feel if I went running after him dragging him home behind me? And what would be the odd of me being able to even know where he's at? Sure I have his starting and ending locations, but there's a great deal of space in between. And what about his ego - I mean he was hiking with two other gentleman friends. What would they think of him or his neurotic wife?

Better question is this - what are his offspring thinking about me to make demands that I go and retrieve their father from what he wants to do? And what does this show of their confidence in him?

This man raised his family. He used to go away and work for weeks on end away from them. He's been hiking for years and was in Viet Nam during the conflict. He saw battle, took lives, gave lives. He goes on hiking trips locally alone and is capable in many ways.

So why when he goes on an extended hike do his children feel that he needs to be rescued? And how can they demand that his new wife grant their wishes? What kind of respect do they have for me to make those kinds of demands? And how am I supposed to respond? Do I react in anger, conform to their wishes or just ignore them?

I do exactly what I did today. I confirm that their father is quite capable, I explain the circumstances involved with trying to find him, I reassure that he is not alone, and I ask how they would want me to proceed.

But I am still confused as to why grown children feel that the man who raised them, is still quite competent and in full faculty of his senses would feel that he needs rescuing and that I am incapable of making sound decisions as to his welfare.

Only time will tell.