Since Last We Spoke

Since last we spoke, much has happened and not all of it good. There have been family dramas that are left unspoken, a death in the family and the news of a person in our wider circle being diagnosed with cancer. My brother-in-law wondered out loud, "Is there no end to the difficulties rolling down the hill in our direction?"

Sometimes you wonder.

Since last we spoke, it has snowed.



Not enough to bury the vehicles or cause us to plow the driveway more than once, but enough to frost the landscape nicely.

I love waking up to discover that it's snowed during the night. For those of you who don't live in snow country, you realize the snowfall as soon as you open your eyes. The light is different, soft with a blue and pink tinge, and it's quiet. Sounds are muffled and dampened by the fresh snowfall.

My mission yesterday was to complete some urgent errands that had gone undone as I shuttled back and forth to help my sister deal with our mom's medical emergencies. (Yes, plural!) By habit I grabbed my camera on my way out the door and soon your advice was ringing in my ears.

"Take time for yourself. Don't forget to relax and rest."

And many more wise admonishions, both here and via e-mail. For those reminders I thank you so much.

Driving along in the rural countryside I felt the stress melting away. This is my element, the wide open spaces, the farms and outbuildings, crumbling slowly to dust. They're soon to be gone, a thing of the past. But until that time I enjoy their form and remember their function.



It's about 12 miles to Sycamore and each quarter mile means more mental peace.



Small town America. I love it. I could easily hit the road and write stories about every little place along the way. Would you read something like that? A journal of discovery? I bet you would.

I heard recently from a reader who said that she discovered my blog through a friend, and that he loves to read my blog. I'm always mystified by this and I'm sure that almost everyone who blogs wonders what it is that people find in their words.

Certainly the "really big bloggers" are in the minority, which means there are millions of bloggers out there hitting the keys without any thought of book deals or 15 minutes of fame. Don't you love those little blogs?

I'll apologize for not mentioning my new job!! You see, with all the recent chaos it's hard to remember what I've mentioned and what I've not talked about.

The job.

Hmmmmmm. I told the Farmer that I'm just going to keep getting jobs until one sticks! I think this one will stick. It's working with a company that demonstrates food and other products in local stores. That's right up my alley. I love food and I love talking about food (and other good finds), so I think that's a good match, don't you?

It's not alot of hours which will allow me to continue with some creative efforts and time to blog. I'm not bothered with book deadlines and such so this should create a nice balance.

Thanks again for taking time out of your day to read my blog. It means alot to me that you are out there checking for updates. I feel like you've got my back.