Yes, It has been a month.... :(

Actually, it has been thirty-three days to be exact.

I have always wondered why when you move in with someone that you seem to drop off the planet for a few months. Even though I vowed not to let it happen, somehow the days turned into weeks and then a whole month.

So much has transpired in the last thirty-three days. First, My dear friend Megan has given birth to a beautiful son. We have also lost so many famous people. I will not name them all here, but I do wish them all God Speed. I also extend best wishes to my other friend Megan on her latest trip to her parents. I know exactly how she felt.

The last thirty-three days have seen SF and I begin to transition from her house to our home. We have begun the melding of habits, possessions, pets, and all other rituals. No more dancing around subjects to avoid conflict. No more modesty of any sort...you know, trying not to admit that your body makes those noises or omits those odors..hehe...Finally free to admit that you do or don't like a habit, like dogs near the table while we are eating or cats on the bed. We are able to discuss subjects rationally and without conflict. That is not to say that we have not had a fight yet, because we have. The good part is that neither of us resorts to any comments that are negative or hurtful. We have been able to stick to the facts and resolve the issue fairly quickly.

With our schedules being as they are, we don't do much Sunday evening through Thursday evening. We are fairly boring, going to bed by 8:00 PM CST and getting up at 4:00 AM CST. It is a routine that I had a hard time adjusting to totally, but it has gotten easy. It allows me time to visit with SF in the morning, go to the YMCA for at least an hour daily, and get myself to work. The best part is that I am free to make the choice.

I get up on my own, make my own coffee (thanks to the birthday gift), get myself to the YMCA and get to work on time without any one's assistance. Why is that important? Because in the past, I was content to let some one else get me up, bring me my first cup of coffee and badger me into going to Bally's to work out. Now I find peace in my own abilities to care for my own needs. I revel in the fact that I can and do care about myself enough to make the effort.

For those of you that have been following for a while, you may recall that I had been discussing the trip to Ohio for the Parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary. It was a HUGE success. There are some pictures in the slide show that you can see. But here are some of my favorites.









The trip was wonderful in so many ways. It was good to see the siblings again. It was good to see the other relatives that were able to come too. It was also wonderful to see the number of people that call my parents their friends. They were from all walks of life and all socio-economic backgrounds as well. My youngest brother was a wonderful emcee and made everyone feel at ease in order for them to be able to go up to the microphone and tell their own unique stories about my parents. Not one to be bashful, I waited until there seemed to be a lull in the people that felt comfortable going to the microphone. I do not need a microphone, as I took drama at the Memphis Little Theatre and can project quite well. It was wonderful for everyone to be able to nod and listen as I related, as the oldest, why my parents are loved by not only their family but by their extend friends and family as well. I scattered a few anecdotes within and brought some tears to some eyes, made some smile and made others laugh with fondness.

I was proud of the woman that stood there in front of the friends, family, significant others and SF. She was confident, radiant, and self assured. So very different than the woman that would have been there a year ago. It felt liberating.

We all enjoyed the rest of the visit. We went to Stoney Ridge Winery and brought back a case of wine. We celebrated my birthday. We helped my relatives on and off my dad's motorcycle for their turn at a ride. I got a special ride with my dad, which was priceless.

We have been home almost a week and back to our routine. We are back on our eating program so that we can shed the pounds we have gained during this first thirty-three days. We have been getting the house ready for Stephanie, Jack and Zoe. I hope to have that accomplished by Wednesday with the hopes of having them over this weekend.

Knitting was non-existent the last few weeks; however, I have since rectified that and I will be finishing the projects on the needles and getting ready for fall knitting. I will also begin the Tuesday Temptations again this week. I have a few that are directly related to the conversion of the house to home....

More later my friends...