I'd love to make up some exotic place and describe the sights, the smells the tastes the sounds but it would be nothing but lies. I've been here....here in Oregon that is. But, like Dorothy being tornadoed into the land of Oz, I feel like that has been my life. I yearn to write blog posts. I store them all inside of this head of mine but by morning, they have disappeared like dandelions, scattering their dust to a point of no return. But I'm still here. Maybe different in a lot of ways, but I'm still here. The journeys are different...scary, exciting, unpredictable, breathtaking. On July 11th, I will be having surgery. It will be, hopefully, the end of feeling under the weather and not like the me I used to be. I won't lie and say that I'm not afraid because I am. The surgery doesn't scare me; the recovery does. Almost 8 weeks of liquefied and pureed food sends my heart beating pretty fast. But, the outcome will be great so for that, I'm excited. ...

I had an encounter of the "real" kind last weekend. It wasn't an alien sighting or Big Foot but "it" had a profound affect on me. Walking to church, I noticed an elderly lady sitting on the curb in front our house. She appeared to be in her 90's, wearing a tribal dress. I thought maybe she was just catching her breath but by the time we came home from church, she was still sitting there. Life continued and a few hours later, J came in and told me that she was still out there, sitting. She had moved though, onto our driveway, behind our car. Something stirred inside of me and I grabbed a styrofoam cup and filled it with ice and water. I wanted to hear her story and find out why she was there. I walked towards her as a little guy on a bike was talking to her. "Grandma, you need to go home. Go home, Grandma!" Grandma mumbled something and didn't budge. I asked, "Does she speak Spanish?" The little guy replied, "No." ...

Darn! old age, hormones, watery eyes or just plain being sappy but my baby girl turned 23 today and my heart is singing and crying at the same time. I love celebrating every single year that I've been blessed with her in my life but this year just seems even more precious. Taking a walk down memory lane, I am reminded of how in awe she was over the little things in life. From the moment she was placed in my arms, I knew that she was created for something special. She has shown me over and over again, just how special she really is. Jarebear, you have been the wind beneath my wings in so many moments of my life lately. I don't know how I didn't get tired of taking a leap until I realized that I wasn't leaping alone...that I had company...YOU! Thank you for always reminding me of my favorite saying, "Feel the fear and do it any way." Even when I was shaking like a hot dog at a weenie roast, you were there to hold my hand.  I cherish how much time I...