2 be Bliss, as I dance along the road to Nirvana...

On the other side of the fence, there is this: Nothing kills good ole pre-date euphoria like an extended date that gives you the gift of seeing your date drop his mask and realizing you're just not that interested in him. But ya gotta love good ole (Mother) Nature. She doth abhor a vacuum, as do I. Another potential suitor has invited me out for an all-day date on Sunday and I have accepted. No grass growing under my feet because ya sure can't meet  him  sitting on the sofa. Amen? Amen.

We've had family in town for the past few days: my great aunt and her daughter, my cousin. I picked up my auntie Thursday afternoon and took her to my grandma's for their first ever sisters' sleepover. A bunch of family members went to dinner that night. My daughter and I had other plans and couldn't attend. Friday afternoon my daughter and I picked up my cousin, had lunch with her, then took her to my grandma's where her mom was hanging out. My other cousin and aunt came over too. I enjoyed the visit immensely. The older I get, the more I want to know our extended family. (So many kin folk we don't know!) However, it's a difficult endeavor because of the circumstances of my grandmother's birth and rearing. Heck, when I was growing up, we didn't know that my grandma had a sister. She also had three brothers (that we know of) via my maternal great-grandmother. Only one of them is still alive. We met him many years ago at the funeral of on...

A second date last night. More kisses; no rain. He wants me to go fishing with him later today. I'll be the one crocheting and taking pictures while he baits his hook. Yah...

Yes, I know I'm supposed to get back to details on my most recent trip north but I've been busy. Specifically, I've been dating. More to the point, I've had three (3) "first dates" since I returned home. The first one lasted several hours and involved three locations. No cigar but we both agreed it was a good date and wished each other luck in our continued quest(s). The second date was... interesting. He drove an hour and a half to take me to dinner. Nice dinner and conversation until we hit a snag: he was a homophobe. Game over. The third date was interesting in a different way. There was lots of laughter, good conversation, a good meal. He and I had a lot in common. Another kiss in the rain too. A really good kiss in the rain, one that caught me totally off guard. We have tentative plans to see each other again before the weekend. The plans are "tentative" because if it rains Wednesday and/or Thursday, I will be staying warm and...

The past week has been a whirlwind of exertion. So much has happened in such a short time. So much more to come. Thursday I headed to my hometown for a long-ish weekend. Plans for parties and cavorting with friends and family were on the schedule. On the way up north, I stopped at my dad's for a visit. While there, I received notice that a senior family member up north had died and the funeral would be on Monday. Saddening and surprising but not shocking because she had been ill. Since I was already headed that way, I only needed to adjust my schedule slightly to include the Monday morning funeral. It meant my return would be hours later than I'd planned but no big deal. What it meant even more was that I'd likely get to see many family members I hadn't seen since the family reunions of 2008 and 2010. I dreaded the circumstances but looked forward to the hugs and love. At my dad's, he and my stepmom fed me: baked chicken, rice, green beans, rolls, ...

Indeed.

I've probably been on the phone at least 10 hours out of the last 24. My stomach muscles are hurting from all the shared laughter. Thanks God. Amen.

Nothing like a five-hour phone call to remind me that I'm no longer 17. But for five hours, it sure felt like I was. Now it's either coffee or pillows. Amen.

I got kissed in the rain. *blush*

What is for me is already mine. Thank you God for the gift. I graciously accept. Amen.

Lots of Pisces energy flowing my way for the past several months...

After several days of hibernation (mostly) due to the weather, today I ventured out to run errands and take my daughter to work. We stopped at one of our new favorite eateries for a late lunch before I dropped her off. As we were ordering our food, a guy came to the register beside us. I saw him hand the owner (who was taking our order) what I thought was money to pay his bill. Then the guy disappeared without his change, which I thought was unusual but I thought maybe he would get it before he left the place. The owner thanked the guy then waited about half a minute and told us that the guy had just paid for our meal. Astonished, I turned to look behind us just in time to see the guy walking out the door. My mouth fell open in shock. As I said "thank you" he waved but never looked back. I hope he heard me. These are the kinds of stories I read about on the internet and hear on the news daily. The things that happen to other people. I was so overwhelmed that I c...

Thankfully, the light at the end of the tunnel has appeared. Almost time to move the box of tissue from my bedside to its former home atop my bureau. Almost. Nothing pressing on my calendar so I'm being patient. On a more pleasant note, one of the "side effects" of this involuntary detox has been weight loss. At least five (5) pounds but probably closer to 10. My clothes are loose(r) and a few pieces I could barely squeeze into glide on with ease. The proverbial silver lining.  Thanks God. I'll take it. Amen.

Inclement weather brings interesting suppositions. What ever did we do for fun before the inter webs were a thing?  *chuckle*

One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies (Jumanji): Judy Shepherd: There is a lesson you will learn/Sometimes you must go back a turn. Totally appropriate for Mercury moving retrograde. And yes God, I am listening. Amen.