Continuing to pray for you, sweet Tori. Thankfully, our God arranged it so that time would heal the sharpness of our pain.

As always your blog invokes so many emotions. Through your loss I am reliving the loss of my mother. I don’t think I’ve taken the time to grieve and I know it will happen eventually. Thank you for these small moments reminding me there is still work to do.

I was at the beach with my children today, something I have only done ith them 3 times before. As my children collected shells I remembered my first pregnancy when my mother was my constant companion. We walked miles and miles on that same beach to keep me in good shape and even to get the baby to turn. As I dipped my hands in the salt water I felt the sting in the tiny cuts I have, the work-worn hands of a mom. I remembered my mother telling me the salt water was good for healing. I do not love the beach with all the sand yet it is a place I love to go alone. It refreshes me.

I pray your time away was refreshing and that you get as much time as you need to work through your grief.

Oh, and you don’t mind if the kids sold tickets to other kids to meet you, right?

j – you’re going to have some stories to tell…Can’t wait! And welcome to the Mac world; you’ll never go back to anything else!

LindaB – you’ve got a gooood husband. He’ll probably be giggling and shaking his head the whole time!

Barbara M. Lloyd – will you be my Mamma, too? Mine’s been gone for almost 6 years.

Tori – you’ve got quite a crew here. God only know what will happen if/when we all get together!

Alanna and Chloe want to know if you play Rock Band? And what bands do you like so she can get some rock band music you’d like. Alanna asked me what I was going to make for Sunday dinner while you’re here, and I told her chicken Alfredo. She said that’s good…….you’ll wanna change your name to “jonny Lovesalfredo” after that! (She’s a hoot!) My kids CAN’T WAIT to meet you—–they didn’t think I was tellin’ the truth about knowing a real live rock star!

Oh, and one bit of advice…..don’t hug Tori too hard—she’s got a heck of a sunburn!

Which, the aging or the mothering ?? And if aging, wasn’t aware it was a habit. If so, it’s one I’d prefer breaking over smoking. At least the physical aspects of it = )

I will see my niece, the first of the nephews and nieces to do this, graduate from high school. I will also be flying to Puerto Rico this trip and visit my extremely closest friend in the Army whom I have recently hooked up with again on facebook after around 25 years of no contact. I am physically alive today thanks to him, and am a child of the Christ’s because of how God used him as well; although he is not a ‘Believe’ himself. Long story. I’ve never been to Puerto Rico. I should then fly to Nashville and meet yet another Army buddy who Christ used me to help bring him to The Him, meet Tori and let her have her way with loud screamy type hugs and slobbery wet kisses on both cheeks. I also hope to meet up with fave vocalist Sim Wilson of Undercover, his too lovely wife and the other two precious girls. We’ve meet before, but usually when I’ve gone to see Undercover in So Cal, not on their home turf; so to speak. I hope to then also see Daniel Amos live for the first time ever there, too. I’ve been listening to Daniel Amos, off and on, thirty years now, but have not seen them live before. I have also successfully smuggled into the country illegal Easter candies from Finland, also a first and probably a last. They are chocolate eggs with a little toy in them. And last, but not least, I am now a first time laptop AND Mac user At The Same Time ! I bought a 13″ MacBook Pro around a week ago and am typing this, about to Say This and for the first time ever in the states have internet access through My Own Computer via this LapMac Pro like little thingy !! OK, enough firsts for you ?? And remember; YOU asked ! = )

LindaB– I love this! You haiku-paloozed with me! And yeah, I got good and burned.

small j– What the heck are you doing, anyway?!

DonnaMariePatterson– I loved hearing you say you ‘still whisper daddy’ after 7 years. Bet I will, too. And the Gaylord DEFINITELY ain’t half bad! Enjoy Nana Rosa’s!

Cynthia– Beautifully written. And I agree about watching the waves– I love the image you evoked about placing the grains of sand out of view…

gracelynn– I’m gonna check out that Burt’s Bees After Sun Soother!

small j– Martina is such a beautiful name.

auburn60– I totally went to the artsy-junk place today! It is only about a block away from my condo. It was a fun store, I bought a couple of pins/brooches there.

meb– What a lovely, lovely poem– thank you. I’m going to see if my library has that book…

Linda– Yeah, I could totally rock that parasol look, too! Maybe we could bring them back into fashion!

rachelbaker–YES, thank God for the sea.

bettyrwoodward– That is good advice, Betty. That’s kind of why I needed to get away by myself.

MostlySunny–I know what you mean! I take myself to dinner or to a movie all the time, and some of my women friends are totally shocked by that!

blondie– Thank you, blondie. Also? It’s very scary to think your sweet children will read my ridiculous haikus!

Momma Lloyd– You can mother me any time you want. Your words made me cry, because you just totally ‘get it.’ Thank you.

LindaB– You’re right- SO beautifully written.

kay– It IS the best kind of “God time”, isn’t it?

Craig– Thank you, darlin’. *awkward Christian side hug*

Beautifully written and so true, Barb!

I’m so pleased you were able to get away like this; it is hard to imagine how, after such a heart break, you would be able to return home and go on as if nothing life changing had happened.

I’m praying you will be able to cry without explaining, remember without sharing, and end your time alone more thankful than sad….because, my precious one, we’re just passing through and this is not all there is….thank you, Jesus.

I love you, sweetheart.

Your Haiku-palooza could not have come at a better time for us here in homeschool-land. We will be beginning a short study of Haiku’s next week. Love it when my work is done for me!

“DADDY” with the water washing up…touching. Embrace your grief and don’t be afraid of it.

Again, good for you!!

I can totally relate to your sunburn. I have always been as white as a sheet so it takes very little sun to do me in. I’ve said many times I was born in the wrong era (I should have been born back in the dark ages when women carried parasols to protect themselves from the sun).:) At the ripe old age of 62, I no longer worry about having a tan.

Thanks for sharing about your getaway. I enjoyed reading about it and loved the pictures!

Love this post and the pictures too.

There was a poem read when my grandfather passed away, “Today is a very good day to die”. It was from a book called Many Winters Prose and Poetry of the Pueblos by Nancy Wood. I happened to be reading through this book again and came across this one. Thought you might like it.

“Hold on to what is good
even if it is
a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe
even if it is
a tree which stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do
even if it is
a long way from here.
Hold on to life even when
it is easier letting go.
Hold on to my hand even when
I have gone away from you.”

DonnaMarie–I was at Nana Rosa’s a couple of weeks ago. My daughter has moved down the street from there. It was great and the people were so nice. My only disappointment was that I did not run into any Oak Ridge Boys while dining. Maybe next time.

I was going to suggest that you scope out some great place for a bloomr get-together, but thought better of it. Gracelynn has the same meds issues I do, and my poor failing eyes can’t take much sun anymore…so let’s go further inland! Some nice, gloomy rain-swept mountain, maybe?

Well, for what it’s worth, in a little over three hours I’m about to do a pretty big something that I’ve never done before either, with things I’ve never possessed or used either ! And STILL organizng, packing and quite a bit of cleaning ! And I’m a BACHELOR, for goodness sakes !! This is way to much work for an approaching middle-age, white wanna-be rock star = /

But, excepted for the sunburn, REALLY glad you’re getting to do what you’re now doing; and thanks for sharing !! = )

Your last haiku was so touching, Tori! I know that feeling.