Home again, home again, jiggity jog,
the Kitty remembered me,

& the dog!

Wrote this after a summer an unexpected trip to  Indiana when Ruthie was having trouble with her eyes. Neighbors fed Maui & occasionally let her into my Tiny House.
The only ting is, I remember we didn't return until the 1st week in Nov because we stayed for a Halloween Celebration and then a friend of Ruthan's Husband had a heart attack. So we stayed a few extra days.

2010 was a pretty good year. I did a lot of traveling-1st, my first Cruise in January with lots of friends. Unfortunately, the next month, one of my dear friends passed away and I planned a memorial service for the Bay Aire Community, something I had never done before), but my friend , Ralph, Ruthan's husband treated me as an adopted daughter. I was invited to his service in Indiana. Ruthan, Julie, her daughter, Layna who was 7 months pregnant and I piled in the car with our dogs, 2 Shiatsu's, my Maltese, and Julie Chihuahua. And Luggage, 2 cases of Coke and under all of it was the ashes of Ralph. His memorial service in Indiana with Shriner accolades, the firing of the Guns by the VFW, was a very moving service. I kind of held to the back of the room, keeping the children occupied & playing quietly. And before people came back to the house I quickly dusted & cleaned up. It had been months since anyone had occupied their house. Then there was the car ride back to Palm Harbor.  May came and Ruthan L. Sparks​ left.  Only to return after visiting her dtr in Navarre. She was in her 5th wheel a couple days when I asked if she drove back to come get me. yes, she wanted me to drive up to Indiana. So I packed up. found someone to feed my feral kitty, Maui. And off we went, again. It was a great summer and we had a lot of fun adventures. We didn't argue. But, 4-5 months away I was feeling like I wasn't in control of my life.  I don't know why. But, I screwed up at the end of the visit. Something I'm not proud of. And I lied to a good friend. Sorry, Ruthie.

It had been a crazy, wild wonderful year.  And not done, yet. I went to Denver in December to visit my daughter & husband. Then we drove to Phoenix to visit Eric's sister. Joined by Eric's parents. We drove north in Arizona to "The North Pole" & rode the north Pole Express in our pajamas with the kids. We were served cookies & Hot Chocolate. And then farther north to the Grand Canyon.
I messed up on that trip also, and mentioned to my dtr's Mother in law, something my daughter was keeping secret. I didn't know. My dtr & my relationship has been strained ever since. I  went for Counseling & the Dr put me on antidepressant's I was so down.

2011- Jazzy developed breast Cancer that ate its way out of her chest.  Jazzy was there when the kids moved out. With her I didn't experience empty nest. But, the crash of not having her by my side. A friend when I felt like I had none, a child, when I felt I had none, a lovely spirit in a world that seemed to hate me at the time. I crashed again.