I'm In Florida

I drove here all by myself. First time I've ever driven so far alone. It took me two days with an overnight stay in Alexandria, LA. There were near constant torrential downpours on the second day and every time I pressed down on the gas pedal, water would trickle down on my foot from a newly discovered leak. You can say that I was a wee bit tense, white knuckling the steering wheel a good bit of the time. It was a relief to finally reach my mother-in-laws house.

She looks pretty good considering that she has recently finished 14 radiation treatments. The only side effects are a very sore, red scalp, some fluid in the ears, patchy hair loss, and fatigue. She reports that she is feeling a little better the last coupe of days. I think her appetite is not as good as it once was, but she is eating regularly.

Tomorrow we pack the car, visit with a few friends and make sure the house is set up for potential buyers who will be stopping in with their Realtors. On Monday we begin our two-day journey back to Texas. The house needs to be sold, but it is hard to think of it belonging to someone else. So many changes have occurred in our family's lives over the last 3 1/2 years. There's been moves, deaths, illnesses, job lay-offs, new jobs, starting college, selling & buying homes...it hasn't been boring folks. It isn't over either. We have some challenging times ahead of us, BUT we are growing, learning how to adjust to change with as much grace as we can muster. There are gifts all around us if we consciously open our hearts to see them.

The weather on the beach was gorgeous today, the gulf water was crystal clear, the breeze refreshing and soothing. I dug my toes down into the cool sand and sighed with pleasure. I had dinner with my good friend Marie at a rowdy German restaurant where a young woman on the stage played an accordion with gusto. I set up a blog for Gayle so that she can write about all the new adventures that she will be having when she comes to Texas.

Oh, and I've been taking photos with Gayle's camera and will post pictures soon.

It's nearly 1 am. Time for this insomniac to try and catch a few winks. Nighty-night.