To Where You Are

My Great Uncle passed away on Friday morning. It had been coming for some time, so we'd all gotten our goodbyes in. He was 90 and lived a long, happy life filled with love, friendship, good fishing and intelligent conversation. As death often seems to make you reflect on, I began thinking about how well I knew this wonderful man, how often I got to spend time with him, and even more, how often I got to say "I love you" to him. It seems to me, especially right now, that it is never enough. We wish we could bring our loved ones close again with just a wish. We realize how much we took for granted only when it is gone.

As I write this I am listening to one of my favorite artists, Josh Groban, singing "To Where You Are". There is something about his voice, his words, that remind me of the power of love. No matter how far away we go, or how many words we get to say, it takes actually very little to let someone know they are loved. A simple act, a "how are you?", a hug and kiss goodbye. A memory is all that is needed to bring that person back again; hold them in your heart, your mind, your memories, and they will live forever.

Isn't it strange how death makes us reflect on life? Or maybe it is that we are reflecting on death, since both life and death are one. In life we do the things that we do not want to regret not having done at our death. I will live my life with no regrets, no wondering about the what-ifs, no dwelling on the could-have-beens. I believe in serendipity and in fate. I believe the path I am on is the one I should be on. I am with the man I love, surrounded by friends and family who mean so much to me, and I have to believe that they know that. I certainly felt loved by my Great Uncle.

Did you miss me?

Yes, it is now the day after Valentine's Day. I had fully meant to post more lately but, well, I was on vacation. At least, that was my excuse for last week. Leading up to that point, I plead the fifth.

Back in the Seattle area again for a week to watch my incredible nephew who is growing SO flippin' fast - I can hardly believe it! He is running everywhere, and on the verge of talking, but does a fair amount of baby sign language in the meantime. The week went by way too fast, but I had an absolutely splendiforous time visiting the folks I could. For whatever reason, this last visit made me a bit more homesick than ones in the past have. Miss you all!

My sis also threw a baby shower and I got to help with the cake preparation. They have a zoo theme, so I made some characters out of marzipan (almond paste). Here's the front:

And here is a side view. You can see the aligator tail sticking out the back. If you look closely, you'll also see a bite out of part of the "y". It was all so fun to do!

So now I am back in the land of sunshine, bare feet and, oh yes, a business to tend to! Today I have about a dozen phone calls to place. Remember those boxes I sent out? Well, apparently the reception has been quite good, so I should soon have another list of clients added to the roster! Woo-hoo!

Hope everyone had a smashing Valentine's Day! I made dinner for the hubby: herbed crepes filled with chicken poached in chicken stock and a bit of white wine, topped with a light cream sauce with artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes. Spinach salad with apples and grapes plus a honey-yogurt dressing. Dessert was homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches with chocolate chip cookies and cookies and cream ice cream! I told the hubby that his Valentine's gift was a week of really good food, so more delights to come! He gave me a fantabulous purse! Check it out!