More Company

My girlfriend, Karen, was here this week. She's the one I posted about a couple of months back with the breast cancer scare. It's been a couple of years since she's been down; she was here for Thanksgiving in 2008. She drove down from Oregon Monday, got caught up in a jam caused by an accident just a few miles from home, made it the rest of the way without incident until she took a really wrong turn and got very lost and not in an area to get lost in during the daylight let alone dark. Fortunately she was already down this far (actually the wrong turn took her past me by almost 50 miles) but it was an area I'm familiar with and we got her back on track via cell phone. She got here Monday night, only a couple of hours later than expected but that meant she had to navigate the mountain roads after dark and she'd been hoping to make it to the house while it was still light. We had a late dinner & a glass of wine, not necessarily in that order, unwound and hit the sack.

We just hung around and visited yesterday. We'd planned on going to the lake or the park but her butt said it was having nothing to do with sitting in a car for more than 10 minutes at a time, so we went into town, had lunch, came home and continued running through 50 years of memories and tried to see into the future and where we go from here. Whatever and wherever, we'll do it together even if by long distance ... or, maybe one of these days, one of us will relocate (probably me) and we'll finish together.

We had a great visit. She, too, lives in an area surrounded by woods and critters, so she's comfortable with my little house in the woods. We've known each other long enough that we don't necessarily have to talk to communicate. We raised kids together and can share those results without guilt or regrets. We tried so hard not to be our mothers that maybe we went too far the other way. But they all have grown kids of their own now and their days will come when their kids are just "too busy". Was it Harry Chapin that sang "The Cat's in the Cradle?"

I'm hoping that one day soon, Igor the Ogre, will let me throw Katie in the back of the car and I'll make the drive north to her place. It's about an 8 hour drive if you drive straight through. With any luck my step son will go up to see his uncle and my niece and he can come by here and we can make the trip together. I'm not holding my breath, but a gal can dream. Note to self: add to bucket list, towards the top.

And now I think it's time to replace my revolving door with a regular front door again. The visitors are just about done. My stepson may make a stop here late this month or early next month, it would make my whole year, but again, I'm not holding my breath.

It's a bit nippy this morning. We ran the heater long enough to take the chill out of the house. It'll hit low to mid 80's up here and be another beautiful day, but my bones are telling me that a chilly fall and a cold winter are just around the corner.
Time to clear the flower beds and put in some fall planting and start preparing for year end. This is my second favorite time of year; Spring being my favorite. I like the flowers and the greens of spring and the multi-colors of fall. And I love, love the moderate weather and non-hot sunshine.

Think I'll do a little straightening up now that we're alone again and then I have a rocking chair calling my name and a book to finish. Have a great day!! Hugs & puppy kisses everyone.