AND....HERE WE GO AGAIN!

It's been close to a year since I sat down to chronicle parcels of my life on Namasté, and as is consistent with anyone's experiences, the last 10 months have been full of many wonderful moments, as well as some that once again made me stop to pause and give thanks for all that's good, to mourn and celebrate passages of dear ones, and to learn from bloopers that seem to keep popping up in my life along the way. Most of all, I sense I've moved deeper into an understanding of gratitude and laughter, for when I allow those two friends to become prominent in every moment, I am, indeed, truly happy.

As I sit down to blog again, I am officially on summer break. The day has begun with nice temps that are going to surge toward the 90's with the humidity one always looks forward to when summer arrives in the Mid-Ohio Valley.  As I gaze out the office window, I see hummingbirds zooming back and forth to the feeder, a lawn that could stand to be mowed, orchids in bloom, and lush vegetation all about, thanks to the extended wet spring we experienced.  It's a summer day at The Farm....complete with a garden with 35+ tomato plants, a variety of squashes, cukes, peppers, brussel sprouts, tomatillos, et. al. The farm irises have withered away, as have the early blooming wildflowers (which were spectacular this year).  I'm behind in getting annuals going; I'll wait and hit the greenhouse sales in a week or so.

As for the farm family:
~Eliza's taking her last exam today  at U-Cincinnati and readying to return to Marietta to work at Bob Evans for the summer.  Imagine her excitement at that thought! Her freshman year at UC would be described as one of the best in her life, I believe....new friends, new-found confidence, academic success, and  even greater beauty of soul and heart.
~Samuel's finished up his 2nd year of work toward his MFA in Creative Writing at American University.  It hasn't been an easy year for a guy who's had to work full time while completing the rigors of his program, as begin serious work on his thesis ideas while juggling some attempt at  a social  and personal life.  I don't hear from him frequently; I think about him daily and hope when all's said and done, he'll remember his three years at AU and living in DC as favorably memorable.
~Joe's in Oregon as I write.  He'll quite probably be moving back there if he's selected as the candidate for a ceramics position at Mt. Hood Community College. While having him as a housemate here at The Farm has been an incredibly wonderful experience for us both, I know that a part-time position makes it difficult to advance financially, as well as professionally. I certainly would miss him and Paco, the farm bassett hound, should they move to Oregon, but most of all, I would wish him well....He's a brilliant teacher, an amazing potter, a soul-connected friend.  Stay tuned for  news regarding his future.
~Lori's in love with Chris in Hawaii.  She has two dogs and at least one cat, if not two. She still works as a personal assistant for the Krueger family there. When she was home at Christmas, she looked stunningly beautiful. A yeast-free diet has transformed her into a slim, fit gorgeous woman, and her happiness radiates through us all.
~Brett and Betsy are in California.  No news from them lately tends to make me think they're busy and active, as always.
~I learned via Facebook that Dana, James & Wendy are in the process of moving to Alaska, where James has accepted a position with a very reputable journal there as acquisitions editor. More on them as news floats in.
~Meera Chary recently married Eric Schell in a traditional Indian ceremony in California.  I've stored the breathtakingly beautiful photos of her wedding on my computer and look at them with nostalgia and joy.  I would have loved to attend, but timing and finances made it beyond possible.  One of these days, I'm going to visit her.  It's been a long, long time since I've seen so beautiful a bride!
~Tom and Chintu have moved to Cleveland, where Dr. Chinthasagar Bastian now works in research at Cleveland Clinic. Tom's been working diligently on health issues; Chintu's investigating some complicated neuroscientific aspect of Alzheimer's Disease.  Chintu's parents are in the States now to witness his doctoral hooding at Ohio University this week, followed by a visit to The Farm weekend after next.  I am honored to meet his folks and have them here to meet the farm family.

The most recent addition to The Farm has won my heart over and over....Spunky McLovin, aka Mac, Mackers, Doodles, arrived in December as a tiny, shy little corgi.  He's now positioned himself as Alpha Mac, never giving Paco a moment of peace.  Just this morning, he chewed one of my best shoes beyond repair (to his credit, he's never done that before), but usually he's so fascinated with chasing a stick that other he doesn't think about other puppy-like mischiefs. He's definitely my soul mate, bed feller, and companion.  Truthfully, I had not intended to get a dog so soon after Annie and Molly passed away, but I was lonely for canine company...very lonely.  So, the Universe presented an opportunity to bring Mac here, and his presence has multiplied farm love by a gazillion times. 

His is the only photo I'll post here as I re-initiate my blogging moments.  (Please note:  I"m off to Cincinnati for 10 days and won't be back at the computer for at least a couple of weeks - another hiatus after a rather long blogging break....)

Anyways, meet my canine love.....

Namasté...