Little Update

Here’s a fun update. My son and I have been working on Beatrix for days. For my birthday he gave me an iPad with a drawing Ap and a very cool stylist pen. We were all like: WOW

This is going to change my/your life! OMG!

And guess what?: It already HAS! We managed to do things I thought were impossible. We have been working around the clock (and around one very participative two year old who is living her best life being a big part of the production process). Also, in and around holiday decorating which is also super important as well as a very active life, due to said toddler.

Anyway, I’m actually at a third printing place, right now. Low and behold the price is right! Two mock up book copies ordered later, we make a quick stop at a local bakery.

Two year old A from her car seat: “More crousant please!” Nothing cuter than a baby saying French words correctly. Target return (with drive up service- what?!) and Whole Foods. (I’m going to miss California!) I leave tomorrow.

My son will give my website another quick once over and then finally I will try out the blaze thing. I’ll let you know if it does anything helpful. It’s fun to hang out with my personal tech genius and his sweet wife and daughter! As my time here draws quickly to a close, we are all planning another ‘work’ trip.

I’m all set up to start on my next breathing book! I’ve been thinking about it for awhile, so I’m excited to try out my new drawing device.

Meanwhile, things on the East coast have turned bleaker and more serious. Gs stepdad has had some complications since I left. (this part is in no way fun, just a bit of an update). I don’t know what I’ll be stepping into upon my return. Here we thought things would calm down and level out once he was at the rehab place, and it looked like that, until it didn’t.

What a strange life. I miss G. I miss my grandkids, I’m going to miss this little peanut so much and ALL my grown up children and my friends too. Oh blast the wretched holidays this year. It’s set up for… um…no one knows.

Probably like all holidays. How can anyone really know. I saw a clip of two kids getting gaming controllers and crying because they were going to have to share them. I’m sure their parents expected that to go differently.

I’m going to continue to be thankful and appreciative for everything lovely in my life. Circumstances have been changing on a dime these days. I wake up with the loosest of expectations. Still I’m surprised and surprised again. Often with things that are sweet. Obviously with things that are not too, but it’s okay.

This is what I signed up for. This is a stage. It’s going to shift and change and be sad and be happy, and change again. No one gets off easy and no one gets out alive. These are as sure as taxes. I will be biding my time by searching hard for lovely things to be grateful for and looking just as hard for the good in the difficult times. I can only make the best of any given moment and then take good care of myself and be compassionate to everyone (me included) in the others.

So there’s my book update. It’s finally made it to its last edit (fingers crossed). I think I found a print place that understands my goals. I’m about to start on a new breathing book about the earth and gratitude. I’m ready for things to expand out again and plan to begin, using my new IPad, as I fly across the country tomorrow.

I was texting my brother who I just found out I’ll miss seeing, my grandson who had his sister’s phone on the sly, and G who I was trying to wake up because the surgeon called me because they decided to do the surgery in the middle of the night and neither he or his mom were answering. Such a strange time…

I’m sad to be leaving but I know that I’m doing the best that I can do, as I maneuver through this year’s holiday season. Carry on brave friends. I know for some, this will be a shoulder squaring time. For others, enjoy. I wish you peace, hope, and love. (and a bit of fun too)