And so the next step in my journey begins.  As usual and in perfect time, the inner muse has drop kicked me (persuasion and new age music just wasn't cutting it) into the world of blogging.  I am doing what I usually do, jumping in with both feet, and trusting that my words will resonate with some people out there. 

2008 saw a major door in our life closing.  For over seventy years, there has been a "family" vacation home.  In 2007, after several years of consistent rudeness and conflict, and after much rumination and mourning, my husband asked to be bought out.  It took fifteen months and some microdramas within the larger venue as well as some petty maneuvers.  But now it is final.  And from what I understand about families, not that uncommon.  I do not understand the conflict between sharing memories and making more as an extended family unit versus I was here first or you can't come now.  The generation prior to mine and my husband's had the Act One of this karma.  While we had hoped to put an end to the cycle, clearly no one else wanted to.    It was a coincidence not lost on us that the death nell for the status quo came when my husband and I made a series of very major life changes.  We did not expect it to shake the family tree, but it did.  Right down to the roots.

But while we have been mourning the loss of good times that will no longer come, we have also realized that this is what is meant to be.  Act Two is the final act that will involve our branch of the tree.  Exeunt.  I don't even think they noticed we'd gone.

This has allowed a door or two to open.  It always does.  One of these doors is this blog.  So I begin by stating what was and making room for what will be.  The fact that I am writing this is a big step in itself.

I recall a quote from Norman McLean's "A River Runs Through It." :

"Each one of us here today, will, at some time in our lives, look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question:  "We are willing to help, Lord, but what , if anything is needed?"

But it is true we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don't know what part of ourselves to give, or, more often than not, that part we have to give is not wanted.  And so it is those we live with and should know who elude us.  But we can still love them.  We can love completely with out complete understanding."

Norman McLean (or the screenwriter) really liked to comma splice, didn't they?