Hello again

Yes, I've wanted to post...lots of holiday pictures and New Year's goals and sweet family moments, etc. But time has run away from me.

There will be a year-in-review to come, when I have time to sit in the coffee shop and leisurely pound away on my ibook. I anticipate it with a certain wistfulness. I can even imagine the feel of a steaming latte with whipped cream on top--and the smell, for that matter. Casually chatting with the barista, sitting among strangers, alone with my thoughts and dreams for the future.

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A bit of an update...

Dad looks great these days, although he can barely hear anything. For some reason, his poor hearing has grown dramatically worse. So sometimes, like this weekend, we just sit silently in the same room, sharing each other's company.

When we want to talk, I pull up a chair and make sure dad can read my lips. He now sports a bristly white goatee, and he's smiling almost always. He seems at peace, comfortable with where he's at, sure of where he's headed.

He always wants to know about my work, what new things am I digging into, what books am I particularly excited about. It's a comfort to be near him.

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President Ford passed away recently, and some people I know went to see his casket, to pay their respects.

As the coverage continued to splash across my TV screen, I remembered something from my childhood. President Ford had passed through our town on a train, and we pulled our car over, and got out to see him. He was waving from the caboose. And it was all very exciting.

Just this last week I found out I would have been only 2 years old at that time. It's hard to believe I can remember it, and it makes you wonder what causes an event to stick in our minds--to be "memorable," and how does the accumulation of all those memories, conscious and unconscious, influence who we are today.

Enough introspection... :) Enjoy your day. Make new memories. Embrace the good ones you've already been given.

Talk to you soon.