It was a dark and stormy night...

There aren't too many nights when I don't shed a tear or two lately, either from missing Dad, or being exhausted, or just being lonely. It was around 2 am, as I was wiping my face with my bedsheets, when my cell went off. I was thinking it must be my alarm, as I fumbled to unplug it from its charger. The voice on the other end was Eric's, saying my name and telling me that she had no injuries, that he had just seen her in the ambulance, and that I should not "freak out."

And yes, thank God, she was fine. Not even a scratch. She didn't realize she'd even hit the utility pole until the trooper mentioned it in the ER, as he cited her for failing to control. It was probably a combination of losing sight of the edge of the road and hydroplaning. No distractions, except for the new Emimen cd playing. One flip, and she was hanging upside down by her seatbelt, reaching for her phone. Coins (saved up for tolls for the NYC trip) were everywhere, all over the road, mixed in with the broken glass in the car - yeah, they'd broken all the windows to get her out.

She'd only made one payment on the car, and you don't want to know what IT looks like. Unscrewed the Maine license plates and left it. No wallet - never found it. Cancelled credit cards, scrounged around for documents to get a OH driver's license, so she could get the loaner at Enterprise. Oh, did I mention I got a ticket (!) picking up her HS transcript at Mason Central School Dept. (wrong way on the one-way - screw Mason cops!). Had a few things on my mind....

And now she's left this morning with Eric, to take him back to Juilliard, and then back to Maine, and hopefully a fresh start. I know I could use one.

Carrying On

Ok, so I'm listening to "Carry On" by Crosby, Stills, and Nash (remember them?), from the soundtrack to Patch Adams. I had originally obtained this cd off SwapaCd, just for the first track, "Faith of the Heart," by Rod Stewart, a song which ended up being VERY hard to find - why I don't know.

This week I have been learning more about my new Palm Pre, and downloading a TON of apps. I got the phone just a couple of days before Dad died, and spent that drive through the night (listening to a Yankees/Red Sox game on Yankees Network radio stations across New York State - UGH!) just learning the basics of sending texts and receiving calls (Smart Phone 101!) A very stressful time to learn about your new phone.

Well, let me just tell you, this phone is SWEET! It's catalog of apps is nowhere near as extensive as say the iPhone's, but I have found some that will come in quite handy.

Steph is home for a few days. Of course, she is making the rounds of seeing old friends and chilling. She deserves it. She worked extremely hard to earn her degree, and REAL LIFE will catch up to her soon enough.

Nate came down the other night. He is getting a lot of hours, and looked pretty beat. It was good to see him. Hard to believe he will be 26 next month!

I am listening to audio books now (The Given Day, Matterhorn, The Passage, The Road) while I stitch, and have begun the arduous task of backstitching Four Seasons:

I hope this finds you enjoying your summer days. It is extremely hot here in SW Ohio, and that means Yours Truly stays inside. The yard is totally overgrown and full of weeds, but there is simply no time. Life seems to be settling down somewhat, after a Spring of life-changing events to be sure.

I wish you peace, and above all else:

A-Readin' and A-Stitchin'

Just popping up to say hi to all. I am doing the back-stitching on the Four Season Windowsills below, and will post a pic soon. Daughter is all graduated, and I am off to eastern PA this weekend to nephew Kerry's graduation from high school.

Also, to follow up, I have just made a killing at the library's booksale, on Audiobooks !! Thanks Shelleen for the great suggestion. Got my software all downloaded to get the free (!) e-books from the library as well. Now I'll be able to read and cross-stitch simultaneously - heaven :)