Although I don't currently have a dog, we always used to have a couple of them. I think I'm too self-centered to take care of one, plus I have many travel plans. But seeing a picture like this makes me want the constant adoration of a dog. Mari is not the same...
Maine coons are a lot like dogs though! Ziguinchor aka Zig or Ziggy is shown here snuggling with Ryan as he/they WhatsApp(new verb!) with Ashley in the Casamance, where Ziguinchor is the largest city. She flies back to Dakar tomorrow, and I hope she's been enjoying the time with friends. It's her favorite place to live in Senegal!
John's younger daughter, her husband, and his granddaughter made it to his house after their own road trip from North Carolina. They're moving back here, and are very happy about that, as is John. Doesn't he look delighted? :) He invited me up to visit with them, but I declined tactfully. It didn't feel quite right to intrude on their family reunion...
In the meantime, my younger daughter is getting ready to move to Cincinnati at the end of this month, which makes me unhappy/scared/stressed/sad, you name the negative emotion. I'm worried for her because of many reasons, including but not limited to the fragility of her relationship, the lack of job, the absence of any friends or family in Ohio, etc. I keep telling myself that I can't make decisions for a 29 year old, yet OH, HOW I WISH I COULD. I would have her back with Kramer in a heartbeat. I like this new guy, but I miss Kramer. By the way, we earned first place in a Trivia tournament, and a $25 gift card to Flanagan's pub. I will also miss these outings together. Sigh.
I'm not much for antique shops, although my town is full of them. Alison and I browsed around for a while; it seemed more like a museum than any place I would actually buy anything. I did roll my eyes over this old poster though! I wonder what our many females in the military would think of the sentiment?
Do people still refer to marriage as that "old ball and chain?" Alison couldn't believe this wedding topper. Not exactly romantic, eh?
This rose, a gift from a long ago French Club, is blooming a ton this year. It's under my big rhododendron, thus I didn't even notice it! It reminds me that a year ago today was the last time I saw Henry when I ran into him at Starbucks. He was ghosting me horribly at the time, but we talked, and he called our accidental meeting fortuitous. According to him, he needed time and space to figure out whether he wanted to be in a relationship. When he was leaving, he grabbed me for a bear hug and a kiss, then did it again, almost compulsively. I felt hopeful that he would sort himself things out. If I could have looked ahead a month, I would have held on a bit longer, and told him that I loved him, and wished him well. But without really realizing it, I've grown and "flowered," and made a life with John. I'm not quite sure how that happened because it was gradual and I didn't notice. I'm grateful for this new relationship, although it did come after an ocean of tears and regret. Over the past couple of years, I've adapted the best I could to challenging and tragic situations. I thought I would be married forever, and then I wasn't. I believed Henry was my Chapter 2, but that fell apart. I'm finally at a place where I feel peace, mixed with nostalgia for my lost loves. They will always be part of who I am.
