I do not talk much about my daughter, here. If you remember last year about this time I fell into a black hole and had a terrible time climbing out. It took months and months of doing something positive every single day.
It took acting as if nothing hurt. It took being satisfied with the goodness of whatever is in my life. It took accepting many things like too much snow. I had such a hard time. At the very same time my mom was very ill. We got through that, to a point.
My daughter moved across the country from where I now call home. She moved back to a place where it was our home, but that was in another life.
She is doing very well and is very satisfied with her vocation. When she was a child, I always thought she would grow up to be either a doctor or a veterinarian. She is working in the medical profession with such a gift of empathy for her patients. It is perfect for her. When she lived at home she was very sick for a long time. In and out of Stanford University Hospital many many times. Eventually she recovered as much as she might.
She still has to have procedures which are dangerous and painful done ever so often.
So, you can imagine how our relationship is so strong. We weathered that storm together.
She has children whom I adore. I miss them terribly. They are the sunshine of my life.
I can not go visit right now because I must care for my mom. This has been a little tough, on me.
So here I am, a year later, NOT in a deep hole but thriving. I have my beautiful land and environment and wonderful friends, both here and all over the world. How lucky can one be.
I have children in my life in another way. My art students at the school where I teach give to me the wonder of life through their eyes. I am thankful for all of this.
I baked a cake today. I made it up. I was in the mood for chocolate and raspberries and white cake.
So, this cake is pretty funny. There was a time, if it were not perfect, I would dump it. Not NOW.
I melted dark chocolate and spread it upon one layer. Upon the other I poured raspberry syrup and spread a layer of raspberry jam. Then I put them together and frosted it with a cream cheese icing.
You would laugh so hard if you saw it! When I was not looking it decided to take a walk, all by itself.
The top layer slid over and tilted. I put it back. I stuck a toothpick in a couple of spots to help it decide to stay in it's place. I turned my back and it walked about, again.
I decided this cake has a mind of a different kind than mine. I decided that that is OK by me.
So tonight we will have dessert of a different personality. It is perfectly fine but not the beauty queen I thought I had created.
The best part is that the snow is deep, way too deep, my honey is on his way home, with a movie, we are safe and warm and together. How much better can life be?