Blue Heron wade in the waters of the San Gabriel River which runs through my back yard.  I've been sleeping later (and a bit more soundly) then usual lately.  I wake up to see pink lining the tree tops.  Sammy, watching from outside, seems to know I'm awake.  He raises his head, hopeful, but I adjust my pillows and rub the top of my foot back and forth across the cool cotton sheet. That is usually all it takes to lull me back to sleep.  Thirty minutes later I'm all about the coffee ... and a nice long walk for Sammy.  My husband snapped this picture early Sunday past.  There is always something interesting to see along the trail.

Yesterday, for the first time in a while, I "fixed up", meaning contacts 'stead of glasses I guess, a bit of jewelry, and better shoes then my tennies. Several of Tommy's nurses were meeting for lunch and invited me to join them.  Lovely people.  We spent enough time at the hospital last year to become entwined in one another's lives.  I was very happy to see them.  We meet at Jack's Kitchen ... yummy food.  Jack cooks like I do.  Well ... he is a professional chef where I just love to cook, we both appreciate fairly simple fare.  I was surprised and pleased to be included.  Good people.  I did find seeing them to be a tad overwhelming as I drove away after lunch.  It's strange, I know them within the context of caring for my brother ... and I came to care for them ... it was different to see them without him.  It's very precious to see them having fun with each other, colleagues at play.  They sure do work hard at work though it never felt less then a labor of love.  There was a young nurse with whom Tommy and I particularly bonded.  She was there.  She told me that she was working a different floor when Tommy passed, but she went to his room and kissed him goodbye for me once he was alone.  Sweet.  Very sweet.
It does feel a little weird to live where Mommy and Tommy had lived.  My memories of the area include them ... tending for them.  I had not spent very much time in this part of Texas prior to their illnesses.
As a brief note - I do not spend time with Tommy's wife.  I would have, as he asked me too, but it has not worked out that way.  I am not regretful of that.
I haven't been out to the airport yet ... to find out if there is "room" for another flight instructor out there.  I imagine there will be.  I am looking forward to flying on a regular basis again.  Most important is getting my daughter more comfortable with the move and situated in school.
I have looked in to the local community chorale and am excited about the opportunity to sing Classical music again.  They begin rehearsals in September.
We have found where I'll do my work outs. Hopefully, my husband will join me, but he does tend to stay busy on his projects.  Either way is fine with me.   I'm still looking for a pottery studio, and seem to have a good lead on a local one.  Hope so.  I enjoy creating pottery quite a bit.  There are several pieces that I've been thinking about and would like to try my hand at.
All in all the move has gone well.  There are still boxes to be unpacked and boxes which will stay packed until we either build or buy a place.  I have a few boxes of junk which need to be discarded.  Moving is a really big job!  I still have almost all my mom's stuff and haven't decided on what to do with most of it.  To me it is just stuff, nice stuff, but stuff.  When my dad passed (1980) she donated
the contents of our home and completely refurbished after her move ... nothing she left has sentimental value.  It needs to go somewhere, but I don't know where.
That's it for the update.  Some of my high school friends, from forty years ago, are calling to catch up.  It's all very nice.