Coming back from far away

Jean left on a 7:45 am flight to Boston, took part of my heart with her and left part of hers here. Karen I slept a lot today...exhausted from a ten mile hike on Bulls Island yesterday...but also from a week of growth spurts in our heart. Oddly, I am not only closer to Jean but also feel much closer to Brian and Melody, and everyone else in my family too. Sort of like long-tensed muscles which constricted emotional flow have released.

Which leaves me, of course, a little bit like a high pressure hose bouncing and shooting water everywhere as I try to tackle it, like wrestling with a...with a what...rocket ship, anaconda, octupus...no, too negative those metaphors...

Anyhow, I also feel very far away from blogging, a heart with lots to say but few words to say it. And also wanting to settle down, reach out and see what I've been missing.

SO -- I will probably not blog as much for the early part of the week and try to spend more time reading blogs of those I love to follow and those who love to follow me. So this blog might be quiet for a couple of days, but I plan to write lots of comments...realizing that comments on bloggs that are older than two days often don;t get read. At least I seldom go back and check comments on older blogs...

Hello, everybody!!

Friday Shootout -- Celebration

Baranquilla, Colombia, circa 1970's

1. Patty was right in one of her comments earlier this week that I already posted my celebration pictures -- shots of my daughter, Jean, who has been visiting all week.
2. Even more, the best celebration shots have not been taken with a camera since mostly I've been too busy celebrating reconnections and living in the moment, usually forgetting to pick up the camera at all.
   
3. However, I still had to get up early this morning to post something because I love y'all too much to miss a Friday.
   
4. This is probably the most hastily thrown together shoot-out I've done.
5. Today we take in some more sights of Charleston, have family cookout. Tomorrow we go to Bull's Island nature preserve. Sunday morning, Jean flies back to Boston. I'll catch up on what the rest of you have been posting Sunday afternoon -- or maybe just taking a long nap. I have missed my bloggy friends very much...well, to be honest...I've missed you all very much in momentary breaks during a week that has mostly been too full to miss anything.
   

Bubble blowers at my niece's wedding

Kite Festival, circa 1960's

My son, Brian and Melody celebrating Conner

Celebrating reconnections


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And the four photos that follow are scans of old prints that Jean brought with her -- pictures I had taken of her and her older brother, David, when she was a little girl. I had long forgotten these photos and it was a celebration to see them again after 20 years.