08.12.15  What a surprise to walk down the stone stairs to the house yesterday, and discover this beautiful window box outside my kitchen!  Rita couldn’t bear for me to come home to the deer-decimated planter and filled it with lovely delicate pink and lavender blossoms, protected by netting from the roaming pests.  Eighteen years ago, when I was the new neighbor down the street from her, and upon hearing that my mother had died, she left a bleeding heart plant on the bench inside our back porch.  We’ve been best friends ever since.

Gary is missing.  Often, when we return, there is only one kitty to greet us, but it’s usually Chatpeau who has wandered off.  She loved seeing us yesterday and wouldn’t leave our side.  I wonder if she’s lonely for her brother.  Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

We wait and see what happens with my brother as he started his clinical trial yesterday for leukemia.  Finally, after all these weeks in survival mode, he has a chance.  When he was on the verge of being discharged from the hospital last evening, all the patients were evacuated to the hallway because of a funnel cloud outside his eleventh floor window.  That threat didn’t last long, but still.  As we sat on the dock watching the sunset last night, we saw an enormous plume of smoke rise over the top of Blacktail Mountain.  And, here at the window in my breakfast nook this morning, there are dark clouds and thunder.  It’s as if the Universe is rattling right along with us!

But, now I am home sweet beautiful welcoming home.  Always, it is so good to get home.