A Little on Alice and Adventure:

I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!

I feel like Alice sometimes. It's a balance really, wanting all the time for some adventure to plop itself in front of me and the other time wanting to have a very level head to promote my business and work out the details that are my life. I think I find inspiration when BestFriend is here, she was here for a week and I am full of inspiration. This trip was even more special because my sweet niece Katie came to visit with her husband Ben. What to tell you about Katie? She's magic. She has a way of making things work, supporting her husband while he's finishing med school, taking care of people who are emotionally and developmentally challenged, and making people just feel comfortable around her. We all laugh that Katie will answer a text message weeks after you've sent her one and we all just smile knowing she's out there working working working and keeping it together and making it look stylish to do so. I keep thinking young Richard will pick up on the idea that she and her husband are working toward a goal so they don't have to spend 8 hours a day gazing at eachother finding a reason to pick an argument out of boredom, if nothing else. Now that he's a 3 hour drive away again it's much easier to deal with his "male growing pains." Children are supposed to move away, it's the natural course to life and I am enjoying his random phone calls rather than his daily presence in my house. I take some joy in that he's off getting antoher degree and when he starts his life he will understand that hard work is really the only key to any success.

What did we do for a week? Hahahaha time spent with Goofygirl flies, it always has. I remember going to the lake house on a friday and before the blink of an eye it was time to drive home on a Sunday and we still had a list of things we hadn't done yet. It doesn't matter if others are around or it's just the two of us, time grows wings. She makes me laugh, after 20 years she still makes me laugh and she's my best audience for material. She's my cheerleader and she always gives me a different turn on life, a new window to breathe from. We visited with family, played some silly game where you had to pass an electronic machine that gave you clues to give a different team. Goofygirl is always about the game. I love that about her. We watched a few movies, she helped me get some work done, we shopped, shopped and shopped. I have a closet of new clothes. We wandered a bookstore and looked for poetry, a few bookstores, and looked for cookbooks and I found a stack of old Gourmet magazines for $4. I am going to find the best recipe in those magazines and perhaps post one here. We met up with an old friend we both worked with and spent the day wandering, lunching, trying on clothes, laughing. It felt like vacation in the middle of the winter. We've had one of those winters where it never stops snowing and the cold cuts you like a knife so a little vacation in the middle of that was a welcome treat. I miss her this week but I am sure I'll see her soon, such is life.

It's baby time here. My sweet nephew Matt and his wife had a baby boy, Andrew David and a few days later my dear Cousin Denise had a new baby boy, Luke Reilly. I am anxious to see them both and feel blessed that there are more little voices in the world to add to my world and very glad I am not yet a grandmother. Very glad.

More good news? Moonstruckmagic is open again. Ok, check out her stuff at www.moonstruckmagic.etsy.com. Her new york spa soap is to die for and those little tubes of foot relaxer cream oh they are wonderful. I wrote to her the moment I saw her open again and put in an order for that lovely soap that smells like mango and vanilla and makes tons of suds and a little oat on the top to exfoliate. My bar kept getting smaller and smaller and although I've made other soap purchases as I am an addicted homemade soap girl, nothing compares to the soap in that shop.

Christmas was insane here, I felt bad that I didn't post but if you sell things at Christmas time you know you are in for more work than you can handle. Sleep was a luxury through November and December but I did manage to spend some holiday joy with my family and even baked. (It really helps to hire some help). I went easy on myself as far as obligations other than work because I didn't want to feel overwhelmed or frustrated that I just can't do everything.
I am dedicating the new year to taking better care of myself, working out more, taking the time three times a day to get on the bike or the treadmill and I am giong to swim more this year as we have a new health club that's only blocks from the house. I am looking forward to swimming when it's cold. I am hiring someone full time to help out with issues outside of creating and this year I am going to get some help with the garden. Life is good and it feels like taking care of me will give me even more inspiration on the business front.

It was the Dutchess who said, "Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take care of themselves." I am off to take care of me. I hope you will do the same. Thanks so much for spending this time with me. I promise to keep up here more than I have been as things are a little quiter. This is the season of romance so I hope you are doing something special for someone you love. If you'd like to see more of my work you can find it at www.poetsummer.etsy.com. You can always contact me at Summerpoet@msn.com. Thanks, Carrie.