Trying Hard

We are trying hard to find our way back to normal after this long, heinous summer. I have a lot to say about Bruce's Dad's passing, the summer he spent so terribly sick. But not now. Its too much with me still. Its too raw. Maybe later I can sort it all out.

In the meanwhile, we get up and go about our days, go to work, run errands...all of it. We are finding our way, and eventually things will be ok again. I know this from experience. Erica is coming home to see us this weekend. Her visa was issued this week, and her plane ticket bought. She will be leaving for York at Thanksgiving. I get sad sometimes, but I am quick to push those thoughts away and think about how exciting its going to be visiting her over there. And the fact that her contract is for 2 and a half years. And how exciting its going to be for her to be able to spend her time off roaming around Europe.

And we are spending part of next week with some friends of ours. They have rented a beachfront house up in Corolla, NC. That part of the NC coast is our favorite. And its been a while since we have gone up there. We had plans to go up for our anniversary, but Dad was too sick. So this is a real treat, and I am looking so forward to it. That whole area: Corolla, Duck, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, and Hatteras is such a nice combination of beautiful and remote (there is even a nude beach if you know where to find it...its not on any map), but with shopping, restaurants, and interesting sights just a short drive away. If you ever go, be sure to catch a sunset up on Jockey's Ridge. Its the largest natural sand dune in the eastern US. The climb up to the top is somewhat arduous....its climbing a tall mountain of loose sand. But the view is worth it. The Hatteras lighthouse is where a lot of people go, but I didn't find it all that exciting. Maybe because the one day we finally decided to drive all the way out there (its a long haul), the darned thing was closed, and it was hotter than hell that day anyway. At least I saw it up close from the outside, and it was kind of amazing to imagine how crazy it must have been moving that thing. We watched the moving of the lighthouse on the news, but seeing it in person...what a feat!

Love to all!