So layers on the journey was going to be a try it and see if you like it thing for me. 
Guess I am liking it, but it makes me so much more philosophical than anything I've ever done, that part is a bit unsetteling.  The other thing that is unsetteling for me is more young people, and by that I mean "non-senior citizen types" that I am learning of passing.

When I was a kid, we'd go visit the cousins in Wisconsin once or twice a year.  Sometimes we would hang out with the other cousins, those would be cousins on the other side of my cousin's families.  I was not related, but my cousins were.  Anyway, one of those young ladies has been fighting a good fight for many years, and is about to close her chapter on this earth journey to continue it now with God.  Can't say I knew her well, my memories are she was funny when we were teens. I saw her last May at her Grandfather's funeral in Wisconsin, she was pleasant and not too willing to talk about herself, or her illness.  To read her FB page, she has been couragous and seems to never had a pity party about what life delt her.  There is much to learn by example there.

Tommorrow is Martin's memorial service, another one that left this world earlier than expected.

86,400 seconds in a day to turn it all around or to throw it all away, gotta tell 'em that you love them while you got the chance to say Gotta Live Like Your Dying.  lyric from Chris Allen

My experiences working in the funeral home taught me one lesson very loudly, with virtually every family that walked throught the doors.  You Reep What You Sew.  Whatever impression you made on people while you were here is exactly how they remember you after you pass.  The anecdote that they will tell your grieving spouse or family member is how you positively touched their lives and made an impression on them. 

Spend time intentionally layering yourself into this world in positive ways this is part of the journey.

Every now and then I take ONE daughter out to do something just the 2 of us. Today was A's day.
I was reaching for some less pathetic parallel about pancake layers and my theme, but here I sit at those crossroads.


So my intent is to build on some undivided attention and what do you want to talk about? Magically that does not happen on one busy, loud Saturday morning in the local IHOP. I did gain a wee small bit of insight into this complex being sitting across from me. Aside from her bottomless love of whipped topping, she really does not think about the future much. She has no long term plan or goal that she is working towards. Our 1st born lives for the moment, she is a Hear & Now being and maybe that is not such a bad thing.

She is not nearly as stressed out as those who preoccupy themselves with the what ifs and their past stumbles. Here I am. Now What? Well, Let's Have Fun Along This Journey!

Life's layers are sometimes filled in with those people who are taken out of our lives suddenly.  In the last 7 days I have learned of 2 men that I would call friends that passed unexpectedly.  Complex is this beast Facebook, for although I do not know how I would have learned of George's passing with out it, I do not like how fast news does travel with this beast.

George and I were friends in the Central Michigan University's Park & Rec program.  We attended the Disney College Program together and were room mates.  I attended his wedding and I think he attended mine. Although I had not seen him in 8 years or so, occasionally he would comment on something and I still enjoyed his dry sense of humor.  I hope your work on the SS City of Milwaukee continues on preserving what you poured so much of your life's purpose into.  You were a bright light in the world, optimistic about things that seemed so improbable sometimes.  Oh, and that crazy attempt with Dan to caravan 3 vehicles and a trailer from Mi to Fla. at least we all made it there.

Martin and I were in church together for 2 or 3 years and served on council together.  I sat in a lot of meetings with him and learned about him by watching him.  He was strong in his faith and convictions and even though we didn't always agree, I never thought it personal.  When my husband and I first arrived to that church Martin was one of those easy to talk to welcoming people, he made the awkwardness of the situation not so harsh.  Politically involved, knowledgeable, and a veteran he served God, country and family.

May both these men be at peace, your families will miss you greatly for you were taken so suddenly. Know that you touched my life, and overlapped onto the layers of my own.
Miss you guys, but I know I'll see you again!

clouds at sunset

Taken one January evening in Middle Tennessee. Notice how complex it is. Notice the depth and shadowing. Life is like this. Multi-colored, can you differentiate where one color ends and another begins. I think I am so fascinated with clouds because, like people, no two are alike, each is unique. You see the best or the worst they have to bring at any moment.  Man can not replicate by his own hand.