I've been gone for over a month in southern California and after a gruelling 2 day drive my son brought me home to Oregon and will be staying with me and working.  Home seems strange now as everything is different.  I loved the renovated turn of the century home that my daughter and son-in-law worked so hard on and also the area they live is lovely and they would like me to stay but I'm not ready yet.  Two things I don't like are the traffic and of course the high taxes.  One day we were traveling in the freeway carpool lane in heavy traffic when a motorcyclist came speeding right on the line between the fast lane and ours and knocked the right sideview mirror almost off, he was that close.  Right at that point we had to get over the 4 lanes of fast traffic to get off.   It was nerve wracking. 

Happy to see all our good friends and are eager to find a fur baby to rescue.  The blueberries are also ripening rapidly.  We lost a couple of bushes in the ice storm but there's still plenty left.  Now to get to the turning out of so much stuff.  That's going to be hard.

Thank you Ladyelaine - don't think Ive seen you before so welcome to the coffee klatch.

You will know what's right for you, and you have such a lovely home in Oregon.  At least you're away from the both the rat races of CA and those of northern Oregon.

We're traveling home to Montana this week to attend a memorial for a special gentleman who was more than a father to me than my own...he was a member of law enforcement and his daughter and I were the best of friends all through school. 

Going home will give us the opportunity to breathe freely and consider our options as we have soured so much on Washington state the past few years under the thumb of the residing powers that be.

But, moreover, it will a chance to visit and relax. 

I can't wait to see which critter you welcome into your home.  You have a special way with the furbabies and they know a helpful soul when they see it.

You sound like my daughter and son-in-law takn who are dreaming of Montana and keep looking at real estate there.  They can't wait to get out of California but they have a few years yet to go to retire.  They love it where I live in Oregon and no sales tax is appealing but unless there is a change in State government they won't be interested.  My son is here with me now and he loves the area and is anxious to rescue a dog.  I'll be having these two fur babies again starting Tuesday as my neighbors are going camping for a week.  They are so cute - a Basset hound and a little red terrier mix.

You're a good neighbor.  That little copper fella looks like it has dachshund in it. 

Kind of like us babysitting the grandpuppy for 3 years.  Glad to do it.

Good to see you back, emily. Lady is a friend I invited to the board. :-)

Thanks sun.  Now I have to buckle down and do a lot of sorting out .