Firsts

It is officially a new year. January 1^st has passed, and here are a few more firsts.

I went to the River City Market Place (mall by the airport) and I took U.S. 17 instead of the interstate. That was a first and I enjoyed less traffic so much that I am planning on going 17 every time I go from here on out. I parked my car in front of Michael’s and walked all over to all the places I wanted to go and then some. Shopping, no stress (semi-free) driving, and walking outdoors on a mild, beautiful day under blue skies with cotton puff clouds, and loading up the back of my car with bargains, it doesn't get much better than that.

I ate my first (but not last) Kool Aid pickle. This cuke started its shelf life as a dill pickle but with the addition of a cup of sugar and a package of Kool Aid metamorphed into a bright red slightly fruit punchy, definitely still crunchy, bread and butter sweet and sour, pickle. I liked it!

I got to sit outside on my swing and watch my youngest grandchild, Jude, (4 years old) climb a tree in my front yard. He went higher than he’s ever gone before and figured out that the smaller branches weren’t strong enough to hold him anymore. The tree was one that my oldest grandchild, Analyss, (now 16 years old) had picked out for our Christmas tree when she was younger than my youngest grand is now. As I stood under that tree, with a Jude-bug climbing higher in it than I am tall, time came into perspective for me in a very concrete way. For the first time this year I stopped to count my blessings, and realized how important time with family and friends is to me, and how blessed I am have the time to spend.

(And one more first) My first official book signing is Saturday, Jan. 5 from 1-3 pm at the Camden Public Library (on Gross Road). You are invited to drop in and help celebrate this first with me!