I finally get it

This must be that overused term "closure" that I'm feeling today after
getting through this year with the help of so many wonderful people.
I'm using his Homicide coffee mug this morning as I look out over
this city which, god knows, by now everyone knows we have loved
so much for so long. Or maybe my long love letter to him in Sunday's
paper, or my resolve to keep tossing and organizing. Perhaps it was the
travel or the writing or Annabelle or walking or a delicious dinner
last night for the first time without him at the Foreign Cinema. Who
knows? One year. We did it. Gratitude. Onward.

and the response?

Many, many wonderful emails and texts yesterday. Also a couple of phone
calls, but as I told the Blogmaid, I was having Bubble Wrap Day and kept
quiet and pensive and grateful all day. It was NOT a bad day and my friend
Marsha wrote that my piece in the Chronicle wasn't really an obituary, it was
a love letter. True, that. Again, thank you to everyone ~ onward. I am fine.

one long year

Or one short year? In any event, there is an In Memoriam for Husbando
in today's Chronicle. I feel like I have been writing it in my head for a
year. Thank you to everyone who has helped me so much with big and
small stuff over these mostly difficult months. As far as the piece in the
SF Chronicle, specific thanks to Dutchhill Anna who was my writing
partner while I worked on this, and to the Blogmaid who edited, added and
encouraged me to write from my heart. Cathartic? Yes indeed.

OK, I will...

Dancing Jen has never let me down with a book suggestion, so I just
downloaded this into my LindaKindle4. Ask Again, Yes by Mary
Beth Keane is the story of two neighboring families and so far
I like it a lot. As per usual.

a weighty issue

small part of the collection at the Art Institute

my vast collection 

The Chicago Art Institute has an entire room devoted to paper weights and
I get lost in there because they break the exhibit down by styles and the
novice (me) is always surprised to learn how many different versions
and categories there are. I tend to like pretty glass and the paper weight
is just very cool and feels so solid when held. Picture a large mahogany
desk with one neatly organized stack of papers topped by a beautiful paper
weight. (That would not be my actual desk.)

ain't it the truth?

This from the South African exhibit in the Chicago Art Institute. We
need to take a quiet moment and appreciate how far women have
come in just a few short decades. Here, there ~ everywhere (almost)
and there is no stopping us now. They try, those smug patriarchs,
but they will be crushed.

pretty Petaluma

downtown Petaluma

the Petaluma River

Yesterday, after Rita's funeral at St. Dominic's, Marsha and I went to meet
Patrice and sit in the shade for coffee in downtown Petaluma. It's been
years since I had been up here and it is now a vibrant city with lots of
little stores and restaurants. Then we drove around to see the lovely old
Victorian homes and some shabby chic shacks too. Delightful.