Deciding whether to move to Gainesville was easier when our daughter decided to have a baby; that was a true deal breaker. Then our son, who is now in Dubai as the director of a new royal project, "Deep Dive Dubai," decided to sweeten the deal by purchasing a piece of rental property that he wanted us to live in - a red ranch house on five acres of land in High Springs, about six to seven minutes from our daughter and her husband and the new baby. He was born on July 31, and as he grows and changes daily, I cannot imagine not being here. When we go "home" for a week to catch up on people there (Ed's mother is 102 and in a nursing home there), I am amazed that he has changed so much when we come back. And now, what is "home?" Is it here or is it there? South Florida, I suppose, will always feel like home to me, but this place in the woods is so homey and comfortable and lovely. There is quiet, and solitude and birds and trees and an owl family and cows next door and it is beginning to get cool and there is a front porch with a swing to die for. I love it here and I love being near the baby and his mommy. My daughter and I are getting closer; I think it helps that her consciousness has been raised by becoming a mother. One can never know love like the love of a mother for her child until one has a child, so now she knows how I felt about her brother and her. If I could earn some money, if I could be inspired to write regularly, if I had just a couple of peers here to hang out with and be "Pat" instead of "Mom," all would be perfect. Maybe in time.
And I will get to "the rest of the story" with my friend's death, I promise. I think about her every day.
