The Line

Reading some of my blogs this Saturday morning, I again started thinking about that line. The line I have to make between the public parts of my life I write about here and the more private thoughts and events that I don't mention here. I know that there are friends of mine around the country who check in here to keep track of me, and I use this space to let them know what's going on (and hear about it when I don't update often enough... smile... hi, Charlie) I also sometimes go back and read the older entries myself to see where I was mentally and emotionally to make the decisions that have put me here. In leaving comments on others' blogs I also sometimes have folks I don't know in real life stopping in here to read. I try to be somewhat interesting for those folks, too, although I fail on that level more often than not I think. I started writing in a paper and pen journal recently to give voice to thoughts and emotions that involve other people who would not like to see their parts in my life broadcast in the blog. I don't keep up with it regularly, either :) .

Turtle Lady said I should mention here that the neighbor who was so wonderful at watching the cats while I was gone went above the call of duty in many ways. The cats had a new catnip mouse to play with when I got home. My black cat, Mikki, has now dunked it in the water bowl, which he does with all his toys for some reason, so I'm not sure how it will dry out, or how to keep it from going swimming again. Mentioning the new toy to her inspired her to gather some catnip and renew a toy for her own cat.

I am unpacked now, but I still have things laying around all over the place. It was nice to come home to a clean place, left that way since the neighbor was to visit the cats on a regular basis (which he did, watched by another neighbor and reported to me when I got home). I just wish that I had kept it clear longer than I was able to. So, today I'll take a shovel to it and start putting things away. I haven't played with my new pack or my new stoves yet. I need to fabricate a pot stand and wind screen for the stoves, so I may head to Home Depot for some hardware cloth and see if I have any aluminum foil to make the wind screen. The rest of the weekend will be mostly just figuring out what I will do now that I've decided to stay here and give up on moving back to TN any time soon. Yes, that decision was made while I was gone. I weighed the options and decided to give up on getting a job back there for now. I really only want to work full time for a few more years anyway. I'm trying hard not to burn my bridges before me, but I'm heading out with the idea that here in WA is my home now.

Its a chilly, rainy weekend. Don't think I'll go outside and do much. However, I need to get used to getting out in this weather since it's what happens here 9 months of the year.