Oh that boy of mine, by my side, the silver moon and the evening tide...

How do I love Saturdays? Let me count the ways. Now that I no longer work at a credit union or bank, I don't have to work on Saturdays any more and I love it!! Saturday will now be my new day to sleep in (until nine today; I'm not a very late sleeper), since I will now be going to church most Sundays for choir.

Today looks like a lazy day. I'll probably go to the mall and the grocery and cook a little bit. Tonight, Brian and I have been invited to a housewarming party given by someone in chorus who I've been talking to lately. I feel like I don't really know her very well, but this is a nice gesture and she is a very nice and gregarious person (this is something I highly admire).




I've been thinking a lot about my stepfather lately. Although it's been almost a year since he's been gone, I still miss him all the time. My parents came to visit Brian and me in 2006 and we visited Salem for the first time, and when I went there with Mary and Natyra two weeks ago, it really reminded me of Walt. I don't really buy or have a lot of trinkets around our house, but I have a few things that Walt gave me that are very sentimental to my heart. One of these items is a little green stone that he bought in Salem. I don't know anything about it; all I know is that I keep this stone in my wallet so that a part of Walt is constantly with me. Walt had two daughters, both of whom my mom has tried to keep in contact with, but recently, one of them has been very cruel to my mother, especially because she is now engaged to another man. I cannot say I am surprised by this behavior because of the way my former stepsister has behaved in the past, but I am completely disappointed and I believe that Walt would be very upset with her as well. The animosity has gotten so bad that my mother has now blocked her e-mail address and has ceased contact with her. I only hope that this situation gets better for everyone involved.

One of my goals is to let Walt's spirit live through me. He was a magnanimous person who was not judgmental, he tried to maintain a positive attitude all the time, and he was all about being an individual. When I lost him, I felt that I really lost the best part of myself. When I lived in Louisville or even when I traveled there from Mass., I always felt so comfortable and so accepted when I visited Mom and Walt in their country home in Bloomfield. Their home was isolated from the metropolitan area of Louisville, and it was so relaxing being there with my parents. My parents were my good friends and understood me best of all. Now that Walt is gone, my peaceful sanctuary is gone. However, I believe that if I carry him with me forever, everything will be alright.