From Richmond to Washington

We were finally on our last day driving home from Florida yesterday. My dad died last week and it feels like a dream -  I haven't quite figured out what end is up. We left Florida on the interstate and stayed on it through most of Virginia. Taking the freeway is faster, but it can also be boring. So around Richmond we decided to take the back roads and see how far we could get without too much of a delay. Driving in an eleven year old Subaru also doesn't lend a lot of confidence, but we have AAA, a phone, and GPS, so we took a chance. It was a rather cloudy and rainy day. Once on the road, a lot of what we saw looks like a lot of other back roads in other states. It really didn't seem that much different than Florida, except the citrus and gator signs have long since disappeared. Every time we take a route like this it reminds me of a whole other lifestyle and how different it is from anywhere we have ever lived. I suppose there are pros and cons for each. All I know is my husband is an urban dweller and that definitely has it's drawbacks. Just getting groceries is ten times more expensive in Washington than Virginia - we were reminded of that today. There must be something in between that could be suitable for our taste. We just haven't found it yet. And as one of our friends told us - there's no reason to make a decision if you don't need to. I'm not quite sure how losing a parent is supposed to feel. I just need to settle back in to a routine and I'm looking forward to it. But everything looks just a little different. 

Birthday Wishes, Trips, Dates, and Fudge

They come in many forms and it doesn't matter which one because all of them mean a lot to me. The first was a midnight kiss from my husband to start the day. This morning I received a really happy video from our friends in England and France. My best friend called this morning to drop something off - a card and munchies for the road. My Facebook  page is full of well wishes. There are email greetings as well. I don't think I've ever been literally on the road for my birthday - but that is the case this year. As we passed by the Air Force Memorial glimmering in the sunlight on our way out of Washington, had a quick breakfast at McD's, and passed through Richmond a few miles down the road, it's a great time to think about all the wonderful people I know. We're on our way to see my most favorite people and hoping to make their lives as easy as possible for parents in their 90's. Trying to catch up on some digital art portrait custom orders  is somewhat tricky, but at least I can bring my studio on the road. The sun is out and everything is right in the world.