Back from RealLife

Welcome ICLWeS! I'm back and happy to report some success in my endeavors to pay attention to real life! During my hiatus from e-life, I did have to go off and do a bit of work. But on my drive home, I took a few detours---into Wine country.
In celebration of engaging and enjoying real life, I visited three wineries. I tasted a few (make that several) wines and bought a couple of bottles. Who knew that Virginia is 5th in the nation for wine production? Well, now I know, thanks to a lovely lady who poured a Chambourcin for my tasting at Cave Ridge Vineyard.


I think I enjoyed veering off my path the most. There is something quite liberating in letting the schedule be and just go. I drove into the Virginia country side. I waved back at the people who waved to me as I passed by, as though they knew me. I drove slowly and stopped to take pictures and talk to strangers about grapes, vines, and whether chocolate or cheese would go best with a wine made from Norton grapes! And all the while, I'm intimately aware that this is evidence that I am a survivor, and that it's possible to engage, and yes, even enjoy, life after the death of my precious daughter. And, that it's OK to live again---it's OK.