Princesses

Fitting that I could stop in to Sophie's 2nd birthday party on my way out of town. She has a sweetness about her that reminds us all of Lyn, not to mention a fascination with shiny & frilly things. If Bella got her stubborn & headstrong side, Sophie got her softness, and they both seem to share her beauty equally. I guess we do live on through our children and grandchildren.


I'm headed out of town because I'm on my way to Montana - a Walkabout, I guess - (well, Driveabout, really). Lyn & I had always planned to go to Glacier National Park eventually - we'd hoped to go two years ago, if she'd made it out of the hospital. But events overtook us, and we never made it. This Thursday will be the two-year anniversary* of her death, so I thought it would be appropriate for me to finally make the pilgrimage and be there on that day. I driven cross-country several times before, usually with Lyn, but I've never done it alone, so this should be interesting.

It's funny - she and I seemed to have a ritual for these things - get up early to finish packing, leave later than expected anyway, stop at the truck stop north of Cartersville for gas, eat dinner at an Arby's on the way out. I miss having her in the car beside me; I miss talking to her as we hurtled across the empty spaces, headed for the great unknown. Together.

It was also easier having a copilot to operate the ipod and read the maps. :-(

I'm in Clarksville, Tennessee, tonight, headed toward St. Louis and Minneapolis tomorrow.




-- *Surely there's a word I could use besides "anniversary" - that generally has such positive connotations, and it seems so completely inappropriate for that day. But I can't think of anything else.