And here comes June, damply

Rain, rain and more rain for days on end, since returning from away.  Thankfully both my drive to CT and back were uneventful - although the trip provided plenty of stress.

I made all my medical appointments and received a good report from my annual CT scan.  Work amounted to meeting following meeting.  But more important was the news that our dear friend, Danny, passed away on Tuesday evening.  He'd been in hospice only since Sunday.  Thankfully his family was all around him, including the 2 of his 4 daughters who live in Israel, who arrived on Monday morning and had time with him.  Danny had been suffering for so long with acute pancreatitis - 10 years total but most especially the last 2 years.  Helen and I drove to NY on Wednesday to attend the funeral that afternoon - which was incredibly moving.  I'm not sure I've ever attended a funeral where the deceased person's presence felt so ... present.  This was mostly because Danny's son-in-law and daughter both spoke from the heart at length about Danny, in Jeff's case actually conveying Danny's own final thoughts and wishes discussed at his bedside only hours earlier.  We cried, we laughed, and we cried some more.  A tribute to a kind, smart, curious, learned, funny man so beloved by family and friends.

Then we came back to CT and I came home on Thursday morning.

All in all, while so grateful for my own good medical news, and thankful for the easy drives down and back, as well as to NY and back, and so good to see Helen and spend time with her, and of course also grateful to be able to drive with Helen to NY to be with Danny's family - it was a very sad few days.

I came home and the heavens above us here in midcoast Maine seemed to mourn Danny along with us down below.  Rain and more rain.  Finally yesterday the sun came out, blue skies, white clouds, brisk breeze.  And again today.

Yesterday I mowed the back yard grass, trimmed the weeds the mower missed, cut out some honeysuckle vine from where it threatened to go exploring (and apparently to take over), washed a bird feeder, hung more suet, filled the other feeder - you get the idea.  David came home with a little charcoal grill and grilled our dinner last night.

Today I'm taking a day off of work after the Memorial Day holiday - for 4 day weekend, it still just flies by.  I aim to do more yard work, hoping to plant the rest of our seedlings, not too worse for the days and days of rain I hope.  I also need to vacuum and generally clean house.  We'll see.  Perhaps I'll sit and vegetate, planting myself and sowing my thoughts rather than cucumber seedlings and carrot seeds.

How do we get up each day with the knowledge of loss, suffering and death?  We try to think of the promise of life - I recall the Black Eyed Susan seed balls we planted and hope that today perhaps they'll sprout.  I think of all those I love - and hope today for each of them will be a day to grow, learn something new, be found among friends and family and feel joy.

I breathe and keep on living. 

Peace.