Turning of time...

Five years ago this week I opened the front door of our home to a newly re-vamped porch. We had turned this once under-utilized space into my dream grooming studio.Leaving my previous position was wrenching, and it was a leap of faith for me to start a grooming shop in the middle of nowhere. In business, the mantra is "location, location, location." My venue would make business people roll their eyes so hard they'd get a head ache. Despite this, my little place has been busy since that first day. Now it supports not only me, but my daughter, as well.  My morning commute is a breeze, I spend every day working with my best friend, and our customers are almost all delightful. I can see my goats, donkeys, chickens and ducks outside the window beside my work area. I feel lucky every, single, day. The years have gone by in a blink.

That is how time is, and I was recently reminded of that. 37 years ago I made a friend in college. She was petite and perky, creative and funny. We both loved to see the world through the lens of our cameras. We have kept in touch all this time, but I have not seen her in person for 28 years.  This weekend she, her husband and handsome son came to visit.  I am sad we didn't get a better picture, the one we got is pretty awful of me, but I'll share it anyway. It was her birthday. I got up early and made her a family favorite, "icebox cake." Nabisco chocolate wafer cookies layered and frosted with whipped cream, then chilled for several hours. The thin, crisp wafers absorb the moisture in the whipped cream, the end result is a simple but delicious treat.

Later that night we cooked lobsters and fresh corn. We warmed up Italian bread, then served it all

at the picnic table. Afterwards we enjoyed the cake. In between there was a lot of conversation and catching up, but the span of years between our last meeting and now seemed to be a fraction of what they really are.

Time is funny that way. It flits and flutters, like a Painted Lady butterfly. Bright, beautiful, hard to pin down. It is good to stop and remember... the beginnings of new chapters, the start of long time friendships. From past to present, all the goodness in between.