Life...Happens

I'm sorry I haven't been very communicative lately. It's been very...interesting in our sphere lately.

I really don't wish "interesting" on anybody. 

The year started off with Gil's mom passing and without much further ado, his father quickly followed. They had lived to be 90, but sickness and frailty had become their common visitors. We didn't see them often as they were 2300 miles away, but we were able to see his dad before he died. 

I think they had been married for almost 70 years. 

The task now is to clear out not one, but two homes stocked to the rafters with the accumulation of all that togetherness. Be still my hoarder heart!

There will be fewer "work" days and more travel in our future. 

Closer to home, my son is being examined for being autistic, or more correctly where on the spectrum of Autistic Spectrum Disorder does he place? He's highly-functioning; he's articulate, he's friendly, he holds a job, he's 26 years-old. We're working with individuals to see if there are state-funded programs that can help TJ. We'll find out later today if he's eligible. (Even if he isn't, there has been the offer to steer us toward other resources, so it's all good). It's been hours of interviews, evaluations and enough paperwork to fell a forest, not to mention the literature I've been consuming on the matter. 

It's been hard to focus. 

But, perhaps, just maybe...

This little bitty came about from the TwobyTwo prompt of "peppermint." Just the word conjures little candies with red stripes (my favorites are pink with cinnamon, too) or refreshing mojitos (it's been perfect weather for frosty recreational beverages, or FRBs in our house). 

This is not what I call refreshing nor perfect, but you know how the sub-conscience sneaks in and around, right? It's supposed to be swirly with red stripes. And why is the only word that can be read say, "purple?" Made with an encyclopedia entry for peppermint and torn paper painted with nail polish:

Even though it's nothing like I expected, I like it. I liked the process and the result even if it's nothing like "peppermint!"