Shadows lengthen

July slipped into place and the shadow of 2011 grew longer. More of the year is history than anticipated possibility. I remain amazed, as always, that what seemed a long road on January first, has already moved over the middle line.

I'm loving the shifts that came with this year, even though some feel raw and challenge my comfort zone. My daughter, son-in-law and two grandkids (currently almost 4 and just 9 months) moved in with me last month. This house blossomed into a home beyond all the ways it was home for me before June first. Once again, as when I was parent for two children just these same ages, the sounds of discovery, delight, babbling chatter, as well as uninhibited singing and laughter, delight my ears and inspire my muse.

Along with this, of course, comes the loss of quiet, the need to readjust my randomly scheduled life. This last is where the comfort zone walls break down, a process that actually opens the way for new insights and dislodges all parts stuck in well-traveled ruts.

As summer blossoms, so shall I -- comes with the presence of new eyes!