the back door

fairytales...i love them! i'm a sucker for princess movies. actually, i'm a sucker for any kind of movie where the girl's dreams all come true. i just love those happy endings even if there are all sorts of obstacles in the way. the struggle draws me in to make the happy ending all that more gripping. well, lately i've been pondering my dreams. not the kind i have at night, but the ones that sit buried deep in my heart. do you have any of those? dreams? you know, the ideals and opportunities you want so desperately until life happens and you bury them deep. last fall i chatted with a friend about some of my dreams. she was very encouraging and i admit to taking a few small steps toward them, but well, if i'm honest life set in and those dreams were buried even further. but obviously not far enough to keep them from finding their way back to the surface. i have spent the year battling my body and mind over physical limitations that frustrate me to no end. ...

it has been a few weeks since my grandma passed away, but my heart and mind have been busy processing it ever since. as prepared as i was to lose her, i was not prepared for the emotions that would come along with losing my last grandparent and for the challenge left to carry on her legacy. this amazing group is my cousins. all of us....the last time we have all been together. we were at my grandpa's funeral last summer and wanted to be sure to capture this picture with my grandma. i remember looking at this picture later and noticing how odd it was to not have grandpa sitting next to her. they were always together - and i mean ALWAYS! as we gathered for the funeral and friends and family shared, i was struck by the amazing legacy this couple left, and most importantly my grandma. she raised 5 kids as the wife of a farmer. my mom talks about killing the chicken in the morning that they would eat for dinner that night. she talks about how the neighbor kids would show up, and...