Life happens. Then you die.

Life is what happens when you make plans, or... when you wish you had better or more fun things to do. Then you die. It's inevitable.

I've become engulfed in life over the last decade or so. I've had so much to deal with and so little time to accomplish all that I planned. And it seems, things have rarely gone the way I'd hoped they would. Not that it's a bad thing, just the reality of life. I've wavered, waffled and wondered what the heck I should be doing. I try not to look at things as good or bad, only as learning experiences and sometimes, I can be, well... rather thick headed about learning these lessons. Note to self - pay attention and learn the lesson offered (no later than the second time offered), rather than having to be smacked about the head with it for several years before it sinks in! Just sayin' self, get a clue.

I've moved, AGAIN, and feel in a sort of limbo, AGAIN, waiting for things to settle and the dust to clear so I can get my bearings and decide what direction to head next, AGAIN. Gosh, I think I see a pattern here.

I tried a "dot-com" web address (for a fee) for a year and have decided that despite how "cool" it may seem to have my own dedicated web address, I just can't justify the cost. Maybe in the future, but not now. So I'm reverting my blog back to it's previous "dot-blogspot" address.

I got new camera lenses for my birthday and haven't had the time to go try them out. Why? Because life happened.

It all culminated with the death of my Uncle Doc yesterday. My mom and I both have the same reaction right now - "I'm not sure how to feel about it yet." So, for now, I think I'm going to leave it with some of the memories that I have of him - and these were so typical for him.

He had a cat named Malt. Malt was a short haired, solid black cat. When Malt purred, which he did often, it sounded like a pigeon cooing. At the end of Doc's life, a picture of Malt was near his bed.

Once Doc took "putting presents under the tree" quite literally - he HUNG the Christmas Tree from the ceiling, rather than putting in on the floor.

Doc LOVED The Far Side comic strip and regularly would cut them from the paper. There are MANY of these clipped cartoons saved now because of his love for them.

My first exposure to tofu was at his house. I refused to eat it thinking he'd said it was "toad food." Who knew that I'd grow up to love frogs and toads later?

When you'd ask Doc how he is, a typical response would be, "oh moderately well."

So, Uncle Doc (who's given name was Lyle), thank you for your contribution to our lives and for reminding me that following through on my plans is something I need to do even though life happens. Because some day I'll die and it'd be really nice to be able to look back over my life and see that I actually lived it, took charge of it, as opposed to just letting it happen.

I think that's a lesson we all to easily forget.