The Roaming Stevens

It has been a difficult past few weeks.  Feel the need to be very honest here...this most recent loss of life has shattered me and I am not even family, not particularly close to these people, but nonetheless have been suffering.  I know that when I find out someone has taken their life, it takes me right back to the very moment I received the news concerning my son, Cory.   Proof that we never get beyond our pain, the sadness, and overwhelming loss, but we DO find a way to navigate through it ~AROUND IT.  It is okay if this news set me back.  Whatever we feel is okay...I have to monitor how long I stay in this mindspace though.  My thoughts and prayers remain in the States with this wonderful, young man whom lost the love of his life. Astounding, but, in the 18 years I have lived in Australia, I have never prepared Thanksgiving dinner.  Thanksgiving Day is the wedding anniversary of my parents and a lot of attention was paid to details on this...

Many of you are my dearest mates from the States, in Australia, and the most fabulous new friends Tinto and I met while travelling abroad. It means a great deal to me that you check in from time to time and read what has been happening in our lives. On this last birthday of mine...this past Halloween...a dear, kind, tough, good-looking benevolent man lost his MOST precious wife to suicide. People - we never, ever know what someone else is experiencing. I do realize that many of my posts are written from my heart - far too many, no doubt.  At my age I should be able to deal with anything tossed my way.  I get it.  My heart does not. This young woman was the kind of woman you look at and you instantly 'see' - 'know' that she has everything she has ever wanted.  She not only was gorgeous to look at and petite, she was an art teacher and you could see that she was adored by her students.  I had only begun chatting with her through fb ( and fb - I will rema...