My Life Moves Forward

I am home from Chicago.  I had a great time with great friends.  The fondu party was intimate but loads of fun.  There were only five of us as two weren't able to make it.  Steak and chicken cooked to my own liking in hot pots of oil with a variety of dips and sauces.  It was such a fun and different type of dinner party.

On Sunday I had my first visit to IKEA.  OMG!!  We went to the two story store.  There is a four story one near the airport, but I'm glad we didn't go to that one for my first visit.  That would have been too overwhelming.  The two story one was enough.  I can't believe all the things they have there.  We even had the Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce.  It was a great four days.

Marguerite is in Florida visiting her daughter.  So, I am home alone again.  It's very, very nice.  A year ago it was pure HELL for me to be home alone.  Now, I cherish it.  I have come so far in the last year.  I know I've been saying this a lot lately but I really didn't think it was possible to feel normal again.  I terribly miss Ray but I don't have the crushing pain I did last year.  I felt so lost with no normal life routine.  Now, I have become used to being "Jim" versus "Jim and Ray".  I don't like it, but I have no control about that. 

Friedl had me over for dinner last night.  A great time as usual.  We haven't seen each other since January 3rd so of course we had tons to talk about.  (We always do, even if we haven't seen each other in 24 hours.)  I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful, accepting friend.  She gave me my last Christmas gift.  She purchased it when we were in Vienna.  I bought a traditional Austrian jacket and hat (kind of like what Christopher Plummer wore in Sound of Music).  She bought me a pin to put on the hat which has the fur of a goat tail on it.  She had it delivered by mail, so it took a while.  I will look like a real Austrian.  Tonight I am having Friedl over for dinner. 

I am going to Menard's today.  I want to repaint the kitchen and I need to get some primer, plaster patch, and pick a new color.  I would like to get started on that this weekend.

It's a cold, cold winter morning.  It's still dark outside.  My heart is warm and the sun shines in it.

My life moves forward.  - Jimmy