coming full circle.

Looking back to this point one year ago, we recall going through a tough patch: Wrigley was incredibly sick, with an undiagnosed illness that required major surgery, icky meds (which probably did him as much harm as good in some cases) and a ton of worry on our part. We were longing simply to get home, back to 645 Kroger Lane, our silly little home that holds such attraction for us. Rob told me at the time that we'd be moving back from New Jersey to Cincinnati in July -- and I didn't put much stock in the notion (knowing that corporate moves aren't entirely in one's own control).

On this day a year ago, I was just days from leaving for the HOW Design Conference, my major work event of the year, and I was terrified that something dreadful would happen ...

[Rob just came over to wipe off the grape mustache from my upper lip. True love.]

... to Wrigley while I was away. Taking care of him took such energy, patience, persistence, love, hope. It was trying.

And then, I came back to New Jersey from the conference in Las Vegas, and both my guys were waiting at the airport. It was one of the best days of my life.

So here we are, a full earth-around-the-sun rotation later, and things are indeed coming full circle:
• We're having dinner at the Side Porch Cafe
• We hit the local church festival this past weekend (viva Junefest!)
• We're enjoying Findlay Market in its full glory
• Our yard is lush and the vegetable garden coming into summer bloom
• We've patronized all the local spots we love: Carl's, Zips, Coffee Emporium

We are blessed. Things are good.