I’ve spent the last 5 days in wooded acreage on Eagle Creek Reservoir. It’s been absolutely perfect. My pretend reason to be here was taking care of these three little doggies who needed cared for while their family vacationed. I found out that the real reason I was here was to provide for me a smooth transition back to real life. The house where I raised my daughters for 26 years wasn’t as hard to leave as the gardens that I designed from ground up. In the end it wasn’t hard to leave them either…as I was really just ready to move on to the next phase of my life, leaving behind the beloved, quiet solitude of the neighborhood.

This marvelous place has this fantastic koi pond and waterfall right outside ‘my’ door. I’ve heard owls and pileated woodpeckers. I soaked in the hot tub and ate dinner on the secluded patio as the setting sun turned the clouds pink above the tall trees. I kayaked on the reservoir with a dear friend today. I enjoyed my canine (and feline) companions and shared my bed with two or three of them each night.  I’ve had a minute to exhale, enjoy nature at its finest and get ready to go to my next house tomorrow. On Tuesday, I return to work as a School Social Worker with Indianapolis Public Schools, working in an elementary school. It’s been quite a 6-week summer break for me. If I had to write an essay, it would be all about transitions.  I’ve had a few lately.