Picture it...

Watching the Golden Girls will be bittersweet now that Sophia's gone. One of the great TV moms. I'll be having a slice of cheesecake in honor of a damned funny lady.

Bump!

Some friends invited us to their house on Rough River this weekend. We had a wonderful time and it was a perfect getaway from the craziness that has overtaken us. I learned:

Water skiing is not for me. I never thought it would be. I was right. I could not get up on those things.

Jet skiing is scary and fun -- two great things that go great together. But getting on a jet ski with a 13-year-old boy and letting him drive is not the smartest decision I've ever made. I think my brain got a bit scrambled when I hit the water going 50 or 60 mph. Not sure if I'll ever be the same.

Getting pulled in the giant inner tube is a lot easier than trying to water ski and you get more air.

I want a boat!

Providence

Sunset in Providence, R.I.

Providence: noun. Divine guidance or care.

During our relationship, Pilot and I have already dealt with most of the big life-changing events. Just about everything, I think, except having a baby -- and neither of us is going to let that happen. We've seen divorce, illness, more money, less money, buying a house, moving, selling a house, a long-distance relationship, travel and more travel, job change, death of family members, pet death, car accidents and a whole lot of ice cream. The good has vastly outweighed the bad, or at least that is the way it always feels to us, since it's all on a foundation of our love and our health. We've approached everything with open arms; constant change is all we've ever known in our life together. Now, after attending the second family funeral in three months, another one is here that we never foresaw: an estate of life-changing proportions. We have emotions to work through and others to look out for, but it's another reminder of how life can change drastically in one second. And of how much poorer we are if we go through these events without a partner. We already know we can deal with anything that comes our way, together, no matter how serious. Now it looks like we may be able to also do all the things we want to do sooner, rather than later. We just have to be open to the world.