I had kind of a rough summer. My father was diagnosed with cancer last winter. From May until July he was either in a hospital or a nursing home. My mom can't see to drive, and I was her main transportation. Bless her heart, she never missed a day of visiting him, sometimes staying with him for 5 - 6 hours until I could pick her up.

Dad passed away in July. It's been pretty rough on the family and we're still trying to get back to normal. When a loved one is sick like that, your priorities change. I'm still trying to get my house back in shape and my garden of weeds in order.

But life goes on. I miss my dad, but I know how much he hated being weak and helpless so I'm glad that he is at peace.

My dad and I were both avid gardeners. We used to go out every spring and visit nurseries that offered plants that were hard to find in Ohio. In the fall we would pour over the bulb catalogues and (playfully) argue over who was making the best choices. He preferred very dark colors while I always went for the pastels.

I pretty much just let my gardens go this year. No time to plant, plus I just wasn't in the mood. So last weekend, I got out online and ordered $200 of spring bulbs. I even got some dark purple ones in his memory.

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