this blog

i have been thinking about tradition and our pasts. as much as we'd like to deny it, they make us who we are. we come from a long line of people and lives that have eventually shaped our own. our lives will shape others for years to come. the actions i take now, the people i love now, the life i live, will someday affect others.

so where did i come from, what is the tradition left before. who are the people.

one of those people is my grandma carpenter. as anyone who is reading this well knows by now, my dear grandma has just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and actually starts chemotheropy tomorrow.

though i've known for a little while now, i don't know that i truly have let it sink in. she told me this weekend to pray, and so that is how i have decided to cope.

the other thing i really want to do is gain everything i possibly can from her. she has so many things in my life that have impacted my heart... stories she's told, wisdom she's passed on, gifts she has given. two things, in recent years, that have meant the world to me have been that i really need to let go and truly enjoy the world around me... and the other was to quit my job, because there was something else out there. since then, i have fallen in love and quit my job, finding a job that will hopefully really suit my style. i couldn't have done it without her.

so i created this blog. here i will keep stories... one's from her own mouth, through her fingers (from emails or letters), and those others will tell of her.

she is an inspiration to me. she has lived her life everyday. she never quit, even through some tough ones. she paints, she writes, she calls, she helps those in need, she makes others feel welcome with her. she is proud. she is proud of her children and her art.

we'll see where this goes, for now, here are a few things she recently sent me in an email. read on... enjoy the stories and the wisdom from my grandma: juliet carpenter.