finding comfort

I can safely say that this stretch of losing my dad and figuring out how to take care of my mom is probably one of the saddest of my life. Even so, we're finding laughter, joy and comfort in the little things, like...


...eating deep-fried fare the North Carolina State Fair. There was fried pecan pie, cheesecake, Twinkies, pizza and even butter and Kool-Aid, but we stuck with plain old cinnamon-sugar elephant ears. (I'm thinking that decision saved us from the e. coli outbreak.)


...visiting our alma mater's (UNC) beautiful campus.


...gazing at gorgeous flowers sent by dear friends.


...scooping up congee at breakfast. (See the black thousand-year-old eggs? We still couldn't convince Erik to eat one.)