Here I go, Dad!

My Dad, Bill Moran (the Texas Chef, http://www.texas-chef.blogspot.com/) died on July 23rd, 2009. I was on my way to see him in Texas with my daughter, Stella, but he died the day before we arrived. Stella and I mourned with my step family and our visit revealed so many things that one usually takes for granted. One is my most wonderful step family. My Dad's wife, Gloria, my step siblings, LuLu, Nilda and Roel all welcomed us as if we were blood. In our short visit we mourned, loved, cried, laughed, cooked, went to a wedding, and visited the cows at Roel's ranch. I love all of them and will never forget the love they showered on Stella and I. I learned family means love in whatever form it takes.

The second revelation was the amount of people that my dad touched in so many ways. He was a touchstone to many people, many who shared his love of people, food, and life. I had the joy of corresponding and talking with many of my dad's friends and it is because of their inspiration that I will try to carry on blogging where my dad left off. Bill Bradshaw and Bill Farrell, both friends of my dad, will be contributing authors.

I live in Baltimore, MD but have lived so many places I never know where to call home. My heart is pretty much three places: Texas, NYC, and Baltimore. I was born in Texas and you can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the girl. There is something about the big, wide open spaces, the matching big, beautiful sky and of course, the blue bonnets that will always draw me back, make me want to take off my shoes and breathe a big sigh.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have NYC. I lived in NYC for 8 years from '82 until '90 and I had the time of my life. I had visited there every now and then with my mom since I was little but living there was a totally different animal. I always like to describe living in NYC as being linked into pure energy, if you are open to it. I would walk out my door everyday and just feel the energy in my veins; energy from people, experiences, history, you name it. I would walk around the streets of NYC and take it all in and breathe a big sigh.

My happy medium is Baltimore, MD. I moved here in 2000 in search of living in a place where I could be close to NYC without having to take a vacation, live a more city life, own a home and find work as a nurse (by the way, I'm a nurse.) I moved here not knowing anyone, but if you ask my friends, that is something that I like, not something I shun. Baltimore is such a quirky place, it fits me well. It is the place where I had my baby, Stella (my little Baltimorean with a Texan soul.) Baltimore has a little bit of everything and that I think is why I love it so much. One more year and it will tie Dallas as the the place I have lived in the longest.

As I set out on my blogging journey, I hope to continue my dad's vison but also have it evolve as my own. I love many things, so this blog may end up being a winding road of experiences, revelations, music, food, art and ideas that I just have to share! Wow, dad was on to something, this blogging stuff is fun already! So join me and my dad's memory as we walk down the dusty road my dad always talked about, the road called life, as we know it.

Nicole Moran Furney