Remember Me?

Wow. You look away for a second and Bam! Three months zips by.

Once again, I have been a very lackadaisical blogger. Of course, I have many totally justifiable excuses, and if you want to see my doctor's note, just email me and I'll zip you a copy.

If it makes you feel any better, I didn't get Christmas cards out either. In fact, I've only gotten Christmas cards out three years out of the last twenty, which says a lot, don't you think?

So. New Year. New Resolutions. You know the drill. One of my goals is to pop in here more often. One of the problems is I tend to think I need to have an official article or lecture planned. I'm going to try and remove that pressure and see if I can't just wander in here and, well, babble at you in a more casual fashion. You guys are up for casual babbling, aren't you? Of course you are! Hopefully, that will make it easier to post more regularly.

Hm. As for a quick recap of the last three months, which actually, now that I think about it, would have made a good Christmas letter.

September
Both boys off to school. Much sobbing and rending of cloth. Minimal grocery bill nicely offsets this despair, however.

October
Both boys doing well in school. Sobbing down to merely tearing up at odd moments. Much writing getting done. Yeay!

November
Youngest son very sick. First time sick away from home. Sobbing resumes, this time with a guilty note to it. Diagnosed with mono. However, has NO symptoms of mono, merely bad cold.

Oldest son calls home. He too, is very sick. He too, tests positive for mono. (No doubts about what these two have been up to while away at college!)In fact, I must stop sobbing long enough to drive up and help him out, he is that sick. One trip to the emergency room later, we are thrilled to discover he has one of the most severe cases of mono the emergency room has ever seen. I am so proud. Eldest son comes home long enough to effect the most miraculous recovery ever, and returns to school in one week.

Which gives me just enough time to clean the house in time for Thanksgiving.

December
Writing like a maniac and loving it. Boys due home second and third weeks of December. Can't wait! Plus, very generous in-laws have decided to take the entire family to Maui for their 55th wedding anniversary. Tropics, here we come! Unfortunately, I am not a tropical person. Heat and humidity don't do it for me. However, it was very, very lovely. Boys and beloved spouse snorkeled and swam with sea turtles and jumped off tall rocks that left me dizzy. I read five books, which is my personal version of paradise. Return to real life, refreshed. Pack boys up. Ship them back to school. Am much relieved to find I only cry a little at their departure and quickly get back into the swing of my writing life.

Which included updating this blog!