I haven't blogged in ages. Part of it is that so much has gone on that if I write about anything, I'll feel bad for not mentioning other things. Like how I was between flights on Mother's Day, but rather than sit in the airport all day, I was fortunate to be able to have a lovely, albeit short, visit with all my aunts and uncles and cousins. I only have two of each, so it was a fairly small gathering. But that was wonderful.
And then because of a scheduling mishap, I had 2 days between flights, so I took advantage of the window to get in another superfast visit with my bestie Joni who lives in Georgia. She always brings me happiness. And then I was in The City another day and my dear Keri met me for a bite to eat and a show on Broadway...we saw Catch Me If You Can, before taking the train to her house in CT for a short night's sleep before I flew out again. So that was a lot of fun, too. I have said it before and I stand by the claim still: There is no way your friends are better than my friends. :-)
And in other news: My youngest sister lives in Hawaii. I hadn't been to see her there in two years, so I flew over as a surprise during President's Day. I didn't tell anyone I was coming. I knew she was running in the Great Aloah Race that weekend, and I decided to go cheer her on. So I flew in, took the bus to her house and she and her family weren't home. So I broke in (heh heh heh. Sneaky.) and waited till they returned. I talked to her on the phone a few times while she was out, and she had NO IDEA I was waiting for her at the house. That was so much fun to surprise them all!
It was a great weekend. But even though it was short, it wasn't too sad when we parted, because in five more weeks she was attending a conference in Denver for work, and had asked if I was interested in joining her. As if she even needed to ask! I hopped on a plane and we had a fun weekend together. I hung out during the day while she was at the conference, and we ate lots of tasties, met up with our cousin who lives there for a fun day, saw Red Rocks ampitheater and got my daily vitamin G (gelato). It was great. Saying goodbye at that airport was a little more difficult, because I wasn't expecting to see her again anytime soon.
Two weeks ago, though, she collapsed but was able to call 911. Two ambulance rides and two hospitals later, things went south and it was dicey, but prayers were answered and she's still alive, though she lost a baby. I jumped on a plane the day after she got home from the hospital and spent a week there helping out with the kids and "keeping them safe" (what the kids tasked me with) while she recuperated. And I did my best. So grateful for my job that allows me to move about the country free of charge so easily!
My kids finished their school year last week. I can hardly wrap my head around the fact that my little tiny "she-was-just-an-itty-baby-three-months-ago-
wasn't-she?!" daughter is now a FRESHMAN(!?!) And my sweet Gator? He's going into sixth grade! That's when
so many really
crappy things began to happen at school during my childhood. But it makes me really happy that both of them are having happy childhoods. Gator recently wrote a card saying "thanks for making my kidhood so great!" (Do you agree that "kidhood" should be added to the dictionary?) I couldn't be more pleased with these two darlings. They delight me.
Hmm...in other news I went off sugar for two months. Just kind of an experiment, and also because I was a complete addict. Did you know there was such thing?! I consulted uncle Google and found out there IS! I decided I needed to reign in the sugar cravings. It was miserable for the first 3 weeks. I was in complete withdrawal and seriously wondered if there would ever be happiness in my life again. But eventually the cravings subsided and I feel proud of my accomplishment. Now I'm trying to be moderate in my treat consumption. If I can't handle moderation, I'll have to go back to complete deprivation.
A friend and I went to a free concert by
Mindy Gledhill, whose music I discovered recently and fell in love with. It was great.
Also my sister who lives in CA came for a quick visit during a road trip and spent two nights here. She had a friend guy with her, and the two of them have the same names as my kids (it may come as a shocking revelation, but Bunch & Gator aren't really named "Bunch & Gator") so it was really confusing and fun. I never get to see both sisters within a five-day period.
It is notable that Doc has just finished up his intern year. We SURVIVED! It's so fun to see him enjoying life in a way that he really hasn't been able to for a long time. He's going on a trip tomorrow to his bestie's house (can guys have besties?) and using some vacay time. He starts residency in Radiology next month.
Up next on the fun-o-meter: A massive family reunion trip to an amazing tropical resort in our near future. I'll probably make that it's own post. Just for documentation purposes.
I hardly ever blog anymore, as you've probably noticed. This place was once invaluable as an outlet while I healed and overcame things in my past. I have been so happy for a while now that the need for "blog therapy" has kind of diminished. It may pick up in the future, or just stay sporadic as I feel inspired to write. But no matter what, thanks, dear readers, for hanging in with me through all the twists and turns this patch of cyberspace has taken over the years. We'll see what the future brings!
Grateful for:
1) Bagels (that's a story, too)
2) Chances to make a difference
3) Divine intervention in daily life
