Is This Thing On?

So, um…..

Hi!

How’s things? I brought you a flower. It’s a coneflower. It’s special because it’s my signature flower. It’s hardy, resilient, old fashioned. It’s does its best work under pressure and while it seems a little rough around the edges it can actually be quite soothing and helpful when you’re in need. Do you like it? I grew it myself.

Yeah, um…. so, you know how when you haven’t talked to someone in a really long time, you think about calling her up, but you know that you will have so much to say, and right now you really need to round up the kids and get to piano lessons, so maybe you’ll call after, but then you have to make dinner so maybe you’ll call after that, but then there’s dishes and bath time and “mama will you read to me?” and then it’s just too late, so maybe tomorrow, but then tomorrow comes and you wake up late so you’re behind all day and then…  you look up and it’s been weeks and weeks and then you don’t call because you know you’ll never have time to properly catch up and so you kind of drift apart but you think about her lots and wonder how she is and so finally you just email and say, “Hey, I just wanted to tell you I was thinking of you,” but you wish it was more, because she’s your friend and you love her and you’d like to tell her all your stories and you’d like to hear all of her stories, but right now you’re doing your very best to just keep swimming, so you just think, “some day soon I’ll call” and you hope she’s not mad, but you know she’s probably not because she’s a real friend, a good friend, and she knows how it is. She knows how YOU are.

You know?

It’s been like that.

Sorry.

I’ve missed you.

I’ve thought about you.

I hope you’re well.

Here’s the Spark Notes version, so that we can move on, and act like this long and awkward absence never happened:

1. There was a trip to Granny’s and it was fabulous. We ate from our garden and you just can’t beat that feeling.

2. Granny got to come home with us for a week, which was awesome, but it didn’t go according to plan at all. Two of my guys came down with strep while she was here, so pretty much all she got to see of “the big city” was the biggo mess we call home.

3. I sent TWO of my boys off to sleep away camp (one more than last year). While they were gone I had the silly idea that I would paint their bedrooms and surprise them with new (to them) beds. And that, friends, is when all hell broke loose.

One thing led to another and, before I knew what hit me, everything I own was in my garage coated in a layer of concrete dust. We moved in with my parents and began an all out house remodel on the scale of Extreme Home Makeovers.

Only… um… without the speedy timeline, budget, talent and expertise.

We’re back home now, but still dealing with some major chaos. We have no doors, no table, no couches, no stove top, one working bathroom.. or at least it WAS working up until yesterday at  around about the time that the Jamaican Olympian arrived.

You think I’m kidding, don’t you?

I assure you, I’m not, and the Jamaican Olympian is why I can’t stick around and talk any longer, much as I’d like to. I have to get in the shower (with a jug of water and a rag, thanks) before he wakes up. Did I mention that we have no doors?

Anyhow, I promise, I’ll tell you the rest of the story and show you pictures soon.

For now, just know that I’m here and I’ve missed you and I’m looking forward to hearing all about your summer too!