Where Do I Begin?

Well I'm not going to bore you with the whole litany of why I've been missing and how busy my life has been. Let's just say life has been less than tranquil these past few days. No crisis or anything - everyone is well and the marriage is intact! But we hosted a large party (80 people) over the weekend (for my sister & her hubby's 40th birthday) which took a whole lot of elbow grease considering it was outside (at the new place) and we had to prepare all week to make things nice (the gardens and the yard mostly - which has been a construction zone for the past year so it needed some major overhaul!

And did I mention that Sunday was my birthday?....and I spent most of it in bed because I was up till 4 AM the night before (and at my age - 4 AM requires a full day of recuperation!)

I also had 3 job interviews in two days (one of which took a lot of prep on short notice....had to teach a 30 minute lesson to 6th graders and make sure I "wowed" my observers and jumped through all the right hoops.) And then there is this weekend. It's the big one for our family. We celebrate all the summer birthdays in one fell swoop. There are 12 total and it's literally Christmas in July with all those gifts.

We (my brood) always go to our cottage for the fireworks and then converge at my brother's on the next lake over for a big picnic on whatever Saturday happens to fall near the 4th. it's fun - it's crazy and the kids look forward to it all year!

It's also melancholy...bittersweet...for me. Because in my mind's eye the 4th was always celebrated at my folks cottage (two lakes over) when the kids were young. But my parents passed on 11 years ago and the traditions have changed. The proverbial torch has been passed - whether I wanted it to be or not. Not that I don't enjoy my new role! I love it - really! Having all my kids and their hubbies and my grandson all together at the lake is the best. Absolutely the best! But I still miss the old days...and the people that were a part of them (late hubby included.)

Wait. I wasn't going to bore you with my week, was I!? Sorry.

In spite of my non-posts though - I have been keeping tabs on all of you in the snippets of time I've found to log on. Just haven't been able to comment!

And now my dear friends...tomorrow we leave for the lake! The youngest daughter & hubby are bugging out of work early to drive in from Massachusetts. The middle daughter and her hubby have been there since last Friday - soaking up some alone time. The oldest & her boyfriend will meet us there tomorrow also and hubby & I plan to make it there by dinnertime.

There is no computer there. No phone (well...cell phones count I guess.) No TV reception - but hubby came across an old lady tossing out videos 2 days ago and brought home 164 VHS tapes of all sorts of good movies...so if it rain - we're set! (where to put the friggin' thing though??)

What I'm trying to day is that I'll be AWOL again until Monday. But I'll be thinkin' of you all and hoping those in the US are having a great 4th of July celebration. (I remember one year I was in Italy over the 4th and the waiter brought out a cake with a sparkler for us...to make us feel at home! It made me remember that I lived on the othe side of the world.)

Oh - and now the confession. I haven't run in a week. (I can hear Nan gasping now!) I could come up with a myriad of excuses....rain....lack of time...heat...and all of those things were true at the start. But then life got overwhelming and the mojo went out the door and now here I am feeling like a putz. But I DO plan on running with my daughter at the lake. Maybe every day. (She's a task master.)

So get out the wet noodle and send some lashes my way. I'm not giving up. I've come too far. But I do deserve a smack upside the head!

Have a happy 4th all! I love you guys!