...all the wonderful things

How do I start a post after two solid months off?  Perhaps something along the lines of "How I Spent My Summer Vacation"?  I never intended to go so long without a blog post, but sometimes life just happens and all you can do is buckle up and go along for the ride. In early July I had been receiving strange auto-upgrade notifications on my computer about Windows 10.  I wasn't interested in the free upgrade, so continued to hit the "no thanks" button at the bottom of the screen.  And then one morning, out of the blue, I opened my computer and discovered that it had ON ITS OWN decided to make the upgrade anyway.  That slightly freaked me out - not sure I want my computer exercising independent thought - but that was quickly followed by irritation when I discovered that nothing, and I do mean nothing, was now working correctly.  In short, it fried my computer.  I am now the proud owner of a new laptop, because in the end it made more sense to upgrade than repair an older computer.  I'm now having to get used to the Windows 10 format, but so far everything is working splendidly and I am now ready to write some fall blogs.

But before I launch into fall reveries (I know I've mentioned once or twice that it is my favorite season) I should probably catch up on all the comings and goings of the summer.  How did I spend my summer "vacation"?  Doing all sorts of fun things on the weekends, sandwiched with a rather hectic time at work.  My assistant moved to a different position within our organization, and replacing her as taken far longer than I had hoped.  As a result I've been trying to handle two crazy-busy work loads for the last two months, so even if I had had a working computer I'm not sure how much creative energy I would have had in July and August anyway.

A few highlights:  watching our new granddaughter, Madison, grow and start revealing her personality to us.  Oh my, I know I say it often, but being a grandmother really is the best thing since sliced bread. 

I've loved spending time with both the girls this summer, watching Lily blossom into the sweetest two year old I've ever met.  

There is nothing sweeter than a having a grandchild curled up on your lap while you read Goodnight Moon to her...once, then twice, and then a third time.  And each time we count the bears...there's Grandpa Bear, there's Grandma Bear and there's Lily Bear. And, of course, we must eat from the bowl of mush that makes it way onto each and every page.  Yum, yum, yum!

I have so many stories and pictures and new poets and poems that I can't wait to share with you, but before my eagerness runs away with itself (like the dish and the spoon in Good Night Moon?) perhaps I should first listen to Mary Oliver and learn a little more about patience...

Patience 

What is the good life now?  Why,

look here, consider

the moon's white crescent

rounding, slowly, over

the half month to still another

perfect circle ---

the shining eye

that lightens the hills,

that lays down the shadows

of the branches of the trees,

that summons the flowers

to open their sleepy faces and look up

into the heavens.

I used to hurry everywhere,

and leaped over the running creeks.

There wasn't 

time enough for all the wonderful things

I could think of to do 

in a single day.  Patience

comes to the bones

before it takes root in the heart

as another good idea.

I say this

as I stand in the woods

and study the patterns of the moon shadows,

or stroll down into the waters

that now, late summer, have also 

caught the fever, and hardly move

from one eternity to another.

Oliver asks us each of us -  what is the good life?  My answer today would be that it is having friends like you.  A heartfelt thank you to each reader who reached out and let me know my posts were missed!  I'm so happy to be "back in business" and I'm looking forward to sharing more adventures in this crazy ride we call life.