Back to the Real World (Updated)

Hello again at long last! I know, I know. You thought that I abandoned you. I had a good reason! Life has been in a whirl.

I jaunted off to Maine to visit Big Ben and his mommy and daddy. I flew into New Hampshire and enjoyed a drive through the lovely Northeast. Some of the leaves were starting to change and were simply breathtaking. We hit Portsmouth on the drive for some amazing pumpkin pie ice cream. MMmmm! Watoosa and I watched Cranford (all you Anglophiles out there, grab a copy of this BBC mini-series and a box of tissues!). Ickie and I had lots of good chat time. Ben and I had lots of good cuddle time and some serious talks about letting his mommy and daddy get a bit more rest. Big Ben is every bit as cute as his pictures had heretofore led me to believe, and I miss him already!So, I got back from Maine in time to intersect a visit from my brother and my eldest nephew. My nephew is 21 by the way. How in the world is it possible that I have a 21 year-old nephew? He and I are closer in age then he and my boys are.

Man...he's getting old. OLD.

My brother and nephew left in time for my friend Jen (of On the Creative Path) to visit with her little boy and girl. I hadn't seen Jen in 3 years! I had never seen her kids at all! We had so much fun and did some major catching up. We tried to hit some old haunts from back in the college days, but it didn't always pan out. That probably had something to do with the pile of tired kids that we were trying to drag around with us. Oh my! It was easier when we were footloose and fancy-free students back in the day. Coffee shops, campuses, and painting had to take a backseat now. This didn't dampen our spirits in the least. We had a great time recalling the fun times we used to have and playing with the aforementioned pile of kids. Of note, Jen drove 12 hours, alone with a 1 and 2 year-old, just to see me. I felt humbled and loved! She said it was worth it and that she didn't want to look back on a wasted opportunity and live a life full of regret. Wise words from my sweet friend. Thanks for the memories, Jenny! Old and new!