…finding it hard to believe I’ve been away from this space for so long. This was not a planned absence, believe me. I have wanted to come here, to write, to reach out (AGAIN) for a long time now and haven’t been able to muster up the energy? courage? will? to do so.

….kind of wondering why I am here. I don’t want to use this space as a place to complain, and I suspect that is the reason my writing mojo has left me recently. It’s been a tough summer, friends, so instead of focusing on the past, I’m going to go with a Currently post to try to get my head together and get back in the game.

…Loving the ATGIB book club that Engie started. This has been such a bright spot in my summer. I’ve never been in a book club before, and the experience has far exceeded my expectations. I find that I am reading more carefully, paying attention to what resonates with me, so that I can share (too much) with my fellow readers. I love that the book is holding up for me, and that I am experiencing new insights. I just love everything about it, and will miss it when this is over!

…Also loving all of your blogs, and the beautiful snippets of summer joys (and, well, challenges, a la San’s tile saga) you’ve shared. Thank you for reminding me that there is a world out there, that it’s kind of fun in many ways, and that I should maybe try to engage with it a bit more (as I hoped to do at the start of 2023).

…Dreading the start of contract next week. I’m not ready, friends. It’s been a long summer of working without a break, and I’m kind of fried. So I am playing hooky on the first day. Why? Keep reading. 🙂

…Looking forward to a day trip to Chicago on Monday. This is a just-for-me trip to the Art Institute to see the Van Gogh exhibit they have this summer. I cannot wait. I have a parking reservation, tickets ($$, yeesh) to the AIC and the exhibit, and plans to wander a bit before everything opens.

…Sleep deprived, thanks to my (new) neighbor, who decided that this morning at 12:15 AM (so, 15 minutes past midnight) was a good time to crank up the bass on whatever music they were listening to. Not. Cool. Dude. This is a new neighbor, and I admit that I was the cranky old lady who emailed apartment management in the middle of the night to ask them to stop this asap. Quiet hours, for the record, start at 9 or 10. I’m cool with that. I’m not cool with someone thinking that it’s okay to crank the bass when they share a wall with someone. Yeah. No.

…Grateful to my brother’s kids, who are prioritizing time with my parents (their grandparents) in their brief times at home before going back to college. My brother and sister in law did an amazing job, raising two sensitive, loving young adults (HOW?) who value the time they spend with family, and actually make the time to do so. My brother’s oldest just spent two days with my parents, who were just over the moon happy. So thank you, A&M. You’re awesome. <3

…Getting back to work, and hoping that by posting this pathetically superficial overview of my life right now that I’ve managed to break through whatever weirdo barrier my brain was putting up to writing on my own dang blog this summer. Sheesh.

And finally, because I am feeling a bit unmoored and uncertain right now… a bit of a quote to share…

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” ~Rosalia de Castro

Take care, my friends.