(Tap, tap, tap… is this thing still on?)

It’s been just over 10 months since I checked in to my little corner of the internet. Those 10 months followed a few more that were, let’s just say, less than stellar. Between family ordeals both immediate and extended and friend issues (the kind where you find out who your real friends are), I found myself not finding joy in much of anything. Which meant I found little fun or humorous to write about.

After the first few days of no writing turned to a month, then two, then two more, I figured I was done. “Most blogs don’t last anyway,” I told myself. And I settled in to a comfortable denial of my once-strong urge to get everything down on paper.

And I found myself thinking, “I was a writer.” Totally past-tense.

But then my sweet third-born asked what happened to the blog. “I really miss your posts,” she said. “They were about our life. Like a photo album.” She didn’t just say it once. She said it multiple times. And between her asking me to write again and my dear mother-in-law saying she missed my posts, I decided to try to get back in the game.

Don’t get me wrong; much of the junk that caused me to hang up the keyboard is still there. And more bad stuff will happen. But good stuff is happening, too. Somewhere. Sometimes it’s harder to find than others, but it is out there. And often, it’s a lot closer than I think:

Like the fact that I just took a motorcycle training class with Michael. We’re both endorsed to ride!

Or that Rebecca is honing her teaching skills by teaching science, piano and ballet.

Or that Amy is helping to choreograph a show that Sean, Rebecca and I are working on with two other dear friends.

Or that today is my 25^th wedding anniversary!

Or that the sun rose this morning.

Now that I’m waking from my self-imposed stupor, I can see the many, many wonderful things going on that I would happily chronicle in a blog post.

Besides, my baby is graduating from high school this year and I definitely need a place to talk about how totally impossible that is.

It’s not just impossible. It’s downright crazy.

Here’s to a new start on Where I Am. And hopefully where I’ll be will be right here for many years to come.

The first day of 12^th grade...who let this happen? I blame her father.

Many thanks to our friends Barry P. and Dr. D for loaning us helmets!