Dear Sweet, Neglected Blog,

I know it's been weeks since you've heard from me and I'm so very sorry. Please believe me... it's not because my feelings for you have changed.

I've just been busy living ..... homeschooling, learning to sew while teaching the girls how to sew, camping again, hitting library sales and used book stores, housecleaning a little, (cough)turning41(cough), watching the leaves turn beautiful, cheering at soccer games, designing a photobook, and most recently, teaching a class at our homeschool co-op.

So you see my sweet blog, as much as I've wanted to, I simply haven't had an opportunity to write. I've been very productive with my time this month.

What, you don't believe me?

OK, if you must know, I did play a game or two of Spider Solitaire. I allowed myself a few minutes of mind-numbing leisure. Is that a sin, I ask you? Is that a crime? Is that a felony?

Alright, alRIGHT...... maybe it was more than a game or two.

But I NEVER let it get out of control. Really.

But, this is me! You knew I'd be back. You knew I'd eventually have to write about how much fun we had camping, and how the draining of the lake left an otherworldly landscape for us to walk around on, and how we saw dozens of animal tracks, and how I couldn't tell whether Keith or Sissy was prouder that she made the hike up to Molly's Knob, and how we laughed when Peanut said, "Mommy, I hear some happiness, and I think it's coming from that playground!"

And how we didn't want to leave. How we never want to leave. Because when we're camping, we don't have any distractions from each other. We're really together, not just in-the-same-room-together. And leaving means coming home to telephones and computers, and committments, and turning on the TV out of habit, and generally?
Being in the same room, but not so much together.

So anyway, that's a little of what October has looked like for me. I'll be back when I can, but I'm not making any promises I'm not sure I can keep.

We're still OK, right?

your slacker friend,

Nina