Coming back to my blog feels a bit like blowing the dust off a favorite but long untouched book. My life has been hectic. I feel like I say that so much it would be the major sentence in any word cloud taken from my blog and social media scene. Hectic. Is this the word to describe it all?

In the past six weeks I’ve experienced the following:

1. My duplex flooded with sewage water five times in a week.
2. I became sick after cleaning it up. Then my children became sick.
3. My son had surgery.
4. The day after surgery the landlord scheduled the roof to be re-shingled without informing me. It was a two day job requiring me to relocate my family at the worst of moments.
5. I got a raise.
6. My son had some bad side effects from surgery. I sat up with him several nights in a row as he had fever and was coughing up blood.
7. I turned 34.
8. I learned that the sewage water was more difficult to sanitize than I thought. I also realized it was why my family was getting sick. Continuously. Discovered it was so serious the EPA could get involved.
9. My landlord, rather than deal with the mess, told me to get out of the duplex. In so many words. One might say his realty company is an ‘era’ and his name in a way rhymes with Machiavelli. I’ve also learned his reputation around town stinks. I’m not the only one who’s learned he’s not a nice guy. 
10. I found a place and moved in less than 72 hours thanks to the help of some very good friends.
11. I discovered my oldest son has a talent for dancing, entertaining and acting when watching his school play. I’m his mom, yes, but trust me when I say he really was good. I was shocked. And more proud than I ever have been.
12. My grandmother had surgery, with more scheduled for later.

Now that I’m settling in a new home (3 bedroom yay!), and mostly unpacked, it feels good. I’ve given myself three challenges this month: to learn how to use tools, learn how to sew and learn how to throw punches. Sounds crazy maybe, but I know I have to be self-sufficient. I need to be able to take care of all things.  Also – with the help of my life coach, Jennifer Priest, I’m looking into my financial picture. Setting goals, creating budgets and looking for ways to cut back and live more comfortably. I’ll have more on that in another post. Till now – I wish I had something more exciting to say. But I’m just blowing the dust off. And I can’t leave this post without saying this. Without my good friends and family, I wouldn’t have made it through the last six weeks with my sanity still intact. Thank you. I love you all very much.

Welcome back!