Never ruin an apology with an excuse. ~Kimberly Johnson

And so I apologize! I have been

MIA and just... well, to lazy to sit and write. The summer passed by in a blur it seems. So to recap.....

*May... puppies! Patrick graduated from High School and I graduated with from my master's program.

*June.... I was laid off from my job... yep, and right now,

teaching jobs are not abundant!

*July... law suit settled and life felt less burdened.

Patrick turned 18 and Meri turned 14! House construction also began with ripping out some horse hair plaster walls and laying new floors... I love how the house now flows!

*August...We felt we need to build an ark with the

amount of rain that fell over the summer. Summer was technically over before it began!

*September.. School came back in session with Meri joining the ranks of high schoolers and we moved Patrick into his New York dorm... I began to feel 'old'

*October... Sam turned 16 and obtained a learner's permit... yes, student driver here we come again! We welcomed a new puppy to the mix (a dachshund and said goodbye to the chickens)

Which brings us up to speed and to November!

Yesterday amid my busy schedule of tutoring, running people to and from school, and general errands, I celebrated a birthday. Today would have been Tom's birthday.

These gave me pause and I took some time to sit with my thoughts and think of the past with Tom and wonder who he would have been today. Would our values, wants, desires and future goals have been the same? I look at who I have evolved into the past 8 years and know I am not the same Lisa I was back then. I speak my truth about who I am and what it is I would like out of life these days. I am far from the uncertain woman I was.