A LITTLE CATCH-UP BLOG SESH

It seems to be getting more and more challenging to sit down and post a blog these days. Perhaps it's because we bought the house, moved in, remodeled the kitchen (well, that should be present tense), and then tried to live life as normal in between. Seems that the blog gets the shaft, though. And that just aint right!

So, this little entry is just an attempt to pick up business as usual again with the blog and write down the stuff that's simply going to be a record of our lives when Dane and Aubrey look through it in the years to come.

*Dane, Aubrey and I got our H1N1 nasal sniffs yesterday. Aubrey seems to get everything that comes through town, in general, and the Flu took out the two of us for nearly a month last year. It was painful, miserable -- see this post -- so I decided to try a vaccine for a regular strand of Flu virus and N1H1. Dane hasn't ever been hit too hard, but I decided to go for the three of us. Mick has to handle his separately, due to his work schedule and his diabetes.

*Both kids are in soccer right now, wrapping up a 6 week season with the Y. Playing for last year's coaches, Toph (Dane) and Scott (Aubs). Dane's particularly liking Defense - because "you stay back and just boot the ball down the field" and Aubrey still likes most every position. She seems to have come to a greater understanding this week of the joy of a passing game.

*I'm flying to Lexington, KY, tomorrow morning to research what life was like in the hills and hollers of Eastern Kentucky back in the late 50s, early 60s. I'm still working on the first draft of my novel. I've gotten some early encouragement from an editor - and it's the work that got me into my residency at Soapstone - but I've been a little paralyzed with all the transitions of the last couple years, as well as the fact that I hadn't been to my setting. Time to give that up, though, and get my arse there. I have plans to research at the Genealogical and Historical Societies in Frankfort (and interview two people there), stay in Hazard, lodge in Pine Mountain State Park, and listen to a talk on "Haints in the Holler." Other than that, I mostly plan to listen to the dialect, eat the food in diners, and look up, look down, and breathe a lot of everything.

*We've had house guests for nearly two weeks: Jan and Mike were here for about 5 days (following 4 days of Strep throat for Aubrey), and my Mom came for a week the night Mike and Jan left. This was all for Dane's birthday, lucky boy.

*My mom's been helping me figure out my crazy yard, with its dying English Laurels, overgrown bushes, and abundant yard waste. With the help of a consultant, we've now got a plan. It might not go into effect immediately -- in fact, I haven't even had time to tell Mick what the consultant said! -- but it gives us a greater overall vision for this sweet little plot of land.

*Dane and Aubrey still have plenty of places to dig in this yard. Overheard conversation yesterday: Dane with much enthusiasm, met with equal enthusiasm, "Let's pretend we're professional diggers and this is our first job in Ashland!" It looks like they're making a ditch.

*We still ride or bike to school every day. This is a fabulously convenient location.

*The kids are taking after-school classes for 6 weeks. Dane's taking Tennis and Pottery, hour-long classes per week. Aubrey's taking Beading and Pottery, also an hour each per week -- and, because I'm helping out with the Sewing class, Aubrey's sitting in on that, too. She made a terrific little stuffed pumpkin yesterday. Dane would sew, too, but Tennis is at the same time.

*Dane started half-hour Guitar lessons at the Y twice a week. He's learned E chord, A and D, I think.

*The kitchen's nearly done -- just in need of trim (when will THAT happen???) and cabinetry set up in the adjacent laundry room. It is so spectacularly fabulous to have it nearly completed, and it's BEAUTIFUL. My living room is equally beautiful now, and FURNISHED! We had it ceiling high in boxes for June, July and August, but I finally bought furniture for it, and it's a cozy little haven now. I know it's REALLY MEAN to say all that and not post pictures. But I don't have any yet. I'll have to get right on that. Um, after Kentucky...

Okay, I'm feeling like a better blogger now. It may not have all been interesting, but at least it's DONE for another day.