I know. I've been totally blowing this blog off. You see, I'm actually busy nowadays and I love it. The new job is three days a week and then doing stuff around the house the other days. It's great. And with it being the Christmas season, I'm totally preoccupied. I actually got some shopping done today. I need one more thing for my mom and then I'll be able to send the box down to Arkansas. It's so nice, we draw names for the adults. I can't imagine how late I would be if I had to buy for more than two people.

This week I got to see an old high school friend. Her mom lives here, so when she comes for a visit, we go to lunch and catch up. She has gone back to school and is getting a Masters in Divinity. She has been really searching all her life for stability and I think she's getting there. We always talk about our different upbringings--mine with my conservative, tea-totaling parents and hers with her hippie parents where her dad was an alcoholic. She claims she is neurotic. I do think I had a boring, but healthy upbringing.

Pete used my flight benefits this week to fly to Boston. He went up for about 24 hrs. His mom is in the dying phase of Alzheimer's and he felt like he needed to see her. He told her good-bye and that it was OK for her to let go and die. I can write about it, but to say it brings tears to my eyes. My friend pointed out that it probably makes me think about losing my own mom. I think she's right.

I really do like this time of year but I'm missing my family a lot right now. I think I get this way every year. I got shopping done today but resented all the other people out there who made the stores crowded. Even the grocery store was crowded at 2:30 in the afternoon! I'm sure something down deep wishes I was shopping with my mom and sister.