No, I did not fall off the earth, but thank you for asking!

It happens every year. July is like opening the floodgates on summer. You wait and wait for summer, June drags on forever and ever - and then there is the July long weekend and all of the sudden you're drowning in it, and by the time you break the surface and get a chance to look around - you can't believe how much of it has rushed by in such a short time.

I won't talk about what happens next - too soon for that. July is July. The first week of August is a whole other feeling. But we're not there yet so I won't say a thing about it.

Anyway, I just came up for air and here we are in the very late teens of July. The girls have had a week of swimming lessons and they stayed at the lake with my parents and drove them crazy, I am sure. I was there for all but two days of the swimming lessons and the poor kids didn't have one day of decent weather - it poured rain all day Monday, and then Tuesday and Wednesday it was cloudy with a cool breeze and whitecaps on the lake - finally by Thursday the sun was shining again but the wind was still pretty strong so the kids weren't as cold but they got smacked in the face by the waves quite a bit. The parents all huddle on shore and say "You go back in there, now! You finish your lesson!" and try not to let on that we wouldn't switch places with them for ANYTHING in the WORLD because it doesn't matter if they're singing Wheels on the Bus, its sure doesn't look like fun to be so cold and wet and at the mercy of the wind and waves. Nope, no fun at all.

"Mom says its not as cold if you stay in up to your neck!"

Swimming lessons were worthwhile - by the first day the kids were not only learning to tolerate unfavorable weather with a smile through chattering teeth - they were also putting their faces in the water, blowing bubbles through their noses and floating on their backs. They even jumped off the dock! I couldn't believe they were the same little girls who refused (with tears and screaming) to do all of those things for their mother two days before.

Happily jumping off the dock - the first day

Warming up on the sunny side of the cabin

When the kids were settled in at the cabin and taking lessons, I went home for two days to start my new job. I am working 3 days a week at a local newspaper and I am enjoying it very much. Newspapers are all about things I love very much - news, photos, graphics, layout, reading, writing. Its fun for me to be around when all of that is going on and help out where they need me. I also get to do lots of different things, including working on content for a website and a video billboard type thing that isn't up and running yet but should be pretty soon. One lady I used to work with always said its not a good day unless you learn something new - and by that standard I've had some exceptionally good days at my new job so far. The best part is that I get to work with some really creative and talented people so there is always the hope that some of that will rub off on me eventually.