Okay. At first I wrote this in a PAGE. What’s the difference between a PAGE and a POST, I ask you? The PAGE didn’t publish even though I clicked the “publish” button. We’ll see what this does (or doesn’t do). Well, I have a few pictures to post, but don’t understand how to do it, using this new format, so I guess I can’t. It sure was a lot easier using the old format. <snivel, whine>

But here I am, home again - in fact, at WORK again, and none too happy about it, I must say. Not exceedingly UNhappy, really - just not overly delighted or anything like that. I’m beginning to think that I am, by nature, a not particularly happy person. At least not consistently or often. Mostly, life just seems to keep rolling by me at a faster and faster pace. Who, for example, can believe that summer is actually winding down? It hardly seems like we’ve had any summer at all! And of course here in New England, it’s been wet and rainy far more than it’s been hot and sunny, so that adds to the feeling of not having any summer. In North Carolina it was pretty hot, but of course always a breeze up in the mountainous area where sis lives. Now, usually when I visit my sis, we spend most of our time out on her patio - used to be smoking and drinking coffee or iced tea and talking, talking, talking…. now, of course, neither of us smokes anymore (a year and almost eight months for me, and closing in on five months for her) so there’s not that “just one more cigarette” delaying tactic and of course, THIS visit, my two daughters - and sons-in-law and grandson and granddaughter were with me, and my sister’s son who lives there in Hendersonville and her daughter who drove down from Ohio with her husband and little boy. What a crowd, eh? Well, the cousins hadn’t seen each other in some time and were anxious to catch up with each other, and they also wanted to get around to some of the local tourist attractions like the Cherokee Museum, which I’ve been to several times, but will go as often as anybody wants to, because each time I see something I didn’t notice the last time - and Cherokee Village, and Lake Lure, and Chimney Rock, and so on and so forth. So I did a bit of trotting around with them, although on the days that we went “touristing”, sis stayed home and puttered, which is what she’s fond of doing. She and I did get off alone together a few times, and out for a “just sis’s” supper, which was nice. Also went with her to the little uptown park where she takes her daily “constitutional” - walks around the perimeter twice, which I did with her. I had my quarterstaff along - it’s become one of those things “I don’t leave home without” because I never know when we’re going to get out and do some hiking or climb some rocks (both of which we managed to do while down in N.C.) and sis admired it so that I gave it to her. Bought myself another one, native N.C. carved, and very nice. When the kids and I drove up to Lake Lure for the day, we stopped in Chimney Rock, which has a river that flows parallel to the main street down in back of all the quant little shops. You can access the “riverwalk” via stairs that run down betwen the stores. The water levels were very low, owing to drought conditions there in western N.C., and we went down and climbed around the big rocks that would normally be mostly submerged but are now mostly above the water. The water was only a foot or so deep. We had some fun climbing the rocks and taking pictures of each other - my quarterstaff came in handy as a balancing pole, and also as a lever to get myself up the steeper rock surfaces. Then from there we went and rented a boat for ourselves and motored all around the lake, ogling the huge homes and mansions along the shore. There was one little trailer - and an old one at that - nestled between two ostentatious estates that we cheered about. It was refreshing to see that even the rich and famous can’t control ALL the good real estate, you know?

Well, I’m sorry to say that my “healthy eating” was unable to withstand the temptations of vacation: to begin with, the kids had the car packed solid with every kind of cookie, chip, cracker and drink (some bottles of water, thank gawd!) known to man. It was a 16-hour drive, but it went quickly with each of us driving 3-4 hours apiece and then resting, reading or sleeping while the others took their turns. The kiddos - the little grandbabies, I mean, were no trouble at all. That in and of itself positively amazed me! But they did puzzles, watched DVD’s (Yes, of COURSE they had their little DVD player), played videogames, and ultimately, slept. We stopped a few times to use the facilities and have a little nosh, but otherwise just drove straight on through. I’d forgotten what a WIDE state Virginia is! I thought we were stuck in an instant replay or something - seemed like we were in Virginia for most of the trip! We had my daughter Kim’s Garmin Nuvi (?) which I found quite entertaining, except for when we left the highway to grab a coffee or use the bathroom, and it said, quite sternly, “Make a U-turn as quickly as possible and get back on 81 south!” We KNEW to do that!!!!

But, as I was saying, it started with the snacks in the car and just got progressively worse with each day that we were there. By the time we got home, I felt like a stuffed pig (thus the “jiggedy-jig”) and still am feeling like one. I dare NOT get on the scale. I don’t think I could handle it right now. I’m going to gradually wean myself back off the nasty stuff (ice cream, cookies and such) and try to regain my healthy momentum. I DID find a Leslie Sansone “beginner’s” Walk Off The Pounds tape with both a one mile walk and a two-mile walk and bought it. Surely I can do that daily if I do nothing else of any physical value. I’m so tired, though, of having to work so hard for such minimal results. I REALLY get a kick out of the health columns where they assure you that “just by substituting sugar free iced tea for the sweetened kind, you can lose five pounds in a year. Yeah? What if you never drank sweetened iced tea to BEGIN with? Why am I not losing five pounds each and every year, then? Oh, blah! Small changes, my butt! ANYWAY, I’m willing to put some effort into it - I really, really would like to take off at least ten more pounds, but at my advanced age, I’m not sure I should HAVE to, you know? I mean, who CARES what I weigh besides ME? DH certainly couldn’t care less one way or the other. I mean, I’m sure he’d worry if I were to grow TOO big - healthwise, I mean - but ten pounds up or down wouldn’t even register with him, I don’t think. Unfortunately, it registers with ME, and I manage to make myself quite miserable when I’m not happy with my weight. Blah.

Oh, I’m SO glad that Ruby Jean’s Mum is home where she belongs, and I DO hope that she gets to feeling better soon. And, feathers, have you had your surgery yet? That’s SO exciting! I’m anxious for all the details! And Anniegirl is to become a property owner, Ms. Close is off vacationing, and where is Ini? Joannie? Have you picked out your dress yet? Please share! In the meantime, I am muddling through, trying to catch up with everyone, and haven’t quite managed it all yet.

Talk soon,

Z