Sorry for the long absence. Two whole seasons have passed since I last blogged. Fall came and went – with a bang, thanks to “Snowtober”, and Winter flew by, but not before a couple of sad events. So, here we are, well into Spring, which by the way, has felt more like Summer, nothankyouverymuch.

Let’s break it down, shall we?

Snowtober, crazy Snowtober. Snow, downed trees, and a power outage to end all power outages. Well, not exactly, but to me it was. At the end of October it snowed. A lot. And because of that, the trees, which had not yet lost their leaves AS IT WAS FALL, became too heavy from the snow and well… fell. Everywhere. Even WE lost our beloved magnolia tree in the back. After the storm, driving around town was impossible. Every single traffic light was out, as there was no power anywhere. So, driving to the nearest Lowes for a chain saw took us hours between detours, waiting at intersections, and dodging downed power lines and trees like an obstacle course. Maybe “obstacle course” is the wrong term here. “War zone” would be much more fitting. By the time we finally did arrive at Lowes, they were already sold out of gas-powered chainsaws. So, back in the car we went, and slowly and carefully made our way home. Being out of power meant no work (for me) and no daycare, as both are here in town. The first few days (after that initial trip to Lowes), we stayed close to home, as still none of the intersections were working. Our only connection to the outside world was through Facebook, where we’d learn about the progress (or lack thereof) of the efforts to restore power. The nights were long and cold, as temps dipped to freezing. To keep warm, Gigi slept with us (and the pugs) in our bed at night. Naps were taken in the car (once I was comfortable enough to drive), as I drove us around finding a place with power to get warm for a few hours. When I tell you it was a war zone, it truly was. Outside, everything looked just the same as it did immediately after the storm. The process to remove downed trees and power lines was at a snail’s pace. Nothing like this had ever happened before. So, the power company was ill-prepared to deal with the aftermath. And, instead of being straight with everyone, they chose to make promises they clearly couldn’t keep. All of this, I read on Facebook, and the only way I could do this was when my phone was charged, and the only way I could charge my phone was in my car, running idle in my driveway for hours at a time just to get to 20% battery life. It was a crazy time. Gas stations ran out of gas, stores ran out of flashlights and batteries, and we ran out of patience. By day 3, we were throwing out everything in the fridge, keeping milk and eggs in Gigi’s wagon out in the breezeway.. and suddenly realizing we somehow not only STILL HAD HOT WATER, but the gas stove and fireplace STILL WORKED! Yay for hot showers, yay for boiling water, and yay for being able to make eggs and toast on the stovetop! Considering everything else, we were very lucky. It could have been so much worse for us. We watched as surrounding towns and neighborhoods had their power restored, with the hope we’d be next. Finally, after 10 long days and even longer and colder nights, our power was restored.

After that, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years passed like a flash. Hello, 2012! But then, we were met with the tragedy of Anthony’s sister, Leslie, losing her lifelong battle to diabetes and passing away at the age of 46, leaving behind a grieving husband, a nine year old son, and a family who loved her. Rest now, Leslie..

As Winter came to a close, we discovered we were pregnant and due in the Fall. But, shortly after that, I began to spot, which then became worse, and finally, it was confirmed after a grueling week of bloodtests that I was in fact miscarrying. To make matters worse, the process was taking forever. So, I had to have a D&C. All we can do is move on and try again. We’re presently in the “moving on” stage of this. Trying again may take a little more time, and that’s OK. It is what it is.

I’m very lucky for having an extremely supportive husband… and for having a happy and healthy little girl. I can’t ask for more than that. I shouldn’t ask for more than that. When I find myself grieving over the baby that wasn’t meant to be (this last one and the the one I lost before Gigi), I gain perspective from knowing exactly what I have – my health, the health and love of my family, the support of caring friends, and the meaningful and the mundane of everyday life. Like, in those 10 days without power last Fall, we celebrated Tony’s birthday (with ice cream cake at his request!) as well as Gigi’s 2nd birthday. There was no pomp or circumstance, no party, and no big to do - just our little family huddled close in a dark and cold house with only the light of a few birthday candles shining on our faces. Definitely among the best moments I’ll remember and will be thankful for forever.

So, what does the future of this blog hold? Damned if I know! I have dreams of posting more often with topics ranging from recipe reviews to what’s going on around the house to streams of consciousness on family-life, work, and just life in general - with some photographs peppered in for good measure. And, that's just today. Tomorrow, those dreams can reach beyond all that. Every day, I'm inspired by so many bloggers, by their stories, and their photography. They make it look easy, and clearly, it isn't. Not for me anyway. And it should be! I love to write. So, I'm half way there. Just have to make the time. HA! It shouldn't be this hard!