O Where, O Where Have I Been All Week? Reflections . . .

Yes, it has been a bit of time since the last post, and I sincerely apologize for being absent for this period of days. Not that there are that many who follow the blog yet, but I do try to keep faith with those who stop by.

Just lots going on this week . . . Just got back from Missouri about nine days ago and have been trying to adjust to some changes in my life. 1) My faithful companion, our English Shepherd Mickey, died while we were away. He was playing with the folks that were caring for him and our two cats, Sophie and Vashti, and he laid down to take his recuperative snooze right after, just like he always did. Only this time, he didn't wake up, and about 20 minutes later, when our friend called him to go outside with him, Mickey didn't respond and they realized he was dead. Now he is resting right at the base of the big fir tree in our side yard, a place he loved to lay in the shade when it was close to 100 degrees in our part of the world. It's way too quiet now when we come home from even short errands, and we don't have anyone to stumble over in the dark when we get up in the middle of the night. The cats are wondering around the house mewing at regular intervals, just as if they were calling him to come out of hiding. Sophie, especially, seems really thrown by his absence. It's very unsettling at how deeply we allow these wonderful animals to worm their way into our affections. He will be greatly missed for a very long time.

It is also Spring here in Southern California and the Spring flowers and trees are a riot of color--as in this wonderful shot of the Huntington Hotel grand plaza lawn, a beautiful and historic location in Pasadena, CA where my granddaughters and I go about once a year for "high tea" and glory in the wonders of Spring in this part of the world. But with Spring comes a bunch of extra stuff that is annual in nature but nevertheless, one must buck up and dive in and do what must be done. Like all the extra Lenten and Easter stuff at church, extra babysitting with grandkids during Spring Break, trying to figure out when or if we can plan some more time away in late summer, getting the old winter plants out of the flower beds and putting in the Spring bedding plants like the primroses, petunias, lavender, taking advantage of all the pre-Easter sales, especially the shoe sales at the Designer Shoe Warehouse--one of my most favorite and addictive retail locations, and so on and on.

This past week I have indeed done some reading -- some were books I need to read for The Book Binge reviews, some for this blog, and some because I have been wanting to read those books just for myself. I also have two afghans in progress--one I started in Missouri and had hoped to finish while there, and one that I started months ago and really really needs to be finished.

So I once again apologize for the long silence and wish all of you a Spring that is filled with beauty and a sense of renewal as the seasons pass. Keep in touch . . .