Take a deep breath and sit down. Ready? Yes, I have finally come out of the deep, dark cave and re-entered blog society.

Well, I've been busy! I have been

• NOT using my right upper appendage (and when you're right-handed, that's pretty hard),
• trying to steam clean my carpets (half- done and I was too exhausted to continue),
  
• carrying hundreds of ice packs to the recliner and back,
  
• recording So You Think You Can Dance onto DVD,
• trying to reconstruct a whole year of business records in anticipation of taxes (because I did such a sloppy job of keeping records this year),
  
• worrying about a talk I have to give in sacrament THIS SUNDAY! about God's love (that I haven't prepared yet),
  
• berating myself for not having my Visiting Teaching done,
  
• trying to remember to take my aminos six times a day (in the past 6 weeks there was ONE day that I managed to take all of them),
• locking myself out of houses and trying to find someone who could crawl through a small bathroom window,
  
• supporting a ward member who had a leading role in Remembering White Christmas,
• going to physical therapy and doctor appointments,
  
• going to Las Vegas for Grandma Woolf's funeral,
• hours and hours of talking to loved ones on the telephone so I can stay connected with them and try to understand and encourage them in their very busy and stressful lives,
• running down to Mesa Frozen Yogurt for a quick impromptu reunion with kids and grandkids (thank goodness it's close),
  
• collecting mountains of doctor and hospital bills,
  
• feeling sad because we have no outside Christmas Lights,
  
• enjoying watching Joel get excited about Christmas for the first time in over 20 years and seeing him ecstatically happy,
  
• fish sitting,
  
• and trying to collect as many hugs, kisses, and "I love you Grandma"-'s as I can.
  

And that's only part of my list, but it's getting too long.


I missed posting anything for Thanksgiving and I have many, many things to be grateful for:

• that David was able to come and have Thanksgiving dinner with the family
• that Joel came for the first time in many years instead of traipsing around distant lands, and brought Camie, Jacob, and Emma too.
• that Cecily and Jason graciously open their home and host Thanksgiving for us
• a wonderful, loving, thoughtful, considerate family
• the Gospel, the temple
  
• homes, food, safety, health, etc., etc.,

Joel is so excited for Christmas! He knows what toys and entertainments are most desirable for 4 and 6-year olds, having researched all this, and calls me as he is driving home from work to tell me about the great bargains he has found. (I worry about him talking and driving though.) But his excitement grows every day.

As you can read, lack of sanity and normalcy reigns in my life.