I'm Back

Hello, friends. Sorry for the long absence. The main reason for my silence was a problem caused by WindStream. Fortunately (after about 3 weeks and much hoop jumping and much frustration) they finally got someone involved who could and did fix the problem. I didn't have internet connectivity from September 9 through September 27.

I could have posted from my parents' house, but blogging - to me - is something that I need to be in familiar surroundings to do. I need to feel like I have the luxury of time to be able to write well. Usually when I am at their house, I am busy with outside chores and computer work is pushed to the back burner. By the time I am done with outside work, I am generally ready to get a bath and go to bed, not sit and type on the computer!

Of course I am sure that many of you are perhaps wondering about the gap since I got my service back. Well, there are some reasons for that too. I have been busy transitioning things in the garden from the summer crops to the fall crops. That has taken a good bit of work. I have felt like I have been behind the 8 ball trying to keep up with everything here at the end. However, things seem to be settling down nicely. I have only 3 tomato plants left and have picked the last of the purplehull peas that I plan to pick. The okra has slowed down considerably and I only expect to get a couple more pickings from the lima beans.

My green patch is doing very nicely. I picked three nice messes of greens yesterday and there is plenty more where they came from. The collards finally seem to be taking off and my cabbage is looking good. I have rutabagas coming up and will be thinning and transplanting them when they are big enough. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some pumpkins on before the season ends. God has truly blessed my efforts this year. What a good God! It has been a great opportunity to learn and to see His hand in operation. I never dreamed when I started the garden that I would get to witness so many miracles first hand. It has been awesome.

Another reason for the delay in getting back to writing on this blog is that I have started a new private blog that is a personal prayer journal. I had hoped to write in it daily, but unfortunately, that hasn't been the case so far. It has been a very good endeavor, though. The only problem is that it takes time and we all know that time is in pretty short supply. Writing in one will often mean neglecting another.

Yet a third reason that I haven't written is that I have been avoiding politics lately like the plague. I am so sick of this unending campaigning. I am tired of the bias. I am tired of everything about it. I have already made up my mind and am sure that nothing that any of the candidates is likely to say will sway me to go in another direction. So, I have been insulating myself against that too, and as you know, much of my material is a reaction to the headlines.

God seems to be doing some interesting things in me lately. Some of it is very unconventional. I often wonder where it will lead me. I don't know if I could put a finger on anything specifically - I doubt that I would write about it even if I could - I just feel that something is going on. Something good.

I guess that the final reason is that I have just gotten out of the habit of writing. I have a goal to do 365 posts on this blog this year. I may have a little catching up to do to make up for the pitiful showing last month, but I think I can still make it. Thank you all for the inquiries and concerns about my whereabouts. I haven't been kidnapped (at least not physically) and I haven't joined the Foreign Legion. I've just been restrained, distracted, and busy. God bless you all and thank you for reading.