It's been a long and hot summer, and I think it's taken it's toll on me. Last May I developed walking pnuemonia. A course of antibotics cured that, but I remained weak. In fact, I felt so bad that I finally gave in and went to the doctor for a complete check-up. So far, it has been confirmed that I am anemic. I had started iron suppliments in May, but being of a stubborn, independent nature, I quit taking them as soon as I felt a little better. Not a good idea. My blood count was down pretty low, and it will take a while to bring it back up to normal levels. I have to watch my sugar as well. I'm ok, but if I don't change my erratic eating habits I could have problems. Things started getting out of hand when we moved, and over the course of time our activities and outside obligations seemed to snowball. It was so easy to skip meals, to eat whatever could be fixed quickly and easily, eat at crazy hours, or to run through the drive-thru windows. I'm glad to have had a wake-up call....time to apply what I know about good nutrition. Of course, they are still running tests, so who knows what else they will find, but for now I am encouraged.

I am always amazed at how quickly the new school years come upon us. The public school will start next week. I will wait until after Labor Day to start. I'll only have two students this year, so I am on the downhill slide. I did some planning for the school year early in the summer, but I need to finalize lesson plans. I feel very hopeful that this will be one of the best years we've had since moving. My strenght is coming back, as well as my enthusiasm.

You would think, as a Navy wife, that moving would be second nature to me. But it isn't. My husband had almost half of his career behind him when we married, and we only moved twice in the years he had remaining. It always took a while for me to feel at home in any new place, and Alabama is no exception. We have lived here five years and I am finally accepting certain facts about my new home. One is that there are no JoAnn's fabric stores. We have a Hancock's, but it just isn't the same. I quit sewing. Not out of spite - just lost my heart for it. But lately I have felt the stirring of old desires coming back to life, and over the past month I have visited Hancock's several times. I picked out a few patterns, and want to start working on them soon. One is a prairie dress. I've been reading the Little House series to the kids this summer, and that inspired me. Every fall, our church has an old-fashioned day. I'd like to have a dress for myself and my youngest daughter this year. It's been so long since I've done any serious sewing. I admit that I am a little concerned about my skill level, but it should come back rather quickly.

I'm listening to Rachel play piano. For at least a decade piano lessons were a regular part of our lives. We had a wonderful teacher for the older kids, and the lesson days were always more than lessons. It was a gathering time for friends as well. As time went by, Rebekah started teaching beginning piano to the younger kids in our church. All day we'd have families in our home, and the hours were passed happily as the kids had their lessons, and the adults solved the problems of the world. Happy, happy times. And today I noticed photos that another friend posted on facebook of our kids when they were very, very young. It was a magical time - one that lives in my memories - when the kids were young. We thought we had such problems in those day......if only we'd known what wonderful golden days they truly were!

Well, that's enough rambling for today. Time to get up and work on new happy memories.