Wow

It's only been, what, 11 days or so since my last post?  (Catholic school flashback - making a confession and having to say how long it had been since my last confession... )...

lots of things happened while I was away... there were birthdays 

Ben turned 13, which I find utterly shocking, and I aged a little more too - let's just say that 50 no longer seems as old as it once did...

there was a trip which was heartbreakingly cut short due to Swine Flu - and if I may digress for a sec, without minimizing the effects or spread of this disease, what I saw in Mexico confirmed for me that the biggest problem with it was media overreaction - 

there were no signs of anything, not even concern, where we were, not at the airport on the way home or on the planes as we scooted home on the last flight out of Cancun until June... do I feel like we dodged a bullet by leaving early? Hell, NO.

Frankly, this, spotted on the highway from Cancun, scared me more than anything else I saw

There has been gardening, and new transient occupants in the garden  .

There's even been some construction

Before:

After: - well, it's not 100% after, but I'll post a final pic when it's actually done.

Heck, there's even been knitting and other fibre games, but I'll be back with those in a bit - right now I'm off to paint a wall or two...