When I look back over the last few weeks I can’t really figure out where it was that I began to edge out the time in my day that I like to spend writing.  Maybe it was the four days of 3 hour sessions I spent letting my friend put dreadlocks in my hair that caused me to get so far behind in life.  But that was several weeks ago now so I am thinking surely I have had time to be caught up on laundry and paying bills and sorting through the accumulated piles of junk in my house.  Or maybe it was meeting my sister in Nashville last weekend to see our aunt and uncle, to hang out with my grandmother and to let girl cousins be girl cousins without the bother of any boys.  Maybe all those football and soccer games have pushed my precious moments of quiet to near nonexistence.  Or perhaps it was the general flurry of activity surrounding me because my husband is in the middle of fall camping season (middle school down and only high school left to go) which causes a major disturbance in the universe.  Taking 80 middle schoolers on a weekend camp is no small undertaking.  However, my own middle schooler, who went for the first time to camp as a “camper” instead of a staff brat, is doing his part to lighten my load.  Everything in his bag from camp came home squeaky clean.  He arrived home in the exact same clothes in which he left.  Apparently, the weekend was far too excitement-filled to waste time on changing clothes.

But whatever the cause for the lack of posting at the Chino House, hopefully it will remedy itself soon.  November seems to always bring a very welcome slowing down.  Camps and sports behind us.  Pots and pots of soup to make.  We usually even get away, so we’ll be dusting off that camper.  Oh, I think I forgot to mention that we are now the proud owners of our summer home, THE one and only POP UP CAMPER!  I really do look forward to a little fall camping in that smelly thing.