It’s been 28 days since I last published a post. I started this one back on January 2nd, the Fortuitous Hosuewife’s 2nd blogging anniversary, unfortunately this innocent post has languished in post purgatory for 18 days.
Last night I posed the following query…

Friends, both bloggerly and not, chimed in with kind words, encouragement and not-so-gentle cyber nudging. (Thanks, ladies!) One blogging pal said I could get away with six month (she did), then minutes later she suggested I try posting everyday for awhile to get myself out of the non-posting rut and get my bloggerly mojo flowing.
Ok, I’m game! I’ll try to post something everyday for a while. Should be interesting to what I come up with everyday and just how long I can stick with it.
So what has this blogger been up to while not blogging?
Sinus Malady
Halfway thru the Thanksgiving to Christmas marathon a sinus infection settled in, and, in spite of antibiotics, lingered for weeks. My head felt like a concrete block trapped inside a high school marching band bass drum (thump, thump, thump), and the congestion in my chest left me with little breath to power my usually booming voice.
Harried Holiday Hysteria
Tree trimming, doughnut frying and cookie baking, holiday cards, class parties, Christmas lists and Christmas shopping, menu planning and grocery shopping all while under the influence of decongestants and antihistamines just ain’t fun.
I also managed to purge the playroom and my three massive & overflowing recipe binders!

Am I the only one that sometimes feel like The Holidays are a bunch of holly-jolly, merry-making terrorists that creep into our lives under the cover of darkness (or when you’re deep in a post-Thanksgiving turkey coma), and refuse to leave until you relinquish control of your carefully orchestrated life and tenuous grasp sanity?
Don’t get me wrong, I love the holiday season, I love watching my guys ride the holiday season tsunami of anticipation & excitement, but their joy also makes me a bit wistful for those long ago holidays of my own childhood, when Christmas time was full of fun that just magically happened. Despite my annual good intentions, The Holidays always seem to get the upper hand on me.
Christmas Eve came to a close with unwrapped presents scattered on my basement floor, the Christmas Spode was still packed away, and nothing prepped for the next days culinary orgy.

By 3:30a.m. Christmas morn’ I had lost all hope for dancing sugar plum fairies in my head, and dragged myself downstairs. Thank God the Handsome Husband heard me bumping around downstairs, put on his shiny armor, and came to my aid. With his gallant help, we saved Weeksworld’s Christmas, and even squeezed in a power nap before the Baron of Boredom and Master of Mischief woke us as they raced downstairs.

Weeksworld was blessed with family, fun & food on Christmas Day, and Mama managed to maintain her composure while slaving in the kitchen, thanks to the HH and my friend, the Mega Mimosa. 

Ringin’ in the New Year

Still voiceless and dragging my sorry elf ass, I managed to organize my troops for not one, but two, treks north to ski with friends in VT & NH. Everyone one had a ball — kids ages two to 10 and they all got along great (no tantrums or skirmishes, except between siblings) and super skiing (both the boys conquered new, more difficult terrain).

We arrived home late New Year’s Day, tossed suitcases and ski bags in a pile on the kitchen floor and crawled up to bed.

Two Years of Blogging Bliss

So we’re back to where we started this “3-hour tour” (Thanks for stickin’ with me on this one!), with me sitting down in my little office on January 2nd to write this anniversary post.

24 months, 104 weeks, 188 posts — some savory, some sweet, some sophomoric, some shouting, some just plain silly.

But instead of blogging (reviewing, reminiscing, ruminating and resolving), I’ve spent too many days digging out from under the post-sickly, post-Holiday mountain of vacationing laundry, chores, piles of mail, 100’s of emails and de-Christmasing Weeksworld all while trying to keep up with the usual routine of chores, errands, cooking, play dates & chauffeuring.

Everytime I sat down to finish this post I either ran out of time, or the right words remained elusive, or I just couldn’t settle my mind to the task.

I realized a few months ago that I was working feverishly at too much stuff I didn’t really care all that much about and losing touch with what was most important to me. My ADD had shifted into overload, I was running around in circles, not accomplishing much of anything, feeling defeated, and my poor family got dragged along or left behind.

No more, I said! I’ve spent the last few months stripping away what wasn’t important, saying “no” to most everything, focusing on making time for those I love, and fighting the urge to lay any guilt trips on myself for not doing & accomplishing more.

It took 2+ weeks for me to finally dig myself out of the holiday hole, but when I still didn’t have anything much to write I skipped the usual guilt trip and gave myself permission to do as I pleased.

Now the freezer is stocked with batches of Minestrone, Super-Veggie Beef Stew & Manicotti, and my knitting needles are stichin’ away once again!

I’m not sure how the next few weeks of blogging will unfold, but I’m looking forward to treading a little water and seeing where the tides take me. Hope y’all come along for the ride.