Spring Break

It's hard to believe Spring Break is almost here. Yesterday it snowed and today there was still ice. I'm thankful to be heading to the beach this weekend. The weather may not be warm, but I am determined to lie on the beach and read. I may have to wear sweats over my bathing suit, but that's fine with me. I'm armed with several new books and magazines which I have hidden from myself so that there is no temptation to start them before we leave.


The Husband has promised me a peaceful trip. No flat tires, no white trucks, no sick animals....I believe that was the doctor's prescription. Of course the full prescription was a solo trip to Maui, but that will have to wait. As usual, despite my best intentions, no packing has been done. Well, I take that back. I've done 'mental packing', which means I have visualized what I want to bring...but no suitcases have been retrieved and no clothes have been laid out. No matter how many times I tell myself that I will do a little each day...this never seems to happen. So tomorrow will have to be devoted to preparations. Newspapers have to stopped, cats have to be boarded, clothes have to be washed.....Vacation can be a lot of work....


The kids view Spring Break as a break from early-rising and homework (so do I). They love the easy ebb and flow of our days at the beach. They also look forward to spending time with Big Sis and the BIL who will be with us for a few days. This seemed to deter their constant requests for bringing friends along. This means the Big Sis will spend a lot of time in the pool with Little One and the BIL will be playing the Wii...a lot...



The favorite restaurant at the beach is now closed...as is the favorite place to shop, so this trip will have to be a sort of "start over" of sorts. New favorites will have to be found. It's the story of life isn't it?...closings and openings, beginnings and endings...which leads me to say that...

This week I will examine the relevance of the blog. It has actually gone on past it's expiration date. The question is, does it still have a shelf-life? I could go on with these metaphors all day long, but in the end, I have to determine if the 23 minutes a day dedicated to this 'diary' is still worth it. Last year during a writers conference, it was suggested to me by a respected editor that I should blog for a year, edit it, and then turn it in to a book. So here I am a year later...I have the material, I'm ready to edit. But the thought of giving it up completely is disconcerting. I have a group of cyber-friends that I depend on for daily ego-feedback. I have a small group of family and friends who enjoy the updates. There are days that I feel I have nothing left to say...but there are also days that I can't wait to get something down in writing. When you write an article for a paper or magazine...there are so many constraints. Here, there are very few....

So sometime during vacation, I will decide whether this "New Year" of sorts should be a rebirth of something new, a continuation of the same...or an ending...

Until tomorrow....