This BookWyrm is Back

My daughter took this photo for me, Aug. 2015

Hello there.  Again.

It's been awhile.

In fact, it's been almost two years since I last shared a post here.  I wish I had a good excuse for disappearing from this blog, but I really don't have one.  When I posted my previous entry, an excerpt from Alice in Wonderland, at the beginning of November in 2013, I was not planning for it to be my last one.  In fact, I had already started writing up several entries to post later in the month.  But then I got busy with life and put this blog on hold.

Not surprisingly, the longer I went without posting anything new, the easier it was for me to continue doing nothing with Blue Sky, Big Dreams and the harder it became for me to break out of that "do-nothing" mode. And I didn't have that problem only with this blog. The same thing happened with my other writing; I've done very little of it over the past two years.

I've missed writing, though.  I've missed working on my stories and my poetry.  I've also missed this blog and the opportunity it gives me to share poems, quotes, words, and books with all of you every day. That's why I'm back! :)

I finally managed to break free from my writing inertia this week and have several posts already lined up for you this month.  I am determined to keep at it.  And I'm hoping that writing here will help launch me back into writing my poems and stories again.  Wish me luck!

It's true that there's been a dearth of writing in my life over the last two years, but time has not stood still and a lot of other things have happened along the way. My kiddos have continued to grow, for one thing. (Imagine that!)

My daughter Emmalie graduated from high school last year and went away to college in the fall. (I'm pretty sure that transition was much harder on me than it was on her!) We've all loved having her back this summer -- I can't believe that it's almost time for her to return to school again.

My son Nick will be a junior in high school this year.  It is unfathomable to me that he'll be headed to college in just two short years.  He started his first paying job this summer, doing an internship with a local forest preserve.  In addition to that, he's been volunteering weekly at another forest preserve and also Brookfield Zoo.  He's been one busy boy!

My youngest, Ben, will be ten next month.  He starts a new school this year and I'm hoping he will love it!  When I last worked on this blog, I was still reading to Ben every night before bed.  He's since become a voracious reader himself (my little BookWyrm!), constantly working his way through big stacks of books all on his own.

As for me, I've still been reading a lot. (Thank goodness that hasn't changed!) I recently joined the Goodreads website and have been busy recording all the books I've read this year, over 60 so far. (They've mostly been adult fiction, but I've also read my fair share of middle-grade and young adult fiction, as well. I will be sharing those books with you in the weeks to come.)

For most of the time that I've been "missing in action", I've had some problems with my right shoulder and biceps.  Last month I had surgery on both.  (And, yes, I'm right-handed. That certainly *has* been a factor when it comes to my lack of writing.)  Now I'm busy with physical therapy and trying to get my arm/shoulder back to normal.  I still have a long way to go, but at least now I can type with both hands again and also use my right hand to write with a pen or a pencil. (Believe me, that's a big deal!)

For those of you who are new to this blog, welcome! (To learn more about Blue Sky, Big Dreams and my philosophy behind it, please check out this post and this one.)

And for those of you who have been here before, welcome back.  I appreciate all of your past support and am so glad that you are willing to come back now that I'm giving this blog another try.

Happy Reading, one and all! :)

P.S. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I would LOVE to hear your comments on this or any other post!  This blog is even more fun for me when I can have a two-way conversation with my readers. :) So please, don't hesitate to write comments -- whether you agree with something I've written or not. I will be happy to hear from you!