The Avalanche Effect

You know how it is--if you blog or even if you journal or correspond with someone--how something cool or different happens--like maybe your child does something amazing and eventful or you just feel inspired about something or maybe you notice you have an inordinate amount of toe hair--and you think, "Hmm, I think I'll blog about that."

That's how it usually is anyway. But sometimes something amazing happens, and you decide to blog about it. But before you do something equally amazing happens. But you can't blog about that thing until you blog about the other. But then something else happens. And before you know it:



You're running from all these wonderful blogging opportunities and you can't possibly slow down and write about them because there are too many and you don't have time because life keeps coming at you and coming at you so you just run and run and run.

That's how it is with me anyway.

Eventually though, I always seem to be forced into a stop. Like today. So I'm going to do my best to tell a bunch of big long mostly wonderful stories in a nutshell.

First, my job. Which isn't any more.

I was going along quite innocently thinking all was great at work. My department was breaking records like mad. Unfortunately for us another department was breaking even more records like even more mad. So the powers that be decided to do away with my department.

So in an instant I said goodbye to my nice writing job. (Blog idea!) But no time yet.

I decided the timing was fine, since I'm (this) close to getting my new novel published. It even has a brand-spankin' new name: Extra Normal. (Which did not come easily. Another blog post!)

Unfortunately, novels don't bring in money right away, and with a bunch of college kids in the house looking for work, I went looking for something that would bring in some quicker income. I came across a business a dear friend of mine is running. Which is how a person who has never even considered owning a pair of designer jeans came to sell them. Slapped an ad on my car and off I went. (Hurry, hurry, get it started. No time to blog yet! There's so much to tell!) Got my first check yesterday. Which is cool. So if you're in the market for a great deal on designer jeans, I'll hook you up.

But literally the day after my first party I left on a wonderful retreat to Moab sponsored by WBC (Women Beyond Cancer). Oh, but wait! There's more! Minutes before leaving my son and his girl sat us down and announced their engagement! (Wowzers!! The blog is screaming at me!!!) I left for the retreat flying high. One of the happiest days of my life.

The next day I was hiking delicate arch. We got to the end of the hike and were told to climb a hill one at a time, on all fours, to see the prize at the end. At the moment that I saw this view:



(The one behind me.)


A text came through. It was from my future daughter-in-law, a picture of her new ring. (Sadly I can't figure out how to get that one off my phone to put here.) I saw the image and started crying. I called out to the crowd below "My future-daughter-in-law just sent me a picture of her ring!" I was expecting some kind of "awww!" but got blank stares instead. Yeah, they didn't quite get the vision. Oh well, it was still cool and awe-inspiring.

One of my favorite stories from the retreat. We went on a humvee tour with Tommy. I expect only his mom calls him that, but we were a bunch of moms and he was very cute. He was about to take a path and asked us if we wanted the hard or easy way. One enthusiastic (and amazing) member of our party called out, "hard! hard!" The path he took had a steep drop that caused us all to scream while our stomachs made our way up to our throats. At the next path, he asked the same question. Here's the path:

Miss Enthusiasm made the same call. The rest of us weren't so enthusiastic. But Tommy turned the Humvee around and backed it up the hill. The hard way? Get it?!!! Hysterical!!! Yeah, that's how the trip went.

The very best part was when we found ourselves in the Fiery Furnace on the very day the world was supposed to end. (You remember that day don't you? Can you imagine a more ironic place to be when the world ends?!) In case you don't know, the Fiery Furnace is this very challenging and beautiful hike that a bunch of women battling cancer have no business hiking. But we did it anyway. Talk about amazing. I admit I had a freak out moment. Maybe two. But mostly I was trying not to wet my pants from the laughter. Like when we were told to keep three points of contact while squeezing between two walls with no bottom. Yeah. That's the kind of stuff they kept making us do. "You just put your hand here and your foot here and you just scoot without looking down." And one of the members of our crew flung herself onto the wall and asked, "what about TEN points of contact?" Maybe it's not hysterical now, but while close to freaking out and trying not to die, trust me. Life doesn't get any more exhilarating than that.

Here's the group of amazing women, thrivers all:



Life changing. Incredible. Wow. Wish I could say more, but that avalanche is gaining on me!

Time to plan a wedding. Which happens to be in just a few weeks. Busy Busy Busy Busy. But first I was supposed to take trip to California, to get my mother to a family gathering. But while planning that, Brandon was selected to do a bridge solo the next week on a tour to California with his performing group.

We weren't planning on going. But he was so adorable. I just couldn't miss it. So I got my mom and my kids off to the trip to northern cali, and the next week I headed to southern cali. Here's probably my favorite performance:



The most cool thing (besides the solo) was performing on the Disney Stage. Talk about awesomeness.



And finally, here's proof that I was on the trip.



So there it is, my big bad wonderful avalanche of a month on the run. Now back to the wedding...and novel...and jeans....