If we were having coffee today, October 21st, I’d invite you in from the chill and offer you a piece of this butter pecan cake I just made. I’d apologize for my constant yawning and explain that life has been very, very busy lately. This past week, we had parent-teacher conferences at school. On Thursday, I was at school until 8 pm and was met at the door by my daughter when I returned home. She was having a severe asthma attack. We went to the emergency room and were taken in by the most caring nurse we’ve ever encountered. After a breathing treatment for my daughter and some reassuring words for me, we were on our way. We arrived home at midnight and then I spent an hour on the phone with my other daughter to help her prepare for a big project. It was a long night.

I’d tell you about the great time I had last weekend. My sister and I went to Massachusetts to visit our niece at college. We strolled around Northampton and stopped in a store named Ten Thousand Villages where I picked up a new cat-themed coffee mug. We had lunch at a cute diner and then toured the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum. It was the perfect way to pass an autumn day. I’d ask you about your favorite museums and tell you that I love The Met and The Hartford Atheneum equally. I’d also admit that any museum is one I’d like to experience.

Speaking of the arts, I would show you the children’s book, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and let you know that my seventh-grade class will be presenting a play similar to the story at the end of the month. They’ve been working hard to memorize their lines and rehearse the scenes. I’d invite you to come. I think it will be cute.

I’d grab my laptop to share my latest short story with you. I’ve been working on it for a while. I recently had one of those middle of the night, wake you from sleep moments about a particular element I had missed. I’ve been working on incorporating this into the manuscript and set a goal to finish by December. I hope to send it out early next year. I’d ask you what you are working on and settle in to hear all about your creative endeavors. When our day was done, I’d invite you to come back soon and visit often.

Until next time…