Yeah, I'm here. I know, I know... It's been a while...

Last week was a bit nutty. We had to go out of town for my Grandpa's wake and funeral for several days, and since I got very little done in the way of work while I was away (understandably), Thursday and Friday were insane "must catch up" days here.

Thank you so much for the many kinds comments I got about my Grandpa. I have to say that my own comment in that blog post about being at peace was really spot-on and has continued to be so. When talking to my Mom while we were there, she said to me, "He was ready to go be with Grandma." And my Aunt mentioned that wanting to have him with us for more time was selfish, really, when he missed my Grandma so very much. So it was with many tears, sure, that I paid my last respects, but I haven't found myself breaking down into tears repeatedly every day since like I did when my Grandma passed away. This is not to say I miss him less... I surely miss him just as much, but it's been a wee bit easier in some ways. I know that the sadness will come in waves in the future, that the ache of missing him will never, ever go away. But I also hold close to my heart the fact that I was able to make a trip to visit him not long before he passed away. And that even though he is no longer with us, I still think about him every single day. And have so many wonderful memories of time spent with him.

Saturday was Mike's 40th... now the "you're so much older than me" jokes can stop for another year (until I turn 41 a month before he does). It was so nice to be able to spend the entire day together on such a big-deal birthday!

Yesterday and today, I was supposed to have jury duty. However, my group was excused BOTH DAYS! Thank goodness, because my day job has been insanely busy. I feel like a train that is close to running off the tracks... barely keeping it all under control. Just a lot of stuff on my plate at the moment. I'm trying to be mindful of this and not let everything overwhelm me.

I am loving the fall weather. It has finally gotten to the point where the air is really chilly in the mornings when I take Mike to the train station, and even though I'm shivering, I love it!!! And, boy, whoever said the sense most strongly tied to memory is smell was soooo right... the smell of the air in the mornings takes me right back to walking to the school bus when I was younger. I love that little rush of nostalgia and comfort that brings (yeah, I liked going to school).

That's all the news that's fit to print today. More to come, soonish.