Dear Reader…I’m still here…

Dear Reader (yes, you),

I’m so sorry. I ghosted you.

It’s been my experience that when someone ghosts on social media in their 30s and 40s, there is usually one of two things happening. Either the person is in the throes of a sudden divorce or the throes of a mental break. I’m not making light of either. It’s just what I’ve seen.

Rest assured, me and the Mr are still happily wed and no one is in mental crisis mode (thank God).

You last heard from me was at the very beginning of September, on the edge of a new season of life in our household. Both kids started school full-time, and after 5 years as a mostly-stay-at-home mom, I put my head down in work again (this time for myself vs someone else).

As you can imagine, the proverbial wheels fell off everything that wasn’t completely necessary. Meal planning went out the door, my anal-retentive monthly family budget hasn’t been seen in 3 months, and on top of all that, we travelled this fall like we’ve never heard of a global pandemic.

We were in Sun Valley and Vegas and Sedona and Nashville and Dallas. Friends, domestic travel is alive and well. Please feel free to move about the country. (But don’t mess around. Fly Delta Airlines. They are the only ones who’s had their act together since March 2020. #notsponsored #justtrue)

One of those trips was my first work trip in about 6 years and kicked of with a cancelled layover and involved me sleeping in a Dallas airport for a night.

Me sleeping in an airport - not TSA-approved mask wearing.

But amongst all the change and newness, there is always goodness to offset it.

Our new fur baby, Piper, is settling into the family and she’s my #1 employee and office mate. Our family is well and our church family feels more energized than it has since we moved here.

I’m reminded daily that this world is filled with way more good people than bad people. And God and Small Town America surprises me weekly, if not daily, with something that makes me smile.

On the Eve of Thanksgiving week, can I just take a moment to say ‘Thank you’? Thanks for being here, reading, for as long as you have - both today and in the past 2 years. Your kind replies to my emails and supportive social media comments mean the world to me. Others of you have messaged me stories that you haven’t told anyone else. Thank you for trusting me.

I am so grateful for you.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family this upcoming week. (Or, if there’s no way in hell you can have a wonderful holiday with your family, I hope it’s over fast.)

Much love & gratitude,

Erica