The longer it goes without updating, the harder it is to sit down and make an entry. It's like a family member you're estranged from, and every day that goes by, the idea of picking up the phone seems more and more awkward and unappealing, no matter how much you'd like to hear their voice.

But here I am, taking that first step, if anyone still cares to meet me here.

Really, you haven't missed much. Likely just some rambly posts about dealing with depression (snorefest), some photographs of a half-finished sweater (no, my one-year-old does not allow me to knit much, thankyouverymuch) and...well...that's it, really.

Let's see. We moved. Which was such an incredible mixture of positive and negative emotions, that I really can't come up with a way to describe it except for "gut-wrenching." I had to leave a lot behind, including nursing school, my job, and some things so personal, I can't go into it here. But now that I'm settled, life is good, in the quotidian sense. I love the beach-front town we live in, and our incredible good fortune in the house we live in. I'm getting used to being a stay at home mom, and while I love it and treasure every day, I also miss school and my job desperately. I'm gradually picking up the pieces of my ambitions, and reassembling them once again.

But the mornings here are gray and cool,and I can smell the briny sea. My house is filled with the sound of pattering feet and the sweet voice of my baby, lisping her collection of words and phrases. And today, the longest day of the year, I watched the sun finally sink below the line of trees on my horizon while nursing my girl to sleep, her solid, warm little self limp in my arms, and her hair smelling faintly of almonds. I've learned that this is as good as it gets, and that's a wonderful thing. When life hands you a beautiful moment, you treasure it, and savor its weight in the palm of your hand like a jewel. You don't worry so much about what comes before or after.