Just checking in...

Hi sweet friends,

Just a quick hello to let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I just don't know where the time goes.  One moment I just put out a blog post, the next moment, a week has passed, then almost two.  I know part of it is my own level of busy-ness, trying to take care of my family and run my online stores, but I also think that part of it is that blogging about the minutia of my life in the wake of the terrible tragedy in Japan just seems trivial.  I don't know, maybe I'm just in a slump.  I have a few things to share with you, but I think for now, I will just take a moment to be grateful for my family, my home, my friends, clean water to drink, a warm bed to sleep in, and food in my belly.

I'll be back soon.  I have to be.  I will with my next post be celebrating the longest time in Blogger history that a person took to reach their 100th post.  Yes, with my very next post, I will be hitting 100-you know, the number that most of you probably hit after 6 months or less?  Yeah, it took me...well, I do have to tell you in my own defense that I broke away from blogging for much of 2010, but really, over 2 years?  Yes, there you have it.  TWO years.  PLUS.  Oh well, it is what it is.  And, of course, you know what that means is in store.  Yes, you know the drill....A GIVEAWAY.  I'm not going to tell you what you will have a chance to win, but I'll give you some hints.  Hot off the presses, possibly THE most anticipated event in Blogland for quite some time, many of our friends are featured in the most yummy thing I've seen in a long time...well, I've probably said too much, but I think you know where I'm going with this.  And you can get it here for FREE.  Plus another goody or two just for good measure.  If you have no clue, check back next week and find out.  If you do have a clue, you know you want it.  Don't be shy, come by and enter to win.

In the meantime, please keep the people of Japan in your prayers and donate to any of the reputable charities out there in any amount you can.  I can't imagine the devastation and then there's the worry about the nuclear power plant melting down.  It just keeps getting more and more surreal.  These folks are going to need so much in the next weeks, months, years, but for now, many of them just need food and shelter and hope.  Do what you can and remember there can never be too many prayers offered up.

With love until next time,