Andrew created this string-art portrait of Grandma today while we were home for a "snow" day.

I have been sadly neglecting the blog recently, as all three of you have noticed. I have great intentions of updating more frequently, and even start composing things in my head, but then I get sidetracked. Facebook sucks.

I've also been working on and updating a separate "blog" for my stepmother as she begins her battle with lung cancer. As the self-appointed PR specialist, I've been keeping her adoring public apprised of her medical condition and progress on a near-daily basis at www.caringbridge.org/visit/circlesofhope , which has occupied some time as well. While she will, of course, get mention here on the mothership, I really felt a need to create a place that was special for her, which she can eventually start maintaining herself.

We have another snow day tomorrow, even though there's really no snow. I was disappointed after hoping for at least a couple of inches (enough for Andrew to play in), but maybe we can go out tomorrow and slide around on the ice a little. I vow, with all my heart, to come back and post again tomorrow--in spite of the world stopping its rotation a couple of weeks ago, there are some nuggets of normal life to talk about. ---Tamara

Facespot Blogbook

Between the blog and the facebook, the entire world can see right into my living room window, at least metaphorically. I don't know where the need to be connected to everyone in the universe at the same time comes from, but apparently we aren't the only ones baring our souls to the planet, as evidenced by Facebook.

Facebook is a new addition for us in the last week or so, and as each day passes, I become more convinced that it's a tool of the devil. What a complete waste of time--the laundry isn't getting done, books aren't being read, and my eyes hurt from staring at the computer screen incessantly. But, thanks to Facebook, I now have friends in completely random places--old friends from high school whom I haven't spoken to in years, friends of my husband's that I dug back up for him, and even people from my workplace, because God forbid I actually have a conversation with them at school. No, I have to read about their lives online.

With a virtual connection to the whole planet, it was inevitable that skeletons would start popping out of the closet--it was just a matter of how big a skeleton and from whose closet it would come. Several days ago, James found his last girlfriend and "friended" her without mentioning it. Now, not a big deal, but I had to give him some shit for it, right? I mean, this was the girl he dumped unceremoniously and somewhat shadily after we had already starting seeing each other. I know, not cool--but I was 19, after all, and I didn't know her. He gets the Huge Shmuck Award, not me.

Anyway, so I gave him some grief about it--but only because he neglected to mention it, like I wouldn't look at his "friends" list. The sad thing is, I had to fight the urge to send a friend request to her myself, even though I have never spoken a word to this girl, and I'm sure she hates my guts. Hell, I hate her just because I think I'm supposed to! Why she's not already throwing virtual daggers at me, I don't know. Unless...oh gosh, unless she's a nice, forgiving person who doesn't hold grudges? (shudder)

Well, at the risk of bigger and uglier skeletons appearing, and of never having clean clothes again, and of being driven completely insane by the extremely slow dial-up internet connection (I know, I know), I guess I'll at least stick it out for a while longer and hope the novelty of trying to find connections to rock stars and old flames wears off. In the meantime, we've OF COURSE put a link to the blog on our facebook pages so our "friends" can really see what we're up to, because walking around naked in the living room with the lights on (STILL A METAPHOR--mostly) just isn't giving us enough exposure.