*Deep breath* Okay...here we go...

[dreamcoat_mom]

My year-long moratorium on LJ usage was not intentional. It just...happened. It's been a tremendously difficult year, and as my life unraveled I didn't have the strength or the intestinal fortitude to share it in a blog. I have good friends here. I don't know why I withdrew. Most of you have been with me on FaceBook, but that's another world.

Comments

[magglenagall]

MARY!

I had no idea things were going so badly. I'm so sorry. Last we'd heard from you, you were excited about the opening of the new library and... gah. *hugs*

I wish I could say I had cheery news from my corner of the world to share, but, alas, it's much the same. I spend my days looking for a job and my nights wondering how I'll manage to pay for the Goblin's college education and praying I don't get sick or mangled by a speeding/speed-zonked truck driver.

I AM glad to hear from you though, as I missed you terribly. {{{{{Mary}}}}}

[dreamcoat_mom]

I've missed you awful...I just didn't have the heart to share what was going on, or the stamina to pretend it wasn't, so there ya go. Doing much better now, and wishing for better days for you too, my dear friend! Doesn't the whole job front suck like a Hoover?

[blpurdom]

Oh, Mary.

{{{MAJOR HUG}}}

I'm so glad you're recovering from your hospitalization! What a lot to deal with all at once, erk. And how sad that your church wasn't there for you.

Props to you also for Lukas being back at home with you--even though he doesn't technically have a bedroom he does have a home, which is what family IS. (Let's just say I know more than one family who could no longer pay for school AND did not allow the child to return home.) As I get ready to take Ben up to UBC on Thursday I've been thinking that I really need to have a talk with him, to let him know that no matter what happens at school, no matter if he feels like he's tanking academically or has lost his best friend or whatever, there's nothing he could ever do that would mean he couldn't just come home.

Anyway, it's so good to hear from you and know you're okay, even though you've come through some pretty horrible fires. I hope everything is only on an upswing from here. (And I don't blame you for looking for other work!)

[dreamcoat_mom]

Y'know, Barb...we watch the news and it's abundantly clear that we are merely US statistics, but dayum! Important talk to have with Ben indeed, because Lukas has really struggled with this. He feels that it is all his fault because his student loans (for which we cosigned) added to the problem. They did...but the bottom line was that we were locked into financing the house for far more than it was worth...and that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with "what goes up must come down" physics. Best of luck as you get your boy ready for school...what an exciting and nerve-wracking time this is! Hang in there, mama.

[rachet]

GOOD LORD!!!

Oh twin!! I'm so so so sorry to hear about all this. I've missed you and was curious what was going on.

I will seek you out on Facebook.

MANY MANY HUGS!!

[dreamcoat_mom]

Awwww, thanks, Rachel! I'll friend you on FB forthwith! Life is weird, that's for sure, but things could be so much worse. I withdrew for some private wallowing, but I think I'm over it now, and eager to see what's happening with everybody else. *Hugs* Isn't it just about Pumpkin Spice Latte time?

[texasmagic]

There's nothing really to say except that I'm sorry, and that I've missed you. I wish I could takeyou for a nice lunch and day of girlie stuff to just not think about it for a while.

[dreamcoat_mom]

Oooh, I'd like nothing better, J. I've missed you and thought about you often these past months. I hope all is going well for your family as the new school year begins. *hugs* I also hope you're still singing regularly!

[kit_the_brave]

Mary! *tacklehugsglomps*

I'm so sorry that all of that has happened, and I'm not surprised that you and your family are handling it with Weasley levels of courage and love. I am giving your congregation a good sporking on your behalf, and I'll send all good thoughts and prayers your way.

Is there anything I can do from here? There are still jobs in these parts, even library jobs, although those aren't the choicest at the moment. It's way too hot in the summer, but I think you would all make great honorary Texans.

*loves*

[dreamcoat_mom]

Missed you, Kit! *glomps back* I've thought of you as I got our place up and running, and I'm very, very proud of our beautiful new space. Jobs are pretty thin on the ground just about everywhere you go these days. I applied for an academic assistant's position at our local university library, but they were looking for someone with a heavier academic background. I love their new director, and she was very sad that I couldn't make it past the HR screening. Ah, well. I'm keeping my ear to the ground. I'm assuming that you've wrapped Summer Reading and can rest on your laurels for all of five minutes before the next project begins

[kit_the_brave]

You are much kinder than I am. I'm still sporkitty at the idea of financial distress being a character flaw. Good heavens, since when does having a "character flaw" mean you don't get help when your family is having such a bad time?

Of course, in our social circles going out involves discussing (a) which taco dive is cheap enough and (b) whose car is running, so what do I know? :)

We had 216 kids in teen summer reading this year! That's up from 20 last year. I have 180 sixth graders coming this fall for field trips - we're having 3 sessions of Camp Half Blood. Teen Read Week is a manga convention. And they're remodeling the bathrooms and using our meeting room as a "staging area." October will be an interesting month!