Feeling a Little Rusty...

Well, after what I believe is the longest hiatus I've taken to date (at least it feels like the longest), I'm back.  I've been neglecting my "String of Pearls," but I've had some very good excuses.  They're so good, in fact, that I'm going to list them here.

1. I'm away from home, staying at my husband's family homestead in Upstate NY, and it's always harder to sit down at my computer and write when I could be chatting with my Pearl in-laws over a cup of coffee at the kitchen island instead, or over an adult beverage on the new enormous inflatable "Caribbean island" we have moored out in the lake.  (Islands are playing a big role in the festivities this summer.)

2. From this past Friday through yesterday, my husband and I and the two of our sons who could make it (#2 and #5, or as we're calling them for the time being, "our favorites") have been enjoying long, fun-filled days at my family's second annual camping "Palooza"--with my parents, my four siblings and their families, and all eight of my first cousins on my mother's side and their families.  Just like last year, my baby sister and her husband were kind enough (or crazy enough) to let everyone camp out on their property--an awesome expanse of land right on the lake--and take over their lovely house.  When I say everyone, however, I do not include my husband, my sons, and myself; we are what you might call...indoorsy. (And my husband and I have never taken our children camping.  You know why?  Because we LOVE them!)*  So when the partying ended each night at my sister's, we did not retire to a tent.  We drove the half-hour back to my husband's childhood home and slept on cushy beds in air-conditioned comfort.  But my sister, God bless her, had two RV campers, a port-a-potty, a pop-up camper, and about a dozen tents set up in her yard.  And there was still room at the campground for the kids to play games of "man hunt" and kickball!  If she doesn't watch it, passers-by are going to see all this going on and start calling to see if they can rent a campsite from her for their summer vacations.  And you couldn't blame them.  It's absolutely idyllic there, and our family couldn't ask for a better location to get together and enjoy boating and swimming in the lake, making s'mores by a campfire, and catching up on each other's lives.

The campsite out back...

...and the lake view out front.

Okay, now for more excuses (as if the Palooza isn't enough).

3. I was afraid I was boring you anyway, and felt I might be running out of interesting things to say; so I thought it was a good time to give you a break and recharge my batteries.

4. The WiFi at my husband's family home was on the fritz for a bit, and I saw it as a sign that I should take some time off from blogging.

5. The sun was in my eyes.  (It was!  It's been sunny, blue-skyed, and gorgeous every single day since we've been here.)

6. I tripped on a rock.  (I did!  It happened when I was walking on the rocky shore, making my way out to the floating Caribbean island last night to join my Pearl relatives for one last hurrah before we get back on the road and head home this morning.)

I can probably come up with plenty more, but that's enough excuses for now.  The WiFi's working again, so here I am.  I'm feeling a little rusty...but I guess I'm back.

Before I go, though, I'd like to give my daughter-in-law's new blog a plug.  She's been a blogger for years, but when her old blog stopped working recently because too much space had been taken up with photos, she decided to start a whole new one with a whole new concept.  It looks like it's going to be a real winner.  It's called "The World Accordion to Renee," and you can find it at accordiontorenee.blogspot.com.


*You won't get this if you aren't a dyed-in-the-wool Jim Gaffigan fan (which is a bit of a prerequisite for being a member of our family).  Jim Gaffigan is not a camper.  And if you've never heard his comedy, you should check him out!