I'm Baaaccckkkk!!!!!.....

Well, I'm back. Sorry, I've been gone so long. Life has a way of sneaking up on you and taking away any spare time that you might use to write about your life. I gotta say, though, I was reading through some of my old posts and, wow, it's amazing how some things change and some things stay exactly the same. Like addictions. I've come to the conclustion that, cliche or not, I have the worst addictive personality. You show it to me, I like it, I abuse it. As we speak, or write, I'm, currently, addicted to oreo cookies, ices in a cup, rasberry jelly rings and fruit salads. In no particular order. I can't tell you why. I just am. As for the million dollar question ... "What's been going on lately"? Well, lots. First off, I moved to Florida 7 years ago. After the business failed, New York (the second love of my life) simply became too expensive to live in and we had no choice. So, for 7 years, I've found myself in Largo, Fl. God's waiting room. Land of all things old and stores that close at 9:00 pm. Good God, let me get rich. I really want to die in NEW YORK ... CONCRETE JUNGLES WHERE DREAMS ARE MADE OF, THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN'T DO, NOW YOUR IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK, NEW YORK!!!! I'm sorry, did I slip again. I miss my home. The place that made me ...me. My little girls are no longer little and no longer mine. The older one, practically, emancipated herself at 17 and we never hear from her at all. The younger one, my baby, well, after she was given back, she couldn't bond with her bio-Mom (surprise ... surprise) and kept running away. Eventually, she was put in a group home, where she was raped and spent the rest of her days till she aged out at 17. Now, she's a Mother herself and I pray for only good things for her. May all the horror in her life be over-shadowed by the love, laughter and happiness yet to come. Please God. My husband and I are well and coming up on our 25th wedding anniversary. Or, as he puts it, the time he could have used to kill someone and have been out 10 years earlier. Ah, love. We are going on a cruise to the Grand Cayman and, though, we've been fighting like cats and dogs, I'm, secretly, looking forward to it. As for my ... ahem ... career, well, I'm still working on that one. Over the years, I've been printed in so many local newspapers there's too many to name. However, currently, I've been writing for the St. Pete Times (see the prior post) and for the examiner.com, Tampa edition. I still believe I have the "Great American Novel" in my bones, but I think I'm still too scared to put it to paper. What I have always felt, and still feel, is that my writing can affect someone ... anyone. That my words might touch someone whose felt the same way, experienced the same experiences or shared some of my misfortunes and, perhaps, not feel so alone. I hope that with all that I am. So, because of that, and, even though, I may take time off, I will always come back to the words. The words of others kept me sane when my childhood was scary and fill of insane people. Words help me to feel, when my addictions do their best to take away all feelings. And, words, got me here ... to you guys, to those who read the words, feel the pain and still come back. So, you keep coming, I'll keep writing.