Have you heard the phrase, “Life JUST got in the way?” Well, that’s putting the past few months lightly. Writing has been as elusive to me as a giant squid is to a camera. Here’s the gist:

My Man turned the big Five-Oh back in May and for his birthday we decided to take a family vacation to Grand Cayman Island the first week in October. But, in late summer my son announced that he was moving out…two states away…in October, a week after we returned from the Caribbean and a week prior to attending our annual Aftershock Rock Festival in Sacramento. Sure, we could’ve sold our tickets but Avenged Sevenfold was headlining! Wasn’t giving that up for all the tea in China.

If you follow me on Snapchat (JacksWriterMom – EliseManionSnappin📱) or Instagram (@elisemanion) you got to see how October played out for us. Though we were busy and had a lot of fun, writing was nearly impossible.

We were both heartbroken and hopeful for our only child’s move. He was taking a big leap into adulthood. He quit his two jobs and made a plan. He’s now enjoying his new career in the culinary arts (okay, that sounds a bit pretentious. He’s cooking for a popular dining chain. He’s recommended that we stick to either eggs or burgers. Ha!)  while establishing residency so that he can attend school in Colorado. He’s doing well and we couldn’t be prouder. He surprises me at every turn. We were hoping to get him home for Thanksgiving but we were forced to settle for three days of FaceTime instead. Unfortunately, it looks like Christmas is going to go the same way.

A week before Thanksgiving my dad got sick. My parents live in a small town three hours away. They have been staying with us while he seeks treatment, escaping to their home on the weekends. While the news was devastating, my family remains hopeful that treatment will begin soon so that my father can feel better.

And finally, the resident rock star that we’d adopted two summers ago as a stray 17-year-0ld homeless kid finally moved out of my office and into his own two-bedroom apartment. He’s now nineteen, working a day job, singing on the weekends and his band even scored a rock festival in LA last summer. While we hugged and said our goodbyes I realized that a whole new chapter was beginning in my life; middle age. This is the time when everything changes at once.

Thus, the unexpected hiatus. Even though I tried to write while all of the above was happening, the words either wouldn’t come or there just wasn’t the time or space to do it. Poor Josh and Missy remain temporarily suspended in their burgeoning romance (Josh’s Challenge) and the paranormal story I’d been outlining still remains drifting about in my head. I do see a light at the end of the tunnel, though. It’s called 2017! Just being here with you right now is a step in the right direction.

~Elise