The end of the school year is here and my six-year-old gets to stay home all day again.  Which is throwing things off quite a bit.  I need to fit life into this new routine and then maybe I'll get back to normal again.  For now I feel like things are very scattered and disorganized.  I'm a pretty structured person, I guess.  I really wish it was more in my nature to be spontaneous at times like this, but change usually rattles me a bit.

I was going through some papers and found some lost treasures you may notice as new additions to my gallery now.  It made me smile to remember how much I enjoyed making these simple little pieces of art.  I had forgotten I could draw once.  Maybe I could do it again.
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On another note, my dog recently got diagnosed with diabetes.  Max has been ours for just over a year now.  We got him at the ripe old age of 9 and now that he's 10 I feel like it's become a burden but I don't know what else I can do about it but my best.  He's a sweet dog with a great temperament for my kids and he's been a great addition to our home over the last year.  I bawled my eyes out when I began to realize the cost is so overwhelming we can't afford it. I tearfully began to search for perhaps a new owner who would be willing and able to support his medical needs but I have yet to find anyone and have turned to at-home testing to try to escape the expense of a vet as much as I can. It's been a nightmare because the vet I've used over the last year roped me into another year of monthly payments to them that don't even cover the cost of his diabetes checks so on top of the monthly payment I would have to pay them more for visits.  And on top of that is the cost of insulin.  And the cost of his special food.  And the cost of the test strips for at-home tests of his blood sugar.  

And not only the cost...but then I have to prick him on his little ears not just once a day but sometimes multiply.  It's so sad to see him get nervous now when I call him, and feel him jump and try to run away from me. But I know I'm only trying to help him.  I just don't want him to feel like whenever he comes to me he's going to expect pain or fear.  I'm trying my best to make it so it doesn't hurt much.  I just think it scares him because the first couple of times I had to poke him again and again because it just wasn't drawing any blood.

I hate this.

His readings haven't gone down either.  And adjusting his insulin on my own scares me.  So I have to discuss this with a vet.  But I'm afraid they will only say I must take him in for a visit and I can't afford any more right now.

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On an up-note for what else is going on, I've been given more assignments in the newspaper I write for.  So I'm excited that more of my articles will be in print soon!

I'm also half way through editing my friends book.  She amazes me with her writing style.  It's not very detailed and very heavy on the dialog side - almost like a script. But that's the way it pours out and then she goes back and fills in the details.  As she writes she just goes and doesn't know how it's going to end until she gets there.  Because of that, she just has to keep going because she wants to know how it will end!  Then when she gets to the end she sits back and is satisfied. I think its astounding!  I write with lots of detail and I take so much time getting it out I can't get to the end.  And sometimes I get stuck and can't finish my story.  I'm amazed at how she can just get it done and then get the edits in and it's there!  Finished!

I hope someday I can finish a bigger story of my own. I'm ok with short stories and with vignettes.  But my novels are all far from finished and they just sit there in their unfinished state gathering dust in my head. It's depressing.

I'm also still teaching English to Asians online.  It's been fun, but I'm definitely feeling the sleep deprivation.  Being up three hours every night takes its toll when I have to wake up in the morning to three little balls of energy.

And summer is here, so they seem to have even more energy then before.

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So I guess that's what is going on with me in a nutshell.  I'll be headed to California for my birthday in about a week.  Pretty excited for that, actually.  I want to see the sea.