i'm baaack!

I got back this afternoon from my writer's retreat.
My friend, Rene, and I had a fantastic time despite the hoopty ride we drove in.
Of course, Tuesday morning we did have to drive with both of our heads sticking out the windows since the defrost didn't work and we couldn't see out of the car.
We yelled back and forth across the windshield,"Am I okay?" "You're okay!" "I'm not going to hit anything?" "No you're not going to hit anything...I don't think."
"Am I still okay?" "You're still okay!"
Until the sun melted through the fogginess of the windshield.
All went well. Even when we had to stand up and read something we had written after dinner the first night. All 70 or so of us had to read a paragragh of our best stuff.
IN FRONT OF ALL THE AUTHORS. ALL THE OTHER AUTHORS. ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE PUBLISHED GAGILLION BOOKS AND WHO WRITE FOR A LIVING.
Not that I was nervous or anything. My finger tips usually make little sweat puddles
on the tablecloth for no apparent reason.
I never knew I had sweat glands in my fingers until this weekend.
I,actually, thought I might keel over from fingertip perspiration
while standing in front of everyone.
The closer the microphone got to me the more my poor digits perspired.
You would have thought I was getting ready to enter a combat zone with
the way my calves were shaking and how I could feel my heartbeat in my palms.
My fear was that palpable. Jesus is going to have to help me, people.
Because if I continue to write and I have to do readings of what I write,
it will not bode well if I have a heart attack or small seizure in front of the audience.
That is off putting.
But other than those things, we had some fun and we felt frou frou and shi shi.
Because all of our meals were served to us with multiple cutlery
and we ate salads with goat cheese and tiny figs
and we had robes to lounge in in our rooms.
Our rooms were housed in little bungalows. So that made us feel even more fancy.
Every once in a while, it does a tired supergirl good to feel fancy.
And to not have to do dishes and laundry. Can I get an "amen"?
So now I am back in my own bungalow. It's not so fancy.
But three little boys were pretty excited to see me when I drove up.
We immediately had to go out and buy pumpkins to carve.
Because we are getting ready for the big night tomorrow.
There is great excitement in the air. I may have to wear the wicked witch socks.
Addie coudn't stop climbing out of his crib tonight due to this excitement.
"I go Halloween!" he said. "Get back in bed!" I said.
He was thoroughly disgusted with me.
So all that to say it was good to feel fancy for a few days
and it is even better to feel missed and now I am looking forward to
stealing all the mini snickers from my children's halloween candy tomorrow night.
Because that is my job as mother.
Can I get an "amen"?