. . . aaaaaaand I'm back

The past week has seemed frantic. I've felt like the tree branch in the photograph. Encased in ice with a world of water rushing past.

It was the end of first semester for my daughter, who finishes high school this year. That meant exams. So much of my free time was spent helping her prepare. Quizzing her on facts. Proof-reading essays. Making decisions about university applications. Which could have been done earlier, but why plan ahead when you can leave it all until deadlines are looming.

And then there was my rapidly-deteriorating physical state. I had my tooth extracted. But it was a far more intense process than I've experienced before. I've had two teeth pulled previously. Both experiences I recall as brief and relatively painless. So I'm not sure what happened this time. I spent 90 minutes on a sharp backward incline in the dentist's chair. The tooth didn't go gladly. It required drilling and breaking and a top-up of anesthetic. Finally, it came out. But not completely. The root was left behind and had to be pried out. Slowly. Not surprisingly, I was swallowing painkillers for a few days to recover from the ordeal.

Now I've noticed that suddenly, it's February. Which means I've already fallen behind on my Halloween resolutions. One project per month indeed. What was I thinking? But I'm hoping it's not too late to redeem myself. This week is looking slightly more relaxed. Except for picking up (and adjusting to) my new bifocals progressive lenses. So I'm planning to devote considerable time to the completion of the outdoor tree and perhaps even begin February's project. Or at least decide what February's project will be. Maybe.