Tuesday, November 18, 2008

So, the post-plenary goodies from across the water might've started to drop... but in case you haven't already noticed, gang, the latest spurt of relentless news-cycle fury has finally (and gratefully) eased up. In that light, posting's gonna stay easy for a bit so the two-month-deep piles of back-office buildup can, at long last, get taken care of.

Just like any hopefully worthwhile tapestry, see, the front side may look something like an image, but turn it around and all you'll find are jumbled threads all over the place -- in my case, reams of unreturned e.mails, calls, things to say thank-you/grazie mille for, a bedroom and office that look like they've been bombed... and more than once at that. Etc. Suffice it to say, it's a gift in itself to finally have a window to clean it all up (rather, try to), and to mentally shift gears with another calendar's end upon us and Advent just around the corner.

As ever, anything breaking of sufficient note'll hit as soon as it drops. But barring that, thanks for your patience, your prayers and kindnesses... all of which are, to use the Boss' line, my "gas in the tank."

And speaking of my maternal grandmother, grazie Dio, today's her 92nd birthday. She's hanging in there; not really able to move around as she'd like (the wheeled mesh office-chair from my college dorm has gotten a new lease on life as the "Bossmobile"), but the temper, faith and strength that've always gotten her through each remain as unshakable and fiery, as much an inspiration and force of nature as ever. For the folks who've always been so kind to ask after her and send prayers and good wishes, no words could say sufficient thanks.

Always, but especially today, I just thank God for my greatest reminder of what's really important... my most powerful example from above that, in this life, every day is a gift. However tough things may be sometimes, these blessings surround us all, and may each of us always remember how lucky we've got it.

For Boss, and for me, the prayers work wonders, so please keep 'em comin' just as you're each in mine, all over the clock, day in and day out.

More as it happens, but all thanks in the meantime... God love you lot forever.

-30-