Blog Sabbatical Over

 Wow. That was quite the blog sabbatical. Four months of negligence, but my excuses are stellar. As you can see by the photo above, I was consumed with my part time modeling job. I was also finishing my last semester at the University of Illinois. It only took forty years to wrap up what I started there in 1976. Our grain bin house continues to evolve, new pictures coming very soon, and the past few weeks have been spent putting in vegetable and fruit gardens. Keith did most of that hard work as I was swamped with the ever important Italian verb conjugations, American Literature Post 1914 essay deadlines, Western Civilization exams and Shakespeare production analysis papers. But now, I am three days post graduation, and have reclaimed my previous manure-prenure position.

Just before walking down that blue and orange aisle, I allowed my nursing license to go "inactive." Not as easy a task as I thought it might be. Over thirty years in healthcare flashed before my droopy lidded eyes as I stared at that question on the State of Illinois License Registration Renewal Page. Active?  Inactive? Active?  Inactive? I finally decided that if I was going to take my new career seriously, I needed to say goodbye to the old one. It also cost $40 to renew my license and nothing to let it lapse. Decision made.

In the spirit of all these new beginnings I have removed my old photo from this blogs home page.  Like my nursing license, I was sad to see her go.  She was younger, thinner, brunette-ier  (yes, brunette-ier, my major was creative writing not English)  and replaced her with the current me who is older, wider and greyer. Today I turn 57 and I'm looking forward to all the future holds.

So, bite me, AARP, and please remove my name from your mailing list, retirement is a dirty word here on The Poor Farm.