The Median Sib was my first blog. I started it in 2004/2005. I was obsessed with it for a long time - writing 2 or 3 posts a day for several years. Eventually, I lost the fervor for blogging, and eleven years of silence on The Median Sib ensued. Recently, I decided that I would like to start blogging as The Median Sib again - and I considered different blog names, but finally decided that I'd stick with The Median Sib since that's uniquely "mine." The problem was that when I started The Median Sib on Blogger, I set it up using a different email. And I can't figure out how to switch it over to my current email. It was such a pain to have to keep logging in and out of two different emails that I finally decided I'd start fresh with my current email - which necessitated starting a new blog. Thus The NEW Median Sib!
I've written since the time in fifth grade when my father came back from a trip where he'd preached a revival at another church, and he brought each of us kids a gift. My gift was diary. I started keeping a diary, and have kept it up ever since. I have a box of old diaries in my closet - starting from early in Ron's and my first marriage. My only regret is that when Ron and I got married in 1969, I decided that I was leaving my old life behind, and I burned (!!!!!!) all those diaries I kept from 5th grade through my second year of college. OMG! I would love to be able to re-read those 5th grade and up writings. I remember in middle school making a homemade diary - with a cardboard cover I actually sewed onto folded paper. Across the front I wrote "Diary Of Broken Hearts!" and drew a heart broken in half. Yes, apparently I had a flare for the dramatic even as a teenager.
However, soon after marrying, I started journaling again, and I've kept all those diaries. For many years, I wrote it all by hand, but eventually started keeping a diary on the computer. I've lost plenty of past writings via upgrading to new computers. Somewhere there are discs and thumb drives containing my old diaries.
Writing has always been the way that I sort out my thoughts. I express myself best through writing. I have had articles published in the newspaper and several magazines, I've self-published some books. I've done lots of writing the past eleven years, just not as The Median Sib.
Several years ago I started painting, and I set up a painting blog - Mary Carol Art. I have a cooking blog (haven't updated that one in years), and a blog for our farm (several years of silence on that one, too), and a blog for spiritual growth (sporadic postings - but some recently). The art blog is the only one I currently post in regularly, though.
So let's see if I follow through and continue with The New Median Sib postings. Eleven years ago, The Median Sib included a lot of political posts - which I probably won't do on The New Median Sib. Maybe occasionally, but politics have become so divisive, and people have become so radicalized and mean-spirited, I don't want to be a part of that anymore. It bothers me to see people so consumed with hate.
Eleven years! So much has happened. The most significant for our family is that Lily was diagnosed with leukemia on December 1, 2008 - went through 2+ years of awful treatment - then had over 5 years of gaining strength and getting back into school and being a regular kid again - and then, unbelievably, she relapsed (September 23, 2016) and went through two additional years of relapse treatment - which was especially brutal since her body was already weak from the first treatment regimen. But she made it through - with plenty of scares and pain and loss during that time - and she finished treatment just a few months ago and is slowly building up strength and health again. She will go off to college in August. She applied to six colleges and got six acceptances. She has chosen to go to the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. She loves their nursing program. She plans on being a pediatric oncology nurse - and she loves the campus.
I have three granddaughters I didn't have eleven years ago. Evey (Evelyn Ann) was born to Joey and Meleah in 2010, and Bradley (Mary Bradley) was born to Joey and Meleah in 2013. The "Mary" part of her name is after me - which makes me very happy! Larisa & Steven divorced in 2009. Then Larisa married Phillip in 2014, and with Phillip came our second Sophie - Sophie Grace - who was born in 1999. So we have five granddaughters now. And I think that's the end of getting new grandchildren. However with Sophie Grace being 19 now - and Lily will be 18 in just a few weeks - it won't be too many years before we start on great grandchildren. Amazing to think of that. Even more amazing to know that in just 6 months I will turn 70 years old. OMG!!!!!
Little Sophie will be 16 next month - and she's a sophomore in high school. Just unbelievable how fast these children are growing up. I could write pages about each of my children and grandchildren. They each have such a special place in my heart.
My mother turned 96 this week. She's had some difficulties the past few years - but is mostly clear-minded and relatively healthy. She still lives by herself. I drive down to visit her for a few days as often as I possibly can.
Ron and I will FINALLY go on a trip to Italy next month. We've rented a villa for 9 nights and will make day trips from that home base. I'm looking forward to a very low-key first trip abroad. I've never even used my passport before. So this will be a major first for me.
So that is a quick and on-the-surface catch-up on 11 years. More to come.
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