I don't know if anyone noticed, but I haven't been around for a while. It's been a really, really horrible year, and I've been busy bailing back the tide.

I don't know if it would be a good idea to post many details. Most people don't like it when someone posts bad news or complains about their life. I mentioned some of the bad things that happened to me in a writers forum and got well and truly pounded for it. Needless to say, I've been avoiding that forum.

Reader's Digest version: I haven't worked in 14 months. My house went into foreclosure. I was ticketed TWICE this year by the lawn police. I've been keeping up with my utilities, but other than that I haven't been able to pay any of my bills. My brother is also unemployed. My mother has Alzheimer's, and my stepfather is undergoing chemo and radiation therapy for lung cancer.

Well. There you have it. 2008 has been a hideous year. Good riddance to it. I'm glad it's going to go away tomorrow, and here's hoping 2009 will be better.

The bits of good news.... Not to get political, but I was thrilled with the outcome of the presidential election. I haven't done the Happy Dance like that in a while. I finished the rough draft of a novel and am almost finished with another one. My health and that of my cats (knock on wood!) is holding up.

I noticed some people discussing that they'd like to get peach trees. I wish I knew what kind of tree mine was because it produces like crazy. I drive myself to utter weariness every Labor Day trying to eat, cook, process, freeze all the peaches the tree produces, and I lose the majority to rot, insects, and squirrels because I just can't get to them fast enough.

Some of the branches are so close to the ground that the peaches sit on the earth and then rot. I've been thinking of pruning those branches back so that the tree will put more energy into branches higher up. If I can figure out the best way to prune the tree and then try to root the branches, maybe I can have some to take to the Spring Swap.

It worked with a lilac branch. My neighbor has a lilac tree that overhangs my fence. A small branch (~6 inches tall) broke off. For fits and giggles, I took it, put the base in root stimulant, put the branch in soil, and kept it under my grow lights. All of the leaves dried up and fell off, but lo and behold if it didn't bud and then begin leafing out. I'm going to keep it under lights until it warms up in spring, then I plan to plant it out into the yard. If I can repeat that, maybe I can have some little lilac bushes to bring to the swap, too.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a good Christmas (or whatever you celebrate), and I hope 2009 is better.