Shake off the Rust

It's crazy to think that for the last year and half, I haven't so much as touched my blog.  On the one hand, it's completely understandable because life has been busy.  On the other hand it's sad because I need writing in my life.  It makes such a difference for me to write and write publicly.  I must admit that I feel rusty, not writing here for the last year and a half.  But I've had so many ideas swirling about what I want to write that it seems like I've got to get back in the groove.  For time's sake, here are some general life updates in the last 18 months.

• After one year as camp cook, I got called to be Camp Director. (If I put an emoji in here, it would be the one staring at you with giant eyeballs.) 
• I applied for Graduate School
• I got in!  
• I've finished my first semester at Sam Houston State University
• Emma graduated from high school.
• All the kids got older.
• Everyone's eyes are kind of holding their own. (Except my mom.  She was recently diagnosed with macular degeneration.) 
• My grandma, Carolyn Kirkwood, passed away in July. 

My graduate degree is in Sociology.  Sociology is similar to Anthropology or Behavioral Economics (Pro tip: it has nothing to do with social work) and is the study of human behavior.  I'm especially interested in Sociology of education, so I'm working on classes that would support that emphasis such as Sociology of Family, Community and Gender.  This semester I took my first research class and I've fallen completely in love.  I can't tell you how long I've ached to do this sort of research and I have so much that I'd like to share just from the first class. 

But for now, I'm here.  Moving around a little and, like the tin man on Wizard of Oz, I'm trying to oil my joints and get the rust off.