Bless me Readers for I have been absent. It's been 17 long months since my last post.
Where have I been? Location-wise, still here at Rancho Laurena doing many of the same things I had before, housekeeping, knitting, farming, being driven slowly out of my mind by children that I sometimes wonder why I had until I remember how much I love them.
For some of those 17 months, I blogged on a site called Open Salon. If you want to look me up there, I was/am the Pretend Farmer. For a while, it was great. Unlike here, I got LOTS of comments! And, since I am nothing if not an attention whore, I stayed put. I exercised my writing chops slightly differently than I had here, broadening my horizons a bit. Since few knew my true identity, I sometimes wrote about more private things than I did here. I even penned a little fiction. Also and most importantly, I made friends, many virtual friends, some of which have become friends in real life, friends I am going to do my best to keep lifelong.
Unfortunately, as often happens in this convoluted world of ours, things went south. The ability of a reader to remain anonymous while commenting on a blog post turned certain participants' remarks nasty and personal. I don't know about the rest of you but I have enough real drama in my own life than to ask for more from a group of strangers. For this same reason I have no desire to watch The Real Fake Housewives of Any Place, Jon and Kate Plus Screaming Children and Tabloids, or The Bachelor and a Group of Slutty Women Doing Their Best to Undo Decades of Work for Women's Equality. My posts slowed down, then stopped, and I have been blog-free for six months. Long enough break, don't you think? Shall we get back to tales of farming and family, exhilaration and heartache?
Starting tomorrow, I shall do my best to catch you up on what you've missed, what is happening, and what we've planned. The Grim Reaper in the form of bobcats, mountain lions, lightning, and illness has unfortunately visited; yet, On We Farm with glee and gusto. We have ruminant shearing, chick rearing, and garden growing to look forward to as well as cheese-making, yarn spinning, and menu concocting. Also, Rancho Laurena is going co-op! City dwellers and suburbanites alike will be able to adopt their own farm animal(s), learn about their comings and goings, and partake in their output, scat included. Woot I say, 2010 is shaping up with excitement and glee!
Yes, Gentle Readers, I am back with determination. Please join me on this journey we call farm life.
I am totally pouting because I miss you on OS.
Posted by: Denise Montgomery | February 23, 2010 at 05:29 PM
Nice to see you back!
Posted by: Holly | February 23, 2010 at 05:33 PM
You're back!
Yeah!!! I just left you a comment today, and here you are.
Posted by: lynne | February 23, 2010 at 06:24 PM
Awesome!!!
Welcome back!!
Posted by: David | February 23, 2010 at 06:37 PM
Welcome back Lauren - We've missed you!!!
Posted by: Cecile | February 23, 2010 at 09:37 PM
I was so surprised and delighted to see this post on my dashboard!!! Welcome back; I've missed you!
Posted by: michelle | February 24, 2010 at 06:18 PM
Thank you everyone for the warm greetings. I look forward to getting reacquainted with everyone.
Posted by: Lauren | February 24, 2010 at 06:20 PM
So, so, so glad you're back!
Posted by: TigereyeSal | February 26, 2010 at 08:05 PM
YAY!!! I am so glad you are back (and kind of shocked...I periodically check in...just...hoping...maybe...just maybe there will be a new glimpse at the lovely animals). Funny how I have come to love to read about your farm.
Anyway, glad to hear you are back and I look forward to reading again. :)
Posted by: Trish | April 14, 2010 at 01:01 AM