A thank you note through the mail seems weird when you share an address, so...

Summer is halfway over now.  Not quite, but since I know when I start back to working in my room, I know that it is for me.  Plus, I am a "teacher trainer" for the new SunGard Data System and have to do the training for that on the 8th of August.  I am considering that to be the end of my summer.

I've been kept busy by Nugget this summer.  I've had less time to miss school, my mind has been well occupied.  THAT'S A GOOD THING!  I've felt less of the sadness, loneliness, pointlessness and aimlessness that invaded the last few summers.

I'm a person that needs goals and accomplishments.  Plans and (rough) schedules.  Something to do.  People to see.  Lists to cross off.  A purpose to my day.  Rather, I should say that I've become a person who needs those things.  Because if you knew me in college (or before)...well, I still needed people to see, but the rest of the list...not so much!

But the last 3 years or so, its been important to me that I have that structure in my life.  I have learned to thrive within it and when it's taken from me for long periods, I feel lost.

This summer, though, has FLOWN by.  Between 11 days at mom's and 4 at Bryan's, I've really only been home 17 days.  With Nugget and a "to-do" list each day, I've had little time to feel lost.

And I am so, so thankful for that.  It may be an exaggeration, but only a slight one, to say that this dog was my saving grace this summer.  He gave me a purpose and happiness.  I have a vivid enough imagination to know exactly what this summer would have been like without him.

And so, thank you sweet, dear husband.  For caving in to my persistent, annoying pestering about a puppy.  I know you'd rather have stuck with no, but only because you had no idea how much I needed this.  Thank you for saying yes.  Thank you for loving me that much.   It means everything.