I started this blog one year ago yesterday as a test run for the blog I wanted to write with my siblings. Since then, I have:

• become a teeny tiny bit obsessed with the project, and
• been as disciplined as possible about posting every day, Monday through Friday, for fear that my natural inclination toward indolence would overtake me and I’d give up on the whole thing, and
• regularly gone to bed at shocking hours in order to write, and
• shared all sorts of deep, dark secrets, and
• struck fear in the hearts of people close to me (“Are you going to blog about this?” “This isn’t going into your blog, is it?”), and
• tortured my children with what basically amounted to a year-long photo shoot, and
• been braver than I’ve been in a long time, because it really does take a certain amount of courage (foolhardiness?) to push that “Publish” button, and
• published 222 posts (more if you count the ones I deleted after publishing), and
• corresponded with people all over the world, and
• made a new friend when she came up to me and introduced herself, because she recognized me from my blog.

But, I have:

• had to face the fact that with a full-time job and three children, something had to give, and so:
• let my house and yard go to hell in a handbasket, stopped exercising, and most shamefully: neglected to pay the bills. Fortunately, Colin has now taken over the bill-paying and I’ve started to exercise again. (That’s me, staggering around the neighborhood like a broken-down nag, bringing down the home values every time I go for a “run.” I’m so sorry, neighbors). The house and yard, however, may very well languish for all of eternity in their handbasket in hell. (Again: I’m so sorry, neighbors).

It’s all been worth it, because I’ve started to find my way back to the girl I used to be, who thought she could fly if only she practiced hard enough, and who used to think she’d be a writer when she grew up.

For the next two weeks, I’m going to republish some of my favorite posts while I give myself time to think about where I’m heading next with this blog. I’ll be back here with brand new posts on October 1st and am hoping to launch “Hangin’ With the Harpies,” (the sibling blog), around that time as well. Please stick around and keep reading, and if you’re so inclined – please share “owonderfulwonderful” with friends. This year has been a blast “wonderful, wonderful, and most wonderful wonderful! And yet again wonderful, and after that, out of all whooping!” THANK YOU!