This weekend, a piece of my life turned again (is life anything more than changes you knew were coming, but that somehow surprised you anyway?). My third child headed off to college. Far away. My husband took her and her brother, who attends the same college. And my 21-year-old is already several weeks into her semester. We've got one precious baby-not-baby left at home, and she is so busy that it's hard to remember she still lives here. I mean, I remember it, but I'm not sure she does:).

So I'm sitting alone in my house with NO ONE else here... and what is even happening??? When you're a mother of four, sitting alone in your house with NO ONE else here feels like some kind of broken contract, though I guess it's really just a contract reaching a part of its fruition. Anyway, this quiet life is about to become my reality and I'm kind of sad about that (although only, like, 5 dirty dishes have been produced in the last three days, and something must be said for the beauty of that). It's productive, but so lonely. And will I ever find the balance? (Answer: Probably not.)

In the silence of my child-free/husband-free home, I've been thinking a lot about writing, and life, and authenticity, and AI. I think that as AI progresses (something I'm not INHERENTLY opposed to and which can be quite useful, but something that can be damaging if not used well), it's going to be harder to find things written by people (and I don't just mean books written by people--but also emails, social media posts, the whole deal). Anyway, I want you to know that I'm the one out here writing these emails (in case you couldn't tell by the rambling). And I'm definitely the one out here writing my books. I'm even wondering if I should spend a little more time on social media (my nemesis), just hanging out and being me.

But anyway, I guess that's enough about my existential life crisis. How are YOU?

If you're looking for something fun and bookish to do next week, I should tell you about the Isn't It Romantic Facebook Group, which is hosting a day full of authors and fun! September 18th! I'll be there on the 18th doing a giveaway for From Ashes, and dozens (hundreds?) of other authors will be as well. So pop onto the event and have some fun! (If you haven't joined the group, you can go to facebook and join: Isn't It Romantic?)

Find all my books HERE!

And this month's recipe below:

Blueberry Chia Yogurt Pudding

Note: This can be made with any old kind of fruit you like. We've made it with strawberries, cherries, peaches, mango.

Note: This recipe is compliments of my daughter who just left. For 18 years, she has said that she wants to marry a man who can cook so she doesn't have to. And then all the sudden, this summer, she started experimenting with recipes like it was her one true love (life really does surprise you sometimes). Not just recipes, but healthy ones. Like, she started talking about fiber and stuff. It was so weird to hear coming out of my precious child's mouth. But as a fellow health nut, I was so happy. This was one of my favorite of her concoctions this summer. It's high in protein and fiber, which are the internet's two favorite food topics, so I hope you enjoy! Also, she doesn't like chia seeds, but she likes them this way, so if you're also not a fan, maybe give this recipe a try.

Note: Are you tired of notes yet? This can be veganized easily with vegan yogurt and milk. I haven't been eating dairy because I got old (sigh) and it's still delicious.

Serves 2 (or one hungry teenager)

1 C blueberries (frozen of fresh)

1 Tbsp maple syrup--the real stuff (or to taste)

1 C yogurt

a splash of milk or nut milk

3 Tbsp chia seeds

Cook the blueberries with the syrup until bubbly. Mash the blueberries.

While those are cooking, combine the other ingredients. (I do this all in a Tupperware container, so I can throw it in the fridge when I'm done.) When the blueberries are ready, take them off to cool for just a minute and then mix them in. Refrigerate. Let them rest for at least an hour or overnight (one final note: I don't always do this and sometimes just eat it; the chia seeds haven't had time to do their chia thing and are crunchy, but it's still good!)

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