A long long time ago...

I can still remember how the music used to make me smile.....
(Don McLean)

So it's been 5 month since I've posted, and almost as long since I've been in SL. For this I apologize.

This summer began what has turned out to be a rather harrowing experience for my family. As some of you know, I have been raising my niece Liv for the past 5 years. I'm far from parenting material-- physically in my late twenties but emotionally still in college--but somehow we've managed to carve out some semblance of a family life for ourselves.

In July, Liv went to the doctor with a fever that refused to go away, and again a couple weeks later when her weight started to drop like a rock. A few blood tests later and we learned the diagnosis--an agressive form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, in late stage II. The cancer was advanced enough that she was almost immediately put on chemotherapy.

I won't go into a great many details, but the following months were filled with trips back and forth from our home in western Colorado to Denver for her treatments, blood tests and bone marrow biopsies to monitor the cancer, and an emotional roller coaster that has left both of us exhausted. Liv handled it all better than I did. I took a time out from life for a while, focusing on work and Liv. I almost logged in to SL a few times, or went out for drinks with some girlfriends, thinking it would be good to veg for a little while and pull my head out of the chaos. But in the end I usually ended up reading or singing or playing with Liv. I'm sure that is something most of you would understand.

Liv is still undergoing treatment, but she is recovering quite well. Both of us are back on track, going out, visiting friends, persuing hobbies and preparing for the upcoming holidays. And last week I logged in with a renewed vigor to take on everything SL has to offer.

I'll most likely be popping in and out of SL as Liv's treatment progresses, but in the meantime Kate is back and with her, so is Kharisma. So see you all in-world.