June has been a trying month, but an amazing one so far. I managed, through dint of verbal persuasion and hard work, to get my youngest son through high school. He's graduated and off for a week before he starts community college.

Whew!

Have been encouraging oldest son to go to the gym - lift weights, walk on the treadmill, and burn off some of that anxiety that goes with hiding in his room all the time. He actually went with me twice last week. Will sit down and discuss a month-to-month contract with him this evening.

Had an "expectations adjustment" talk with the hubby - and managed to stay cool and calm through out it.

The sequel writing is going much better - and I'm having more fun with it than I was last month, always a good thing.

PLUS. A query sent out as part of an online class on 3 sentence pitches has garnered interest from a publisher I'd love to work with, for my YA. So as soon as I complete the polishing of it, I'll be sending it off via email.

As part of the polishing part, I read chapter one of the book aloud to the hubby as we drove from L.A. to Scottsdale, AZ. Got lots of really great ideas that strengthen the story and aren't difficult to add (in fact, it's done). I'm looking forward to reading him the rest as we head back this morning, after his audition.

It's been great to see family, even as hubby and I recognize the weakening ties here. After making this trip four times a year for almost three decades, to suddenly realize there's no "home" there to go to anymore is sobering. Mom is in a nursing home and doesn't recognize us any more - dementia. Louise died in 2007, and Grandma Beulah died in 1991. Their house is sold and gone. The place I pulled up to in 1978, exhausted from the drive from San Diego, and the wonderful women who lived there, are no longer available.

Hub's nephew is graciousness; he totally expects us to take his bedroom when we come out, and we have lovely, wine-fueled conversations that range across a wide spectrum of topics.

Hub's brother and wife are getting old and tottery - scary actually, as I am not old! Maybe a bit tottery though.

And we didn't get to see the other nephew. Some family dramas going on, ghosts from the past finally being laid to rest.

Phoenix is beautiful, hot and tempestuous in June. I prefer her in January. I'm afraid, in future decades, we'll only get here because we're literally passing through, on our way to somewhere else.

I miss this land, even though I know I don't belong here. It's been a good visit, all things considered.