I’m back after an unplanned blog vacation. Suffice to say it’s been a funny week or so. No doubt that the Christchurch Earthquake Anniversary last week played on my mind a lot.  Today my best friend left New Zealand for an adventure volunteering overseas for a few months.  There’s a touch of autumn in the air. The International Arts Festival is in town and we’ve treated ourselves to some cultural outings.  Today is the official end of summer.  Life is good but I’ve felt in need of a moment to exhale and just take in the view.