I'm just back from a two-week vacation with my family and an almost complete hiatus from socializing with friends across the Internet. It was pretty strange not to be checking in daily (I missed hearing what everyone is up to!), but I got to spend oodles of time with my kids and I read a bunch of books. I also worked on paper, editing my novel The Unified Theory of Love and Everything. The trip reminded me how important it is to break away from technology sometimes, so that the mind and soul can replenish themselves the old-fashioned way. We spent some time in Montreal, which was great. I loved being in Canada and struggling to communicate in French! What a great city. We also stayed in Massachusetts, where I'm from, and visited the Boston Museum of Science, which has improved since I was kid and is now my favorite science museum of all time. We drove to Maine for a couple of days and visited Monhegan Island for the first time. There are just dirt roads, and the only people allowed to bring cars are people who work there. It was incredible. I'll post photos this week on my other blog, www.patchofearth.com. The island is a fantastic place for any artist wanting to work without distractions. I hope you all are enjoying the summer and getting in some good beach reads!