Does anyone else think that school is coming far too fast? Boy, time has flown.      My pre-summer thoughts of how the summer was going to play out this year with oodles of time spent with my children outdoors in a blissful learning environment, as well as plenty of extra time to complete Book Two in the Serpent's Treasure Series have been exchanged for reality.      It all started when my great-aunt died at the beginning of summer. I made an unexpected trip out-of-state for her funeral with my children. We spent time with family that I have not seen in ages, and many of my children have never met. Without boring you with a travel log of the entire trip, you should simply know that many unexpected blessings came because I took the time to go.     Fourth of July Weekend brought another surprise when our suburban's transmission went out while pulling our camping trailer home from a fun family weekend. The next week my phone died unexpectedly. This is the phone that had one of my children's birthday photos on it, the pictures from our trip out-of-state of the funeral, and of course, the recent photos taken at our Fourth of July camp out. All gone.     I took an educational class the following week. I needed it. Learning is a marvelous gift. The fact that we can continue to learn and grow each and everyday is a beautiful gift. I am so glad that you are not stuck with me as I am today, but that tomorrow I can become better. Even if it's just a little change, it can make a huge difference. That is what this weekend class did for me. I finally saw several patterns in my life that were slowing me down in my progression and success. They were patterns that others had seen in me, and some very close friends and family had even tried to tell me existed, but it took this class for me to see the pattern myself. I couldn't change the negative pattern because I did not see it, even with all of their explanations. It didn't matter how many other people could see it. I could not change it until I saw it. However, the cool thing about recognizing patterns is that once I did, I could totally change it.     August!!! Yay, August has arrived! Time has finally come to have the time with my children I foresaw three months ago. I have also spent more time at my computer writing Book Two, and look, even updating my blog! Next week, I will be at the Oregon State Fair with Serpent's Treasure - The Ancestral Key. If you are in the neighborhood, come and say, "Hi!"     When the fair ends, school starts. Wow! And that's the thought that started this whole blog today. It's already here. The summer did not go as I had planned, but I have learned a lot. Progress has been made both in my home life, and my life as a published author. I'm getting really excited to share Book Two with you. Be patient. It will be worth it.