Long time no blog!

Well, it's been a few months since I last wrote anything here, so it feels as though I'm long overdue a post. I've been struggling with extreme fatigue over the past few months, to the extent that even writing something briefly was beyond me, but hopefully things are on the up again now, and I can try to get back to posting. It's most likely that the exhaustion was caused primarily by the cancer medication I've been on, so I'm currently taking a break from that, at my oncologist's suggestion. That's definitely helped considerably, although with both offspring preparing to complete their degrees and move to pastures new in the next couple of months, life is still busy and rather tiring!

One of the main symptoms has been a complete inability to focus on anything for any sustained amount of time - obviously a bit of a problem while trying to work full-time, never mind the impact on any hobbies needing concentration. Fortunately, having had a few weeks to rest and recuperate, I've found this starting to return - over two weeks I managed to assemble a book nook-style kit. Previous models like this have been completed in 2-3 days of intense focus, whereas this time it took much longer, with small efforts every now and then until the day it all came together.

I've also gradually regained my ability to focus on reading - a few weeks ago I had around four books on the go, as I couldn't concentrate on any one for very long. But now I seem to be getting back to more normal levels of boon consumption - so monthly book reviews will continue!

And I got very brave and set up my very own Minecraft server (with the help of one of my bonus children!). Since the previous shared server we'd all been on had been closed down, I'd missed playing in a shared world with my offspring and others. So at Mr B's suggestion I took the plunge, got it all set up, and have even learned a few of the very basics of server admin - like whitelisting those who are allowed to join the server (and unwhitelisting those who needed to be removed until after the end of their university work!). I had a few days previously wrangled with my own game setup so that I had all the 'mods' (add-ons which players can download to change the look, add extra items, provide easy ways to manipulate some things etc) that I wanted accessible in all my different saved worlds. And so after setting up the new world on the new server, I then updated the game version and mods for the Oldest Offspring too! Of course having taken a few hours to get mine right, I got hers sorted in five minutes - the benefit of having learned from my previous mistakes.

So other than a complete inability to get to bed the same day that I got up, things truly seem to be heading in the right direction. Long may it continue!