I just registered for the first course in working towards my PhD. The mixture of excitement over returning to academics and the challenges it brings and trepidation about the same after being in "the real world" for this many years is mind-boggling. I don't mind the coursework (though it's been awhile since I've had to write a structured paper) but the dissertation already has my blood pressure on the rise.

One of the nicer things about living in this area is the proliferation of crepe mertle trees that line the streets. Light pink, bright fuschia, white, they all are gorgeous and in bloom most of the summer, and walking beneath them reveals heavenly aromas. As a kid, I used to pick the unopened buds and when you squeezed them, the flower would pop out. Magic. It was thrilling to share this with the kidlet and find she had the same level of awe and entertainment by such a simple process.