A pause, and then a "pause."

Well; Other Side has been a bad boy. There's no disputing that.

After disappearing about a month ago, and then posting "He's back," your reporter went off into a ditch once more. I've thought about telling you that I was out in some remote woods observing a 15 day pagan ritual that requires complete silence at a change of decades, but that would be, as the British might say, "poppycock."

No such lofty excuse is at hand for my poor performance. Instead, it's like I simply hit the "pause" button on the blog remote, and in the interim, life happened. That would be the holidays, of course; the presence of family for two weeks, with all the attendant distractions of grandchildren; surgery on Sweety Bitch's ear; several occasions requiring "blowing" of the snow off the driveway; a power outage on New Year's Day caused by a doofus taking out a local telephone pole; and all the other typical personal problems. Not that any are legitimate explanations for ignoring you.

On the other hand, there were memorable meals and other fine moments. I made one of my best biscuits with sausage gravy breakfasts, and the dry aged and slow roasted beef tenderloin roast on the day after Christmas was a big success.

So, there you have it. Life. Events - planned, and unplanned. I'll assume that the same happened to you, and that you managed to make it through the period with numerous memories. Some good, some not so good, but memories none the less.

That's pause one.

There is another "pause" that applies at this juncture, and that is a pause to reflect. It's appropriate anytime, but especially at the holidays, a new year, and a new decade.

This will seem trite, but your correspondent is not good with words. I choose to invoke the term "circle of life" at this reflective moment. I used the term a few months back as I reported on my 50th high school reunion. As the weeks have passed, I have come to appreciate the reunion, and the concept, even more.

I see the reunion and the friends greeted there as my own personal history. I love the fact that I have renewed a friendship from so long ago. I see a new richness in personal experiences that had escaped me in the hum-drum of everyday life.

Children and grandchildren are the ultimate expression of the 'circle of life,' but there are many others, and they are intensely personal. We took trips for other reunions of sorts, reminding us of how blessed our lives have been. Family, coworkers, friends, and more.

We are in our 7th decade, which increases the frequency of reflection. This year, a close friend of several decades passed suddenly. And we learned just before Christmas that another friend of years and years is gravely ill. Such news is distressing, but unavoidable. It is the stuff of humanity, and of our mortality.

At the same time, dear friends this year joined the ranks of grandparents, and twice in the same year! We rejoice in their happiness, and have enjoyed sharing the experience with them.

So where does this take me, and where does this leave "us?"

At the moment, I don't really have an answer, but I expect that I will deal with the reality further as the months go by.

For now, please accept my explanation and good wishes, and I ask that you reflect as well on your 'circle of life.'

I have a stack of stuff to comment on, and I hope I can regain your interest as I start to work my way through a never-ending list of conundrums, curiosities, and outright puzzlements.

Thanks for waiting for my return, and the best to you in the new decade!

Oh...and if I must leave you with one word, let it be "Chocolate Babka."