Faithful readers of this blog will have noticed that I was absent for almost a week.  I want to sincerely thank everyone who continued to check out the posts on this blog, even while nothing new was being added.

No, I did not leave home on an extended trip, but other things came up which hindered me from being able to write for this blog.  Here is my list of excuses:

1. My keyboard died.  Because I do some translating and writing in French, I use a French-Canadian keyboard which has  extra characters and a couple of extra keys.  I have been using the same keyboard for 20 years.  We have moved seven times in those years and I have lost track of how many computers I have used it with.  It has performed faultlessly until the other day when I think I finally managed to jar something loose inside and it ceased to function.  I stole the keyboard from my wife’s computer.  I knew that would make life difficult around here if it continued, but it gave me time to buy another keyboard on eBay.  For some reason, all the French-Canadian keyboards listed on eBay are located in Texas, so it will take a little time to get here.  Meanwhile, a friend helped to salvage peace in our home by offering me an old keyboard that he wasn’t using.

2. I am planning major changes in my bookkeeping practice.  This requires getting a website up and running and learning two new software programs.  I am knee-deep in webinars for these programs.

3. I am having lengthy long distance phone calls regarding corrections to the proofs of a book that I translated.

4. I was asked to write an article for a school paper published by the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite and the deadline is approaching.

5. I received a request to write a Sunday School lesson.

6. I received an invitation to give a talk to the annual meeting of the Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan.  That meeting is still four months away, but it reminds me that I need to do more research for a booklet I want to write on the beginnings of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite in Saskatchewan.

7. Our internet was down for 24 hours.

8. I need to get caught up with my bookkeeping work.

9. Winter is approaching and there is still outdoor work that needs to be done.

10. We are experiencing an invasion of maple bugs (aka box elder beetles) of almost biblical proportions.

11. I seem to have a special talent for procrastination.