Hello, world.
I realized recently that I haven't updated this "my life in a nutshell" piece in over a year, so it is long overdue! Much is going on and I have enough fodder to fill several entries. :)

I will start with a quick update on all things "Fowle" for our biggest fans...
I am still working for the Fuquay-Varina Chamber of Commerce as the Director of Member Services and still enjoying it. We are very proud of all the activities we've added in the last 18 months, but it has also magnified the time needed to make it all successful. Some weeks are fun and exciting, but there are just as many weeks where I feel like I'm on a mechanical bull and just holding on for dear life until we're past an event! Never a dull moment, that's for sure! I am also in my second year as Asst. District Governor for Rotary District 7710. This year has proven to be more time-consuming as well, with our current governor demanding that we interact more regularly with our area clubs -- I have six clubs in my area, and all are rural, so the time commitment is a bit more intense this year. Last Christmas, we spun off a new Rotary club here in Fuquay-Varina, and the new club asked me to serve as President because I had the experience, so I served for six months (until June). Part of me misses my old club, but the new club is very dynamic and full of great people from all walks of life, so I'm happy where I am. :)

Although I've not had a lot of personal time lately, I have finally finished working on "Inextricable" with my writing partner, Paul. It's a full-length play about a young man who can't get out of his own way -- its rather dark and doesn't end well for the protagonist, but its a serious look at religion and addictive personalities and we are expecting it to be produced for the first time in the Spring of 2012. I am ghost-writing a novel for a friend in South Carolina and finally starting to work on some of my own prose. I am submitting a short story to the Writer's Digest short story contest next month, and working with a new friend who just published her first novel -- we are going to critique each other's work and keep each other motivated to continue writing!

Mark is working at IBM now... he moved to a unit there in September 2010 and has been working steadily there ever since. He is still a contractor, but once we get past braces and a few other expenses, he will probably roll into a permanent IBM position. He's really looking forward to that!

The kids are all busy and the older three are doing well out on their own. Serena has started her third year in Galveston, Texas pursuing her PhD in cellular biology. She has just submitted her proposal for PhD candidacy in the ovarian cancer lab she's been working in, and should hear something by the first week of November. We drove out to Galveston last Thanksgiving to visit, and loved it! Kennedy and I also flew out for a long weekend in May 2011, too, and had a great girls weekend. Serena will be flying home for Thanksgiving this year. Cassie is still working at Banana Republic, where she's been for about 6 years. She is involved with several charities in the area through work, and spent her birthday week in Galveston with Serena this year, which included catching a 40" fish on a deep-sea fishing expedition, and a trip to Austin for her actual birthday!

Sam is still in Massachussetts, but now has a steady girlfriend, Colleen, who has been wonderful for him. She is in college finishing up her degree in medical records, and Sam has found a full-time job in a warehouse driving a forklift and shipping orders. It's a great step for him, and he's hoping it will be a stepping stone to something more profitable in a few months. They are moving into their own apartment in January -- a big step for Sam!! :)

Danny is still in Florida, living with his mother and stepdad. He hasn't decided on a path for himself yet -- he works several nights a week collecting trash with his stepdad, and actually earned enough to get himself here for 6 weeks this past summer. We are confident that he will make some decisions about school and work when it is right for him -- for a kid who hated school as much as he did, it's not a surprise that he's taking some time off from the educational world.

Kennedy is an 8th grader this year. This year isn't as spectacular as last year was. She is playing on the school's soccer team again, as well as participating in Show Choir and the Holly Grove Middle School Dance Company. She has really blossomed as a dancer, and now takes 5 dance classes per week at Center Stage Dance School in Fuquay-Varina -- hip hop, jazz, ballet, and 2 team classes! Schoolwork is more difficult this year, so she struggles to get all her work done with all these other extracurricular activities, but soccer is almost over, so her load will lighten considerably after the first week in November.

Last summer we drove to New Hampshire and rented a lake cabin for a week. Serena and Cassie flew in for several days each, and Sam & Colleen came up for a couple of days as well. It was a fun week of reconnecting with family and friends and relaxing at the lake. :) We went to Canobie Lake Park, hiked Mt. Major, spent a day in Boston, and went to Midnight Bowling with John Roberge and all the cousins. It really was a lot of fun! Kennedy has really bonded with her cousins Olivia, Abby, and Madison ever since the family reunion in 2010 when we drove to NH for my aunt and uncles' internment. They are all the same age, and really connect -- thank goodness for Facebook so they can all stay in touch!!


Well, I'll add some photos to this later this week, and get started on all the other blog entries I have up my sleeve in the next week or two.

Happy Halloween!!! :)