So I just had a rather odd (crazy? dreadful? overwhelming?) realization at the Farmers’ Market today that I can – and do – answer most questions about my life with the phrase, “almost twenty years.”

How long ago did you meet/move in with/get engaged to your husband? About twenty years ago, coming up on our eighteenth wedding anniversary.

How long have you been seriously writing/writing full time? About twenty years.

How long have you been working with your editor? Oh geez … must be getting close to twenty years.

How long have you been knitting? Oh, well, I guess … about twenty years?

How long have you had cats? Almost twenty years.

How old is your turtle? Well … let’s see … she was 1 1/2 years old when we rescued her … so about twenty?

In other completely unrelated news, I’m turning forty-five on October 11.

Happy first day of autumn!

My favourite time of year … when I’m not being obsessive about the passage of time.