back

Well, we went there and are now back. Delivered the middle child to her sorority house over the weekend and returned home yesterday. Lots of road in 48 hours, but a good trip. We had a great time visiting with some friends on Saturday night and the move in on Sunday was quick and easy. Couldn't ask for a better weekend.

This week starts my new adventure at the office. Friday was M's last day.

Lots of change. Lots of change.

One day at a time.

new computer

My old HP laptop finally kicked the bucket. I now have a new to me laptop! Very excited, but reminded of how comfortable I was with my well used computer. While hubby did the major moving of files and programs, I had to set up the desktop and make things feel like home.

I'm sort of finished with that process, but want to do a few other things before I say all is well.

Change is hard. Even changing computers is hard. As we slide into the start of a new school year, I've been reminded of that fact every day. Makes for some melancholy moments. But, we keep on trudging along and doing the best we can. New things, new people in our circles, new opportunities....it is what keeps life interesting if we don't focus on what used to be and focus instead on what is going on right now.

The oldest jets off to see her best friend for a long weekend. The middle one is winding up her internship at town hall today. The youngest is completing his AP World History summer work. Hubby and I are mired in work at our offices.

The dog days of summer, while not over on the calendar, are coming to a close for our household.

Change is afoot. School is about to begin. University move in dates loom. Life is going to change, yet again.

It is good.

changing course

Over the past couple of months I've been taking one route for Duke's walk. We reverse it on alternating days, but it is a route we both enjoy. Lots of things for him to sniff, and a bit of a woodsy area for me to enjoy.

It is too dark now! The path isn't lit and my night vision sucks, so we have to change our ways.

He was quite confused yesterday when I didn't turn to head up the path and instead crossed the street and headed back down from where we had come from.

We are all creatures of habit. I read somewhere to that begin a new healthy habit you have to stay at it for 8 weeks. Two months. Hmmm.  I would suspect that is true. It may take longer for some. I do know I enjoy walking him for the 15-20 minutes each morning and when I missed a day last week, I felt out of sorts all day. Didn't quite have the energy I usually have.

We are settling into a new routine here at home now as well. The girls have been gone for over a month in the oldest's case and now 3 weeks in the middle kid's case.

A new normal has become a bit more comfortable.

pulling weeds

I finally got the flower beds weeded that are located on the front and side of the house. Thank goodness! I guess it rained here while we were down in sunny Florida, so pulling these quick growing plants was pretty easy.  It seems all the plants I want to live and grow and bloom survived our 'un-winter' just fine. Now, if we have an overly warm summer, some may not make it. I'm not a big one for hauling the hose around to water my plants. I prefer to let Mother Nature take care of that gardening chore for me.

The back beds are up next, and I hope to work on those Wednesday. I enjoy weeding. After a busy day at work, even though it wasn't mentally taxing, doing some simple physical labor was nice.

I was able to talk with my boss about the full time position over in the other department. He was totally supportive and said I should be a shoe-in for the job. We shall see - in about a month.  The timeline allows me to really think about how going from 24 hours a week to 37.5 will change things at home.

Chores may need to be reassigned. Expectations will have to be changed when it comes to what Mom does and what the rest of the family does to keep things moving along. Streamline. Downsize. Organize. The current mode of operation will need to be evaluated and tweaked.

Seems I need to take a good look at the 'flower beds' in the house and see what weeds need pulling.

turning

Turning: a place of a change of direction.

A lot of things have been turning in my life. Perhaps churning and turning would be a more complete description.  The fact that Ash Wednesday happened during the middle of all of this and that the homily was about 'turning' and the words spoken as we all received our ashes included the word 'turn,' forms some sort of cosmic-weird-freaky trinity in my life.

I'm turning alright, like a pig on a spit it seems.

The good thing about turning is that the opportunity is there for the turning to stop in a new and good place. The journey to that destination, the place that lies at the end of the directional change, isn't usually smooth or easy. But, if you take each day as it comes and put one foot in front of the other, and move with a purpose, you will, at some point, reach that destination. Then all the turning and churning will be behind you and a moment can be taken for a deep breath and the realization of the 'here' and the 'now.'

And then, most likely, the turning will begin again. 

seeing things in a different way

It is human nature. When we get close to a person, a project, a situation we can lose our objectivity and see things through a very narrow lens that filters reality based upon our experiences and opinions.

As I'm winding down my time with the bookstore. Meetings are starting to happen between the new gals and all of the 'interested' parties. Change is in the air and people sense it and start to get a tad bit nervous. I'll be glad when things are finalized and I can truly step out of the picture. It is difficult to be in charge and begin to let go all at the same time.

We all want a smooth transition and I believe we will have one amongst the three of us.....it is all the other players that need coaxing along. My way will not always be their way and that does not mean either way is correct or incorrect. It only means that it is different.

I read another one of Shirley Damsgaard's Abby and Ophelia mysteries yesterday. I needed a major diversion from reality and the book served that purpose. I didn't get much of anything done other than making phone calls, reading and watching some very mindless daytime television.

My parents are now on their way to Florida to be with my mom's mother. My grandma is in ICU right now and seems to have suffered a stroke. I was able to speak with her yesterday afternoon, much to my relief. With the loss of my dad's mom this past January and now the rapidly declining health of my other grandma, I spent a lot of time yesterday thinking back on my relationships with these two women and their lives and the impact their lives had on me. I see things in a different way now than I did even ten years ago. Aging does that. It tinkers with those lenses and filters and sometimes brings things into a sharper image while blurring other pictures and memories.

I'm anxious for my parents to arrive there and to be on hand for her. We don't know what the next few days will bring, but our realities will shift and some things will become clear and others more muddied. It will be different and change is hard.