Past the Time to be Thankful...or not!

Happy Day after Thanksgiving! I know other people call it Black Friday but to me that name sounds so depressing. How did a big retail sale day get labeled this? (I know it's because these sales put them "in the black" for the year but still...) Brian's comment when I wished him "Happy Day after Thanksgiving!" was "Happy Friday." He is a man who lives in the present! And he is NOT a man to get up early and spend hours in a line or online just to get great deals. So, today is just Friday!

Me, I rather enjoy stretching out holidays. Is it just a good excuse for not getting much accomplished? Perhaps. Today my coffee tastes particularly good, in fact, I'm on my third cup and it's not even three in the afternoon. Although I love coffee, I'm a two cup a day girl, usually around 9am and 4pm. But I have to say that three cups is still not very motivating for productivity, just enjoying the lanai and doing a bit of writing!

I'm a little late (strictly speaking) for any sort of dissertation on the attitude of gratitude. Well, dissertations remind me of school anyway, which is long past. However, it's never too late to be thankful. Thankfully (!) I don't have to think very hard to find a myriad of things for which I'm thankful. Brian tops the list, of course. From the spectacular to the mundane, there are wonderful things and people all around me. Although we are new to the area, we had two invitations for Thanksgiving dinner. We chose to drive 90 miles to be with Brandon, our youngest, and the family he is staying with at the moment. There were 25 people for dinner!! Yikes! And we only really knew Brandon. Yet, dinner was delightful, engaging conversation and delicious food!

I have friends and family in several countries (also giving me a reason to travel and open up my home)! I don't lack for anything I need and actually have many "wants." Brian is an awesome man, let alone a wonderful husband. I am content and very grateful. I hope you all can also find many reasons to smile in your heart!

Emerging...On the Other Side

The other side of the country that is! Well, it's been a month! When last I wrote, it's true - I was stressed out and in the midst of packing up all our household goods. My stressed out phase didn't last too long actually, but times were busy. Then, we were homeless and on the road.

After we left the keys locked in the house for the new owners to retrieve, we set off on our 11 day trek across the country. We stayed with family and friends part of the time but once we hit Texas it was hotels from then on. Along the way we encountered temperatures up to 113 degrees F, red dust storms that as we approached just looked like an imposing wall, sudden rain storms that would almost instantaneously cut your visibility to 40 feet and loooong dry patches without any decent coffee!

We got a rental 3 days before we arrived and put an offer on a house 4 days after we arrived! Life has been busy and quite an adventure. Only now, as a week has passed, do I stand on the fringes of becoming aware that this isn't a vacation. (Although I have learned that road trips are not my ideal vacation style.) It's all been a little surreal.

At this point we start the long, intangible process of settling in. I'm beginning to find my way around to the necessities like grocery stores, coffee shops and Target, although I can still get turned around. I have to say, it's a good thing I like Brian! I don't know anyone else here except one gal who is in the process of moving away, our real estate agent, our landlord (we met once) and we've had one lengthy conversation with a coffee shop owner. These things take time. There is no formula or checklist. Oh right, it's an adventure! :-)

I hope to keep you posted a little more regularly as life might be returning to some semblance of normalcy. Our rental is on a lagoon so I'll let you know if I see the elusive alligator. I have seen two armadillos - both flat as pancakes. But I hope to get a lot more connected to people rather than the wildlife!

No Mystery at the Moment

Often it can be hard to determine just where the time goes. However, for me at this juncture in life, I know exactly where the time is going. People and packing. Those two things at the moment are not leaving a lot of time to write.

Nevertheless, I want to catch you up a bit on what's happening. The final papers for the sale of the house are signed. In two days our wonderful house will belong to another family! I'm sure they will enjoy it as much as we have!! We are able to stay an extra 2 weeks (part of the sale contract) to finish the packing and say our good-byes.

We are making steady progress on selling some of our belongings and packing up the rest. That steady progress is all thanks to Brian! He also knows I can get overwhelmed by all of this, therefore, what I need to deal with is brought in only in small sections. That way I just have this little bit to deal with right in front of me. The garage and the big picture are not something I have to delve into so I can make my steady progress bit by bit. I don't know what I'd do without him! Not planning on finding out!!

The people part has a much sadder tone to it. And yet, I don't look at it as a total cutting off of relationships! I can't deny it will be different but there is skype and actual visits, which I trust will go both ways!

I'm also excited for the new adventures ahead. What kind of house will we find? What communities will we get plugged into? Life in the tropics, who knows what that's like?! Ocean water I can swim in!! Lots and lots of sun, especially for Brian. :) So much more I'm sure with some ups and downs along the way. After all, bumps and twists and turns are part of life, and an adventure! Time will tell.

What's up with you?

Ohhh the Projects!

Painting, ordering replacement kitchen cabinet doors, coordinating other work to be done (by others) and still have more work for me. Not a lot of time and rather focused on the projects. Very anxious to have my kitchen "back" so I can cook regular meals. We're painting the kitchen cabinets and drawers so everything is in boxes or piled around the living room! Maybe Monday? Probably Tuesday!

At any rate, I wanted to say HI but there isn't a ton of energy left over for writing. Drop me a note, if you'd like. I'll write more later.

Ahh, the Mundane!

I know, I know, I've talked about the mundane! Perhaps this time in a little different vein. Today was our first full day of being back home. It was filled with the mundane - laundry, grocery shopping, making dinner, vacuuming and getting our bedroom back in order. It was all wonderful! :) Truly, we had a great 10 days away, seeing family and friends, spectacular fireworks and some awesome summer weather. But being back home, settling in again, was soul relaxing. I love our home (not just the physical place but where we are 'us') so all these activities were comforting and establishing again our place. Loved it!
I hope that I can carry an extra measure of this appreciation through 'regular life.' I am very blessed!

Creativity vs. The Mundane

,It sounds like a boxing match! If it were, I'd imagine creativity as that sublime movement of grace that packs power. It's almost like it happens in slow motion as people are awed by the simultaneous beauty and raw power. Even if boxing can be distasteful to you (certainly to me) the artistry of those kind of movements cannot be denied. Whereas, the mundane is the brutal, relentless pounding that beats the opponent into submission. There is no finesse, only muscle bound prowess that needs admiration.
A friend of mine told me that if creativity didn't take effort it would just be mundane. (This came up because I was complaining that creativity took so much effort!) The mundane for me are things like laundry, going over the budget, cleaning and food prep. All very important endeavors, necessary even, but not thrilling or fulfilling on a soul level. Often they are something to power through and too often they get the best of me. I'm beat afterwards. There's nothing left to give in the creative arena. However, that is not my whole life. That may be one or two days of my week - being too tired for anything else, but I state now that I want to move through to the sublime. How does that work? How often will that happen? I pray for God's agenda through my days and the courage to make the effort!