Time Flies by Sericite on Flickr
Just 13 blog posts thus far in 2010. Not one single post since June 24. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom, you'll see scenes from--how embarassing--last winter.
In my case, such a dearth of postings from this perfectly prolific blogger could mean just one of three things:
- I have been unable to write because my experiences are too close for expression.
- I have been unable to reveal developing news.
- Both.
All good things to keep in mind for future reference, and in this case the answer would be--ding-ding-ding--numero trois.
Even now I'm not feeling particular poetic about the events of the past few months. But I've been missing you, blogfriend, and I'm hoping that if I just spill all the beans in one swell foop, I won't have to worry about getting even more behind in the task of catching you up.
So, here goes. And pardon the brevity on each of these events--see numero un.
Since we were last together:
- We put down our beloved Scout, the most magnificent family dog. It happened on a Monday morning after a Sunday of knowing absolutely that it was time. We are still missing his presence in our lives, and yet are ridiculously amazed at how clean our house stays.
- Nicole moved to Toronto to begin graduate school. After countless good-bye parties, a three-day 37-hour trip in the car to deliver her there, some sketchy experiences in neighborhoods in which we did not belong, and a most tearful good-bye which has since moved into the top five most difficult moments of my life, we left her to discover new realms and to solidify her place in the world of advanced degrees.
- Mark and I decided to move to southern New Hampshire. Certainly one of the most difficult decisions of our lives, but one that has been a long time coming. I have written often of its mesmerizing charms, of my affection for its landscapes, and of the closeness we share with my brother and his family who have lived there for seven years. With Nicole tucked away in Toronto and Beccah's desire to live in nearby Portsmouth, New Hampshire once she graduates next May, we started putting the wheels in motion to make the Big Move.
- Not the least of which was securing jobs. The company Mark works for has offices in Cambridge and Waltham, Massachusetts. Turns out his higher-ups were more than happy to transfer him to that part of the world and will pay for our move to boot. As for me and my love-affair with my job at Paper Crafts magazine, well, I couldn't be more fortunate. I've stepped down from my role as creative editor, but have moved into the new role of trends editor. My new tasks are to grow the Moxie Fab World and to report on trends even more than I already do. I will continue to write the Moxie Fabs column, contribute to content concepts, and attend trade shows. Truth be told, I am perfectly giddy about what lies ahead!
- Not the second least of which has been getting our house ready to put on the market. We've cleaned out, chucked, re-organized, scrubbed, touched up, and altogether refurbished this little place we call home. It has been for sale for five weeks now, and in this weak market, anything goes.
- With so much change swirling around us, it's only natural that my normal acute levels of anxiety would sky rocket. By the end of June I was paralyzed by sudden, violent bouts of diarrhea that came without warning. I was unable to hike, attend gatherings, or go to the grocery store without fear of becoming symptomatic. In July, I made an appointment with my doctor who put me on Celexa, an anti-anxiety medication--which took four weeks to take effect. By August I was feeling calmer than I had felt in my entire life. In September I had my first-ever colonoscopy which turned out normal but gave me the official diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a condition I am certain I have had my entire life.
- Mark and I took a two-week trip to New Hampshire to look for a house. After literally countless hours poring over the listings of homes for sale in the areas in which we would ultimately like to live, we prioritized, reprioritized, and hashed out the "ideal home." We put an offer on one such "ideal home," contingent on the sale of our home in Utah. The owners countered, refusing to accept an offer based on a contingency, played hard ball with the terms, and so we withdrew our offer. If this "ideal home" is still available once our house sells, we'll put another offer on it.
- While we were in New Hampshire, Nicole decided to call it quits in Toronto. To make a long story short, it turns out that the program that she was pursuing no longer exists. They changed the program but not the literature that markets it. After vetting all the possibilities there and coming to no advantageous conclusion, she decided to cut her losses, come home, and go a new direction. She'll be home on Saturday.
And so now, we wait. The pieces are in place for our Empty Nest Adventure. Our nest isn't officially empty (is it ever, really?) with Beccah living at home after breaking up with her boyfriend and Nicole en route in a matter of days, but Mark and I are, indeed, pursuing our own little dream. We're grateful to be doing it with the blessing of our lovely daughters, our family, friends, and co-workers, and we're keeping our hearts and minds open to the magic in the journey that lies ahead.
