And I Quote . . .

Have you ever had one of those moments when your mind is just static? Like the sound of a dead radio station or the feeling your legs get when you've been sitting on them too long and try to stand up. In my teen years I got those moments quite frequently and have quite a few embarrassing stories to prove it. But, I've grown up since then. I have become poised and calm. I rise to each occasion and shine like the morning star. Okay, that may be a bit of a stretch. Sometimes I am painfully reminded of just how blonde I still am.  So, becoming an adult means you have to do adult things. Things like grocery shopping and booking your own doctor's appointments and the dreaded TAKING YOUR CAR TO BE SERVICED.  That last one had to be done to my car for quite a while and I finally bit the bullet and took it downtown to a place I have frequently passed. The men were very friendly and guided me to the correct spot to park the car and I airily tossed my hair and thought lofti...

I spent my teenage years in a small country church. We all knew each other very well. When there was a potluck meal after church, we always knew who had brought the tater tot casserole. If a certain girl wasn't there for the service, we knew immediately that the singing would fall flat without her soprano voice to carry us through the chorus. We didn't pay attention to other trendy styles going on around us. We had our own trends, which most consisted of ruffles, circle collars and florals. (Not the cool kind.) We liked to wear matching dresses and wore our hair swooped over our ears and thought we looked cool. It was in this church that my father was voted in as a vice leader and, at one point, the head leader. The official term was Moderator, but it meant that he had to be there on time, do the welcome, announcements and most of the preaching. When you were the head Moderator, your wife and daughters had the distinction of being in charge of communion bread and gra...

My last post was a bit of a downer. I wanted to end on a positive note, but it almost felt hypocritical to insinuate a happy feeling where there was none. As I may have mentioned before, the past year was hard. It can be difficult for me to see the sunshine through the fog.  No life is a complete veil of tears though and mine has a lot of good in it. I am determined to focus on some of the positive parts of our move.  CHARLOTTE We both love living near a big city and the past year holds some dear memories spent in Charlotte.  Here are some pictures and tips for you. Parking can be a bear, but you may discover that it's easier to park outside of the main part and take the train to where you wish to be. The $2 train ticket is much less painful than paying $21 for 3 hours in a parking garage, which I accidentally did once.  You never know what you will see in the city. You may be innocently drinking an iced mocha and suddenly be surrounded by cos...

There are days when I deeply regret moving away from all things familiar. True, the roads are beginning to make sense and I can get myself to various places without pulling up my Maps. I've discovered the amazing thrift stores in our neighborhood. We have a favorite sushi place that we frequent when we are feeling especially down. We even have people here that we love and who quite nicely put up with us.  But do we really belong here?  I had no idea how important it is for me to feel as if I belong in a place. Where I am known and recognized and NEEDED.  To be the one who needs people more than they need you is a very vulnerable place to be in.  The past year felt like a fog that we were barely surviving in. Fighting for breath. Fighting to keep going. If it wasn't for B, I doubt how sane I would be at this point. He really was a rock. Is a rock.  Nothing prepared me for how lonely I would be in a new place. I still, up to the this point, ...

It was drizzling and grey the day we moved into our second story apartment. After mad dashes up and down the stairs and through the droplets of rain, we finally closed the door and stared dismally at our damp belongings thrown hurriedly in piles about the room. There was no bed, no table, no place to sit, and most importantly, nothing to eat. It was not a cheery beginning to our new life in a new state. What had we done? In theory, I loved the idea of moving to a brand new place. A clean slate. New places to explore. New friends to make. I was optimistic. How naive. After a few hours and more than a few $$, we managed to procure an air mattress, a few towels and cooking utensils and enough groceries to get us by until we could plan a bit better. Never underestimate the cheering power of cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. I’ll forever be thankful that we moved in on a Saturday. That gave us the weekend to organize a bit and gather our wits before Monday came. Ugh. The Hus...

This. This is a favorite photo from last year. In Europe (London, to be exact) with 5 people who went from strangers to good friends in a few hours.  Some of us met each other just hours from boarding the plane in NYC. There is just something very bonding about traveling together. Taking in the smells, tastes, accents and wrong side of the road driving all at once can be overwhelming, but it helps to have others around who are experiencing the same things.