Neglected, but not forgotten...

My blog has been neglected for the past two years (at least!), while I got on with navigating this thing called life.  Before my eyes, my children went from children to adults (almost completely) and what they wanted and, importantly, needed from me changed drastically.  There were growing pains for us all.  Here's the thing:  I've loved being a stay-at-home mom.  I know not everyone does and that's okay, but for me, I've loved it.  I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be and where I wanted to be.   I never resented the opportunity costs associated with staying home. 


Change is inevitable and unavoidable and, if I'm honest, to be desired.  After all, if I've done my job correctly, my children will be independent, capable individuals who will not need me to wait in the wings, managing their lives from the shadows.  And, if the past few years have been any indication, I've done a terrific job.  My children are fascinating individuals, each charting a different path, as they wind their way toward adulthood.  I couldn't be more proud of them for bravely charting their courses (and I'm pretty proud of myself for letting go of the reins so they could!).  They've taught me so much...I continue to be transformed by the privilege of raising them.


A quick recap of the kids, and then they won't be here much (adult privacy and all that!):  Charming has been living out of the house for almost 6 years and will be 25 next month.  He's a terrific person who is teaching himself piano and programming in his free time...oh, and he's getting ready to run his first half-marathon.  Valiant is going to be 20 next month and is a Junior at EWU with a goal to finish with two degrees (one in Mechanical Engineering and one in Physics)...yeah, he didn't get that from me.  When he's not at school or work, he's contemplating Descarte or religion and is active in his church.  Buttercup will be 17 in two months...she's attending both the local junior college (through Running Start) and our local high school, where she throws javelin and does all sorts of creative things with pottery.  When she's not at school or work, she can be found tooling around in her little truck, most likely headed to or from one gym or another, or headed off to a sporting event.  (Oh, yeah, she's pretty darned pleased by the Carolina Panthers right now...she's a fan.)


So, back to my blog...now that you know where I've been, I hope you'll forgive my absence.  I have been doing so much, I'm eager to get back to sharing it with you.  Random thoughts, sewing projects (I'm pretty proud of my progress!), my CrossFit fails (a shoulder injury a few years ago seriously derailed me...still no pull-up, darn it!!), mostly grain-free recipes (Amish Baked Oatmeal is still a morning favorite--haven't given up oats entirely!), DIY, and anything else that occurs to my blogging mind.


Anyway, to the people who asked (last year!) where I got the wheels for my New Craft Table, my husband just found them at Home Depot.  They're nothing special, you could use any that will support the weight of your table.


That's it for now...have a great day!

Blogging your way through life's transitions...

My friend DarcyLee named her now-retired-blog "In This Season".   The title described her blog's mission...to help her work her way through a new stage in her life, one in which her role was being redefined as her children aged up and out of the house.  Her blog helped her work through this time, celebrating her past role and learning to love her new one.  Then it became superfluous and in her life's priorities, it fell off the list.  Completely understandable, don't you think?

As for me, I found blogging for the same reasons...my oldest child was headed off to college and it was clear he'd not be living at home full-time after he finished.  Suddenly, it was clear, this job I've loved so much had an expiry...and that was something I'd never spent much time thinking about.   I was also hungry to learn new things...things about cooking, gardening, and home-making in general.  It has been two years now that I've been blogging and I'm beginning to think my transition is almost complete. 

I still love reading blogs and learning new things, but I don't feel as if I'm working through things anymore.  I don't feel as compelled to write it all down, to sift through it all.   With Superman overseas, I know my blog will continue because he loves reading about all the things we do around here and I have fun sharing it with him, but I suspect my blog will become even more random.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'll completely understand if this is not what you're looking for in a blog...a little of this and a little of that.

Blogging is Such Hard Work!

When I was typing up my blog about our "stick chores", Bean was "helping me".  After chasing after the mouse pointer on the monitor and helping me with the keyboard, she quickly realized that blogging is hard work.

It took her a few adjustments, but she finally got herself right in the heat cast by the halogen bulb in my recessed light and went to sleep.

A well-deserved nap.