I've periodically listed the series of life changes that started in 2007, and the list keeps growing. I spent 12 years at the same job, 14 years in the same house, and 15 years in the same church. All those things have changed since 2007, some more than once. Here's a recap of changes I've listed before with additional changes over the last few ( Read more... )

The weather has cooled off, and it feels like fall now.  As usual, I'm more energized and optimistic than just about any other time of year.  Added to that, a friend challenged me to a weight loss contest that got me off my butt nutritionally speaking.  We all contributed $10/month, and she'll be awarding first, second and third place cash prizes ( Read more... )

The voice in my head has a long list of things I "should" do, things I "ought" to be doing. I should weigh what I did in high school; I should exercise every day; I should never get angry; I should be a perfect parent; I should keep my house perfectly clean;  I should keep all my papers, books, projects, supplies and other "stuff" perfectly ( Read more... )

In one of those odd confluences of life, working on a healthier lifestyle, gardening and social awareness have hooked up and created a vortex of change in my life.  Writing about my work on being healthier here and writing about one of my favorite hobbies on my gardening blog (http://gardeninthewoods.wordpress.com/) led to reading other blogs, to ( Read more... )

I come by obsessive perfectionism honestly.  It's an affliction both my parents had.  My mother said, and I quote, "I don't expect much, just perfection."  I remember my father telling me that he made a C in life -- the first person in his entire family to got to college, a man with a Medical Degree, a Board certified Pathologist, a talented artist ( Read more... )

Off to a good start in some ways. 

• Ed found a spiral binder I lost several months ago which includes a couple of years of notes jotted down on gardening, B* classes, plans, thoughts, ideas.  Needless to say, I danced and squealed. 
• The house is cleaner than it's been in a LONG time.  There are still several bastions of junque to storm, but many cells ( Read more... )

I'm well past the "Ooo, this is new and fun" stage of the Year of Transformation.  In fact, I'm well into the "I'm sick of this" stage.  In spite of that, I'm headed in the right direction.  It started out like a new romance, with lots of excitement and fun and enthusiasm, but now I'm settling in.  I've built some solid habits, but not as many as I ( Read more... )

Love

The last six or eight months have brought a lot of new people into my life, and I've watched several old friends make dramatic changes for the better in their lives.  I've stretched myself by going new places, meeting new people, and trying new things.  All of this is on the heels of a couple of years of HUGE life changes.

My family has spent ( Read more... )

We met with a real estate agent nearly a week ago.  This was the very first step in what will probably be a long process.  After nearly fifteen years in this house, we have an incredible amount of stuff to sort through--all the debris of years and children and pets and hobbies.  There are many less visible things to sort through too.  This real ( Read more... )