It's been so long...
I've been thinking about posting something here, but it has been so long that I haven't been sure where to start. There is no way that I can summarize everything that has happened since I last posted regularly, so I won't even try. Maybe I will just start with a few things that are on my mind at the moment.
The Holidays:
I am tentatively looking forward to the holidays this year. Last year, the holidays were quite difficult for me, and I was afraid that they would be just as painful this year. I had a very good Thanksgiving, though. I'll be getting a tree with Mark (meadmaker) on Thursday and decorating it with several close friends on Saturday. I've been invited to some nice holiday parties, and I have some lovely plans with Mark for the holidays.
For a few years, I have been considering a major change to my holiday practices. For me, Christmas was always a religious holiday, and it has felt strange to celebrate it as a secular holiday now that I am celebrating Yule as my religious holiday. So, I am considering tying the secular traditions (a tree, santa, presents, etc.) to Yule instead of Christmas. I considered doing this last year, but I thought it was better to maintain stability for the kids. This year, though, might be time to break with some of our former traditions and start some new ones.
Has anyone made this switch while they had a family, particularly children? Any thoughts about how best to handle it? I also have similar thoughts about celebrating Ostara instead of Easter.
Relationships:
Mark and I recently celebrated the 5th anniversary of our first date (AKA when we met), and the 1st anniversary of our current dating relationship. I couldn't be more in love or happier with a partner than I am with Mark.
The amount of time I spend with Mark is limited, for obvious reasons, and I'd like to be dating at least one other person. I have a couple of romantic interests, but it is not clear where those relationships are (or are not) going. I'm not good at looking for people, but I remain hopeful that something more will develop in this area.
I still have too much pain and complexity in my interpersonal relationships, though, both in my romantic and non-romantic relationships, including ongoing divorce proceedings and far too much drama, some of which is likely the result of my own emotional state. These issues are a constant drain on my emotional reserves and make it hard for me to be completely happy. This is something I'd like to sort out and move past in the coming year.
Kids:
The kids are all doing well. Highlights include Chris continuing to do well in his professional career, Gwen getting a job at Dominoes, Rachel starting college at UMASS Boston and doing well there, Owen doing a lot better academically and socially, and Zoe _loving_ first grade.
Zoe lost her first tooth last night, so the tooth fairy is back in business at our house!
How is everyone else doing?
The Holidays:
I am tentatively looking forward to the holidays this year. Last year, the holidays were quite difficult for me, and I was afraid that they would be just as painful this year. I had a very good Thanksgiving, though. I'll be getting a tree with Mark (meadmaker) on Thursday and decorating it with several close friends on Saturday. I've been invited to some nice holiday parties, and I have some lovely plans with Mark for the holidays.
For a few years, I have been considering a major change to my holiday practices. For me, Christmas was always a religious holiday, and it has felt strange to celebrate it as a secular holiday now that I am celebrating Yule as my religious holiday. So, I am considering tying the secular traditions (a tree, santa, presents, etc.) to Yule instead of Christmas. I considered doing this last year, but I thought it was better to maintain stability for the kids. This year, though, might be time to break with some of our former traditions and start some new ones.
Has anyone made this switch while they had a family, particularly children? Any thoughts about how best to handle it? I also have similar thoughts about celebrating Ostara instead of Easter.
Relationships:
Mark and I recently celebrated the 5th anniversary of our first date (AKA when we met), and the 1st anniversary of our current dating relationship. I couldn't be more in love or happier with a partner than I am with Mark.
The amount of time I spend with Mark is limited, for obvious reasons, and I'd like to be dating at least one other person. I have a couple of romantic interests, but it is not clear where those relationships are (or are not) going. I'm not good at looking for people, but I remain hopeful that something more will develop in this area.
I still have too much pain and complexity in my interpersonal relationships, though, both in my romantic and non-romantic relationships, including ongoing divorce proceedings and far too much drama, some of which is likely the result of my own emotional state. These issues are a constant drain on my emotional reserves and make it hard for me to be completely happy. This is something I'd like to sort out and move past in the coming year.
Kids:
The kids are all doing well. Highlights include Chris continuing to do well in his professional career, Gwen getting a job at Dominoes, Rachel starting college at UMASS Boston and doing well there, Owen doing a lot better academically and socially, and Zoe _loving_ first grade.
Zoe lost her first tooth last night, so the tooth fairy is back in business at our house!
How is everyone else doing?