I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 32...
...if 32 means a little more experienced and a little more exhausted. My birthday crept up on me this year. I’ve been in almost constant motion from 7am until after midnight everyday for months, working on the house, working on HFP. Who has time to count down the days to a birthday when there are so many other things taking up space in my mind?
It’s been a good and busy year. Our new life in Fishersville has brought me a lot of hope and happiness so far. Our home here feels like home. So many aspects of this life already feel familiar. Like putting on an old shoe, it has been so easy to slip right into our new life here. The openness of land around us, and the intimacy and small-world moments of such a little town have helped me to feel grounded more quickly than I ever did in Alexandria, or even Harrisburg. Not sure I would’ve predicted that.
Now I’m 32. Doesn’t feel like much of a difference. A little unease at how full and fast life is going, but in general I really like where things are headed. I love that we have had so many more opportunities to have family stay with us, and I love that we’ve started connecting with new friends like the Barocos and Lauren and Noelle Coyner and many of the faces at SMS.
Right now I’m sitting in bed in our room. The fans are spinning; the early morning light is filtering through the curtains I hung last week. Parts of the walls are deep forest green, parts are trimmed white, and parts are still the peachy-pink color that Jeff describes as “fleshy” like naked bottoms. There are tools and pieces of wood in the corner. There are two heaping laundry baskets of clean clothes... A snapshot of our life in motion.
Jeff, Charlotte, and Luke just made me the hugest breakfast in bed. It will take me all day to eat this quantity of food! They are on their way to drop Charlotte off at school. Yesterday, they took me out for a really pleasant dinner at Emilio’s, where NOBODY had a melt down and EVERYBODY enjoyed every bite of food. What an under-appreciated satisfaction: to eat a meal and feel relaxed all the way through it! Such a birthday gift. And between a nap yesterday and a long night of sleep last night, I think I’ve had double my average. Probably almost 11 hours vs. the usual 5 or 6 hours.
Yesterday, Jeff sang happy birthday to me in the dark before getting up for work. And when I got up, Luke peeked into the room, exclaimed, “Mama!” and ran over and gave me an unprompted hug around the legs. :)
No huge, profound thoughts today. I’ve been trying to give myself a break for my birthday. I’ve been burning so hard and feeling such driving anxiety about all the things that need to be done. I’m just not going to push myself today. The rest of the week/month/year will be busy. Today I can be off the hook if I want to.
And on that note, I think I will grab one more nap before my birthday morning ends. Ciao!
Melinda
It’s been a good and busy year. Our new life in Fishersville has brought me a lot of hope and happiness so far. Our home here feels like home. So many aspects of this life already feel familiar. Like putting on an old shoe, it has been so easy to slip right into our new life here. The openness of land around us, and the intimacy and small-world moments of such a little town have helped me to feel grounded more quickly than I ever did in Alexandria, or even Harrisburg. Not sure I would’ve predicted that.
Now I’m 32. Doesn’t feel like much of a difference. A little unease at how full and fast life is going, but in general I really like where things are headed. I love that we have had so many more opportunities to have family stay with us, and I love that we’ve started connecting with new friends like the Barocos and Lauren and Noelle Coyner and many of the faces at SMS.
Right now I’m sitting in bed in our room. The fans are spinning; the early morning light is filtering through the curtains I hung last week. Parts of the walls are deep forest green, parts are trimmed white, and parts are still the peachy-pink color that Jeff describes as “fleshy” like naked bottoms. There are tools and pieces of wood in the corner. There are two heaping laundry baskets of clean clothes... A snapshot of our life in motion.
Jeff, Charlotte, and Luke just made me the hugest breakfast in bed. It will take me all day to eat this quantity of food! They are on their way to drop Charlotte off at school. Yesterday, they took me out for a really pleasant dinner at Emilio’s, where NOBODY had a melt down and EVERYBODY enjoyed every bite of food. What an under-appreciated satisfaction: to eat a meal and feel relaxed all the way through it! Such a birthday gift. And between a nap yesterday and a long night of sleep last night, I think I’ve had double my average. Probably almost 11 hours vs. the usual 5 or 6 hours.
Yesterday, Jeff sang happy birthday to me in the dark before getting up for work. And when I got up, Luke peeked into the room, exclaimed, “Mama!” and ran over and gave me an unprompted hug around the legs. :)
No huge, profound thoughts today. I’ve been trying to give myself a break for my birthday. I’ve been burning so hard and feeling such driving anxiety about all the things that need to be done. I’m just not going to push myself today. The rest of the week/month/year will be busy. Today I can be off the hook if I want to.
And on that note, I think I will grab one more nap before my birthday morning ends. Ciao!
Melinda