Monday, January 30, 2012

Time Flies...

Wow! Did I really write that last post in October? Here it is January 30, 2012 and I can't decide if it seems like I just typed it yesterday, or I've lived an entire lifetime since last I blogged. So much has happened! I've been thinking it's time to hop back in the blogging saddle and bring you up-to-date for at least a month now, and this morning I've actually found a few quiet moments to do just that.

First the sad news: my uncle that I wrote about in my last post passed away a few weeks after I shared his health crisis with you. It was so hard to watch his wife, sons and daugthers-in-law struggle with hard decisions and letting go, but ultimately Uncle Dave left this world knowing how deeply he was loved and cared for, and a family got the opportunity to come together and renew the bonds that this busy life tugs at unmercifully.

In the midst of that family crisis I received another life-changing phone call of a more positive nature. After nearly 17 years of being a stay-at-home mom dabbling here and there in creative and intellectual outlets, a real, paying job offer came my way. While not a school counseling job, the position presented me with the opportunity to use the knowledge and skills I gained in grad school and I decided that the time had come to step back into the world of full time work. I am now coordinating a mentoring program for at-risk youth in a rural NJ county just south of where I live. I stepped into a grant-funded program 9 months into its first year and gasping for breath and have barely picked my head up to look around as I've redesigned, retooled & recruited my way through the end of 2011 and into the beginnings of 2012. It's hard, sometimes frustrating work, and I LOVE IT. A friend of my is fond of saying, "Change is easy, but transition can kill you", and oh how right he is. Leading a family of 5 through the transition of mom going back to work after such a long break while getting through the hectic holidays and frequent out-of-town business trips on the part of my husband has not been easy, but I feel like we've finally arrived at a rhythm that works for us.

Etsy continues to be a part of my life, but at a different level. I decided to let ScrappyTudeStudios go and closed it down, at least for the time being. GiftAgainGiftBags kept me very busy throughout the Christmas season, however, and this month I received a custom order from a gorgeous new shop called Skarvery to supply the owner Yana with beautiful custom bags to present her elegant creations in. In my spare time I am working on a new line of Wine & Bubbly bags that I hope to unveil by early spring. I also continue to indulge my crafting ADD and have added knitting (so ZEN!) to my quilting and jewelry making addictions. If I could just figure out how to knit on the treadmill....Blogging time (and energy) is definitely on the slim side, but I do hope to return with updates periodically. Setting my fingers to the keys this morning has reminded me how much I love this medium and need to keep it as a regular part of my life.

Thanks for stopping by to catch up! Don't be a stranger...