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...

Preparing for Take Off

I'm not quite at the "tray tables locked and seat back in an upright position" yet, but tomorrow morning at this time I (and the 3 kiddoes) will be. It's off to the Rockies for us to meet God's creation in one of the most glorious places on earth and I can't wait!

I took this on one of our summer trips a couple of years ago

when we were doing some hiking and atv'ing. Glorious!

I'm anxiously anticipating time away with family and a chance to unplug (well...for part of the trip--more on that later). I can almost feel my blood pressure dropping already...

But not quite yet. Today is my last day to wrap up all the pre-10-day-trip projects and preparations and I'm feeling it...right in that spot where my head and neck become acquainted with eachother and I tend to carry stress. I have been deep in the throes of a highly productive creative time and have felt driven to constantly be in my studio indulging in the creative process. Add to that the desire to have items complete, photographed and ready to list in my etsy shop for at least a few of the 10 days I'll be away (in between chauferring the kiddoes and various other household duties) and you have a picture of what things are like here.

So I'm up, boarding passes printed, coffee poured, laundry sorted and iron heating...and it's off I go!

Don't be a stranger!