Life & Love

I love front porchesā€¦

  • Summer:Ā Sit on the grass with lemonade.
  • Autumn:Ā Sit on the porch with apple cider.
  • Winter:Ā Sit by the fireplace with hot chocolate.
  • Spring:Ā Sit on the porch with sweet tea.

Celebrated my friendā€™s 30th birthday last night. We had a great time, but I could tell she had mixed feelings about it all. We have this notion that weā€™ll be in a ā€œgood placeā€ by the time we are 30, but Iā€™m beginning to think that good place must be at 40ā€¦

Of course, it doesnā€™t help that she is a highly educated young woman transplanted into a place where finding a decent job is about as difficult as my cat catching the laser beam. And she is by herself, with her husband deployed, no less.

But hopefully we were able to show her a memorable time in spite of it all! We have all been there (and are there now, just not 30 yet!)

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Happy Birthday, Mom <3

Last night was a bad night. She never gives full details, but Iā€™m pretty sure her mental competency trial was yesterday, and she told me she read the letters we wrote to the judge and district attorney that explain her condition. Needless to say, she wasnā€™t happy, and the pain, anger, and fear in her voice was palpable when she called repeatedly in the middle of the night.

I know Iā€™m not doing anything wrong, but itā€™s her reality that drives oursā€¦ and my heart breaks every time she reminds me what Iā€™ve done to her.

the Dream I’m Working On

“I may still not know what I want to be when I grow up, but I do know that someday I want to live in a house filled with my books and travel souvenirs. And the walls that arenā€™t covered in bookshelves will be covered with photos of my family and friends. When I leave the house I will be going to a job I love, and Iā€™ll return to a person I love. So, thatā€™s the dream Iā€™m working on.”

My mother-in-law was kind enough to inform me that itā€™s National Hug Your Cat Day!! My Bean is so special she gets kisses too šŸ˜½ (at Kings Harbor)

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All Done…!

ā€¦ with move #1 of 3 between now and March! It was a longggg couple of days (more like couple of weeks) but itā€™s done now and nothing went wrong. I did find out that the owners of the old house are ripping out the carpetsā€¦ AFTER I paid to have them professionally cleaned. There are no coverings on any of the windows – so I feel mildly exposed – and I canā€™t get internet to workā€¦ but inshallah, those sorts of things will work themselves out. I am just grateful I have a place to live in these last months before we head to GA.

In other news, I have reached the single-digits of weeks before Chuck comes home! Nine to go (assuming he comes back the first week of August.)

Also, I got a little sunburn on my beach break yesterday. This is exciting because I hardly ever burn or tan. Ā Itā€™s nice to see Iā€™m not a vampire after all, and my skin will in fact get a natural glow – even if itā€™s a little on the rosy side šŸ™‚