Merry Christmas from Starbucks :D

Well, Christmas is here!  I am ensconced in Colorado Springs, and for the first time since May, my van is unpacked and I couldn't be happier about it.  Aunt Joan/Jean is so happy to have me for Christmas that we're making a Thanksgiving dinner, how good do I feel about that? Tremendous!  Between the two of us, we'll be lucky to eat before ten pm, but we'll enjoy the process as well as making the memory of my first Colorado Christmas.  It's not white, but it's alright :D

It is easy to miss so much this holiday.  I have never lived in a new city for Christmas before.  I welcome the new experience, but my thoughts certainly wander to many cities and people that I wish I could give a Christmas hug to....probably you are among those I miss.  I came to Starbucks because they have Internet access and I wanted to post this among other things.  Should I admit that I played Bejeweled Quest before I wrote my post?  Probably not...

It's been really sweet listening to the girls chat with their regulars...it feels very familiar even though I don't know any one of them.  I'm glad I came because at this moment, I feel more  Christmas than I have this whole season, and let's face it, it's now or never so I am glad that I made the effort to go out.

Well, they are about to close, so I will as well.  I wish you a very Merry Christmas.  I will spend the day counting my blessings and expect that you are among them!  Much love,
Marian

On the Road Again

Well, I'm half packed for Colorado and tomorrow will be the finishing touches on many things, so I figure I might as well get this posted.  I'm half excited and half melancholy about the whole thing, and somehow Christmas has taken a back seat to what's going on in my life.

I finished part 2 of my deposition and I've got mixed feelings about that too.  It means that I have another day of fun filled questioning, but it also means that I get to come back to Los Angeles and see my family and friends here as well.  So, I guess it's alright.  either way, it is what it is.

Aunt Joan/Jean is excited about my coming, and of course, I get to visit the Warford's along the way so, I should get into the Christmas spirit somewhere along the way.

In the meantime, try not to worry.  I'll be okay....it's just another the beginning of a new phase of my life.  Frankly, after how difficult this past year has been, I'm more excited about New Year's than usual, but I'll tell you about that next week, Live from Colorado Springs...keep me in your prayers, I sure can use them :D

Countdown To Colorado

Is it true? Can it be that I am leaving beautiful sunny southern California where it was 78 degrees for Colorado Springs where it was  sunny 27?  Yes, I say to you, yes.  This makes about a much sense as the rest of my life recently, so thee you have it, I'm counting down to get out of town.

This week has yet some excitement of its own: a doctor's appointment on Monday and my deposition on Friday. Sandwiched between these two very different bookends are some activities that have become quite normal for me, packing the van and saying goodbye to family and friends.

While it is my intention to relocate to Colorado Springs, I have had some serious resistance to this, so I'm just telling myself that I'm going for the winter to see if I can handle it.  That has made it easier to say so long to many familiar places and people.  It is hard to believe that I have been here over half my life.  Enough said...I'm going.

My jewelry is coming along over at Encore Nouveau, and I am glad of that.  It may yet give me a great excuse to come back for a visit in Frosty February...in the meantime, I'm just glad to have my designs out and hope for a developing following.  More on that to come for sure.

I may not be able to post next weekend as I intend to be on the road.  When I get to Santa Fe, where I'll be spending a day or two, I will update you on my progress.  Colorado Springs is five hours from Santa Fe, so it will be a day trip from there.

Please know that as much as I wish you the happiest of holidays, I do not expect to get cards out this year, so spread the love around for me and consider yourself kissed!

Turtling

It's nearly one am and I am sitting on the couch at Jim and Lorraine's.  The house is quite still except for a couple of kittens chasing whatever they're chasing at the moment.  It will be a while before my foot lets me go to sleep, so I've decided to post a day early.

Things have been difficult lately and I find myself wondering how long this period of my life will linger?  I know for a fact that life changes whether or not you want it to, and in this case, I want it to very much.  I want to unpack the van and find some things that have disappeared into regions otherwise unaccessible.  Then again, that's more work than I can do in one session....it will wait for me.  I want to get my bed out of storage, and I want to sleep in it.

The other day, one of my sisters said that I was sort of like a turtle, carrying my house with me.  I must say I like that term better than traveling, which sounds more casual than I've been.  I certainly like it better than other words that describe this period of transition for me.

I have been trying to wrap my head around the move to Colorado.  As soon as I decided to commit to it, my jewelry finally got picked up by a shop.  Now, I am kind of muddled.  Making enough jewelry to put in a shop is an investment worth making, but you can only spend money once and on the back of my last trip east, it's a stretch.  Moving, as anyone can tell you, is an expensive proposition.  So, the question becomes: Invest to stay or invest to go....hmmm....Whichever way you shake it, it comes out expensive.  This is not the place to go into finances, but disability is not a prosperous situation.  In fact, I have in mind to write a thorough piece about it once I finish any of the projects already in motion...jewelry, moving, Fluffy's book...nothing too complicated.

I suspect that most people, like me, think that they are protected in case of accident or injury.  Actually, that's very rarely true.  At best, most people have a little grace time to batten down the hatches if they can't work anymore. In many ways, I am a very fortunate women.  I can (and do) a variety of things to fill in the gap, keep myself entertained and productive.  I have always been a busy person, and I've been working (in some way) since I was eight years old.  The notion that I am retired is still somewhat foreign to me, though I am getting the hang of it.  So, like the turtle and the hare, I'll keep plugging along, and in the end, it will be just fine.  In the meantime, this turtle is tired.  Sorry if this post isn't as chipper as others, but it is very hard to tell when a turtle is excited.