We are currently enjoying our 2^nd false Spring here in the Mid-West, and I want so much to break out my new Kayak and head to a nearby lake for its maiden voyage. The problem is, that these false Springs are heralded by some gusty weather, and even flatwater paddling can be exhausting in those windy conditions. If you think that 27mph gusts sound wonderful, as I once did, let me tell you about the multiple experiences I have had that required me to beach my kayak on a rocky outcropping or a sandy shoreline, and hike a mile back to the car and then backtrack to pick up my “boat.” Those emergency landings usually included a few scrapes and scratches to both the kayak and me.

Nope, my water festivities will have to wait a little bit longer. Those warm air currents push fast and furious out of the south, but they are not yet a match for the cold air huffing and puffing and carrying that chill back down again. I could don some cool weather gear and hit a small lake on Sunday, but even when the air temperatures are pushing the seventies, the water temperature is still only in the low forties. There is nothing to worry about as long as you do not wind up in the lake. At least it will be sunny, and only a 9mph breeze out of the south. Tuesday, however, looks like the best day for an outing, yet I keep hoping I will land the job of my dreams and get back to work by then. It has been a very long time since I had a couple months of not working, and I sometimes wish I had planned my future better. I have had plenty of time for Yoga, and we have numerous projects going on here at the house.

We have broken our to-do list into indoor and outdoor projects, and today we tried to put a dent in some of the tree work that needs to get done. The windy days have wreaked havoc upon the trees on our property, and we did some trimming and gathering of deadfall. When we have a calm day, we can look forward to quite a bonfire. There are several old willows that still worry me. They are way past their prime, but too close to the house for us to deal with properly ourselves. I get nervous when the winds reach gale force; we do not need a tree splitting and landing on the house or the currently immobile RV…do not ask.

In other news, I am thrilled to see that some of the perennials I introduced into the flower bed last year seem to be making an appearance. We had reclaimed some large areas, that had been overpowered by invasive bush honeysuckle, for a flower garden. The results last year were not wonderful, but I have high hopes for this year. I am starting early with new additions, and have just ordered some lupine. My hollyhocks and foxglove look like they will be hardier this year, and that makes my heart soar.

The job search has been a bear, but I have not given up. I am adamant that I will not choose something that I do not really want, and I am not driving an hour each way to work. It was that commute that had me looking to change jobs last Fall, but I got sidetracked by a bright shiny opportunity that kept me doing that commute. May that be a lesson for me! Heck, may it be a lesson for anyone who comes across this narrative! All that glitters is not gold…, if you need to make a change in your career, your relationship, or in your lifestyle; do not let yourself be sidetracked for something less that what you were looking for! Live with purpose and do not compromise your intent.  

Hope you are making the most of the transitioning seasons and preparing for a wonderful spring and summer. Namaste.

As excited as I may be that I’m launching this page today; I am saddened that the execution of this post may be the most adventurous thing on the menu! It is true that on prior snowy days, I have donned my snowshoes, and trekked out to run the dogs, or at the least, ventured to the mailbox. Alas, not this day. As it sometimes happens, I am loathe to embrace the cold. So here I sit just typing away, and debating on whether or not to add another sweater to this, not so trendy, layered look I’m sporting. Its actually been one of those dreary kind of day that even a cup of coffee can’t brighten up.

I am between jobs, and grateful that, although not part of my “master-plan,” this hiatus is providing me with some much-needed time away from a workplace. You see, I am a confirmed workaholic, and the last time I took more than five consecutive days off, was after my Mother’s passing more than a decade ago. I’m a baby boomer, so although many of my peers are beginning their retirements; I am faced with the reality of that “officially” unmentionable perception that I may be “too old to work.”

Unofficially, I am secretly at peace with being let go from my last job. Its the first time in my lengthy work history that I did not leave of my own volition, but frankly; I’m not a quitter, and the job had become a nightmare. So I teeter back and forth between beating myself up, and being grateful that my boss put me out of the misery of what had become ten hours of hell sandwiched between hour-long commutes. Now, I have the opportunity to really evaluate what I want to do next, and I’m hoping that I can find something that will bring me personal as well as professional satisfaction. Once I let go of my bruised self-esteem, I hope to climb into the realm of self-actualization (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, if you will).

In the meantime, I have taken a long overdue trip to visit my father and my step-mother, printed and framed a whole bunch of pictures of family and friends to display in our “under-renovation” basement, and begun to tackle some other projects here at home that require both my partner and me, to complete. The weather has been more wintery than in recent years, and I have been grateful each day that I haven’t been compelled to shiver my way to and from work in ice, snow, and sub-zero temperatures. I keep applying for work for a few hours each day, and I am keeping an open mind about what future prospects might include. It is not lost on me, that the reason I was leaving a previous job, was because I really wanted to shorten my drive-time, and win back some work-life balance. Instead, I wound up taking a job that I thought would be really cool, even though it didn’t really save me much of a commute. That bad decision was pivotal to my immersion into a no-win situation at home and at work. Hindsight is 20/20, and I sure hope I reflect on that the next time I consider compromising on an important goal!

Well, I feel a little better now. Maybe someone, someday, will read this and it will resonate with an experience in their own life. We are never really alone when it comes to reaping the “rewards” of poor choices.