Where have I been?
Shockingly, my last post was in April of 2020. The world was knee deep in the unknown of a pandemic. Four years have gone by in what feels like a blur. What have I been doing?
In the last four years I have:
finished my undergraduate degree in psychology
completed my graduate degree in Social Work
completed two internships
and have been working full-time in my chosen profession as a mental health social worker for the last 1.5 years.
I have also gained two grandsons, said goodbye to two very reliable vehicles after many years of service, had one son graduate highschool, one son enter college, and one adult child move back home. With that came the bittwersweet end of 20 years of homeschooling as I watched two little boys grow into very fine young men. I also lost two beloved dogs to different illnesses in a six-month time span, and later adopted two more.
I have struggled with my health as I navigated last stage perimenopause and now, the beginnings of menopause. During this time my husband remained supportive and steadfast as we both wondered why people do not talk of these things more often. Needless to say, there will be future posts on this topic.
I have navigated two moderately disturbing plumbing emergencies, the kind that often plague homes that are 230 years old, and watched every year for the last four years as Spring began in my garden, and I full of robust intentions, approached Autumn feeling overwhelmed and facing a yard that more resembled an abandoned property than the English Garden of my dreams. To add to that, a dear woman who had been my garden saviour, passed away at an age far too close to my own, and I cannot enter the garden without remembering her.
It's been busy to say the least. However, throughout it all, I have never wanted to end this blog. This insignificant hobby, few of followers. I just did not know where or when or why I would begin again, nor how it would look.
I am still not sure. After years of stewing in academics, I found myself dry, uninspired and even unable to read for pleasure for some time. I spent so much time in achievement mode, finding time to unwind became another item on the list.
Underneath all of these events, tidings and happenings, I am simply a woman navigating life, aging and change, and although I very much inhabit the modern lifestyle in many ways, I have never lost my yearnings for simplicity, quiet, and the simple comforts of home and the work of my hands. My sons and I dream of having our farm again, and of the peace and solitude of country life.
So, intrepid reader, whoever you may be, here we go.