Hello sweet friends, family, faithful readers, and whoever else might happen to stop by! I have left you hanging around, wondering where I've been and what I've been up to.
What's that you say? Oh. Well. Yes, I understand. You have had better things to do over the past year than to wonder about my adventures, and then wait around for me to write about them. That's okay. After all, I know it's not all about me. You have your own adventures to live out! But since you are here, let me catch you up, okay? I'll try to keep it brief.
The last adventure I told you about was a year ago and we were in Hobbs, NM. I ran the holding tank over, remember? Well, we moved on...
We came home, then... Honestly the memory of most months since then kind of swirl around in my head like water going down the bathtub drain. I do remember that we had a very short deployment to New Orleans--I'm talking only ten days--and then we were in the Gulf Shores / Mobile, AL area for a few days while hubby took some more training. (Quick! Someone put in the stopper before the last memory goes glug glug into the septic tank!) I think we had one more trip after that, or in between that, but to save my neck (and the last of the bubble bath) I can't remember for sure. If we did, obviously it was very short and totally uneventful. If we didn't, well, maybe it was a dream I can't recall.
I just remember that we were home by the end of September, and home is where we remain. (I'll explain why in a minute.)
The holiday season was a little low key for us but still enjoyable. We had the joy of one granddaughter here for Christmas along with short visits from other extended family.
I started the new year off right by almost severing the end of my finger while making mashed potatoes with my smoothie blender. (Don't ask.) I guess that was pretty Bold, huh? And I did go Dashing off to the urgent care clinic to get it sewed up.
Shortly after the first of the year, our daughter, Patricia and her family moved from Hawaii back to the mainland and spent a few weeks here with us while in transition. What a blessing that was! Another daughter, Kaleena, and granddaughter came up from Houston for a couple of weeks as well, so our house was FULL of little girls and everything that goes with them--toys, hair bows, giggles, tears, teething tantrums, hugs and kisses, ear infections, and smiles... We all had SO much fun. Part of our fun was due to the blizzard that kept us cooped up for a couple of days but gave the little Honolulu Honies some grand drifts to climb!
After all the sweet little granddaughters left, taking most of my heart with them, I spent a few days trying to clean house and wiping tears from my own eyes. Then, I started trying to find a job. (Please don't make me talk about it. Doing so makes my head hurt and my stomach churn. I'm still unemployed, by the way.)
God gave us a new granddaughter,Charlotte, near the end of April. We've not had the chance to see her yet and every day my arms ache to squeeze her. I check her mom's Facebook page every day in hopes of seeing a new picture. Some days I find one and I sit and stare for a while.
Now summer is upon us, and life seems neither Dashing nor Bold and certainly not too adventurous. So, pretty much, you are up to date. Oh yeah, the explanation as to why we are at home--to stay.
The insurance industry has been changing over the years. The company hubby worked for has been changing. Our expenses have increased due to inflation and the crazy price of fuel. The rate of pay has gone the opposite direction. Deployments have gotten shorter and much MUCH less profitable. Taking a deployment call has become a game of roulette, never knowing if we would make money or if we would have to use the credit card to get home. The stress of simply trying to survive and stay in business has a way of sucking the life right out of a person.
So, when the contractor hubby works for "between storms" made a new offer--one that required long term commitment but came with a company truck, more responsibility and authority, a company phone, business cards, etc. we felt like we couldn't refuse.
I can't begin to tell you how sad we are when we let our minds think about life without the adventures of being on the road. Seeing new places, meeting new people, just the two of us...It was a lifestyle we had grown to love. I still want to cry when I recall the wonderful times we've had.
But, God's timing is perfect and we have peace about our decision. It's a new chapter, a new season. A new day is dawning.
That's why I've been away from here for so long--because I've been trying to figure out how to turn this blog about my travels and adventures into something else, and still make it something you would like to read. I'm open to suggestions. This morning I have been setting up a new blog at a different hosting site. It's not ready to publish yet, but stay tuned--something new is coming and I'll give you a link to it when it is ready. (I don't intend to make you wait another year.)
I'm having trouble coming up with content. I want my new blog to accomplish something. There are enough pointless and meaningless words out there on the web, I don't need to add to them. Some of the things I'd like for my new blog to do: glorify God, grow disciples, and entertain.What do you want to read? If you have been a follower here for a while, or even if you are new and like anything you've read, please let me know. What type of posts have you enjoyed the most? I'll be looking for your responses. Please, don't make me wait a year! ;-)
