Where have we been?

Well, not here, that's for sure.

We managed to survive the snow and the cold that January brought us.

We watched the inaguration of a new President, wishing that we could be in Washington, DC. Can you imagine just being there, in the crowd, regardless of your voting record. I am kicking myself that I was not in Grant Park on Election Night. What was I thinking?!

February found me unemployed. Unexpectedly unemployed at that. Told over the phone, unexpectedly unemployed. Able to go in the next day and tell the people that I've worked with for, in some instances, TEN YEARS, that I had to come in and pack up my desk, that my job was one of the six positions eliminated, unexpectedly unemployed. It was a lovely twenty four hours, I must say.

February also found us with the flu. That was a fantastic four and a half days. Just Fantastic.

And, now, being totally housebound because of the crappy ass weather, for what seemed like for-freakin-ever, we were out playing today.

With bats and baseballs. With kettle cars. With Power wheels. With each other. Without our gloves and our scarves. In our sweatshirts.

It was so nice to be outside today ... the garage was open, I vacuumed out the car after three months of salt and snow, the kids burned off some serious energy, and I got to see a bit of the sun. It was glorious.

So now, as I try to figure out what direction my life goes in next, I will sit back and try to have an "Attitude of Gratitude". Thankful that I was able to work for an organization that I truly believed in for ten and a half years, and that I made a host of wonderful friends. I can honestly say that I am a better person and a better parent for having worked there. It may have ended in a way not of my choosing, but I take from it more than I could have expected when I started there as a single female, a recent transplant to the area, knowing only the person I moved in with (I did marry him!). I left there, having gotten married, watching my Mom pass away, having two children, becoming an aunt seven times over, and making some terrific friends. While I'm sorry it ended, I am thankful for everything I gained.