Relief

After weeks of dealing with the emotional aftermath of what should have been a relatively minor incident, I have finally found relief. I checked out a book from the library, and it had the specific suggestions I needed to change my attitude and expectations, and this change is what has brought much needed relief. I didn't realize how much energy I was wasting on trying to ignore this issue and my worries about how to solve as yet unknown future potential problems. Gives new meaning to the term "energy drain."

Good Busy

So I hadn't intended it to take so long to post again--I guess I just got busy. But it's been a good busy. I went to a fabulous Big Band concert at a local collage on Thurs. M joined me at the Farm for a few hours of pinching side shoots, digging, and transplanting on Saturday. I have been able to be fairly productive on lots of fronts. So life is pretty good. :)

Walking Again

Since I quit my job, I haven't been getting as much exercise. I try to walk to the library, but that's less than 2 mi. round trip, nothing like the hour up and down hills I was getting before. So today I took a walk with an acquaintance from church. It was flat, but we went for at least an hour and a half, and I feel tired in a really good way. I expect to sleep well tonight!

Minor League Fun

Yesterday, my fiance took me out to a minor league game. It was really fun, even though it was hot. We cheered and ate soft pretzels and salty sunflower seeds and generally had a good time. It was much more relaxed than the major league game we went to last summer, and much closer to home. :) They had all sorts of contests and competitions throughout the game, which were sometimes quite distracting from the game itself. The home team won, which gave the fans a chance to cheer more.

And it was good to have fun together. Wedding planning can be so overwhelming, and things have been pretty serious overall lately. It was really nice to have a chance to relax and something lighthearted to focus on.

End of Uncertainty

The Unitarian Universalist church I attend has been "in search" for a new settled minister for 2 years. I joined the church just after the previous settled minister left--an interesting time to join a congregation. We have had 2 "interim" ministers in 2 years, moved from 1 service to 2, and had all sorts of other upheaval.

I've made friends and really love this community, even though it has some of the "fishbowl" characteristics that I moved to Cali to get away from. My fiance and I have been the main (for a while the only) young couple in the congregation, so we get quite a bit of attention. For example, when we announced our engagement, there was sustained applause from the congregation.

But back to the search for a new minister. Our search committee thought they had found a match for us back in March or April, but that fell through and everyone started getting worried. Then, about a month or 6 weeks ago, we found out that we had a new canditate, one that was actually interested in taking the position at our church.

This past week, we have had two chances to hear her "preach" (can you call it preaching if they don't tell you what to do or how to live???), several opportunities to get to know her socially, and yesterday, and chance to vote on whether we wanted her as our new minister. Of the 58 people who attended the meeting, it was a unanimous YES! So we have a new minister. It feels good. I really like her. She is a warm person with plenty of energy and enthusiasm. I'm looking forward to when she starts with us in the fall.

The Good News . . . And More Good News

So the good news is, some things are going much, much better. I have been a total wreck all week, mostly due to denial of certain realities. Acknowledging them seems to have made a huge difference. It's almost funny, because I can get so high and mighty when I think someone else is denying something they're feeling, but then I go into denial myself, and don't even see it. Of course, denial is one of the stages of what I'm really going through, so this might all be legit, but it's still slightly amusing. In hindsight.

And what I thought was bad news, is actually good news, too. I thought I might have made a mistake on an on-line order, but I didn't. All is good. At least for the moment. Except that I really need to get home, because I have somewhere to be in a few hours. Somewhere good. :)

Announcement

I'm Engaged! M. proposed a couple of weeks ago, and I said, "Yes." It was really special, and I love the ring he gave me. He took me out to dinner at a fancy, Indian restaurant, and proposed at the end of the meal. I was super lucky to have one of my friends coming for a visit, so I got to share all my joy and excitement with her.

Unfortunately, since then, things have gotten a bit challenging. It seems as if everyone's first question is, "Have you set a date?" Ha! Bet you were just about to e-mail me and ask exactly that. So here's the answer. "We're working on it." I'm trying to do research in that direction, but it has raised more questions than it answered, and I'm feeling really overwhelmed right now. So, much as I appreciate peoples good wishes, I'd appreciate it even more if I could get a break from all the questions. Is there any way for congratulations to come without the strings?

BTW, this is the "official" web announcement. There hasn't been a big group email-to-all. So don't feel left out if you're finding out about it here.