Rumors of my demise - Premature

It is less than a week from Christmas and I believe this has been my longest absence from blogging.  I just watched Julie and Julia last night and it had me thinking about my negligence on my own dear blog.  The past 2 months have flown by and my days continue to get shorter and shorter.  So, for my own memory when I review this in years to come, what have I been up to?

Work, it remains a very tenuous place right now, scheduled to cut 5500 jobs over the next 2 years, hoping and praying that mine is not one of them.  Even though I now telework, the atmosphere there is very negative, too many changes, too much insecurity, too little trust of the people and new restrictions, all add up to not so positive of an environment.  I am hoping it can turn itself around, but I guess time will tell.

School, well, I finished another quarter, probably my hardest thus far because it had the most nasty of all statistics classes.  I rejoiced big time when it was over.  I am already in Week 2 of my next quarter and I am so very very sick of school.  I am ready for it to be over big time.  I only have 3 quarters left of coursework, so by the end of this coming summer, I will only have my dissertation to complete, then, PhD BABY!!!!!  I have a serious lack of desire right now though, am just trying to soldier on and remember I am almost done.

Family, everyone is doing well.  The kids are doing awesome in school, hubby is doing wonderfully at his new job down here, and all is generally good.  We are leaving on our cruise in just over a week and we are all excited about it:)!

I will try not to be so long - or so boring in the future:)

Life is This Good
CC

Statistics and Cruising

Statistics and Cruising, the two terms do NOT go together, but are both on my mind.  I have just finished Week 4 of my 8th quarter for school.  I am a bit overwhelmed as there is a great deal of reading to do and a 5-credit hour statistics course.  Ugghhh.  I had stats in my master's degree program and didn't like it then, and deal with statistics on a daily basis, but in coordination with many statisticians who are rather brilliant.  So, I am surviving, barely.

On the fun side, we have booked a cruise for a bit of fun in the sun!  Woo Hoo!!!  We all are rather ready for some fun and we are going to have it right after Christmas.  We have booked a cruise that will have us gloriously unencumbered and unstressed for 5 nights and 6 days!  We are all very excited.  This has led me into extreme vigilance regarding what I eat and how much I exercise as I would prefer to weigh at least 15 pounds less before we go, but I will not let that deter the amount of fun I have.

Just wanted to check in, we are all healthy and doing well and I believe are NOT going to be getting the H1N1 vaccine, I am just not comfortable with it.  Lots of reasons, but it is based on both my gut and a fair bit of research. 

All for now, life is definitely this good!
CC

Kiva Reloan X 2 = Feels Good

I just logged into my Kiva to see if I had any funds that had been repaid so that I could reloan them, and I did, I had enough to do two $25 loans!  Awesome feeling to know that I am being a part of something so powerful and life-altering!  A feel good moment for me in the midst of continued turmoil in my work life and increasing dread at doing my school work (yet I shall persevere!).

I am reading Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's new book, Half the Sky, and it is just awesome, inspiring, motivating, and beautiful.  I won't say more right now as it is, for me, almost a religious experience to read this book and I just need to absorb it all.  The stories of evil and hope, successe and failures, are the real stories that should be spread, not what some narcissitic celebrity is doing on any given day.  I want to ditch my work and my school work and sit and read and read, but alas, I must be responsible.

CC

Change is The Only Constant

I feel like I am at a crossroads of sorts. I am reminding myself frequently that I am on the path that I feel God is leading me down. Sometimes I want to jump ship and dive headfirst into my future career...but I know that I must learn how to swim and dive properly (finish my PhD), after buying all the proper equipment (finish paying off all my debt), before I take off on my daring adventure (working within the NGO world).


These feelings are intensified by the fact that my employer continues to make big changes that leave my future there unknown. The economy and regulatory changes are requiring that business be done differently, and that differently is still being defined. While I feel somewhat comfortable that I am okay for now, who knows what the future holds.


For now, I must try to be a good mom to be kids, wife to my husband, friend to those I value, employee to my company, and student to my educational institution. This should leave me content enough, but there is just a nagging need to do more that I can't seem to quiet.


Just my thoughts for now...
CC

Wonderful Weekend

This has truly been one of those really great weekends. Sighhhhh of relaxation and relief. We had some good friends stop for a surprise lunch on their way down south and then we had some good friends come and spend he night with us and hang for 2 days. It was all rather divine. The kids have had a great weekend and even the dog behaved. Thank you God.

I really don't wish for Tuesday...back to school and back to work. I begin my 8th quarter of my PhD and this will be a rough one as I have a rather challenging stats class plus my research focus and another class. This degree will definitely have been earned.

I hope the weekend has been just as lovely to all of my internet friends!

Life is indeed this good,
CC

Applications Being Accepted

Well, things have finally settled down around the CC household. But, let us recap, if for my future memory's failure if nothing else. It has been quite a busy spring and summer. We had:

(1)D's graduation from seminary and all the parties, pomp and circumstance that followed that.

(2)Rather all-inclusive (making it sound resort-like) work project that left me with just enough hours to try to live as well as work

(3)More coursework as I forge ahead to get my PhD tattoo

(4)MOVING to a new town, 2 hours away from our nearest family or friends

(5)Getting to know a new church family and having them all over to our new house...4 meals on 4 nights

(6)Getting cherubs used to the new place and getting them registered and prepared for their new school

(7)Getting new everything arranged and determined (doctors, hairdressers - still need one, banks, gyms, and on and on)

Now that the above is mostly done and over with, I realized that I need some FRIENDS down here. Casual acquaintances, yes, these I have made through church, and they have sufficed for now; but, I stopped for a minute the other day and realized I was a bit lonely for adult female, near my age, chit chat and socialization. I am not looking to make the best friend I ever had down here, I know our stay will likely only be 3 years here, but it would be divine to have someone I could go and get coffee with, someone who understands the challenges of work and motherhood, someone who might like to shop every now and again. I need a girl friend. So, I am not going to sit around and wallow in this, I am going to try to do something about it. So, my current plan is to try to get involved in the kid's school and maybe even the PTO (if you know me well, and are reading this...shut it), perhaps a women's bible study, or finally, put an ad in the local newspaper: friend needed for slightly neurotic, over-committed, impatient working mother of 3 who also happens to be in school (really, I will find time to hang out and chat). I sound delightful don't I?!

Wish me luck!

CC

All 3 Off

All 3 of my cherubs are off to school. I have a range of emotions flowing, including, but not limited to the following: joy, fear, relief, trepidation, pride, worry, and adoration for my brave kids. They have embraced this new school with gusto and were only claiming to be a little bit nervous. I had the luxury of going to the same school, with the same people, from kindergarten through high school, and some even to undergrad as well. I can't understand what they are facing, but I love their approach, they are brave and adventurous.

Good luck sweeties!!!!!

Life is This Good