Sunday, May 27, 2012

Another Restart

How do I start an update so vast? I suppose I will just have to jump right in feet first.

Downtime has vanished. There is so much to do and seemingly no end in sight to the evil chore list. We've started the sorting and packing up of a lifetime accumulation of junk. We're not hoarders but my husband and I have both decided we don't want to be bound by stuff. It's an ongoing battle. I ruthlessly tackled my book collection first. I packed what I absolutely have to have into the shelves in the RV. The rest is boxed and ready to go. I knew everything else would be a piece of cake after the books. Now the bookshelves are mostly emptied or filled with random junk mail, newspapers, and empty shopping bags. It's a sad looking messy house that I hate to come home to. However, we are in the midst of a transition so I will have to be patient.

Tragedy struck in March. My nephew passed suddenly and unexpectedly at the too young age of forty. I couldn't find the words to express the sorrow felt by the family. He was an outspoken man who always sought fun and joy in his life. His mother lost her son and her best friend at once. He was also a single father to his fifteen year old son. In his passing he repaired a rift with some warring family members. Everyone gathered, dropped their differences, and were sadly reminded that life is indeed too short.

My brother is attempting to recover from back surgery.  My sister just had a short stay in the hospital. Hmm, what other news is there? Is there any good news? Well actually....

I am no longer a part time grocery cashier. I have full time employment at a local bank, which was also conveniently the bank I already used. It's a completely different world. I am enjoying my first ever three day weekend of which my husband will be able to spend one day with me. He needs to find new employment next.

I'll stop here and keep it short so that I come back soon with more. I'll try not to be away for so long but I do try to keep my site upbeat. When I'm feeling far from positive it is so difficult to come up with a post. Too many dark days have passed since long ago in February.



12 comments:

  1. I am so glad you're back. I've missed your posts.
    Please don't worry if some posts aren't upbeat, reading how you cope can be helpful and give people courage/hope (me).
    My dear nephew committed suicide just before Xmas but instead of bringing warring parties to-gether it created them. So, sad. I miss him.
    Congrats on your new job. I hope it and everything else in your life goes well for you.

    Cheers
    Meg M (from Oz)

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  2. Congratulations on the new position! I am sorry to hear about the loss of your nephew. I also wonder how many books you managed to fit in the RV. We have had similar decluttering discussions in our household, but to date it is just talk...

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  3. I have been decluttering books and packing them away. You are right, the shelves look so bare and now have some junk on them. It is so sad.

    Sorry about the death. That is oh, so young.

    The new job sounds great. Working retail does not give a person a real life with days off that count. Good luck. I kept wondering about you, if everything was okay.

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  4. Hi iatwp: Greetings from the Pacific NW. I was so surprised to see your post pop up on my reader! Missed your posts. Very sorry to hear about your nephew. It's an especially sad and tragic time for his young son. Congratulations on your new job. Does it seem like the employment outlook in florida is getting more positive? It's supposedly getting better in Washington state, but last Sunday the Seattle Times did an in-depth story about the "Recession Generation" college graduates from 2009 who are still struggling to find good full time jobs. I hope all is well with your kids and the grandkids. Outfitting the RV with books...hmm getting ready to travel? :)

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  5. I am so sorry to hear of your nephew's passing. That is so sad. I'm glad your family members were able to put aside their differences.

    Congratulations on your full-time job! I'm glad you can breathe a bit now and know that a steady, consistent (and larger!) paycheck is coming in and that you have set hours. Fingers crossed for your husband to find something good soon!

    It feels oddly good to get rid of stuff, doesn't it? I enjoy that a lot.

    Please don't worry about being upbeat all of the time. You don't have to be. I am sorry to hear that things haven't all been good and I hope you can get through it. Feel free to email me anytime.

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  6. Welcome back with open arms and full hearts.

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  7. Condolences on the loss of your nephew. I hope his son is living with someone who's loving and supportive.
    Post anytime you like about anything you like. After all, it's your blog.
    Congrats on your new bank job. Not only is the pay better, but don't you have benefits you didn't have on your old job? Here's hoping your husband finds a new job soon.
    Take care and keep on posting.

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  8. I'm glad to hear the job situation has turned around. You need to direct your time and attention to family at this stage.

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  9. Everyone thank you so much for stopping by and commenting.

    Meg M, I'm so sorry about your nephew. I hope your family will some together.

    Terri, ther are three long shelves (overhead compartments) in the rv. I packed large books and cookbooks above the table, a row of paperbacks behind a row of hardcovers above the couch, and a double row of hardbacks above the bed in the back. I didn't stop to count but I crammed a lot in there. Perhaps the road is no place for a bibliophile. Now I yearn for a Kindle Fire.

    Zoe, I was just very lucky and had a glowing reference from a former co-worker. Jobs, even fast food and retail ones are very hard to come by.

    Catseye, he is with his grandparents, my brother and his wife. He actually has stayed there with his dad before so it is working out. There is also more family locally so he has a great support system. Yes I do have benefits now, and they are company paid! I could not afford to put my husband on my health insurance though because the cost would be half my pay.

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  10. Good to see you back- the happy and sad.

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  11. So happy to hear from you again! Happy for you getting a new job but so sorry for the sad loss of your nephew. Look forward to hearing from you again soon.

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  12. My sympathies to your family for the loss of your nephew. When I thought about one of my beloved great-nephews dying so young I got tears in my eyes. So very sorry for you.
    I'm awfully glad to hear about the job update, though.
    Any chance of sending some of those books to the Amazon Trade-In program, or some other online seller?

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