I know I'm not the only busy one

I wonder if I will get kicked out of the blogging world because it's been about a month since my last posting. I've thought a lot about sitting down and sharing my thoughts. I've even had my posting screen up, just waiting for me to take a moment and share with the world what is going on in mine. Alas, the best laid plans...

The biggest news (and reason I've only been getting about five hours of sleep) is that we are moving. I know the previous post was about buying a house. But we actually are in the process of buying a house. If you want to see a virtual tour, you can try the following link.* Sleepy Hollow My home computer won't let me see it, but the it works on the kids computers.

Chris saw the house on his recent business trip to the Maryland area, while I was doing my own research on the internet. When we finally got together, we realized that we both favored the same house. So...after many long discussions and a stress-filled weekend of faxing documents back and forth, our offer was accepted and we are on our way to becoming homeowners once again.

One of the many stresses in our lives right now is that our timetable has been sped up. Instead of moving in August or even March, we will be moving in January. That's right--January. So while we are in the middle of preparing for Christmas and the trip to Los Angeles for Uncle Joe's wedding, we also have to arrange for a move. And when I say we, I mean mostly me.

Will this be my last post for a while--or will I regularly sit down and tell the world of my progress? Historically, I'd be guessing more the former than the latter.

Wishing all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

*this is my first attemp at linking. does it work?

Home

Growing up, I moved quite a bit. The longest I ever went to any school was about 2 1/2 years. For some people, that would make them want to stay in one place once they got settled. For me, after I've been in one place for eighteen months, it's time to start looking for something different. My husband had a few moves when very young, but the house he moved into when he was about ten is the house his mom lives in still. Needless to say, he is ready to stop the moving and settle in one place.

Next year we will be moving to Maryland. Since this will be the fourth time we've lived in Maryland, it's pretty close to "home" for us. And with the abundance of employment opportunities, this could be the last move. It is kind of daunting to be looking at houses on-line and deciding if you could live in it for more than three years. I believe that everything happens for a reason and if we're meant to live happily ever after in Maryland, then we will make whichever house we buy our home.

The Zen of Golf

I decided that I should learn to play golf before we move from Hawaii. I have a great group of friends who are learning with me and I've recently started to take lessons with the family. I mostly play at a par three course at the Air Force base. Today was my third time for playing from the men's tees (that means farther back). While I have been getting better with each outing, I still have a long way to go.

There is a lot to think about when golfing. How to hold the club, how to position your body, how hard to swing, which clubs to use... I have found, however, that there is a point when you get done with all the thinking, and just let the club do all the work. The trick is figuring out where that point is. If you think too much, you're likely to muscle the club and slice the shot. If you stop thinking too early, then you are likely to top the ball and see it dribble down the fairway.

Saturday I am playing the par three course with my husband. Sunday is lessons with the whole family. Next Wednesday I am playing with a spouse club at the big Pearl Harbor Navy Marine Golf Course. I am very nervous about playing on a course where you can't see the flag from the tee. Perhaps I should practice my meditation as well.

Life is Not Fair!!

I haven't posted for a while because I really didn't know what to say. Last week I received news that a dear friend of mine was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It might have been the lack of sleep recently, or the fact that I was in the middle of the period from hell; but when I heard the news I threw myself on the bed and cried. As I thought about how unfair it was that this incredible young woman be faced with this disease, my own words came back to haunt me. How many times had I told my own children that life wasn't fair?

The next day I spent a couple hours trying to contact my friend (she's in a hospital in Japan). When we finally connected, she was amazing. Instead of me providing cheer and comfort to her, I felt like she made me feel better! Again, just a testament to how incredible she is.

Now that I am on better footing (mentally), I will begin to explore my journey in journaling!! (I think I made up that word)

Lights Out!

You might be suprised how enjoyable a Sunday without power is. Shortly after our lights went out, Sarah and I walked the dogs in the pouring rain. We stopped and talked with neighbors about what news we've heard and shared our "what we felt" stories. The rest of the day was spent reading books and the newspaper, doing sudoku puzzles and talking with friends. My friend Susan brought me over two bags of ice which I placed in my freezer and refrigerator. Laurie came by twice to chat and share news from the neighborhood. Vicki and Michael invited us for a cookout--I volunteered to bring the beans! Jamie and Christina were dears and allowed me to plug my refrigerator into their generator. John, Sarah and Alexis studied for about three hours for their PSAT's.

The power came on right before the 5 p.m. cookout. We gathered at the neighbors with our food contributions and sat around "talking story" about our adventurous earthquake day!

Earthquake

Yesterday morning I was watching the news in bed when I felt the bed shake. Originally I thought Dexter was licking and/or scratching himself. I lifted my head and saw Dexter sitting at full attention at the foot of the bed. Since I was watching CNN's coverage of the war, my next concern was that a jet buzzed the house or a bomb landed close by. Just as I muted the television, the entire house rattled--including the wind chimes we have hanging up downstairs. Sarah screamed and I called out for her to come into my room. She ran into my room and jumped under the covers with Didi. I walked down the hall to check on John. As is typical of teenagers, he slept through the whole thing. I walked through the rest of the house to check for damage. Finding none, I went back upstairs to watch for local news. Shortly after I entered the room the power flickered and then faded.

Introduction

Today I was reading some blogs written by some incredible young women. As often is the case, we (meaning the older generation) are inspired by those we are supposed to inspire (the younger generation). I am not certain what the purpose of this blog is. I don't live in some exotic country, nor am I a college student preparing for the future. I am a Navy wife with two kids and two dogs. We live in base housing in Hawaii and I work for a non-profit agency. My kids are in high school, so I'm no longer needed in the classroom. In the few months--okay ten--we have left here, I am determined to make the most of this "living in paradise." I play mah jongg, bowl, golf and participate in a book club. I am determined that this will be THE time I get in shape and lose the 40-60 pounds I've gained over the 14-15 years since the kids were born. Perhaps no one will ever read this. Perhaps someone will read this and a connection will be made. Perhaps I will discover something about myself and the world through this exercise.