That wasn’t what I expected…
Starting a blog…in 2020? WTH?
This year has been so extraordinary, so wholly consuming in its lunacy, that I felt compelled to just get it out there. A blog? Now? Why?
This year, really, since mid-July, I’ve dealt with the following:
Unexpectedly closing my successful business of 15 years, a fabulous and fun recreational cooking school that I poured EVERYTHING into since 2005, now…poof! Virtual only.
Broke my ankle playing pickleball and landed in a very, very tall boot with a very painful injury
My 14 year-old dog, who I adore in a way that is probably weird, tore his CCL (kinda like our ACL, I think?). Old dog, major injury. We’re waiting it out.
My sweet husband had a stroke
I had a heart attack (a for real, stay in the ICU actual heart attack)
And don’t even talk to me about the state of our nation right now.
I mean, that’s a lot. And even though I truly believe that EVERYONE is going through it, it does seem like perhaps this is…too much?
It would be super, super easy to focus on everything that I’ve lost (the business thing stings quite a bit), and I don’t think anyone would begrudge me that. There are moments of wallowing. But instead of constantly looking at how my life has changed for the worse, I’m working to appreciate everything I’ve gained over the past few months. Stuff like:
Support and help from our community, my husband’s co-workers, former co-workers of my own (super shout out to the staff at FHS, which I consider to be the best staff working in FCPS), the TKSCS staff, friends, neighbors, and it seems like even random people off the street. I’ve cried more than once with incredible meals being delivered every other day (more on that later) and the cards showing up in the mail.
I’ve found that not only do I love my family deeply, but I really like them too. I will say though, a bit of quiet, alone time should never be under-appreciated.
Incredible family support. My sisters-in-law get. Stuff. DONE.
Fantastic, capable medical professionals right here in Frederick, MD. I have a crush on at least 10 different people that work at FMH (sure, they changed it to FHH, but old habits die hard).
So why should you care? What’s in it for you? Why bother to show up?
As a recent empty nester, life is changing in ways that I knew were coming but struggled to comprehend until deep in the thick of it. Now that it’s here, and the kids are grown (my son is 24 and lives on his own, my daughter is 21 and in her senior year in college, graduating in May), there is quite a bit to figure out. How to not only survive, but how to suck the marrow out of the next 30-40 years or so.
So maybe some recipes and kitchen stuff (because I’m used to cooking for 20, and now I’m cooking for 2-ish, when I’m back to cooking again), maybe some getting into shape (it has been recommended that I lose 60 pounds…ha!), maybe some house stuff (I live in a great old house in downtown Frederick, MD, built in 1895 that we’ve been renovating for a while), maybe some other stuff…we’ll see. Maybe, you’d just like to come around to appreciate that you’re not me, and use my misery to see the good you’ve got in your life–that’s cool too.
As for now, I’m working on figuring out how to set-up a new blog/site, so bear with me on the technical end of things. This is not my bailiwick and it may take some time for me to get it right. That’s ok–I’m all about learning new things.
So for now, stay well and appreciate all you have in this life. I’ll see you again soon.
cvb