by Sarah | Jan 4, 2019 | 50 before 50, All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Home, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Bucket List, Community, Florida Dreaming, Oola, Personal, Redefining Perfect, Story of Me
Several years ago we decided that we wanted to leave the land of the midwest and journey south to Florida. Our son moved down two years ago, and his move rather cemented the idea in my head – and with a bit of nudging (or years, you know…potato/potahto), the husband was on board as well.
In 2017 we made actual plans to tackle our debt, get things in order to move in five years. 2022 seemed a good year. The girls would be nearly grown, and we could make our way down much more financially settled .
Eyes on the prize, we dug in. Lapses occurred, things bounced forward thanks to my new job, then went back again. You know, life. We did what we could.
Then, 2018 happened.
2018 brought about trigger points for many changes in our lives – and our future.
We found Oola in late 2017 and used it in 2018 to refocus our goals.
A slimy, underhanded, jerk of a man bought land on our quiet street and plans to build as many rentals as he can.
We were told in no uncertain terms to go for it.
Relationships in our life took turns.
Most of all – we got tired of waiting to chase our goal, and decided to make a mad grab for it.
In June we sat down and had a good long talk and decided we didn’t want to stay here any longer. We decided we were done waiting for our life to happen. We decided to go for broke and make the leap.
With a target date of mid-2019, we’ve set things in motion to move. In some ways we still don’t know how. Finding a job in another state, in a low level position is NOT easy. I’ve been at it six months, so I know. I took the holidays off, but come next week I’ll be back at it hard, with two letters of reference in hand to help boost my resume. I’m going in full bore. The husband is going in full bore.
This is going to happen one way or the other.
2019 is the year of redefining so many things in my life…but the biggest is how we’re going to redefine our future by no longer staying where we’re comfortable. We’re breaking out of our comfort zone. It’s terrifyingly exciting.
by Sarah | Dec 9, 2016 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Community, Redefining Perfect
We started when they were little ones – infants, babies, toddlers and grade-schoolers.
We stepped tentatively into the community with a post. Reached out to find others. We formed a bond.
We formed a community.
The world was a bit smaller for our camaraderie, our shared triumphs, our ‘misery loves company, our cheering each other on, and maybe just a wee bit of shadenfreude.
Our kids started to grow, and so did the community and the eruption of social networks, viral feeds and competition for STUFF.
Our kids are now rapidly approaching those teenage years (or, as in my case, I have one that is exiting them). They aren’t as cute or adorable, and the stories are more difficult to tell in their search for privacy, and our confusion and pain and sense of loss as their youth turns into a searching grasp toward grown-up-life.
Social media has reduced our sharing to sound-bites on Facebook and Twitter (or not – does anyone use it anymore?) or Reddit or…okay, I admit it, I’m a social media dunce…what do people use now?
I can’t remember the last time I saw a blog post in my FB feed…and if I even clicked on it.
That all ended 3 days ago when a real, honest-to-goodness BLOG POST came across my feed. I’m not sure what it was about it, or why I stopped…except maybe that it was a BLOG POST! From an old friend I used to read all the time.
Whatever it was, I stopped. I clicked. I read a post by the fabulous Ali over at Cheaper Than Therapy (check it out, it’s awesome). Thanks to the click I made and the ensuing Facebook conversation it sparked, I realized something.
We still need each other.
Speaking from experience, teenage years are HARD.
I mean, brutal.
In so many ways I feel like we barely made it through the teen years with Denver, and we have two more coming up…worse, they’re girls.
I could use my community now even more than I did then – I think we all can.
Parenting never gets easier, and it takes more than sound bites.
I hope we can share again, I know I plan to. I have a list of posts waiting to be written.
I hope you’ll join me, and Ali, and the rest of us still struggling through this parenting gig.
We’re stronger together.
by Sarah | Jul 27, 2012 | All About Family, All About Indiana, All of Us, Blogging Life, Community, Indiana Family of Farmers, Table Talk, The Reluctant Hoosier
It’s safe to say that I’ve mentioned a few times before how much I love my neighborhood. It reminds me of a neighborhood I grew up in when I lived in Buffalo. We all know each other, our kids all know each other, we watch out for each others families and homes. There isn’t a weekend that goes by that you can’t find a group of neighbors gathered at someones house. This stands true through spring, summer, fall, and into the mildest of winter weather.
One surefire way to get a group over your house is to get out the grill. Usually when we plan on cooking out, we expect to end up inviting at least two of our neighbors to join in the fun. Hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks, chicken – you name it we grill it. Someone is bound to bring mac & cheese (because you can’t have any food gathering without that) – and of course type of salad. Before you know it, our deck table is absolutely overflowing with food and our deck is overflowing with neighbors.
Usually after the kids settle for ice pops. You know, the stick-pops of juice you get at the local supermarket on the cheap. Every freezer in the neighborhood is jammed full of them.
This year I’m bringing something new and fun to the party.
A [amazon_link id=”B003U9ZCRO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Quick Pop[/amazon_link] bar. Make a base of their yummy vanilla yogurt pop and lay out the fruits and chocolate shell. In minutes the kids can have a yummy popsicle they made themselves – and it’s not just sugar water. Fruit’s involved which helps with the healthy points.
Yup, this year my Quick Pops will bring all the neighbors to the yard 😉
*~*~*
This post was written as part of Indiana Family of Farmers Table Talk series. As a Table Talk contributor I received products. All opinions and stories in the post are my own truth.
by Sarah | Jul 1, 2012 | All About Indiana, All About Me, Blogging Life, Community, Indy Geek Girls
For approximate forever I’ve been wanting to see Cirque du Soleil. So when Emily hosted a giveaway I ran over to sign up to enter.
I literally bounced around in my seat when I got the email telling me I won.
My wonderful husband Erik was a no-go on tickets. For some reason the man has something against men in spandex. Me? I have no such qualms – but I needed a date.
Of course the first person I asked was the person I told I would ask if I won – Casey. Then, to give us a proper ‘girls night’, Emily’s husband backed out to leave room for Shireen – and our party was complete.
I’m not sure what I was more excited for – Cirque, or girls night.
For dinner we did Santorini’s with a little OPA!! (i.e. saganaki) thrown in. I shared the Chef’s special with Casey…and if there had been more of the Spanokopita we might have had a throw-down over it – it was that good.
Then it was onto Quidam.
Casey described it as a panic attack brought to life (the first half). While filled with impressive feats of strength and agility – the amount of disturbing images included left us a little disoriented.
The second half by far topped the first, disturbing imagery and all. I absolutely loved it and would go back again – just not to Quidam. I’d pick another show. While I loved all the artistry and amazing acts – I think my favorite was the Clown. He brought in some audience participation and laughs that were needed among floating zombie heads and gaping chest wounds (yes. You read that right).
Then again, my real favorite part of the night was getting out with friends. Laughing and sharing the evening with them. Spending time with people that are like me and share the same interests and struggles. It’s something I don’t think I do often enough. it’s easy to get lost in responsibility – sometimes we need to get lost in laughter with friends to make the rest of it possible.
*~*~*
Photo credit to Cirque du Soleil. We weren’t allowed cameras 😉
by Sarah | Jun 16, 2011 | All About Family, All About Home, All of Us, Community, Random
Last week I got a last second request to go to my brothers house to babysit my two youngest nephews. I left my riot-act at home and hightailed it over to his place. His house is about 2.5 times bigger than ours. Open, spacious, uncluttered.
By the time I got there one nephew was in bed. Two hours later the other went down.
The house was quiet.
It was a Friday night, 9PM.
I stepped out onto their front porch to relax in some of the beautiful night air…
And silence.
No kids running around screaming.
No neighbors calling hello.
Going to each others houses.
Sharing a drink.
A laugh.
Conversation.
Silence.
I thought about my neighborhood and how at about that time all the neighbors would be out doing all of those things. The kids would be playing, racing bikes, running and screaming.
And once again I remembered.
How lucky I am.
Our house is too small.
Overcrowded.
Definitely over-cluttered.
But our neighborhood.
It’s special.
And there’s no place else I would rather be.
by Sarah | Dec 31, 2010 | All of Us, Community, Cystic Fibrosis, Hospital
In ll of my years online Archie has been frustrated. He wanted me to get “real” friends. People that I could see face to face, call on the phone (even though I have issues using the phone). That were flesh and blood before me, not who-knows-where across the internet.
Archie hates when I tell this, because he says he does know that the people are “real”…they just aren’t close physically. He knows how deep my friendship with Jess is, after all she’s the first one he called after my surgery, and on other occasions. He would just prefer that my ‘best’ friend live across the street (face it, wouldn’t we all like that).
ANYWAY. I’m getting off track on the point of this post. We were admitted, I tweeted about it and left it at that.
Within an hour, I had a message from the beautiful Emily. It said simply, “What do you need? Tell me what you need and I’ll make it happen.”
I have often talked about the Indianapolis Blogging Community and how wonderful it is. The parties in recent months have enhanced that fact.
But I had no idea what the sense of community in both the bloggers and in my own neighborhood would mean.
Casey came to the hospital loaded down with goodies that Emily had organized. A pillow pet was in there for Angel, as well as snacks from Casey & Emily, and Katy (her delectable goodies are pictured above) and Sarah and MrsBlonde.
So much that Archie and I just stared in awe & wonder at the gifts we’d been given. The support offered. Snacks, full meal dishes that only needed to be popped into the oven, among other things for which we’ll be eternally grateful.
To add to the amazing things these women pulled together for us, I came home to find our driveway cleared of snow thanks to neighbors, a small package in the mail from Michelle (another Indy Blogger), and neighbors that gathered mail and also put together small presents for our little one.
Archie and I have been so touched by the support and caring in our established (and newly established) communities, we are still moved to tears by it. I don’t think we could have made it through these past couple of weeks without these wonderful people that have touched our lives and our hearts.
IT had been many years since I have been established in such wonderful communities.
My heart is full with our blessings, even through the darkness that we’ve been moving through.
****
~Tomorrow comes the post about another lifesaver we had, rather by coincidence. It’s a post I’d been planning on writing with far more humor and tongue in cheek – but now it will be much more.
