by Sarah | Jul 17, 2021 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Oola, Redefining Perfect
4 years ago I discovered Oola.
3 years ago I put my dream on the Oola bus.
2 years ago I achieved my Oola goal to move to Florida.
1.5 years ago I began my new Oola goal to become a nurse.
And then…
My Oola got lost along the way.
Our first 2 years here were ROUGH. The move was tough on all of us. Then Erik’s mom passed away. Then Covid. Then my dad passed away. We were facing the rapid aging of our dog. The girls were struggling with school in a Covid-filled world. We had a lot of issues with Erik’s car that led to some financial difficulty.
There was a lot weighing on our spirits.
Plus I was going to school, which was tough enough, but I was working full time while doing it, which made it ridiculously more difficult.
Stress, grief, more stress, more grief, even more stress…and I completely lost focus on any sense of Oola. My magic was left in the dust, my family was suffering, I didn’t have fun anymore, it was all one big struggle bus instead of an Oola bus.
I’d see my Oola books on my shelf and just…look away. I knew I wasn’t feeling it. I knew I wasn’t trying for it. Too much seemed a struggle.
I’ve now quit my job because it was too much…everything. I was far too stressed, worn out, and failing in school because I couldn’t keep up the pace.
Our finances are a worry and Erik has the added stress of being sole breadwinner for the next six months (I am seeking something PT, but that takes time…and I’ve not had any luck as of yet).
But I have been able to find me again. To gain some sense of focus and peace again.
I’m working my way back to Oola, and continuing to work on that big Oola goal.
5 months to go until nursing school is over.
I’m hoping to reclaim my Oola by then.
Wish me luck.
by Sarah | Jul 23, 2019 | 50 before 50, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Bucket List, Oola, Personal, Redefining Perfect
Well, it’s pretty well known that my main goal that went on the Oola bus was to move to Florida.
And, here we are!!
It’s been a crazy two years, since I found Oola, and a crazier year since I got to put my dream on the bus!
At times I never thought I’d make it here.
At others, I remained steadfast and certain it would happen.
Now, as the chaos dies down and we settle into a bit of normality – something has been nudging me.
A new goal.
A somehow much scarier one.
One that I’ve denied for much longer than I care to admit.
A dream that I’ve talked myself out of any, and every time it has popped into my head.
I deemed it a passing fancy.
Something I was never strong enough to do.
I don’t have the constitution for it.
The persistent nudging hasn’t stopped, so I cautiously stepped out and told my husband.
Then my BFF, and my mother.
Yet I kept it close to the vest.
I told myself it was because this one was for me.
But really, in the end, I recognized it for what it was – Fear.
Ooh, that Oola Blocker of blockers.
Fear of what?
Being ridiculed. Failing. Being told I could never do it.
Once I recognized this, I knew it was time to say it.
So here it goes.
My crazy, new goal…
I’m going to school to become a nurse.
It’s in many ways so much scarier than moving across country.
But it feels right.
by Sarah | Jul 20, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Crafty Me, Oola, Redefining Perfect, Yarnspiration
I may have mentioned once or twice before that I have some crafting ADHD. In the past year, my yarn-bending has come out full force (along with my pendant making, but that’s another post).
To keep tabs on myself because I’ve had several projects that are YEARS old now (seriously, like 7 years).
Honestly, this months yarn check-in is much the same as last one…I’ve been working on it for YEARS.
But, it was meant to be worked on over time.
Just perhaps not quite this much time.
It’s called the Bee-Keeper Quilt.
You make a bunch of teeny-tiny (not really, but really) hex-puffs – or poofs as I like to call them.
Each hexagon is knitted, and stuffed, individually as you go along.
You make lots of them.
LOTS.
Like hundreds.
For a twin size I think you need something like 400.
I’m aiming for a queen sized quilt.
It’s like 1,000 of those –>>
I’m at about 150, I think?
After YEARS of off and on knitting.
I may finish this before we get our retirement home.
Or in time to be buried with it.
At this rate, it could be…
by Sarah | Jun 17, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Home, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All About Ripley, All of Us, Blogging Life, Disney, Disney Mom, Florida Dreaming, Oola, Redefining Perfect, Universal, Universal Studios Mom
It’s been over a month since the last update and unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know where we are at.
WE ARE IN FLORIDA!!!
After my last post, things went very quick.
I moved ahead of the hubs and kids, and my first month here in Florida deserves (and will soon get) a post of its own. It was an adventure, I’ll give you that much. A good adventure, or a bad one, I still don’t even know.
Anyhow…the husband and kids have finally joined me.
We have a home.
We’re settled around The Villages area, which my self-adopted pops calls “Heavens Waiting Room”…and he’s not wrong. lol.
However, it’s beautiful here. Our new (rented) home is much bigger than our last, and though it needs a lot of work, we’re looking forward to making progress.
We’re still waiting on our main piece of furniture (another month, oy)…but otherwise we’re settling in.
Erik has a lead on a potential job in a surprising place (more when I know more. No jinxing it).
The girls have been granted placement in the charter school, I just need to get all of their paperwork together and get them in for physicals so we can make it officially official.
The girls have their own rooms, and I still have an office space of sorts.
I’ve been at my new job for a month, and it’s going well. I’m looking into some new possibilities in my plans for the future, and life is just opening all sorts of possibilities.
In short…life isn’t perfect (it wasn’t before and I didn’t expect it to magically right itself because of our location)…but we are excited to make it work.
So from now own, there will be no more countdowns, but plenty of updates.
by Sarah | May 6, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Oola, Personal, Redefining Perfect
I’ve had a few different jobs in my life, as many of us have.
I’ve been in food service as a waitress, a host, a barista, a cafe manager. I worked in retail at several different places from a clothing store to a dollar store. I was in banking on and off for 20 years. I hated banking. With a white hot passion hated it.
In 2017 I dared to quit my job without something to back it up (Very un-oola, but I didn’t know oola yet) and left the banking industry determined to never go back to it.
It wasn’t easy, but thanks to a few good turns of events, a good friend, and a little sprinkle of luck I landed a new job in a completely new-to-me field.
Health Care.
I swear I mean it when I say I had NO idea what I was getting into. I knew I’d be working in the ER, but how much would I have to see? I have a very poor/weak constitution when it comes to things like blood and guts. I’ve never worked in health care, and while I have special needs children, my medical knowledge was pretty much…next to nothing.
I never dreamed how much this job would change me, my life, my goals. How it would inspire me to hope to return to school. How I would feel I found the place I belonged.
Over the past year and a half many things have changed, and some things at my job have changed, too, to the point where my job was just flat out not the same…but I still loved the people I worked with and the company I worked for and my managers and the doctors, nurses, and the many varied stories. My tasks were always the same, but every single day was so different.
Having to turn in my notice here was the true definition of bittersweet. It gave me great joy knowing that I was pursuing my dream and preparing to move, but I have never struggled so much to leave a job. My last day led to some great laughter, great hugs, and great tears.
This place took a chance on me, a woman with absolutely no experience in the field, and gave me some real goals for my future. They turned out a person that loves the field of healthcare administration and cannot wait for the opportunity to learn more and do more.
I have been saying for a while now that I’ve found what I love to do and where I love to do it, it was just in the wrong state. I’m hoping that my next position furthers this belief and brings me as much joy as this job did.
I will miss my doctors, my nurses, my hospital.
Leaving a job has never been so hard.
Only the draw of the future I’m meant to find could have ever made me leave.
by Sarah | Apr 29, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Home, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All About Ripley, All of Us, Blogging Life, Disney, Disney Mom, Florida Dreaming, Oola, Redefining Perfect, Universal, Universal Studios Mom
*disclaimer* I am writing this over a week before publication. All information is subject to change. I’ll try to update if that happens, but I’m packing and moving and all the things…sooo…
It’s been over a month since the last update and a LOT has happened.
I mean, a LOT.
Namely…
WE ARE MOVING!!!
After months of a lot of nothing and nowhere interviews…I had a great interview about two weeks ago that led to a job offer.
My notice has been turned in at work, I’ve worked my last day, Erik has turned in his notice.
I’m on a packing, cleaning, planning, freaking out, ecstatic, so much to do rampage…all while trying to spend time with hubby and kids before I go…
Yeah, before I go. The kids are still in school so Erik & the girls won’t be down for another month after I head down.
That means I get a month to explore, learn the ropes, and FIND A HOUSE.
Yeah, no house yet. No job for hubby yet either.
It’s gonna be a squeeze, but I know it’s going to pan out.
It’s time to move on, out of Indiana.
My target was June, 2019.
My entire family will be in Florida in June, 2019.
I love it when a plan comes together.
4 years ago I discovered Oola.
