Update
Thankfully, I have nothing exciting to report. I swear I’m getting more drama-averse as I get older. No news is always good news to me! However, there are a few interesting things going on . . .
I’ll start with Eddie. He’s fourteen now and just started grade nine (first year of high school). The junior high building houses grades 7-9 so he is big man on campus and is really enjoying “not being treated like idiots by the teachers.” He’s still in French Immersion and is enjoying being one of seven boys (versus 19 girls) in his class. Yes, he’s starting to get interested in girls, but “only as friends.” His flirting is further hampered by the fact that he is the only kid on the planet who does not have a cell phone. *sigh * I think I know what Santa is going to bring him. The entire class is fund-raising for a trip to Quebec City in the spring. Lots of fun for him this year.
And no hockey.
Yes, that’s right. He’s not playing hockey this year and I’m so happy! He played basketball last year and enjoyed that much more, so the decision was easy. He also goes to the gym with Bill, so he’s getting plenty of exercise. Hockey starts this weekend and we won’t be there. Freedom! Yay!
Bill is finally getting used to working from home. I don’t think he’s ever going to love, love what’s he doing, but for now he is content. One thing that helped him was the mill closing here. We’ve watched so many people having to make hard choices about moving or being separated from their families once they find work. While he could make more money elsewhere, it’s worth it to us to provide some stability for Eddie during his high school years. The way time slips by that four years will go fast and if he wants to work somewhere else for a few years to cap off his retirement, I won’t mind moving. (As long as we move back)
Me. Well, I’m going to be fifty this month, which seems like a huge number when you’re thirty, but isn’t daunting at all when you’re 49. I’ve invested a lot of time taking care of the family and myself this year and it’s paid off. I feel like I’m finally recovering from the trauma of all those moves and job loses. I’ve done a lot of cooking for my creative outlet. I’ve also been reading – lots and lots of reading – mainly biographies and self-help books and spirituality. (I’m in the Oprah demographics – don’t judge!) I’ve been writing again, but I need to establish a routine in order to be more productive. I'll keep you posted on my progress.
As far as our world in general – it’s been a tough year for the town. Between White Point (a beachside resort that was the number 2 employer in the county) burning to ground and the mill (number one employer) closing for good, our economy has been devastated. Luckily, White Point was insured and they’re rebuilding. They expect to open again in November, so some jobs are coming back. The government has fast-tracked two big construction projects - an addition to the hospital and a new middle school. Several people we know are now working on those projects. Every time I open my front door I can hear the beep-beep of trucks backing up and heavy equipment. It’s the sound of hope and recovery. Hopefully the shipbuilding projects will be here within the next three years. (They’re going to build ice cutters for the Artic and Irving has the contract – the silver lining to global warming, I guess)
And speaking of global warming – we has a hot, dry summer and so far, a warm, wet fall. Today the sun is shining and it’s about 21 C (70F). From my window I can see deep blue skies and the trees starting to turn red and gold and glimpses of the blue sparkling harbor. I do love this time of year.
So that’s the news. Hope all is well in your corner of the world.
I’ll start with Eddie. He’s fourteen now and just started grade nine (first year of high school). The junior high building houses grades 7-9 so he is big man on campus and is really enjoying “not being treated like idiots by the teachers.” He’s still in French Immersion and is enjoying being one of seven boys (versus 19 girls) in his class. Yes, he’s starting to get interested in girls, but “only as friends.” His flirting is further hampered by the fact that he is the only kid on the planet who does not have a cell phone. *sigh * I think I know what Santa is going to bring him. The entire class is fund-raising for a trip to Quebec City in the spring. Lots of fun for him this year.
And no hockey.
Yes, that’s right. He’s not playing hockey this year and I’m so happy! He played basketball last year and enjoyed that much more, so the decision was easy. He also goes to the gym with Bill, so he’s getting plenty of exercise. Hockey starts this weekend and we won’t be there. Freedom! Yay!
Bill is finally getting used to working from home. I don’t think he’s ever going to love, love what’s he doing, but for now he is content. One thing that helped him was the mill closing here. We’ve watched so many people having to make hard choices about moving or being separated from their families once they find work. While he could make more money elsewhere, it’s worth it to us to provide some stability for Eddie during his high school years. The way time slips by that four years will go fast and if he wants to work somewhere else for a few years to cap off his retirement, I won’t mind moving. (As long as we move back)
Me. Well, I’m going to be fifty this month, which seems like a huge number when you’re thirty, but isn’t daunting at all when you’re 49. I’ve invested a lot of time taking care of the family and myself this year and it’s paid off. I feel like I’m finally recovering from the trauma of all those moves and job loses. I’ve done a lot of cooking for my creative outlet. I’ve also been reading – lots and lots of reading – mainly biographies and self-help books and spirituality. (I’m in the Oprah demographics – don’t judge!) I’ve been writing again, but I need to establish a routine in order to be more productive. I'll keep you posted on my progress.
As far as our world in general – it’s been a tough year for the town. Between White Point (a beachside resort that was the number 2 employer in the county) burning to ground and the mill (number one employer) closing for good, our economy has been devastated. Luckily, White Point was insured and they’re rebuilding. They expect to open again in November, so some jobs are coming back. The government has fast-tracked two big construction projects - an addition to the hospital and a new middle school. Several people we know are now working on those projects. Every time I open my front door I can hear the beep-beep of trucks backing up and heavy equipment. It’s the sound of hope and recovery. Hopefully the shipbuilding projects will be here within the next three years. (They’re going to build ice cutters for the Artic and Irving has the contract – the silver lining to global warming, I guess)
And speaking of global warming – we has a hot, dry summer and so far, a warm, wet fall. Today the sun is shining and it’s about 21 C (70F). From my window I can see deep blue skies and the trees starting to turn red and gold and glimpses of the blue sparkling harbor. I do love this time of year.
So that’s the news. Hope all is well in your corner of the world.
Are you working too? For some reason I thought you at had worked as a teacher.
No hockey, huh... Well that is a surprise. I thought he would stay with it.
Anyway have a nice birthday (mine is today) and enjoy the Autumn. Too pretty to miss.
And Happy Birthday to you! I hope you're doing something fun.
And I really loved your rundown on things in 'your world'. It's so amazing when things like factories burning to the ground and/or places closing does to a local economy and I love the way you've coloured your little world and shared it with us.
As for the Oprah demographic....nothing wrong with that, pal. ♥
It's been good to see people rallying around each other - bad times can bring out the best (and the worst)in people. I actually think there's been less gossip and a lot more compassion shown - of course we're out of hockey and all that negativity has just melted away. :)
Rory turned fifteen this summer and is very definitely interested in girls. He's still home schooled but the teens from his area group meet a couple of times a week for science or drama or field trips. That's how he met the girl with the dark hair with bright red streaks. He doesn't seem to be in any kind of organized team sports but surfs and uses the giant trampoline in his yard.
Ah, such fun to be turning fifty! I remember it well. I was still teaching and was the chief negotiator for the teacher contracts and my then husband was still the Dean and writing a book a year. I had not yet become President of the Teacher's Union, nor written the Macintosh grant and started the research project that took three years of my life. My former husband had not yet been elected to the School Board. Our only grandchild, Trevor, was two and his cousin Patrick would arrive in five weeks. We had a Golden Girl party for fifty friends and family. My favorite memory is of my first husband greeting everyone with, "How do you know the Birthday Girl?" and waiting to be asked the same question. Thirty-two years have gone by but I remember that night especially well... golden food, golden decorations, and even golden presents.
The economy in our area has picked up, even in construction. We have big shopping malls and quite a lot of high tech places. Tourism is a main industry a little farther up the freeway towards Tahoe.
Dear Oatmeal has suddenly realized why I told him to write whatever checks he had due this month. Having his right arm in a sling makes writing impossible. He will pay his bills on line.
Global warming is very evident here. It was 101° in Sacramento yesterday and is only about five degrees cooler up here. But a cut-off low is moving in from the Pacific and we should be in the seventies by the weekend with a possibility of rain.
I love your description of your party. What memories you have. I'm sure everyone there had just as much fun as the birthday girl.
I'm also glad to hear of all the things you did after turning fifty! It's good to know there's lots more ahead.
I'm glad to hear your economy is picking up. I really do think it will turn around here within the next five years. There's a lot going on, but it will just take time. Patience is a virtue in this case.
A 30 degree temperature change is hard on the body! I hope Dear Oatmeal feels better soon and will using that arm in no time.
I turned 40 this year, and as much as I didn't want to be a cliche, I still got pretty depressed. I now look on 30-somethings as 'those young kids' though I well remember that when I turned 30 I felt very grown up and looked at the 20-somethings as babies. Strangely enough, I also remember being depressed on my 20th birthday, and telling my Mom that by this age Alexander the Great had conquered the world, whereas I had accomplished nothing at all. So maybe I just get depressed once a decade, no matter what. :-)
The thing about aging, though, is not just that -well - we age. It's that we become too settled into our lifestyle and we forget that challenges keep us energized. So maybe your frequent moves had, in some strange way, a positive effect on you. I do hope you get back to writing and that you manage to land a book contract. Have you thought about self-publishing on amazon.com? If you didn't have to write to the series romance recipe, what would you write? You have lots of friends here who would buy your book.
Edited at 2012-10-03 07:17 pm (UTC)
I understand where you're coming from. There's something about those decade landmarks. My parents had just died when I turned 20 and I was reeling from shock and trying to finish college. My grandfather died right before my 30th birthday, and I was really depressed. I think I had ten years of delayed grief to deal with. That was probably my worst birthday. I was so busy with Eddie when I turned 40 that I don't remember much about it. Fifty is certainly an improvement on 20 and 30 and even crazy-busy 40.
I do agree that all the upheaval has had a bright side. It's marked a neat transition to something else. After a long period of thought and contemplation, I feel like I'm just about ready for the next phase - once I figure out what it is. :) I'll keep you posted.
We're going to be overlapping on the 50-yr mark by a little over a month. As my MIL told both my FIL (who's 3 years younger) and her doctor, re: turning 75: "It won't hurt a bit, I promise!" ;-) There *is* something about those decade b'days that makes them sorta harder to ignore, if nothing else, but I still say they beat the alternative ;-)
We had over 7" of rain last weekend (which is almost unheard of these days!), and this weekend, we're getting a cool front so that our highs will be in the 50s for a couple of days. I'm totally happy with cooler weather, but I do wish our pollens would die down -- they've been horrible lately.
We should really meet up like this more often ;-)
Edited at 2012-10-03 11:02 pm (UTC)
Eddie always laughs when I start hoping for a killing frost. It's such a violent image from his mild-manner mother. But my allergies are terrible this year!
I'm glad you got 7 inches(!) of rain to break your drought, but that it a lot of water coming at you awfully fast. I hope you didn't have flash floods.
No, it doesn't hurt a bit - but unlike huge dust bunnies you can't just ignore those zero-ending years. :)
When Eddie is 15, he can play in the adult league, which is here in town and has no checking. He might just miss it by then and will want to play a pick up game each week. Works for me. :)
No serious flooding, though we did have some streets that were pretty much unusable for a while. Then again, we have no real drainage system *but* the streets*, so that's to be expected, really. The rain was mostly slow and steady, so it was actually really nice overall, but it was a bit hard to ignore, at that volume!! (*drainage system = about the same as snow plows, around here; we don't need them often enough to justify tons of $$ spent on them :-P)
LOL No, they're pretty much un-ignore-able, that's for sure!!
That sounds like a MUCH better option... and doesn't require you to freeze so often, either!! Glad he's enjoying basketball... *indoors* for the win! LOL!!
Hubby discovered this year that 60 sounds a lot older than 'in my 50s'. :D
Edited at 2012-10-03 11:17 pm (UTC)
Every time I open my front door I can hear the beep-beep of trucks backing up and heavy equipment. It’s the sound of hope and recovery.
What a nice way to look at that. I've been living with 'recovery' roadworks in the neighbourhood for so long now (and am facing down the barrel of another 18 months' worth) that it's been too easy to forget that it IS all about hope and recovery :)
Oh, yes! I love watching construction. Something that wasn't there before is now taking over the landscape and the world is different.
I'm glad that Eddie is happy making his sporting choices, and I guess that frees up a lot of time for you that you previously spent at ice rinks.
Puberty is coming to my house quite fast at the moment unfortunately. Although luckily interest in boys is still not on the horizon for now *phew*.
Yes, we're counting our blessings! It's not an easy time anywhere in the world.
I'm so glad not to have hockey to worry about this year. That's my 50th birthday gift!
Dave loves working (predominantly) from home. I took longer to get used to him being home than he did. At least Bill is working.
Three cheers for no hockey. It must have been such a drag, using up all your weekends. Music isn't nearly so time consuming as lessons and rehearsals were at school and practice at home.
It's good to hear from you again. Roll on 50! It doesn't bother me either. (I would like a present this time - one I haven't bought for myself.)
Yes, he has a job and he is grateful. The problem is that he keeps getting calls from recruiters for jobs that pay a lot more - but they're in East of Beyond or some place even colder. Ha. The grass isn't greener in those place since you don't see the ground 9 months out of the year. *rolls eyes* Money isn't everything.
Yes, 50. Maybe I'm finally reaching the age I've always been inside. :)
Wonderful to hear from you. I've missed your posts. (But no guilt trip from me, because I haven't posted in ages.) It does sound like you are in a good place, and that makes me very happy. You've been through so much, and now it's time to take a breath and savor each day and enjoy Eddie growing up, and start taking a little "me" time as they say. You've nurtured and supported and encouraged your family, and I'm sure you've put yourself third - don't all of us mothers do that? It's the natural inclination. But now, with your 50th coming up, it sounds like you're in a good enough place to think about what's next for MARY. And there are so many possibilities. ENJOY!
Could you please find it in your generous heart to post a tiny little bit of an update of your own? Pretty please with a cherry on top?
(And if not, I'll tell Snape to heal every single one of Will's scars, and make him impervious to any future ones!)
I'll echo Megan and
whinewheedle for an update. Do you have Monday off? If you do, it's actually a holiday where you don't have to cook or purchase anything.I just turned 30 and need to make a few entries about my birthday trip to Paris and seeing Matt Lewis in a West End play!
Jeepers, what the heck have I been doing all this time? Well, this fall I joined a program for learning all about Audio Production Technologies, ie recording and mixing for music, movies, etc. It's something I've become increasingly fascinated with recently, and I'm having a good time with it.
Funnily enough, my work on fan efforts to save the original versions of the Star Wars films is directly responsible for this, as I had to teach myself a bunch of things to be able to contribute meaningfully to such projects; and in the process found an area of study I can really enjoy and want to keep doing. It's the first time I've been confident enough to think I have a shot at making a career of something, and that says a lot right there, I reckon.
I'm still writing in my spare time, although it keeps stalling when I get stuck on what should happen next. But unlike my foray into HP fic, I have no intention of leaving it unfinished—it's just a matter of being able to consistently summon the level of energy something like that requires. For about a year now I've been a beta-reader, lending my particular brand of enthusiasm-tempered-by-informed-sceptici
As to getting older . . . well, I still have over two years before I turn 30, but to me that itself seems entirely ridiculous, considering I only just recently stopped thinking of myself as a teenager. Generally I do my best not to think about things like that, but I don't think being an adult is really all it's cracked up to be, to be honest. lol
Edited at 2012-10-23 09:20 am (UTC)
I'm glad you're still writing and that you found someone to collaborate with. Good motivation for both of you!
LOL - I stopped thinking of myself as a teenager when I was 24 and a high school teacher. Being around real teenagers will innoculate you from any delusions of youth - very fast!
I enjoyed my 30's a lot better than my 20's - but you're right about adulthood. LOL. Lots of downsides they don't mention . . .
Don't be a stranger! *hugs*