Small Success Thursday - Coping edition

Hi Friends, 

I don't feel at all successful. The unthinkable has occurred and my husband no longer wants to be married to me. We have had our differences, but I did not realize how deep they went. I am not sure he did either until he started to talk to a counselor about the severe stress he was under for the last 7 months. I am sad that he did not realize it and let me know until it was too late. He does not want to turn back now. Like he says, we were both at fault. There were things we wanted the other to do differently but for some reason neither of us were capable of making the requested change. I have moved out. I was looking forward to downsizing from the house when the 17 YO graduated. I have no interest in maintaining the yard. I worked really hard at being strategic with the things I took with me. My favorite Christmas decorations and craft & sewing supplies are the things overwhelming me right now.  

On top of all of this, my contract position is ending in a few weeks. The people I work directly with are unhappy, but HR is forcing this. I have to be away for 3 month before I can come back with another contracting firm and the department has no headcount to hire me. There might be opportunities for another project whit my current contract company. I am praying for continuous employment. I really do not want to ask for support from my estranged husband. 

So:
I found and attended a support group for newly single Catholics at the parish closest to my new apartment.

So far I am resisting the slide into anger and bitterness over it all. But the struggle is real.

I have things put away in the new apartment with the exception of the bedroom and large walk-in closet. I have purged a lot of things.

Linking up with Catholic Mom 

Small Success Thursday - Early voting edition

Good Morning folks,

I am taking another vacation day today. Last week I wrote about a hitch in my contract renewal. It is still ongoing. I went into the office for half the day on Monday. I left early came home and made a Firefighter costume for my grandson. We were unable to find a Toddler's firefighter's costume in the store. I even looked at the local costume place. Even the cashier there was flabbergasted that they did not have on in stock. I failed to take a picture.

I took advantage of my open morning and took advantage of early voting in my county. Now I can ignore the news and scroll past the Facebook posts liked by my Friends. (Those are the worst in my opinion).

Last week I was able to clean one of the craft corner's in my basement. Today I plan to tackle the other.

Linking up with Catholic Mom.com for Small Success Thursday.

Small Success Thursday- Turmoil edition

Welcome to another Thursday. I am off of work today so I can participate this week.

There is major turmoil in my life right now, and it really is not stuff to share on a public forum. In my work/Professional life, there is an administrative issue with the renewal/extension of my work contract. The last 2 days I was in the office of the consulting company that gives me my paycheck. I watched some training videos, surfed the net and twiddled my thumbs. Today and tomorrow I am taking PTO. Hopefully this will be resolved early next week. And life at home is very hard right now.

This weekend is the High School band's Fall fund raiser, an Antique show at the school where we charge admission and sell concessions. The Mom who has run the kitchen last year cannot be there full time this year, so I volunteered to take over. Tonight I will go over during band practice and take inventory of the paper goods and see what we need. Tomorrow I will meet with the kitchen crew for a crash course in running a few pieces of equipment.  Tomorrow evening we will make 200lbs of potatoes into potato soup.

So I am taking everything one step at a time. Trying hard not to get ahead of myself and not doing too much of my worst-case scenario planning.  I plan to step up my prayer game, go about my business and keep a low profile when possible.

Maggie
Linking up with Catholic Mom for Small Success Thursday.

Small Success Thursday - Sept 14

Hello everyone,
Time to join up with Catholic Mom to reflect on the small things we have been successful at this week.

The last few weeks have been really hard. Hubby has been on stress overload with ork and it has bubbled over. For a while it seems like everything I was doing was the last straw. ( I think I have been on his side before.) So I really tried to back off. I unscheduled myself working on the band truck crew as even on better days I try to help and end up doing something exactly the opposite of what he was planning. Me and my strong personality tend to take over.

But slowly it is getting better. He has gotten into playing Disk or Frisbee golf. We went the other night after supper and then we practiced throwing in the back yard Wed evening.

This weekend, the high school football game was postponed due to a bomb threat. The band was not there, but we were there with the equipment truck. About 50 minutes before game time, they called it off and quickly evacuated the stadium and tailgating areas. As we circled the campus we saw a lot of emergency vehicles gathered behind a building. I think the officials of the school and the community did a mince job handling the situation. The game was played Sunday afternoon. Instead of the whole band, only the drumline went. As parents of a percussionist as well as truck crew, we were there.

TheTeen was supposed to have his audition for the ensemble at the University. He called the director to reschedule and was told to show up early This Sunday afternoon for the audition and to plan to stay for rehearsal. So they reserved a spot for him. I think this was his saving grace with the academic trouble he had last year. So far for this year, he is starting out strong. He likes ll of his teacher and is no longer angry that we pulled him out of AP English. He ONLY has 3 AP classes.

Linking up with Catholic Mom. Join us, won't you?      

Small Success Thursday - Aug 11, 2016

Hello everyone, I have some time this morning before I head to the office. Hubby let me shower first.

Feels like my day to day life is the same, consistent, boring. Hubby heads back overseas for next week. TheTeen starts back to school Wednesday. I am happy to have the same job. As a contingent worker, continuous employment is a good thing. But life is not really that way.

• I am going to be a Grandma again. DDIL is meeting with her University advisers. She thinks she can take 2 weeks off and still graduate in June. It sounds like they want her to do her student teaching in the Fall. She also thinks she wants someone to come int he house to care for the kids (taking The Toddler to pre-school). I doubt they can afford that and housing at the same time. 
• We bought a new couch. I want to clean some carpets and move the existing couch into the formal living room that has a chair and TheToddler's toys.    
• We decided we do not need the daybed/Trundle in the Office. No that my parents have moved closer, our other guest room is not used often. That will give me more room. And I decided I can use the dresser int he guest room to store my table linens. 

It is all a matter of perspective. If I shift my veiw point to the positive, thinks look much better. 

Linking up with Catholic Mom. 

Small Success Thursday - Lives well lived

Hello, It is Thursday and I am linking up with Catholic Mom to review my week and find the small things I did to make my life run more smoothly.

The last 2 weeks have shown me examples of lives well-lived. Last week I attended the funeral of the mother of my Sister-in-law. She was a lovely lady devoted to her family and her family was devoted to her. There were all kinds of heartfelt tributes. I want to be remembered that way.

Then yesterday, I worked from my parents house to hold down the fort while they attended the memorial service of Dad's Childhood friend. After the service Mom and Dad hosted a luncheon. I got to hear storied of the antics of Bill, Bob, Chuck and John. One of those friends I know well as he and his wife are honorary Aunt and Uncle and Godparents to my Brother. Uncle B also told a story of having a conversation with his oldest child about how Uncle B & Aunt J are not "real" or blood Aunt and Uncle.

All this to remind me to cherish the love and friendships that I have, to keep the communications. The late friend and his wife had moved away. When my parents started to go to Florida every February, they made an effort to reconnect. The Widow told me that my parents were a great source of comfort to her as her husband's illness  (dementia) took hold and progressed.

May I remember these examples and take similar actions.

Small Success Thursday - Summer in Full swing

It is Thursday that time of the week when we pause to assess the little things we do that makes our lives go more smoothly.

Last weekend was a bit surreal, TheTeen left Friday for his trip to Sidney Australia while hubby was on a business trip to Switzerland. Felt weird to have each in different places on the planet. But Hubby made it home and TheTeen is sending texts, pictures and even a short, 2 minute Facetime session this week. His group played a concert in the Sidney Opera House yesterday. He used the word "Awesome"

Hubby and I are taking time to reconnect. I attended the funeral of my Sister-in-law's mother. It is nice seeing my nephews coming out of their shell and interacting. My Out-of-town brother came in and the entire family minus my youngest Son got together for a visit. A nice number of my Aunts, Uncles and cousins paid a visit tot he funeral home. I love my close extended family.

Enjoy the week ahead.
Linking up with Catholic Mom.