...and I’ve noticed that people are generally pretty good at keeping up with them. It’s been 6 ½ months since I’ve been here last.

 

I’d love to say that things have changed in drastic ways--that I’ve lost weight, or won the lottery, or cured some type of terminal illness. Let’s just say that my life has been full of some smaller, yet still-important accomplishments.

 

Firstly, I have now been at my job for 7 months. This in and of itself is an accomplishment, since I have found jobs to be like boyfriends, and usually right around 6 months, they start to get....well...boring. NOT the case here, I’m happy to say.

 

 

I had a series of out-of-town visitors over the summer, my parents came up to visit twice, and once even with my brother. My sister was able to come up to visit, and all-in-all, it has been nice to see everyone. I miss them, but it sure is nice to be away from all of the drama.

 

We spent a week in upstate New York for a friend’s wedding and that was a wonderful experience for all of us. We stayed at a rented cottage with most of the wedding party, and the kids spent their days fishing and playing in the lake by day, and making s’mores by night. It was so wonderful to connect with all of these friends again, I feel so out of it sometimes living so far away. I’d like to make it an annual thing, we’ll see if that will pan out or not.

 

 

I’ve been knitting socks like a woman possessed. I was trying to bolster my sock wardrobe for the upcoming winter. Last summer was “mild” or so the locals say, and I’m concerned that this year will be worse. I also broke out of my selfish phase and started knitting socks for other people. Photos will be soon to follow, but it all started with a pair of rainbow socks for my older daughter and a pair of purple-with-sequiny-pink-cuffs for the younger one. Then, 2 pairs of baby socks for a coworker’s new baby girl, and now, socks for another coworker. It’s a small world out there, so I won’t be posting any details until the gift has been given.

 

I’m also at a point in my life where I’m trying to make some changes. Getting our finances out of emergency-mode was the first step. Between frugality and better spending choices, we are finally in a place of comfort. Well, at least for now....October is always a very rough month for us financially, but we are more ready this year than in previous ones. I have made great strides in cutting some financial corners, so to speak, and am proud of my progress so far. I’m hoping that when TA returns from his latest trip, that we will be able to maintain the monetary lead that I’ve built into our budget. Maybe I just won’t tell him it’s there?

 

I’ve been trying to go to bed at a more reasonable hour. I feel that I perform better at work with a good night’s sleep under my belt, and it just makes it easier to get out of bed in the morning. It also helps keep me on track with one of my latest feats, and that was to give up coffee.

 

On that note, goodnight. I hope that I can also stick with another change I want to make, and that’s to start using this thing more.