The Weekly Ramble 9/30/23

It feels like we’ve been moving for months. Mentally, at least. It’s been a full three months in preparation, and I’m more than done.

Yesterday we turned in the keys to the old house, after I did one last walk through, took a quick video, and had a short cry.

Bryan, who seems to understand me more and more lately, grabbed me in a big hug when I met him on the doorstep, and prayed for us, thanking God for the life we’d lived there and asking Him to bless the next chapter.

We’ve spent the last day and a half working on the next chapter. He sorting piles of stuff in the garage and backyard, me sorting piles of stuff in the kitchen and living spaces.

Since we’re down a bathroom, a bedroom, and several closets, we had extra furniture and things you buy to organize those spaces. We’re finally getting a chance to sort through them and give away what we don’t think we’ll keep.

That’s the hard part, parting with perfectly good stuff that doesn’t fit the current space but that we might need in a year if we have to move again. The owners of this house are military and unless something drastic happens, will likely not have a change of billet for three years. It would be reasonable for us to think that we could be here three years, but who knows?

I know that military families have a knack for getting acclimated quickly. I’d like to learn how to do that.

Bloom Where You’re Planted.

There’s a lot more to get sorted and situated, but I want my heart to be focused on blooming where we’re planted. There were a few times this past week when I thought this house was a mistake. I know it wasn’t, but in the middle of the hard, I blamed the house.

Instead, the problem was me and my unwillingness to bend. To try to fit my expectations (as well as my belongings) into a space that didn’t have room is frustrating and exhausting.

Containers are limits, remember, Jessica?

This house is our new container. Until further notice. It’s got some limits, but it’s also got some freedoms we didn’t have before:

• beautiful views of the mountains in all directions with gorgeous sunrises and sunsets

• a big bright living space

• a beautiful updated kitchen

• solar energy so no more electric bill!

There are so many things to be thankful for, it’s a bit silly to complain, but that’s where my mind went this past week.

October 1

I love that we’re turning the page on that last chapter just as the month is ending. I love a new month!

Did I tell you that I’ve switched my journaling/planning to the quarter system? Yep. Even though both my journal and planner are digital, I like the idea of switching them out into new docs at the end of the quarter.

I’ve had my new set-up ready for days now and I’m excited to dig in. GoodNotes is really cool. Have you checked it out yet?

I’m really looking forward to establishing a New Normal, and walking through my Ideal Week. I have always loved routine, and this is a nice space to create it.

In other news…

• I’ve been in France this month. I’ve read, or rather listened to 8 of the Martin Walker Bruno series while I’ve been packing and unpacking. They aren’t the best mysteries by any means, and the bad guy rarely goes to prison, but the setting and the food have me captivated. The books are set in the Dordogne, near where I studied in France. Every book features a place that I lived or visited and has made me hungry to get cooking again. And trying more French wines!

• Prices are ridiculous here. Gas is up to $6/gallon and we’re seeing signs of hyper-inflation at every turn. My income has dropped almost in half this year, and our rent has doubled. So, it could be a very rough winter indeed. Time to crunch some numbers and get creative. It’s not my first rodeo, so I know we can do it, it’s just not always fun.

• I’m really excited to clean my house. I know that is silly, but after having to dig out of our last house a little bit at the end, I’m looking forward to establishing some new cleaning routines. We’ve got some new systems in place for the five kids to share two bathrooms without leaving them an absolute wreck. (More on that soon!)

• I’ve got a step streak going. Last summer I had a 100+ day step streak until I got covid. Then I was never able to get back to it. Moving, almost a year to the day after my last streak, has helped me get back to it. Today makes 17 days in a row, with PR of almost 19k steps in a day as well as a day of 62 floors climbed!

• Fall is here! We may get a second summer next week, the rain and cool temps have been refreshing. We still have a ton of mosquitos, more than I’ve ever seen here in my LIFE, so I am hoping for an early frost. My daughter says her anthro professor has said that the mosquitos are evolving and can survive the cold, but I’m hoping not. Bring on the sweater weather!