Good Morning Friends!
It’s a misty spring-like Sunday here in Old Town, one might say dreary, but I’m determined to shake the funk I let settle in yesterday. I’m so grateful for the fact that I’m getting one more season with my beloved redbud tree – the pink flowers out our living room window are truly one of my favorite features of this house. A lovely gift from 301 S Henry to kickoff this season of “lasts”. Sigh
So, from the excitement of closing on Madison Street last Friday, the roller coaster of a cosmically timed offer & contract on S Henry Street last weekend, we finished this week with the ugly, no-fun, reality of a long list of requests from our possible buyers following the inspection. Ugh. If that wasn’t enough to put me into full-tilt blues, I don’t know what would be. I’m fighting to control my bitter-betty instincts about these buyers, and I am grateful that B is stepping in to be the voice of reason as we work through these last icky steps in the journey. As far as this transaction goes, my only comment for now is “we’ll see”.
On to other more (possibly?) interesting topics – what a week it was! After all the hubbub of the week before the close, the travel and then spending our first night in the new house it was such a relief to share the story with a very special group of friends via the “soft-launch” of Maven and Magpie as began our trip “home” last Sunday. Even that word is going to get a bit complicated over the days ahead – because we sort of have two right now. Hopefully only briefly!
I’m so very grateful for the kind notes from each of you and I’ll likely do something with the wonderful words you each sent via email… just so I have them to encourage me as the going gets tougher, as I know it’s sure to do. (And, as a gentle note – I’d welcome a first comment or two via the blog, if you’re comfortable with your kind words living on the web forever :-)). By sharing the blog, I feel like I’m able to convey the whole context of the move in a way that a few rambling words in an email will be hard to do – although I think I need to write a draft of that email today, for the list of work-related folks who have no idea I’m making this move, but whom I wish to share it with.. if not in quite as much detail as you indulgent few might enjoy.
The return to reality on Monday was not easy, as Mondays rarely are. It was likely my second-to-last Monday at the office in Arlington, so that was something to celebrate, but the grind of preparations for my last TechBUZZ are fairly merciless… just trying to keep nose to grindstone, while my heart and head are really looking past the 28th an into the exciting, but totally terrifying, new world that awaits me when this month is done. I’m definitely feeling the strain of living what sort of feels like a double life – moving ahead with the move, sharing the news with friends, and trying to get the big transition project underway, while as much as possible acting like nothing’s happening at work. It’s pretty bizarre, and definitely exhausting. I’m sure I’ll look back and wonder why I did it this way – and the only answer is the hard truth that I’m rather hopelessly a pleaser, and this is what was asked of me, so I did it – and I’ve possibly foregone the process of saying goodbye to alot of people I’ve known for a very, very long time. I almost said the “normal process”, but even I know there can’t really be a normal for leaving, uprooting, moving. While people absolutely do it all the time there simply isn’t a recipe for this, so I am just going to embrace that this is the way I’m doing it – and it will be what it will be.
A quick recap of the “lasts” that began this week – before I sign off for today.
- Tuesday – My last (for a while!) Book Club visit with the girls – delighted to have been able to drop in for the late shift at Kendra’s on Tuesday, exploiting the fact that I have such a dear friend just a few blocks away and could drop in for wine and wonderful conversation with a gaggle of my favorite women after my Carpenters’ Bobcat Dinner. This sort of easy access to dearest friends is something I’m so grateful for, cherishing and also accutely aware will take a long time to replace. Sniff!
- Wednesday – My last WAABA Executive Committee Meeting on Wednesday – I’d sent notes to Dean Pulley and Paul Saville to formally convey my “resignation” due to my move, but this meeting was the first time I’d actually gone through the in-person process of being recognized in a group (not of girlfriends or family) for my departure. It was very kind of Paul to say some nice words about me, and then he turned to me to share a brief recap of what we were doing. Thank goodness for Maven & Magpie, I basically went with my “home page” verbage… and I guess it pretty much worked. 🙂 It was both a first and a last, and it also reminded me that my ties to W&M will be a wonderful network to tap in to once I’m in NY. Something I definitely want to make the most of. Go Tribe
- Thursday – My last (at least in person) Carpenters Shelter Development Committee meeting – while I plan to remain very involved in our big fundraising campaign, and to stay on the CS board as long as I can contribute, I do not expect to stay active in the working development committee for too much longer (or not past the cookoff & Spring to action) as I shift my energies to local Saratoga organizations. So, it was a pleasure to be there with the Dev Committee one last time, to again share my story – but also to affirm my continued participation from a far. The Slow Fade – that seems to be my M.O.
- Saturday – My last (probably) volunteer stint at Carpenters Shelter – and I made it a first too! While I don’t think I can allocate the 4 hours to the CS front desk when I’m feeling my moments in my beloved home are growing too few, I feel drawn to give as much as I can to this place that has been so important to me over my nearly 10 years in Old Town. So, I decided to try something new – to volunteer at David’s Place, where Carpenters provides the only daytime, drop in shelter for the chronically homeless in the City of Alexandria. Really, I didn’t do much “volunteering” (although I did a fine job organizing the supply cabinet, I suppose), but I mostly soaked up the time with Sharon the David’s place monitor – an amazing woman – and listening and learning about the ebbs & flows of the diverse community of individuals who rely on David’s place as they navigate their lives. I’m going to “put a pin” in the idea of writing about what I learned yesterday, certainly more interesting and meaningful than this me-me-me nonsense, but also something I might do better when I’m able to focus & think a bit more.
- Saturday – My last (likely) leisurely Saturday on the couch at S Henry. It was wonderful to be home, unscheduled and able to just sink in (and yes, wallow a little) on my couch, with the kitties, the fireplace, my book (Book Club on March 6th in SAratoga – I’m ready!), and time to just be in this home that I love. Yes, I was pretty blue, I napped alot, I dodged some phone calls I should’ve made or taken, but I also just decided to BE… and waking up today, I’m glad I did.
So, here we go – one of my last Sundays at this home. I decided to no longer be blue, and it seems to have worked. I woke up fairly early, went for a nice walk in the misty morning, enjoyed a foggy froggy visit to the river and then settled in the Starbucks at Union & King to finish my book about President Garfield and do a few thank yous, before stopping by LPQ for my beloved chia pudding to take home. And here I am!
A big week ahead – my last TechBUZZ, my last days at MAVA and who knows what else.
Thanks so much for listening.
XXOO
