Gears

Time for a shift in gears.  Miss Hannah's graduation is in a few weeks.  She's done very well at school and is finishing up with a perfect 4.0 and a Valedictorian title.  This week, after much hemming and hawing, she has made that big choice and selected Whitman College in Walla Walla as the place she wants to be next.  We spent a non-trivial amount of time these last months making visits to potential schools, touring, spending overnights, researching options. In some ways she is much relieved to have made the choice.  In other ways, it served only to have made the fact that she will be leaving home all the more real.  We all think it is an excellent choice for her and that she will do just smashing there. And for those not familiar with our area, Walla Walla is only an hour's drive away. BTW, she's currently focused on Mathematics as a major, but is most excited about the Japanese she'll be taking.

I think the gears are rolling around to a new position for me too. Of all the things that Whitman College is, inexpensive is NOT on the list, even with some great scholarships. Seven years ago I took a voluntary layoff so that my kids could spend their high school and middle school years with support and supervision rather than with a latchkey. It's been a good run playing chauffeur for all the music lessons, play practices, volleyball and softball games, and the other hundred things she's been involved in. Not that I won't still have opportunities to shuttle her brother around, but a big chunk of my life will be different.  I'm excited to see what directions Paul will want to explore as he becomes the only kid at home and steps out from what I'm sure he perceives to be a big shadow.

It's probably one of the crappiest times to try to get back in the workforce here - more layoffs seem to be announced everyday in the paper.  I've still got good contacts and I've got a good background, so I am optimistic as I officially announce my intent to get back to work.  I've actually committed this twice during the seven years and was named on contracts, but the money dried up or the contract was lost before I even showed up.  I have to admit that I really miss working daily with people and having technical things to discuss and problems to solve.  It's time for me emotionally, and facing kids in college for the next 7+ years it's time financially too.

I've no intentions at this time of shutting down the Ink Circles business, but there may be some changes to how things get done.  Let's face it though, I'm not going to be able to put two kids through college selling cross stitch charts.  Fortunately my husband continues to be gainfully employed and this has allowed us to have the wonderful chance to be there while the kids needed us so much.

Toaster's poor little world is going to be rocked also by both Hannah leaving and me going to work.  Hopefully we will all adapt.