This older version of me keeps walking up at 6am. I’ve never been a morning person. Time to develop a new routine? Still dark-ish this time of year which isn’t helping with that.

It is not helping me, emotionally, with people questioning how I could leave such a beautiful home. The closer the day gets, the excitement of moving to our new life is being tampered by what we are leaving behind. I have to keep reminding myself that this home was perfect for the season we were in - raising our kids. And it will be perfect for the young family moving here. And will forever stay in my heart. I WILL miss it. But our new home is better for our autumn/winter years.

#MyMovingLife

Knitted a cowl while on vacation. That’s what happens when you are on a ski vacation and don’t ski. 😜

#knitting

I’m now making another one, one needle size down, because I’d like it to be a little tighter. It’s a pretty easy knit once you get past the bottom section. (Not that the bottom section is hard, you just have to pay more attention.)

Pattern is Civetta Cowl on Ravelry.

I was at Jay, VT this week, up near the Canadian border. (Verizon sent me a welcome to Canada text so I must have gotten close enough to ping a cell tower there. ) It snowed most of the week. One day with large fluffy snowflakes that made you feel like you were in a snow globe.

I got out on the snowshoes a couple of times. It was peaceful and beautiful. A photo or video doesn’t capture the 3-dimensional magic of being there, but I had to capture the sound of the babbling brook I walked along.

It was your post, @corlin, about building a lightweight online space, that triggered my thinking of her. I can almost hear her saying, "Hell, yes!"

I saw a post today that made me think of someone I considered a mentor in my web career. We didn't know each other personally, but I got to know her on Twitter. However, I left there last year, and this morning, that post I saw made me think of her and wonder how she was doing. And I learned that she passed away last September. So I am grieving now, belatedly.

Her name was Molly Holzschlag, and she was a web standards and accessibility giant. She was one of my sheroes.

https://meyerweb.com/eric/thoughts/2023/09/06/memories-of-molly/

Years ago, as I was in the city getting a trailer hitch on my car, I walked down the street to have lunch while waiting. I passed this sign on a telephone pole and took a photo.

On the way back from lunch I saw a young gal looking at the sign.

Isn’t that cool? I asked.

I’m Jess, she answered.

Oh, wow, I responded. Do you forgive him?

I’m not sure, she said.

I wonder if she ever did, and also…what if she wasn’t the Jess the sign was meant for but it healed her relationship, too?

Love. Let’s spread it, shall we?

Packing is kicking my butt. That is all. 📦📦📦📦📦📦📦📦📦📦📦📦📦📦📦

#MyMovingLife

I gave him a kinder version of this “speech.” He was agreeable. He must have just been in a bad mood the previous appointment where he was being a bit pushy.

Me talking to someone rarely comes out as forceful. It’s like in my dreams where every time I try to punch someone (because I’m angry) my arm goes limp on the way to their face/body.

Heading to the dentist to get a temp crown replaced and most likely listen to him pushing putting fluoride on the stump of a tooth that’s left before putting the crown on. If so, he’s getting this from me:

“My mother and sister had cancer, my Sis in law died from cancer at 49, her two sisters just recently got cancer. I’m the last woman standing in this generation. You told me mercury fillings were fine, too, and now don’t use them.”

“Just put the crown on. My body, my choice.”

Yesterday I tackled a hard project - what herbs (I have a lot of them because I was trying to make a go of an herbal business) will I take with me? And how much? I am trying to let go of things. But this is a part of me I'm not ready to let go of. However, I needed to downsize. It took me 5 hours. I have herbs to take with me, herbs to give to a friend and herbs that I released back to the land in a gratitude ceremony as I walked the property and recognized all it has been to me. ❤️ #MyMovingLife

FYI, I tried skiing - and lessons - multiple times. I don’t like heights, crowds, speed. I used to have cold in that list, too, but I love winter hiking and snowshoeing. And I used to love x-country skiing but had a nasty fall the last time I went and decided that my aging body doesn’t need any more injurious aches and pains.

I really do a lot of things, I just operate at a slower and quieter level - yoga, knitting, writing, hiking, snorkeling (I love water, just not water park water).

I think I saw a meme from here that I shared with my DIL - JOMO, the Joy of Missing Out.

She and I live amongst a family of FOMOs. Yesterday she said to me “JOMO is real.” Luckily she has a partner (my son), who gets this. My hubby does not. But I am trying to explain things to him as he questions me as to why I don’t want to go to a water park (@kel, haha) with everybody while on a family ski vacation (I don’t ski).

Love being with family but no more ski vacations for me.

JOMO is real.

Bought Washer & dryer ✔️
Bought Bedroom set ✔️
Went to new house and took measurements ✔️
And met 2 future neighbors ✔️
And promptly forgot their names ✔️ 😖
Bonus visit with grandkids ✔️

#MyMovingLife

I love the moon. She said she does, too. Loved this woman - a beautiful soul. And we met because I write a newsletter she found and it resonates with her.

We all need to be ourselves and not be afraid of what other people think. When we are real, we will meet people with whom we can find real connection. With whom we can be ourselves. I’m finding this out at 63, after feeling different my whole life.

Turns out I just never met my people. (I did meet a few soul sisters along the way.)

Giving things away brings blessings way more special than money.

I met a new friend today. She came to take some of my herbs, and brought me this gift. She made it. It’s a moon with an amethyst hanging from it. And when she learned that I was going to release the rest of my herbs (after I set aside what I would take) to the land, she said she would take the rest if that’s what I would be doing. She didn’t want to take too much. ❤️

Our whole exchange reminded me of this: https://stories.dandelionforest.earth/2023/01/24/the-gift-of-strawberries/

#MyMovingLife I have now moved on to downsizing my herbs from my (no longer) herbal business. Making batches of my favorite teas from what I have, keeping small amounts of some, especially roots which keep longer, someone is coming tomorrow to take a few jars (not enough!), and I’ll release the rest to the land.