Smiling on me

In the past two months: I started a great new part-time public affairs job at the forest service; sold my house in Virginia in a bidding war (miracle of all miracles during a housing bust); finally got divorced a year after being separated; met a great, single dad who plays scrabble and cooks Brussels sprouts; had my new part-time job bumped up to almost full-time so that I could quit my job at the paper (bye bye two night meetings per week) and then had an old editor call to offer me freelance work. I feel like the universe has been smiling on me lately.



I've had the opportunity to take a few trips lately too. I went to Bethany Beach with my family, and have taken weekend trips to Colorado wine and peach country (Palisade) where you can ride bikes between vineyards, camping with the kids near Garden of the Gods and up to the top of 14,000-foot Pikes Peak on the cog (train) and then a weekend to OktoberWest and Strawberry Hot Springs in Steamboat. To tell it straight, I guess I'm kind of glowing (and I've been told that more than once lately.)

Considering that at this same time one year ago I had just gotten separated, had almost every utility/phone in my house cut off and wasn't sure how I was going to buy groceries ... well, I can't believe the difference a year makes. It's been nutty, and I've dealt with a lot of things that I wouldn't wish on anybody. But, life is what you make of it (pardon the cliché). I never have believed more than I do now in the power of thought ... especially the positive sort (again, pardon the cliché). Even if everyone around me worried I was being naive, I wouldn't let myself get down. There was no room to fall apart. I have kids. I had to get up in the morning. I had to move on.

I believe in karma. It just helps now that I'm living with my own and not somebody else's.

Here's hoping the universe keeps smiling on me.