Delegated Authority

2009 was a year for *big* happenings around my place. 

The long and short of it:  I got divorced; moved to Annapolis- hooray for [much] shorter commutes!; adopted a pound puppy; found out my dad has some tricky health issues to deal with; had an wonderful impromptu family reunion; one of my brothers died; had another not-so-happy family reunion (at the funeral); I broke my foot; my super GrandDude turned 1; and Annapolis got 17″ of snow!  Whew!

I’m fortunate to have a job I love and to work with people who are friendly and fun to be around.  I’ve been with Sonosky Chambers a bit more than four years now , and it has been a real blessing for me.

So, its time to make 2010 a banner year!  I have my sights set on seeing more family, connecting with friends, going more places and doing more things than ever before!  I also hope to graduate, finally, with my Bachelor’s degree.  So far, I’m on course for a December 10 graduation - lets hope it stays that way!

I am a happy person!  I have wonderful kids (what am I supposed to call *adult* kids?),  the best family anyone could ever ask for, and friends that others only hope to hold a candle to!  I’m beginning 2010 on a high note, and hope to take it higher!  I am, without a doubt, the luckiest girl around!

Merry Christmas, everyone!  I hope 2010 brings wonderful happenings for you and your families.

Love,

Kitty

I HATE when someone steals your Christmas gift idea, then asks you to contribute, and then makes you out to be the bad guy when you say NO.

     Through a series of events and time, I find myself at a place in my life where I want, need, to find me.   For the past 28 years my life has in no small way, revolved around my children.  They are, and always have been, the definition of me as a person.  I feel like I was a very “hands on” type of parent.  I went to every parent-teacher conference, ball game, scout meeting, scout leading, camping trip (well, with Jared- was not usually allowed to take younger siblings when Adam and Justin went), skiing, you name it.  I was there.  (Sometimes to their embarrassment)  Moreover, I wanted to be there.  I wanted to share in their every experience.

     The problem with that is that they grew up!  (the nerve!)  Adam has a family of his own, Justin is on his own and making his own way in life, and Jared is on the brink of independence himself.  They no longer need me.  That is not to say I cannot share in their lives, but I am no longer an integral part of the day-to-day happenings.  They have been wonderful putting up with my constant presence in their adult lives.  Sometimes happy I’m there, and sometimes humoring me, because they know just how bad I want to be there.  But its time I learned how to take a back seat in their lives.  To let them grow and flourish as I know they will, and to be here for them, when they want me to be. 

     I understand that this is what I worked for so many years to accomplish.  To have my kids grow into successful, happy, healthy adults.  I am SO proud of each of them.  They are the most wonderful young men!  Honestly, my heart explodes when I think of them, the people they are and the way they each touch the world.  I could not be more proud!

     But its hard.  This “cutting of the apron strings.”  I still have the desire to be there involved in the day-to-day happenings, to cheer them on and to cheer them up.  To celebrate in their accomplishments and to help push through any hard times.  But its not my place anymore, and I need to step back, because it is the right thing to do for them.  They’ve certainly earned it!

     Its time.  Its time for me to find *me* to figure out just who I am, what I like and how I feel about the road ahead.  Its time for me to make myself whole again, to live a full life so I can be a better mom for my kids and their families, a better Gramma to my grandson.  So I can be a better friend to my friends. 

So I can be a better me.

Sometimes when I hear a song, I wonder how the sentiment got so spot-on with how I’m feeling or what happened, or whatever…

Yet another popped up recently- David Nail’s “Red Light.”  With some slight nuance type differences, I can totally identify with it.

By the way, he’s a new artist and has some really awesome music out on his first CD! Check it out!

                                    HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DYLAN!

                                          You Rock!

Dylan (aka my GrandDude) has been a wonderful part of our lives now for 358 days!  If you do the math, you know that he will be 1 YEAR old in just 7 days!  WOW!  I cannot believe he is almost a year old!  Time has just flown by.

He is so cute and charming!  He’s well on his way to walking and talking . . .  as his Daddy tells us here.  He is having his 1st birthday bash next weekend, and I can’t wait to see his face and his reaction to all the hulabaloo just for him.

Adam & Megan have done an awesome job teaching him about the world around him and words and sign language and music, and of course, computers

According to one of my biggest fans, my last post was, well, lacking.  So I apologize.

I’ve got doggie doo on my plate and can’t discuss it in a public forum (YAY) and well, that’s how I was feeling the other day.  Eh. Such is life.

Since I don’t want to mixe doggie doo with anything good, stay tuned for a much happier subject to be posted later today.

I hear a lot of songs that I can identify with these days.  Of course, they are Country music- what other form of music can tell a tale like Country can?

Right now I’m stuck on “Stand” by Rascal Flatts.  You should listen to it some time. (Even if you are not a Country Music fan)  The words are inspiring:

You feel like a candle in a hurricane
Just like a picture with a broken frame
Alone and helpless
Like you’ve lost your fight
But you’ll be alright, you’ll be alright

[Chorus]:  Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you’re made of
You might bend till you break
Cause its all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you’ve had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you Stand,

Then you stand

Life’s like a novel
With the end ripped out
The edge of a canyon
With only one way down
Take what you’re given before its gone
Start holding on, keep holding on

[Repeat Chorus]

Everytime you get up
And get back in the race
One more small piece of you
Starts to fall into place

See?  Inspiring.

I am in LOVE with FaceBook!  Yes, its true.  FaceBook has brought so much goodness to my life in the past couple months, I just canNOT believe it!!

Lets start with reconnecting with cousins I have not seen since we were little kids, in the 70’s…  WOW!  (I have a rather large, spread out family, and we’ve moved all over the place, all of us. . .)  When you are 11 you don’t necessarily consider how to keep track of cousins, aunts and uncles for the future… I believe my current tally of found relatives is up to 5 right now!  Its been so great to find them (or be found by them) and catch up on how all of our lives have gone.  Just amazing, and so wonderful! 

AND I was able to find some “long lost friends” too!  (Or they found me :) ) So far I have connected with my best friends from high school, from in the Air Force and from when I lived in Virginia Beach!  I LOVE FaceBook.

Okay.  So.  Mid October, my friend Janice (from the Air Force) came out to DC to work, and voila’ fit in a visit with me!  It was SO great to chat, chat, eat some very good food, and chat some more… there’s never enough time to catch up… but we tried, yes we did! I’m totally looking forward to her next visit…

Then!  The very next weekend, I was finally able to catch up with my friend Linda - from high school!  Again with the chatting non-stop!  And we ate at Chevy’s, a place I’ve heard so much about (Cammie :)  but never been to before (Yum! By the way!)  I think our “lunch” lasted about 4+ hours.  (and I forgot my camera… and my cellphone was having camera issues, so, um next time for sure!)  We have tho, already started working on another date that we can get together!  Linda lives pretty close by, so it will be great to visit more! 

But that’s not all!  This Saturday, I’ll be hanging out with my friend Michele from Va Beach!  She’s teaches at Granby high school and has won some awards and will be up in NoVa for that… and she’s fitting me into her visit too!  I can hardly wait!!

I have some rockin’ family and friends!

I’ve even managed a visit with Adam, Megan & Dylan recently- They are such good parents and Dylan is sooo charming!  Such a good boy!  Dylan will be one on “black Friday” this year. . . I’m eagerly awaiting his birthday bash!

Justin and I finally, (after 4 years of all talk and no action) spent a day in DC together… well, okay, we spent the day at the Library of Congress. . .  ooohing and ahhhhing about the architecture and the totally cool book collections!  We also went by the National Museum of Crime and Punishment.  That was pretty cool too.  We both love a good cop story!

So, Life has been pretty much a whirlwind for the past 6 months or so.  But it feels good, and I’m trying to enjoy the ride!

Has it really been that long?  Geez!

A lot has happened in my life since my last post.  If anyone follows me on Twitter or FaceBook, you probably already know pretty much everything going on. . . but here’s a quick recap:

First and foremost, I’m totally enjoying being a Gramma (spelled that way on purpose, by the way)!  Holy Cow the joy that boy brings to my life!  He’s so happy and sweet, such a sunny disposition!  He’s already got 6 teeth and has taken a few steps for his Mommy and Daddy!  Naturally, I just don’t see him enough (I don’t think all the time would be enough!). . .  Check out this link (look for the “Pumpkins” post and the “Dancin’” post. . . they are the most current, I think)

I also adopted a pound puppy!  I took a look at the Talbot County Humane Society Website one day in April and once I saw her silly face pop up, well, it was love at first sight!  Jared named her Miley.  She’s almost 2 years old now (Thanksgiving-ish) - according the the HS best guess.  She’s a bit neurotic, saddled with horrible separation anxiety, and indiscriminate bursts of unexplained hyperactivity, but we love her!  She’s is part lab and pug, so we are told.  When she smiles she drops her lower lip and her underbite shows and she knows she’s about adorable as they come!  (She especially likes to smile like this when she is in trouble!).  We’ve been to puppy school where she succeeded with flying colors. . . and I must reinforce every day!

August was bittersweet.  The first weekend brought my family together for an impromptu reunion “up on the mountain” as my dad would say (at Don & Irene’s house in PA), and boy, did we have fun. 

(I don’t have a picture of everyone yet, but Adam put one up on his blog here)It had been 9 years since we were all together, and the two days we had together went entirely too fast.  The third week of August, my brother Mike passed away.  It is both shocking and unsettling that this happened at such a young age (58).  So, as we all continue to mourn Mikes passing, I’m grateful that we have that first exciting weekend to remember him by.  Again, in September everyone traveled to Santa Rosa, CA for Mikes service.  Yet more bittersweet, because we got to all be together again, but in so much sadness as we told Mike goodbye. 

In September, I moved to Annapolis!  Yep.  Just didn’t realize how long that commute was until I made it shorter!!  I’m loving getting home an hour and a half earlier in the evenings and having more than an hour to hang out before trodging off to bed.  All together, its about a 3 hour per day shorter commute!  I even get to sleep an hour later than before!

I guess that’s about all I can fit in here.  I’ll be back tho.. . hopefully in less than 294 days!