The Little Things, As Always

The Little Things that Keep Me Smiling

My silly orange cat curling himself up between near my leg, letting me rest my arm on him as I type on my laptop. He purrs with contentment.

Joining a co-worker for a walk on a lazy Friday afternoon.

Cider, coffee cake and great conversation with Mama and Daddy after church last night.

Getting to see my favorite girls tomorrow. :Þ

A crazy, teenage dog who likes to run up to strangers with excitement and joy and, upon realizing he doesn't know them, begins to growl like a beast.

The relief on that dog's face when he returns to his people.

Friday nights at home with WG.

Feeling super-excited that WG's mom (AKA my my future mother-in-law) is coming to visit soon.

Dreaming of the yummy BBQ ribs my dad's making for Easter.

Praying for WG to find the right job -- praying that WG finds the right job to support our little family of two (well, three, counting the cat!).

Head Above Water

I'm 28, and it finally occurred to me that keeping my head above water isn't necessarily a euphemism for being completely stressed, it's a coping method. I can either wear myself out trying to accomplish everything, or I can, quite honestly, tread water until the tide passes.

Head above water.

I like it.

It means that the laundry gets done, but the in-depth house cleaning can wait.

It means that the check and contract get sent to the photographer, but the dedicated hours updating the wedding binder will wait.

Cool.

When The Economy Bites Me in the A**

WG doesn't have a job.

It's a long, stupid story that involves several levels of management, none of whom liked hearing, through the grapevine, that WG might be considering leaving before SEPTEMBER (in caps to accentuate the "stupid" angle of the story).

It's been two months since he left, and we're still waiting for that bright spot of a new job to appear. He's had one offer since January, but the pay was low and the commute long...we decided, together, that it was better for him to take a pass. Six weeks later, we're still waiting for the phone to ring.

Worst time ever to be out of work...dag.

And here I am, hoping to escape to brighter pastures at some point in the future, starting to worry that I might get "stuck."

But I know we're not the only near-married or newly married couple that's had this problem in the last couple of years, and I know that we'll get through it.

So we worry together, and we hope together, and we avoid the mall together.

Dang economy.