So, I've been thinking... (oh no!)

  

    So, I've been thinking a lot about doing another blog lately, and well, doing more in general.  I have been pretty busy with working on this month's articles so I haven't had much time to meditate on subject matter for a blog post, but for just a minute I'd like to sit down and type about some things that are going on in my life right now.  (For those of you who don't know, I am a staff writer for The Current magazine, a local Entertainment/Events magazine in Northwest Arkansas.)  I had a lot of articles this month, which was great, but it's left my alone time full of work, so it's taken me until now to even think about blogging.
    Anyhow, I'd like to think that most of my blogs will have a sort of set subject matter, be it a project or philosophy, a book I like reading or whatever...but this one is just me, in the mood to ramble on a little bit about all the changes that are going on in my life at the moment.  Isn't change a wonderful thing?  Just when you think you've become an old maid and you have more gray hairs then you can count on all your fingers and toes and nothing will ever be exciting again...that's usually about the time things start to get interesting.  At least that's how it's always worked for me.
    So, those of you who know me know that I am married to a great guy and I have a beautiful daughter who keeps me on my toes.  For a while now, I've been nestled quite happily into the mommy/wife routine, with little daydreaming about the outside world.  But recently, I have sort of started to think about getting back out there.  I've always been busy.  I can't help it.  I am the kind of girl who always has ten things going on at once and rarely every finishes anything.  That's not a trait I'm bragging about, believe me and it's one I intend to change.  I suddenly realized that even though I was confining myself within these four walls, I still had a million projects going on; being a good mommy, gardening, baking, knitting, crochet, canning, painting, reading, eating, sleeping, writing, and on and on and on.  A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting somewhere talking to someone and having the most intellectually stimulating conversation I've had in a long time and it was like there was a chord struck inside of me.  My whole life, I have said I either wanted to be a teacher or a writer, or perhaps both.  I got married young, got divorced young, quit college just shy of being a junior and went on a soul searching path that led me to question my own intelligence and intuition.  Being hired to write for the magazine has surprisingly stimulated a part of me that hasn't been bothered in a while and has ultimately given me the drive and confidence I need to get back into school.  And now, after some inward perspective, I realize that I do absolutely have the ability to juggle several things at once and as long as I discard the excess and just focus on the three or four that are most important, I will be able to get something done for once.
    So yeah, woah.  I'm twenty-nine years old and last week I sent in my application for re-admission to the University of Arkansas.  They didn't get it until last Thursday and it takes 7 to 10 days to process...but who are we kidding?  I'm a shoe in.  :)  I have declared my major to be Editorial Journalism and plan to pursue a minor in Sustainability.  This won't be easy.  I already know that.  Juggling two curriculums while writing for the magazine and still managing to be a good mommy and wife, but I really, truly believe I can do it.  I'll have to study a lot, since there are a lot of math and science classes that come along with the sustainability minor, but that's ok.  I'm passionate about it, unlike general math or science that isn't applied to anything in class, so I think I'll be fine.  My husband works evenings now, so I can go to class in the mornings while he's home with my daughter, and I think he may have decided to go to school too.  I'm getting very excited.
    Another big change we have decided to make is to move out of our lovely house.  The house we live in now is amazing.  It's 104 years old and has been restored and is just really stunning.  We practically have three back yards and are centrally located downtown, one block from the library and fifty yards from the bike trail.  (The latter is especially important since we recently decided to sell our only vehicle, an SUV, and to use our bicycles as our soul source of transportation.)  Anyhow, I decided that if I am going to be able to shed all of my fifty-million, half-finished projects and focus on my daughter, husband, school and magazine then I am going to have to literally shed them.  We found an apartment that is even closer to everything than we are now that has been renovated for sustainability and is one block away from campus and one of my best friends.  It's also much closer to the grocery store where we shop which will make grocery shopping easier on a bicycle.  Our lease is up here in late October, and before then I plan to get rid of all my unnecessary possessions.  I want to rid myself of half finished projects, skeins of yarn that I will never make anything out of, books I will never read (or re-read), more dishes than it takes to feed 8 people, useless pieces of furniture and decor that weren't even really nice when I got them and certainly aren't now.  The new apartment will be smaller, with less distractions and less things to clean.  Plus, on top of that, it's about two hundred dollars cheaper than what we are paying now and way more energy efficient.  All these years, I've been collecting things and now I want nothing more than to let them go.  A few days ago, I ate dinner with 8 people from Kenya, in a one bedroom apartment, with random furniture, no t.v. and amazing African food.  It was one of the best dinner parties I have ever been too and there was nothing fancy about it other than the beautiful company and conversation.  It inspired me to prioritize even more so than I already have and to place importance on things of real value.  I want free, clean space and free, clean thoughts.  And that's what I'm going to have to achieve in order to pull this school/mom/wife/writer thing off.
    Other things are going on too, I guess.  I may be taking on more responsibility with the magazine in the spring, but I'm not sure about that yet since I will have just gotten back into school.  Also, about three months ago, my husband and I decided to let our sweetheart doggie Jack go out to live on a farm with some family since his barking was bothering the neighbors.  Yesterday we got a call saying that he had been eating their chickens and we could have him back if we wanted, otherwise they had planned to get rid of him the old fashion way.  He also had a new friend, a female dog they had been calling Jill.  We rescued Jack...and Jill from the bullet by taking them back in.  This doesn't fit into my relocation plan very well, but we won't be moving for a few months so I guess for now we can spend some time with these sweet dogs and just enjoy it.  I also have a meeting with the magazine staff tomorrow and I'm looking forward to that, since we hardly ever get to sit together in person and brainstorm.
    I guess that's really all I'm up for writing tonight, and sorry it seems so directionless.  I was just in the mood to ramble about something other than programs, ticket prices and show times.  If any of you are in the market for a sweet and lovable dog who, aside from a carnivorous taste for the blood of chickens, is damn near perfect, let me know.  But he's mine for at least a month.  We've got some snuggling to catch up on.