What I'll miss.

I'm staring down the end of my time as a New Yorker (at least for now; never say never!), and it is so bittersweet. I'm going to miss the great community of friends I have here, no doubt about it. It's been a good time!

 Other things I'll miss:

Charlotte exploring a snowy field. Not yet mud season, but the snow wasn't too deep.

 Snowshoeing with a sleepy kiddo on my back.

 Comically misshapen Christmas trees, full of charm, and found at a friends' house.

The view from our driveway.

I will not miss these thermometer readings, however.

On letting go

I've realized that it's different, trying to deal with day-to-day stuff, parent, and take care of myself without a partner in the house. Not impossible by any means, but certainly different. And so my approach to things has changed a bit, too. I'm finding, though, that I feel better about making choices that generally align with what I consider to be my core values: wholesome foods, imaginative play, plenty of outside time. Sometimes, I simply haven't got the energy to make those the priority, and that's ok too. Boxed mac n cheese eaten in front of an episode of Curious George is not going to kill my child. Ultimately, she is fed, clean, and loved, and isn't that what really counts?

It's sometimes hard for me to let go of the notion that I have to be, if not perfect, then close. It's funny because I never thought I was a perfectionist... evidently I was wrong.

2014 is shaping up to be a year of change and acceptance. I find myself thinking of the serenity prayer often, and its importance in the 12-step world aside, I think it's a really lovely, peaceful mantra to invoke in times of need.

Not a lot to this week's post, as I've got about fifteen different irons in three different fires, but I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten you.

Moving on up

We're leaving.

Our house, my garden, our village, our jobs, Charlotte's daycare, (most of) our friends, our state, even our geographical region.

I'm 90% excited, 5% terrified, and 5% neutral. That 5% terror, though, is hiding, and it only pops out in the darkness. Come daytime, excitement rules.

So, let's back up a minute and I'll explain how we got here: Matt accepted a very exciting job offer in North Carolina back in November, and he moved down in early December. He's got a small apartment and is planning on spending a week back here every 4-6 weeks until we can get the house sold.

We needed some sort of change, no doubt, and this definitely qualifies as a change.

Other changes:
Charlotte talks, a lot.

Things that remain the same:
I'm running.
I'm dreaming about gardening (even though I know this will have to be a year of rest in that arena).
I'm active on Instagram: http://instagram.com/joie_12

Stay tuned! Mellow Your Soul is getting a makeover and a little more pep in its step this year. Everything else is changing, why shouldn't the blog?