Women's Night

I am planning a Women's Night this upcoming Friday. I just moved to the Virginia area and I am a total New Yorker. While here, I have made friends with other women just by going to the bus stop in our little community, to send off and pick up our children. I have also met wives and mothers from the incredible PTA that exists for the children's new top notch school.

It was so needed to bond with other women especially during the transitional phase. Around here, new people move in and out from all over the world. You are a veteran if you have lived here more than 6 months. We found a young lady who has been living here for 2 years and it was the talk of the community.

I have been invited to tea, shopping at T.J. Maxx, Kohls (where I have never shopped before), attending business seminars, eating at nice restaurants, having play dates with the children, given leads to jobs that were hiring in my field, etc. They have been great. So that's why I decided to have a dinner to thank all of them for being so welcoming when I first came. I added a few new people as well just to pay the forward and help them to feel as welcomed as I did.

I am planning a nice spread of delectables. I have two great games to share. They are so much fun and I will make some time for us to go deep and talk as women. I will give a short thank you speech and close out with a nice gift for coming. It will probably be an hour and a half of laughing and getting to know each other. One of my friends will be leaving. She is from Australia and moving to Utah as her husband will be relocating for work. I will miss her a bunch.

I love spending time with other women. There is just something very special about it. It's rear that we as women have such a venue so I was excited about creating this opportunity. I'll definitely have a follow up post to let you know how everything goes. If you are thinking about doing something similar, please do so. It is so needed and very inspiring. I'm anxious that everything turns out well but excited at all the confirmations. Stay tuned....

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For the Love of Skype!

For the Love of Skype!

Although my field is mental health, I had an opportunity to work as an Administrative Assistant which I thought would be the death of me. I am used to running around and in positions where I am running my own program. So as many Americans have experienced, "I need a job" and what you did before or what you attain to, must sometimes be derailed. Good thing as I learned skills I would have never learned if I hadn't been laid off. I was surprised to even love my supervisor who is extremely hard line. Anyway, I was working in a computer department of a college. I became pretty savvy with the whole programs, brands, companies and technology of the future. So this was four years of keeping that place on a tight reign. I'm so surprised that now no one will hire me in this position, as I was sooo good at my job. I surprised myself.

One of the things I discovered was all those in supervisory positions were Skyping. My husband is a brilliant man in the same field and one day came home with a Skype account. I was not technologically hungry to use it. It was nice just having it and being in the "upper techy crowd". He Skyped the way you would with the phone and at that time he did not know many users outside his work relationships. After he got me an account he set up an account for his family members. Even his mother was Skyping! So we started talking through Skype more regularly and he made mine automated (it pops up automatically, I do not need to log in or click buttons). This brings me to the point of my post. My husband went away on a three day consultation with a company in Virginia Beach. We are not away from each other that long, that often. "On his way out the door he said don't worry, I'll Skpe you". I said, "Oh yeah", with a smile of relief. Sure enough he Skyped me. We spoke often. He even gave me a tour of the hotel and beach. It was nice. The children were able to say goodnight each night and tell them about their day. My husband is back and I had his favorite meal ready when he came home.

Now I love Skype. I saw it's necessity in my life. The reason for all technology. I remember seeing visual communication on old sci-fi movies, who would have thought it would be here today at our disposal. Maybe one day blogs will go Skype. Wait that probably already exists-"Ahh for the love of Skype!"

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I can see my nose!

I know you all know the saying. I can see my feet! Which of course insinuates that you have loss weight. Well this is a marker for me that I have truly loss weight, before I even get to the scale. Strange maybe, but let me explain. I have small almond size eyes, medium thick lips and a nose I just simply love, given to me by my mother.

My nose has a small bridge and is pointed round, but altogether small. On a whole my face is round. This is the worst for me because any weight gain causes me to look like a balloon. This is my sincere blame: I now have two kids. Yet "everywhere else on me is livable". So the title of this post is my scale. When I notice how thin and pointed my nose is, I realize that I loss weight as my cheeks which has lessen to uncamouflage my nose. In short the illusion of my checks makes me look bigger than I really am. Once they decrease in size all of a sudden I discover my wonderful nose.

So it's a nice little gauge. I think I prefer bottom cheeks filling up more, but of course, the grass is always greener. Isn't it?

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Looking ahead to MMXI (2011)

Happy New Year Everyone. I have been reminiscing on 2010 and realizing how much I was working although I was not working (employed). I don't know where to start. Last time this year I was coming back from oversees as we went abroad for the holidays. The boys really enjoyed being in nature and they came back more grateful than when they left. My husband and I were happy to visit family, especially his mother whom I love so dearly.

I can't begin to write out all the things I did this year, so I will sum them up.

• Traveled abroad on a three week vacation.
• Celebrated my husband and younger son's birthday.
• Found and apartment to move to in VA
• Resigned from a job that grew on me while looking for work in VA.
• Transferred the children's school to relocate in VA.
• Built new relationships in VA.
• Found the sister church to the one I was going to in NY.
• Master's Degree finally came in the Mail.
• Apply for licensure in VA and DC
  
• Decided to keep up both blogs as I also have a blog on Humanitarian Giving.
• Started volunteering at my children's new school since I have free time.
• Looked for work as though I was working a full time job.
• Started a non-profit.
• Focused on my marriage. Putting in the love needed especially during the transition.
• Reaching out to family members I love but rarely get to encourage.
• Husband and I volunteer with children, tutoring on the weekends.
  
• Assisting with homework for my older son. (Forgot how much I hate math).
  
• Two separate visits to the emergency room for both sons. (One choked on a meat sandwich the other other tripped over his brother's bookbag and hurt himself. Thank God they are both doing well).
  

It's been a very busy year for our household. Now I hope this year will be more stable work-wise as I have a lot to say about this topic in upcoming weeks.

May your MMXI be a Healthy, Prosperous and Joyful year!

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