so much for sleeping

 

i really shouldn’t be complaining.  with the unspoken acknowledgement of my lovely husband and partner, i eased up on working my proverbial ass off for a lot of this fall.  we were coming into the middle to near-end of our kitchen renovation (which, oh the irony, has not ended yet – just how DO you get the contractor to finish off the last bits and pieces?) and we were the very happy recipients of 4 major sets of visitors from late october through new years.  i was in heaven.  lists upon lists of menus and recipes and grocery needs and lots of time to think about how i wanted the kitchen to feel – i think one drawer’s contents was moved at least 4 times before it founds it’s purposeful home.  the existing work resolved itself (successfully, thank you) and i kept myself busy testing the new exhaust hood with copious amounts of roasted chicken, 7 1/2 hour slow cooked pork shoulder with salsa verde, at least 5 repeats of my wonderful kale salad with celery root and parmesan and even threw myself into a few weeks of baking (baking!  me?!) nutty berried versions of zucchini bread and zucchini-banana bread and even green-tomato bread.  it was all gobbled up and our little brooklyn house resounded with people in every conceivable corner and with lots of laughter and music. 

turns out, i was reminded gently that it would be a good idea to get back to work – school costs, college in 2 years and lots of bills require it.  eek. so slowly, i find my way back.  i was blessed to have a young couple show up in my email box referred by past-buyers and tho they have a small budget, they are so sweet and nice that it is the perfect re-entry to a new season of real estate.  and, like these things do, within days a few phone calls come in and i’m scheduled for a few property pitches and plotting how and when to get a great temporarily-off-the-market property back on the market in spite of the snow-that-never-ends. 

but now, i’m waking up every night – twice a night.  worrying, planning, trying to figure out how to remember the lists and the to-do’s and the how’s.  i shouldn’t complain.  but i’m starting to be sleep-deprived.  so i am.

wishing forward past the what if’s

popping in briefly to wish all a happy and healthy new decade ahead.  trying to get back into the routine of early (for me) risings with more purposeful doing and less puddling about.  i really feel that the last few months were this wonderful rolling party at our house …with friends and family coming together numerous times for tons and tons of food – all happily cooked in the renovated kitchen – no fights and no food disasters! success.

as always at this time of year, we have to make decisions regarding our health insurance.  each policy has gone up again (what else) and it’s a maddening labyrinth trying to work out the details about what if the worst happens …i don’t like revisiting what if but need to put my head together with my wonderful husband’s thoughts — and since he’s doing 90% of the work figuring it all out, i feel that i cannot indulge myself too much and need to step up to the responsibility plate.   i wish i were planning some fabulous trip.  maybe that’s the ‘what if’ i’ll focus on!