A new blog beginning

I've decided to create another blog.  This one is rather large and hard to load I'm told . . . . . .

You can find new blog posts at: http://lincolnandtinaemptynest.blogspot.com/.  Thanks for looking!

Ponderings

March 3rd marked one full year of working FULL-time for me.

I haven't worked full-time for over 30 years.

What a difference this year has made in my life!

9 1/2 hours a day at work (have to count the commute)

and those same hours a day away from home 

has changed my life in the following ways:

Most recently:

 NO SPRING BREAK.

Lincoln and I ALWAYS did something away from home for Spring Break.

Spring break gave me one thing this year:

Less traffic on the road during the commute.

Which I have to admit was nice.

It is the first time in YEARS that I haven't had a Spring break.

Okay, enough of that.

What I've gained this year:

Physical stamina

(wow those 8 hours a day were hard to get used to

In the beginning I was FrAzZLed after work)

Mental stamina

(learning new things every day for the first 6 months was tough!)

(again, FrAzZLed)

Tolerance

(before my work life, I spent many many hours each day alone. . .. .

 Having to spend time with PEOPLE 

every day, every minute, every second, was hard on this introvert)

TACT

(I always thought I had tact, but I've refined this tool.

Working with missionaries and volunteers and

co-workers constantly calls for a healthy helping 

of paying attention to what comes out of my mouth

and my fingers while e-mailing)

Think, tHiNk, THINK

(I didn't realize how much I leap to conclusions

leaping is something I try to limit in the extreme now!)

The art of the apology

(although I've never really had a hard time apologizing

I've honed this skill which is a direct result 

of what I learned in the "think, think, think" section above)

A day has 24 hours in it

(and only 9 1/2 of them are spent working)

(7 hours of that sleeping)

(giving you a whopping 7 1/2 hours to accomplish something 

other than holding the couch down

(although after working that is all I want to do))

I DO need downtime

(filling the entire above 7 1/2 hours would not

be wise, but filling 4 of them would be okay!)

It is still hard for me that I don't get a Spring break,

that I can't schedule a week cruise any time I want,

that I can't just go spend 2 weeks with my grandkids.

However, I knew this going into the job.

I don't have to like it though!

As I write this, I'm watching a robin build her nest

just outside my window. 

I'm thankful to have caught this moment in time 

and cherish watching her in this few hours I have at home!

Which brings out another thing I've learned:

Cherish home.

Amen.

DC or bust

Lincoln's Sister and her husband,

and Lincoln's brother and his wife,

came to DC in October for a visit.

What a wonderful, fun time we all had.

They crossed a LOT off of their list . . . . . 

and hit most of the iconic spots.

Enjoy!

 

The first few days - Evelyn

Justin clicked this picture.

Love it!

It was so nice to spend time with Halley 

and her family and

newborn Evelyn.

Evelyn had a tough beginning with jaundice.

She spent 14 hours a day for a few days in the light bed,

and had to go to the doctor almost every day

for tests.

Asher, helping decorate the tree.

A tough way to get out of a chair!!!

:)