Everything is Awesome

It kind of is, but mostly I just have that song running through my head. I never watch kids' movies, but I did watch that one with my granddaughters and really enjoyed it. The song is fantastic too, and I am kind of at a point where almost everything awesome. I may have said here before that my "mid-decade years" tend to be my best years; maybe that's true only because I believe it. Here I am, sliding fast into fifty-five, and I feel great. Stressed sometimes, it's true, and achy a lot, but overall great. I was thinking: six months ago I didn't know where, when or if I would have steady work. Now I'm employed at two different institutions and both have said they want me to come back for the spring semester. I'm pretty sure I'll teach on base next summer. That all means I know I will have regular income for at least the next year. Going back to the six-months-ago timeframe, I didn't have much to do, or I just wasn't doing much. Now I have two friends I get together with on a regular basis and whose company I enjoy. I also wasn't working out before; since just after the beginning of this month, I've worked out vigorously every day (with two exceptions). Those are all fantastic things.

My friend/helper came back over today and we painted my dining room. (I continued after she left, but I was mostly pulling up the remaining flooring and baseboard.) Here is a picture. I still need to hang my mirror back up, and obviously it will look better when I get the new floor down. Overall, I'm quite pleased. The color is a little darker than it looks in the picture. (The light spots are where the sun is hitting it.) I ordered my cabinets today, so after three months of nothing happening with all this, suddenly I'm in a big hurry to get the painting done so the tile can be laid before the cabinets arrive. Finally it is becoming a joy instead of a chore, and there is an end in sight -- a beautiful end.

If I chose to, I could focus on less-pleasant things, but I choose not to. I survived the first week of classes, one friend helped me get things done around the house and another came over and made me a delicious dinner last night. (I'm enjoying the leftovers tonight.) My son and his girlfriend are bringing their little dog over to spend the night, and they will be blown away by the amount of work I -- along with my friend -- accomplished in just two days. I'll post more pictures as it all comes together.