The Winds of Change

I just sat down at my computer and realized that I haven't turned the page on my daily calendar since November 7th -- and I haven't taken time to write to you since the end of October! Apparently the month of November was consumed as quickly as the bulging bag of candy my children brought home after Halloween.

The truth is, since I last posted, the winds of change have swept through my life and left me feeling a little a little dizzy -- a good dizzy -- but dizzy just the same.


For nearly two years, I had been working out of my home for a consulting firm. The nature of my work allowed me to have a very flexible schedule, and I often started my day just before 7AM, with a cup of coffee and an hour or two dedicated to maintaining my blogs. The flexibility was a gift -- but unfortunately the work that I was doing for the remainder of the day left me feeling somewhat unfulfilled.

Having spent most of my professional career working in higher ed advancement, I had grown very used to working amidst the energy of a college campus, building community among alumni, parents, students and friends of the college, and raising money to help provide the best possible college experience for students. In many cases, the money raised made a college experience possible for students who would otherwise have been unable to afford it. As silly as it may sound, knowing that I somehow played a part in making that experience happen, really helped me sleep well at night.

I was missing that feeling of personal reward from my consulting job. Lo and behold, at the end of October, the winds of good fortune blew my way, and I was invited to return to a college campus as the director of their annual giving program. Needless to say, I quickly tied up the loose ends of the consulting work I was doing, and started the month of November in my new role. I've been loving every minute of it, and feel blessed to be back on a college campus doing work that I love.

Unfortunately though, the time that used to be spent writing in the morning, is now time spent commuting. And by the time I get home at night, have dinner, and spend time with the family, I am hardly in the right frame of mind to start blogging. Needless to say, both 'Round the Kitchen Table and Today I Pray have been shamefully neglected during the month of November -- which is so sad when you consider all the joyful things we could/should be talking about right now -- like gratitude, family, holiday traditions, etc.

So this morning I just want you to know, that as the winds of change are blowing through my life, I haven't forgotten you -- in fact, I miss corresponding with you. There are a couple ideas that are rattling around my mind about how to manage the blogs going forward, so don't be surprised if you see some changes in the very near future.

Thanks for hanging in there while I figure it out -- and during this season of gratitude, I just want to thank you for joining me 'Round the Kitchen Table.

Feeling Guilty

OK --I'm feeling so guilty because I've been neglecting this blog, and my loyal readers. I am really hoping that I'll be able to get back into a better blogging routine next week because -- I MISS YOU!

The long and short of it, is that the past month has been extremely hectic. I've been busy developing a new service line for the consulting firm I work with. It's a whole new vertical for us -- and something very near and dear to my heart, so I'm really excited and busy with that. When I'm not in the office (which practically never happens between work and blogging), I've been enjoying this beautiful summer, working in the garden, and preparing for Amy's graduation party this weekend.






The fruits of our labor. Young plants -- hopefully will be more abundant next year.

I'm very excited (seriously) to spend all day in the kitchen tomorrow, cooking and baking. Not quite as excited about the cleaning that still needs to be done...but hopefully we'll have a good day on Saturday and we can be outside (and away from the dust bunnies). Right now the weather looks a little iffy -- so if you could, please say a prayer that it's a sunny and beautiful!

So Much to Celebrate

There's been so much fun stuff happening lately that I'm not sure where to start. I guess I'll just jump right in!

#1. The Good Life's Got a New Name

I decided yesterday to change the name of my blog to 'Round the Kitchen Table -- hence the new banner on the site, the new title in the feed, etc. You may be wondering why? (and that is a good question). The main reason I did it is actually #2 on my "so much to celebrate" list, so I'll just get right to it.

#2. My blog was officially accepted into the "Foodie BlogRoll" -- hence the new widget on my webpage -- and the desire for a new "kitchen-related" name. In my opinion, so many of the things that make for "the good life" happen around the kitchen table -- so it seemed to make sense. Anyhow, back to the Foodie BlogRoll -- since a good portion of my posts are food-related, I thought it made sense to try to be included in this list as a way to bring more readers 'round the table (pun intended). This means that my blog will be showing up anywhere other "Foodies" are posting -- and you'll have a chance to be introduced to some amazing foodie bloggers by visiting their sites as well. I'm pretty excited about it! Thank you FoodBuzz for liking my site!

#3. Kris Allen is still on American Idol!!!

OK, I know this isn't happening to me, personally, but I'm so happy that he's going on a hometown journey. I know there are a zillion Adam fans out there -- and I'll admit he's got talent, but he's not my style (I grew up worshipping the mellow sounds of James Taylor). I've been a fan of the underdog since Elliott Yamin - and this year Kris is my numero uno.

#4. The SUN came out today!!!
If you live in the northeast, I know you know what I'm talking about. There has been so much rain and so many clouds lately that I think the whole family was starting to suffer from mold allergies.

#5. POPPIES!!

Since the sun was out today, I decided to poke around in the yard a little today to see just how much the grass (and weeds) had grown with all the rain. Bad news -- I've got a terrific crop of dandelions growing this year. Good news -- the flowers are blooming just the same! Three gorgeous poppies burst forth this morning -- and there are at least 50 more that are getting ready to go within the next week or so. Let's hope the rain is finished for awhile so these delicate gems can be enjoyed in all their glory. Here's a few random shots from around the yard.

So that's my good news for today. Thanks for sticking around!

See ya 'Round the Kitchen Table!