Run Its Course

When I first started this blog, it served these purposes for me:

(1) It was a vehicle for me to express my thoughts, in a format that required me to edit & polish a little more than I would a private journal

(2) It allowed me to find and develop my writing voice

(3) It forced me to step out of my comfort zone by opening my life to others - to strangers

(4) It was fun!

After nearly two years of this truly enjoyable endeavor, I'm ready to find a new outlet. In fact, I've already found it. Recently, my creative and intellectual reserves have been focused on starting a business that I plan to open in several months. Given the time requirements for my new business, I need to pare down my other pursuits. Except for my marriage, my family, and my home - which all ground me and provide the love and comfort I need to feel confident in pursuing my own interests - my other endeavors tend to run a rather short course.

In other words, when things get comfortable, I seek a new challenge.

Maybe I get bored with the status quo? Maybe I crave a little chaos in my life? I believe I need stability at my core, yet novelty in the way I express myself.

So I'm going to open this store in the fall, and with it will come a huge transition for our family, some chaos too, unpredictability, and excitement. In three years, when the store has jumped some hurdles and it's running predictably, I'll probably need a new excitement: so maybe I'll open a second, even a third location. Maybe I'll branch off into another niche, with an entirely new market. Maybe I'll write a book about my experiences. Something will come to me then. But for now, I just know that this is what I need to do.

So this will be my second-to-last posting. Thank you for reading and for being interested in the life of this stay-at-home mom of three in Cincinnati. Knowing that you're out there, reading my words, following along as I play this game of life, has meant more to me than you'll know.

And yes, I said second-to-last. I know some of you are curious about my new business, and I'd love to share the details with everyone! When the time is right, I will make one final post to spill the beans.

Thank you again for taking such a kind interest in this blog. I wish you all well as you continue in your own Game of Life!

Stuck

Occasionally I overthink something that really does not warrant the expense of so much energy and time. Then I get stuck. And it drives me crazy.

My husband and I are going to Cape Cod for a weekend getaway without the kids in a few months. The location was easy to decide, as we're piggy-backing off a business trip he has in Boston. And it was fairly easy to rule out particular hotels that didn't seem right for us. Finally, I narrowed it down to two bed-and-breakfasts that we both liked. But then I couldn't decide between them. I was stuck.

{You may have noticed the pronoun "I" used frequently here. That's because, although we work out what trips we're going to take together for the most part, I'm the one who plans the details. It works for us.}

When this happens, typically I just set aside my research and come back to it another time. During the intervening days or weeks, my brain stealthily works out all angles of the problem and when the time comes, I can make a decision easily.

But every time I pulled out my B&B research, I still couldn't decide. Then I'd put it away again. This really shouldn't have been such a big decision.

Last night I got out my research again. And I realized that the reason I couldn't decide is that these two B&Bs are just a block apart from one another, offer the same features, have nearly the same appearance, have received excellent reviews from Travelocity reviewers, and are in the same price range. So location, features, reputation, and price are not differentiating factors. Therefore, it really doesn't matter which one we choose, since we'll have virtually the same experience at either one.

Why don't I just save myself the brainpower and do eenie-meenie-miney-mo?

And now - Unstuck!

My Stupid Mouth

I can sympathize with John Mayer in "My Stupid Mouth": Sometimes I say the wrong thing at the wrong time or to the wrong person, resulting in my own humiliation as I try to explain that, no, that's not what I meant.

It's entirely unintentional. I'm not the type to "stir the pot" just to get people riled up. Some people think that's exhilarating, but it makes me anxious. I would never, ever, say purposefully something catty or unkind or misleading to hurt someone or cause chaos. And I generally don't like to draw attention to myself; negative attention would be a big no-no for me. So I certainly do not try to make these verbal faux pas. It's just that sometimes I forget to actually think before I speak.

At least twice in the last week I've stuck my foot in my mouth. Harmless stuff, all things considered, but oh-so-annoying. In one instance, a simple re-read of my e-mail message would have caught the mistake. Doh! {slaps forehead}

As I've mentioned in previous posts, through the years I have learned to laugh at myself. And I will. After I remove my foot from my mouth and use it to kick myself.