There are No Rules

There's this one line in "Notting Hill" where Hugh Grant's voice-over is describing his quaint little town & somewhere along the lines uses the phrase "and suddenly it's the weekend." I particularly like how he pronounces wee-kend & often pronounce it this way in my head. I'm not sure how suddenly my weekends come, but soon enough it won't matter that much. I recently put my notice in at work & Friday, September 9 will be my last day in the office.

It's the start of a mini sabbatical, something I know a. isn't for everyone & b. not everyone can afford. I'm certainly thankful for this opportunity to take a step back, rest, re-calibrate, & think through what's next for me, my career, & my family. After working four years in a corporate office in the field of communications, I want to reassess if that's the best use my time, resources, skills, & energy moving forward.

Fortunately, the plan for the immediate future is very clear, complete with moving next door, getting our rental properties in order, & supporting Mr. Fleece through a busy study season. I'm thankful for the time to focus on these things & do them each well! I also plan to help friends out with their kids, volunteer, & do simple things I haven't had time for recently, like bake, garden, & go to the gym.

This decision may seem strange & a smidge bit rash, but overall, I'm feeling a lot like this:

Changing it up,

SJW

Life Wright Now | June & July

The biggest news for the summer is that Mr. Fleece & I purchased the duplex next door! We now own two duplexes, which we jokingly refer to as Mediterranean and Baltic (the cheapest properties you can purchase in Monopoly). It's been a bit of a whirlwind, & feels very surreal, but needless to say we are incredibly thankful for the finances & direction God has given us to pursue this opportunity. We'll be moving next door in the next month or so & are excited for the (slight) change of scenery & opportunity to de-clutter & rearrange. 

In other news, here's what I've been up to this summer. 

Watching

Eighty years ago one naturally gifted runner won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The movie "Race" tells the tale of Jesse Owens & how his story fit into a time period of racism & political unrest. It will definitely make you think. 

Drinking

Mr. Fleece & I have been hitting up La Marzocco to relax & reconnect on weekends. The coffee shop is adjacent to the new KEXP studio where they play reggae music every Saturday morning. The atmosphere is incredibly laid back & the cafechata (equal parts cold brew & house-made horchata) is my choice drink. 

Although I'm not a big beer drinker, I would also recommend Cloudburst Brewing. They are right around the corner from my work, just north of Pike Place Market. I like the industrial feel & would recommend the Market Fresh Saison Version 6: Peaches and Grains of Paradise.

Reading

I'm currently toting "Bringing up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting" by Pamela Druckerman to the pool & to the park. I'm fascinated by the different cultural thoughts around children & motherhood & in turn, our separate approaches to sleep training, eating, day care, etc. One of my favorite things is that French children are instructed to say Bonjour to every adult they encounter (especially when the adult is a guest in their home). This practice gives the child confidence & requires they show the same level of respect that's expected from their parents. 

Listening

I've also been hooked on podcasts by Jen Wilkin, a Bible study teacher from Flower Mound, TX. She is incredibly gifted in communicating the word of God, & uncovering connections in ways I wouldn't have seen for myself. I've been loving the teaching on Exodus, but would recommend starting with a one-off teaching session: #78 "Robe Your Minds for Action" if you're interested. 

Getting ready for the day,

SJW