Just crossed my mind is all.

I have now been working from home for two and a half years, which is unbelievable to me. Just like with all “jobs” I have had to pay my dues, but I’m in a good client right now with plenty of opportunity and I enjoy the work. There have been some recent changes which will bring some welcome adjustments to how I do my work. I’m looking forward to the change! Since I am a self employed person under contract, I do get to set my own hours, I do get to work remotely and every day is casual Friday. Some more casual than others.

Some drawbacks. I have to set aside money for taxes. I also try to set aside money to pay myself vacation days, holidays, sick days. If my electricity goes out, I’m done for. If I have an equipment failure, its all on me.

Twice in the last year, my mail person has come into my driveway to drop off a box, which in itself is shocking since my old mail person would never come down the driveway. On both those occasions, it was my super casual day. In other words, I was in my jammies and slightly embarrassed. It was probably two in the afternoon. My mail person is someone I have known for quite a while. She said “Girl, if I could drive this truck in my jammies I would!”

And seriously, who wouldn’t?

Storytelling

So we’re done stomping around in my memories. I hope my flashbacks have perhaps encouraged you to think about your history. Share it with your kids. A few weeks ago one of my children said she was going to print out my entries so she could keep them. When we go through family pictures it will help give her a frame of reference. Unlike looking through my husband’s family pictures, where we live on the same piece of property he lived on as a child. There again, not saying one is better than another. Just different.

I’ve been really inspired lately by people who spin a good yarn. Tell a good tale. I’d like to be a story teller. I wish I could make stuff up from beginning to end. Oh, I have made up plenty of things but I sometimes wish I could write a book or at least a really good “novelette” or feature. It must have been really exciting back in the day to sit around a radio and listen for the story to start. Or around a campfire, horses and cattle settled down for the evening. I’ve had some great conversations around a fire. I’ve also had some really good silences around a fire.

We had a bonfire at our home a couple weeks ago. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing and was actually proposed by a family member. He had some wood scraps left from a home project and asked if he could bring it out to burn. Next, he wondered about a gathering around the fire and a get together was formed. As it turns out, it was a small, enjoyable crowd. The fire was hot, and crackly and reflecting off the water as the moon and stars came out. There were boisterous party noises across the lake and an occasional motor could be heard as boats returned to their slips and docks, or perhaps a late night cruise. One boat was on the hunt for frogs and we observed as it trolled along the shore, it’s search slow and near silent. We found ourselves whispering as it passed. The evening served as a reverent acknowledgement of the birth of a new boy. There were cigars and microbrews, a lovely, mild evening, plenty of dark and an interesting mix of folks. It was good...and life is.