I cannot believe that I have not posted anything since my birthday in February.
A whole 10 months ago.
And I feel bad about that. So much has happened this year. Why, if I would have just posted once a week, I could've had a better record of my year.
For there is no reason to post daily, because no one reads blogs anymore. And of course, it is best to go along with whatever the crowd is doing.
Me... I am not part of the crowd. Never have been, never will be. I think I recognized that a few years ago. Especially not a part of any internet crews. And that is fine. I don't have a problem with that. I am a strange chick, lol.
But, the issue is, this blog has been a good record of the going-ons in my life. Just today, while discussing a blanket with a former coworker (hint: "former" is an interesting word here... hmm), I was able to just come on this blog and pull some photos for her. I pulled them in under a minute... Why? Because I could search the whole LadyLee blog... some 17-18 years in length... and pull pictures. That is why it is so important to keep and not delete. And I should've been thinking about that all year long. And I regret not posting something once a week. Just that much stuff goes on. I have just that many pictures and stories.
So I like to just do a freestyle stream-of-consciousness post of what is on my mind this last day of the year in 2023.
One really important and huge turning point in my life was that I started a new job in April of this year.
I was comfortable at my old job. It was a comfortable job. There is nothing like going to work day after day on a government job, and I can depend on that pay check. I make three times the salary I made when I first started there close to 22 years ago. I was comfortable.
The new job isn't a huge change. It is still a government job in the same department, but it is a reassignment. My headquarters is up in Maryland somewhere. My supervisor is up there, too. I am a full time remote worker now. This was not a hard transition, as I'd been working from home for all of covid. I had to transform a bedroom I don't use (except for storage), to an office. That was interesting.
This new job is a writing job. And I do a TON of reading. Not the nice fiction reading I like, but hardcore scientific reading. I thought my dream was to have such a job, but lawd have mercy, it is all more difficult than I could ever imagine. But my supervisor says I am doing a good job. That was good to hear.
The most challenging part of this is working from home, and just having to pretty much having to police myself. I work on being really honest with myself, and evaluating and critiquing my day. I told someone that 4 out of 5 days of my workweek are pretty good. But that ONE day... is just an off day. I may not get as much accomplished as I like. Someone may call and I may yack on the phone. I may want to stop and watch something on television. I may wake up late. Any little thing like that will throw me off.
I tell you there is one thing I really like to do... when there is a staff meeting, and I don't have to worry about participating and just listening, It is a joy for whoever is in charge of the meeting say...
"We are waiting for 300 people to log on to this meeting, then we can get started..."
That means cameras and microphones are off. And I use that time to work on some simple project, like cleaning out the refrigerator, or cleaning out my spice cabinet. Or even folding a load of laundry. I can clean up the kitchen. Anything like that. Those meetings are usually an hour long.
Of course I have a pen and pad nearby, just in case I need to scratch out a few notes and shoot an email to another employee later about the matter. But as far as I am concerned, that time is for home projects.
There has been a time or two where I will take my laptop across the hall to my spare bedroom and lay across the bed and listen to a meeting.
But I think I do good overall. I want to get it down to one slow day for every ten days. I will get down to that. But for now, I meet all my deadlines. I have a meeting with my supervisor every 2 weeks. That is a good 30 minute talk. And I am working harder to just hold myself accountable. It is just too doggone easy to goof off.
I think the hardest part for me is that I miss my old coworkers. I don't think I realized how important it is to SEE people and talk to them. I don't think it bothered me too much during the pandemic, but it bothers me now because I am home alone AND I am looking and talking to people on the computer who I do not know. You gotta realize, I had been at my old workplace for over twenty years. I made friends there. I was familiar with my coworkers and they were familiar with me. So this is something that I have just had to cope with. Do I want to go back to my old job? Heck no. I just want to adjust to the changes.
I find I do best from a mental standpoint when I am intentional about getting out of the house at least twice during the week and at least once on the weekends. I have to see and interact with people. This don't feel too important because I am a loner, but I appreciate my friends, and people in general even more.
When major turns in my life occur, I think about what happened spiritually to lead to it. I had not been praying for a new job but I clearly remember praying about my career in general.
"Lord, I need to think about my career and how I want to land my plane, end my career..."
And in January, one of my coworkers sent me a job announcement, asking if she should apply for it. I said, sure, sounds good. Do you mind if I apply for it too? She said sure. And I did.
We both got the job. Along with another person in my group.
So you know me... I got to wondering how this happen. I remember asking my coworker what she'd been praying about. Because I wasn't praying about it.
"Did God do a 2 for 1 special? Can that happen?"
Of course he can. And then again, there was no formula for these types of things.
"I just be tryna figure stuff out."
(I know I got on her last nerve).
It was just one of those "And suddenlys" in my life. I wasn't really happy in my old position at all. And I had purposed in 2022 to apply for at least a position per year, as a way to just keep my CV/resume current. I tend to try to wrap my finite logic mind around things, and there is no need to do that. Count those good things as blessings, and as the start of new chapters in my life.
So I have spent this time just working to get adjusted. For some odd reason, this caused me to lose interest in things that I like to do, like writing and crocheting. This was the first year that I didn't crochet that much. I think I made 3 adult blankets and one baby blanket. That is a little short of my usual. And I didn't write much at all this year... maybe two short stories. I think two stories were published, but I haven't even kept up with that like I should. Ugh.
So...
2024 is going to be a year of getting back to doing more of what I like to do, in the midst of adjusting to my new work position. I turn 54 this year, and I am looking forward to that. My motto for 2024 is
Be Intentional... On Purpose
I will be intentional concerning my prayers and goals. I will be intentional concerning my family and friends. I will just be intentional... on purpose.
Leaving 2023 behind, but carrying the lessons learned into a New Year.
I can't wait to see what the year 2024 brings.
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