It’s been an interesting year so far, hasn’t it? Just a few things have happened since the year started.
- At least 50 people reportedly burned themselves trying to throw boiling water in the air during the Polar Vortex.
- The country ran out of Velveeta!
- It got so cold an escaped prisoner, Robert Vick from Kentucky, turned himself back into jail when the temperatures hit minus 20 and he was dressed in prison attire and decided it was just a bit too nippy for him.
- The Winter Olympics held in Sochi thrilled us even with a malfunctioning ring in the opening ceremonies. They outdid themselves at the closing ceremony by poking fun at the malfunction.
- Old Spice released what is undoubtedly one of the strangest and most disturbing commercials to date.
- My TarHeels lost out in March Madness. Sigh. There is always next year!
- Governor Chris Christie was blamed for causing a massive traffic jam.
- Ellen DeGeneres had the most retweeted selfie of all time on Twitter.
Image from Twitter
But without a doubt 2014 has been a year of changes. In my little corner of the world things started to change around the third week of January when my dear Mr. Diamond was “restructured” from his job. Effective immediately. Yep. It was a bit of a shocker.
The past months have been spent doing due diligence. Tweaking the resume, writing cover letters and making the connections. A lot of connections. The positives have been very positive. He has reconnected with a lot of folks that he had lost contact with and rekindled relationships and friendships. He has had the time to rest up from the incessant travel of 2013 and even had the opportunity to go fly fishing with a friend last weekend in a beautiful North Carolina setting.
I hesitated to write about it here and asked Chris if the timing was okay now and he said it was fine. I try to keep a positive tone on my blog and while this change in our lives is unexpected we have tried to turn it into a positive. We are spending more time together than we have been able to spend in years. We have been able to visit our families TOGETHER for more than a couple of hours at the holidays. We have explored the local places that we have not made time to explore. We have begun to work on that endless list of “to do” projects in anticipation that some day we will put the house here up for sale.
I am ready for the next big adventure. I am not sure where that will be. All I know is that we will do it together. I am very proud of how my husband has handled all of this along the way. He is thankful for the job that gave us flexibility to relocate to be with his dad and take care of his brother when we needed to. He is thankful for the people within the company who have gone out of their way to be here for him during this time. He is thankful for the chance to step back and have a little breathing room while he decides what the next leg of this journey will look like.
It’s a big world out there and the possibilities on the horizon look encouraging. While this was not part of our “plan” we are fine and know that we will be fine. If I have been a little distracted lately, not visited your blogs and commented as often as I used to this is the reason. Not because I love you less but because I am focusing on some other things at the moment.
Life is good and we are moving forward. We would love to have your prayers and good thoughts as we see what is ahead for us.
45 Comments
Leave a commentI didn’t know about that Kentucky prisoner haha. Best of luck to you on you next adventures!
The prisoner one made me laugh. 🙂 Thanks for the good wishes!
🙂
Good Luck to your husband in his search. What kind of work is he seeking? You never know who might read your blog that is seeking the right employee or knows someone who is.
Very true! He is an operations type guy with background in engineering. The jobs he is looking at now are COO, CEO or VP of Ops jobs or consulting. Some great things are on the horizon —I can feel it! Thanks for asking!
We think of you two and keep sending good thoughts your way during this job search process. You two make an awesome team!
Thanks, Jeni! We are on another journey!!! 🙂
You know I have been praying and will continue to pray. I am confident that God has this all figured out and will lead the two of you, together, to the place where you should be. Sometimes we just get a little impatient, right?
Anyway, Chris is one talented and personable guy, a great conversationalist, funny, and more. Wherever he ends up, that company will be blessed by his talents and presence.
Thanks so much, Audrey!!!! It has been a journey so far and we are ready for the next part. We appreciate the prayers more than you can imagine!
Good Luck!!!!
Thanks so much!!!
Beth Ann you have our prayers! You know you just never know what is going on in people’s lives. We have been dealing with issues since the first of the year. I know you two will be fine! The Old Spice commercial is beyond creepy! I had not seen it before today. OK! Sending prayers and positive thoughts. Hey maybe you will move to Missouri, it isn’t a bad place to move.. 😀 St. Louis is awesome!!!
Thank you, Pix. Sounds like you have had “stuff” going on, too. I hesitated to post this because I didn’t want people to feel sorry for us but since it is a real part of life right now I felt like the time was right. And I let Mr. Diamond have the final say if I hit publish. I appreciate the prayers and kind thoughts–and am ready for the next adventure.
I love you both and am praying for you! Looking forward to seeing how those prayers get answered!
Thanks, Virginia!!! I am excited to see where God is going to take us next.
When one door closes another one opens, the trick is to know which door is the right door for you. Best of luck to you both.
That is the problem so often! I am confident the right one will come along for him—keeping my fingers crossed for a warmer climate but I think I have proved I can live anywhere! 🙂 thanks for the good thoughts.
You’re welcome and best wishes.
Best wishes to Mr. Diamond on the next leg of his career! Perhaps it’s an option to trying working for himself?? Whatever he chooses, I’m sure, will be just the right place for him. And yes, I’ll be glad to say some prayers for a successful “landing”!!
We’re praying and thinking of you here! I don’t want you to leave, but understand that is a big possibility, and in the end I just want you two to be happy 🙂
Thanks so much, Val. There are several things in the beginning phases so it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out in the end. Really appreciate the prayers.
Velveeta? I don’t think I have had the pleasure. is that the cheese stuff?
Pray that God will go before you in all your decisions about the future — I am sure he has exciting and wonderful things in store for both of you!
You guess right—that horrible cheese substitute. 🙂 Thanks for the prayers—-we feel them, that is for sure!
Prayers going up. All the best on your the next phase of your journey. 🙂
Thanks so much!!! I truly appreciate it!
You’re welcome 🙂
Praying for y’all on this next adventure! One of my favourite quotes: “What really matters is what you do next.”
Thanks. Allison! I love that quote and it is true, isn’t it? I try not to live in the past and usually do pretty well with that but now I am ready to get along to the next adventure!!!
Beth Ann, It takes courage, faith and an acceptance of circumstances to press on. I have loved this blogging experience because when challenges came my/our way, I have tried to lean into them with a positive message which you did so wonderfully here. You went from the odd, to humor to something serious. [Without the blog…I hate to think I may have more easily become impatient or acquire a snarky tone.] This blog tests my barometer. Am I adhering to what I set out to do — write about my categories? Will folks recognize who is writing this post? Am I slipping or have I slipped in the way I write or comment? I must say you are riding a very balanced course and I admire your equanimity. You will be in our thoughts and prayers for transitioning into a new adventure, phase, chapter.
At a particularly difficult time, I remember sitting at wordpress and posting this. http://georgettesullins.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/what-is-class-i/ It’s not original but comes from Ann Landers. It may resonate with you. The following week after that, I managed to find my words and post an original piece. Just posting that cleared my mind to move to the next post and the next. Best wishes to you and Mr. D.
Re: The Old Spice commercial…goodness those advertising types are writing in a style I hardly recognize.
Thank you so much for your words. I am happy because I did manage to achieve in this post what I wanted to and you realized my transitions perfectly. Probably because you have also been there and struggled with writing that “perfect” post. Thank you for affirming what I was hoping to get across. 🙂 And for taking the time to tell me about it. I am clicking over to your link. I am sure it will be a good one and one that I can use right now. I appreciate your prayers—we feel them and are really not panicked or anything. Just ready for the next thing, I guess. Thanks again.
God has the perfect place for your husband. I hope he finds it soon.
Praying for you!
Thanks so much, Leslie!!!
Best of luck to you folks. Job searching can be hard (i know I work with job searchers everyday) but it sounds like Mr. Diamond is doing all the right things. The perfect job will show up. I am impressed that you look at this as another adventure, which it is. Thanks for sharing with us so we can send positive vibes your way.
(would you consider moving to Canada, it is busy in Alberta and they are always looking for good people)
Thanks, Darlene. I hesitated posting it but then what if one day I said “I’m moving” and no one knew the backstory? 🙂 This way you can all be keeping us in your prayers. We would move just about anywhere there was a good job and we love Canada!!! I never say never!
Um, that is an odd commercial. I had to stop it halfway because of the weird, creepy vibe. And I didn’t hear about the prisoner. He probably made the right choice.
Best of luck to both of you. You have each other and who knows what adventure is on the horizon.
Beth, you know I have been going through some of the same experiences here with Kelvin out of a job for so long, but I’m happy to report he did get a job late last week & he thinks he will really enjoy it once the training part is done. It will allow us to stop pinching pennies until they scream in protest, although we will still have to hold onto them as much as possible. Good luck to you & Chris in the re-structuring!
Oh I am so glad to hear that Kelvin got a job! I wondered how that situation was and it makes me so happy to hear that he found something that he is going to enjoy. Good for him. I know it was a long haul for him and you. I am thrilled to hear this news. And I know that there is something out there for Chris—-it just is not what we had expected at this time in our lives, you know?? But then you never know and you muddle through and do what you have to do. Give Kelvin my congrats!
I’ve really gotten behind! You haven’t mentioned trips to the airport like previously, I should have known something was up! Hope things are working out.
Things are progressing…slowly. It is going to take awhile but I know there is the right job out there for him. I get impatient. He has 3 at various stages in the works—all prayers appreciated!
God bless you both in the next part if your journey. We have been there a few times before and it is both exciting & scary at times. Thank goodness that God is in control & we shouldn’t worry about the amazing plans he has for us. It is all for God’s glory.
Thanks so much, Jennifer. We are waiting patiently and Chris has several good interviews coming up so we are hopeful that this will come to an end sooner rather than later. It is just not easy to be in your mid 50’s trying to find a job.
🙂
Thanks so much for sharing what is happening in your lives and your prayers will be answered in God’s time. He is never late, never early, always on time.
Thank you so much, Ann. We are taking it one day at a time. ANd yes—God’s timing is perfect.