Happy 2014! (Several months late...)

Happy 2014! I suppose it's never crossed my mind to post; the more interesting my life gets, the more I  forget to write...

7 Quick Takes:

1) I'm a godmother again! Welcome to the world, little Miss Ava Rose Gaunt! The godfather, my sweet friend Jacob, and I road-tripped over the mountains for the baptism. What a sweet, holy weekend that was! (Made all the sweeter when the Hawks qualified for the Super Bowl!)

2) I'm a bridesmaid for the first time! My sweet friend Emily is getting married in August! In honor of the wedding, most of us bridesmaids are on Run Keeper trying to get in shape; I haven't been running in a week, but I've worked my way back up to 5K again. Here's hoping for longer, more frequent runs; alas, the temptations for wine, bacon, and naps frequently distract me from my fitness goals...

3) St. Luke's: my job is going really well, but not without stress. It's a long story, but my partner has quit, and I am currently in charge of the whole music department. On the plus side, working with the 3rd-8th graders has been very affirming. I just started a new choir with the adults; between that and multiple kids signing up for voice lessons with "Miss Molly," I do feel very affirmed in my vocation as a music minister!

4) New digs: While I was in between jobs, I had to move back in with my parents. Not an excellent development, but I do feel quite safe here. But now that my partner has departed and i'm more than half-time, I may be able to negotiate my way into a 30-40 per week job. If I get that, i'll move back out just after Easter, and i;ll be a thoroughly modern woman again!

5) "Je ne parle pas francais": Since I've been speking Spanish for nigh a decade, I decided it's time to learn a third language. Ergo, I have purchased Rosetta Stone au francais; I plan to install it tomorrow and start learning!

6) 10k: If I can run 10K in time for Emily's wedding, I will consider myself accomplished!

7) I recently tweeted: ""What's this loose feeling in my shoulders?" "I think you're happy." "Oh, no wonder I'm confused." After almost a year of unemployment or underemployment, even though I'm only at 26 hours per week, my intuition truly tells me that this is where I belong. But even with the uncertainty, I love my job. i love my friends. Singlehood doesn't hurt as much as it used to. My family is feeling/recovering well. I may take an honest-to-God trip this year to Asia. I feel, for the first time in over a year, happy. That's worth a toast, and a big kiss.