Remember when I was unemployed? Remember? It wasn't that long ago. Life sure was different back then. Back then, I spent all my time complaining about not having a job, not having enough to do. Back then, all those weeks ago, I had all sorts of leisurely time on my hands to do artistic and creative things - like write this blog daily. Remember those days, people?
Well, those days are most definitely over. Between teaching, planning for lessons, correcting papers, trying to get to the gym 5 times a week, keeping a house clean, attending my weekly Weight Watchers meetings and, oh, ya, trying not to eat the entire fridge in one sitting the week the Snick-dude was flat off his feet with surgery looming...well, suffice it to say, "real" life has gotten in the way of my artistic life the last couple of months.
And so. And so some things got put on the back-burner...like writing this blog. It's not that I didn't want to write or that I didn't have anything to say. Far from it! I get lots of bloggy inspiration coming at me from every facet of my little world here on the island. It's just that now, as a full-time employee I am suffering the fates of everyone else out there that has a job...lack of lazing around time. Do not mistake this for complaining. I'm not. I love my job. I hope my job gets extended well into the future, on an indefinite basis. I love the pay-cheque and what it's doing to our savings account. I love being busy. I love interacting with other adults every day. I love it, love it, love it. I'm just saying, going back to a schedule that involves making choices of how I spend my time is something new to me. It's amazing how in only 2 years of unemployment you can forget how to multi-task!
Other things got moved so far off the burner they're off the stove entirely and I'm sorry to say won't make it back on any time before the holidays get here. And so.
And so, here we are. Five days before Christmas and I have sent narry a holiday greeting. I tried. I thought about it way back in July. I took one of my photographs from last winter and I spent hours and hours designing a card for the holidays. It was beautiful (if I do say so myself)...all red and Christmass-y, with a stunning winter island-scape of a babbling brook just around the corner from our house taken on a brilliant day last March. It had a classic silver holiday tree on the inside and a lovely inscription from Buzz and me. I was so far ahead of the game, I was a little bit smug in my "I so have this Christmas thing figured out this year!" kind of way. I even put it in my calendar for the beginning of November to send to the printers.
But. November came and my contract started. November came and my dog got injured. November came and my beastly boy had surgery. November came and I became a teacher and a nurse all at the same time. And then yesterday I woke up and it was December 19th.
So here we are. Christmas cards are pouring into our mailbox and I haven't so much as licked a stamp. If you've sent us a card this year, but haven't gotten one in return, please don't take it personally. We wanted to send cards. And for those of you who haven't sent us a card this year? Well, we understand. Life gets in the way.
I wanted to attach the digital image of the card I created, but those damn developers at Apple are wise to that trick and won't let me save the card in any format other then their "ready to print and no you can't have it to email or post electronically" file. The Grinch is alive and well and sitting at a MacIntosh somewhere in the Pacific NW.
So, this is the best I could do. It's the same image I took last March, but the card design is nowhere near as beautiful as the one you would have received if I had my act together last month. So, from our house to yours, happy holidays and here's to getting back on the ball next year!
