You Owe Me Grace (and I owe you an update)

It’s been ages since I blogged, but I was scheduled to post on A Life Overseas today and it was a good reminder to update you “at home” here. So before I tell you what’s over on A Life Overseas, here’s what I’ve been up to in the last month.

In no particular order …

Watching Playschool, eating mandarins, and feeding chickens. My parents have been wonderful at helping care for Dominic, but I’ve still had plenty of time with the little man. We’ve discovered the kids show Playschool and also spent lots of time roaming around outside. We play in the sandpit, water the flowers, trek up the back to the chicken shed to collect eggs, and pick mandarins in the orchid. Both of us are loving the green grassy space here and the opportunities for more playdates with other mums and kids.

Consulting. I’m still working as a consultant helping develop training programs on stress and resilience for staff for a government agency in the States.

Working on Modern Love Long Distance. I’ve made a big (maybe crazy??) decision. Barring any more unexpected speed bumps (fingers crossed) I’m planning on launching this website on long distance relationships in mid-July!!! More details coming soon. 

Freelance editing. I was asked recently to edit several essays written by someone who doesn’t have long to live. It was a bit of a different editorial experience working with “legacy pieces” like these, and an honor.  

Writing speeches. I gave a keynote speech on “what home means” for 70 women at a dinner last weekend, which went well. I have several more speeches to give over the next couple of weeks – including one on post-natal anxiety for a group of mothers.

Wiping little man’s nose. Dominic’s had three colds in the last six weeks. It’s winter here and he’s not immune to any of the local bugs, so guess I shouldn’t be surprised. However, chasing him with a tissue and getting up multiple times a night to soothe a fretful sick kiddo aren’t my favorite parenting moments.

Talking to Mike on Skype. Mike’s in Vientiane now. The movers packed up our house in Luang Prabang last Friday and Mike flew South on Saturday. He’s continuing his new role in the headquarters office now as well as house hunting, looking for cars, etc. Lots and lots of logistics for him to deal with solo and we’ve definitely wished we could tackle some of these together – especially the house stuff. His back is continuing to heal and he’ll start seeing a physio regularly now that we’re based in a city that has one.

Struggling with vertigo and pregnancy aches and pains. A week after I got to Australia I was suddenly afflicted with severe vertigo. It took almost a week before I could look down or sideways without wanting to throw up (which is somewhat problematic when your main charge is only waist height). The worst of the vertigo started to clear after a week but it’s still not completely gone. The world still spins sometimes when I roll over in bed or sit up too fast. No fun. I’ve also been pretty tired. With so much to do it’s hard to step back and lie down during Dominic’s nap times, but some days I’ve had no choice – literally no energy to do anything other than collapse into bed for a while. Everything seems to be going OK on the pregnancy front though.

OK, not an especially lyrical or amusing update, but it gives you a sense of what’s been going on. If you want a bit more of a giggle you can jump on over to my piece today on A Life Overseas – You Owe Me Grace. This piece was written a couple of years ago about an unfortunate meeting of a golf cart and a gate, but it still makes me laugh and think.

Hope you’re all well. Thanks for reading, as always.
What have you been up to lately?