De-Lerious

It's been a while, blog.

Things have been extraordinarily excellent pretty much from the moment I quit NMH. Which was just two and a half months ago, but might as well be another lifetime.

My brother was married in June. The wedding was beautiful and I felt so astounded by how much he's grown and he amount of love he has in his life. It's a nice feeling. I also spent a week in Ohio with my family the week before the wedding (the longest I've been there in 5 years). It was good to just spend time together without feeling rushed.

I've been spending my summer bicycling around the city, studying for my prereq classes in coffee shops, and wandering around farmers markets. I feel very free and also serene for the first time in quite a long time. I hope it lasts. I've been eating healthier, exercising more frequently, and have been able to take real time for myself. All this well being has also led to a weight loss of 11 pounds in a little over a month.

Other things... We spent more time in ohio this weekend to see Dan's family. It was very relaxing and full of lots of long talks on the porch until well after midnight, visits from Xander and Cole, dog hugs, and swimming. A great way to spend the 4th. And always reassuring to spend so much time with my in-laws and to come back to Chicago wishing for a little more time.

I'm teaching puppetry this summer. Two weeks in (after two years away) and it immediately feels like being home again. The kids are very focused and are turning out very interesting work. It's getting me excited for classes this fall.

Tonight we sat on the porch at Ryan and Yo's place until well after dark. There was a great breeze, I drank ice tea and ate cold watermelon. We talked about life and family and the babies. And eventually Melissa and Bea showed up and I was sort of struck by how lovely all of their friends are and how deeply we've become a family of choice in the last year. It's neat. And Bea is a delight. She made a lot of memorable two and a half year old declarations.

Anyway. Life is good. I am in a really healthy place physically, mentally, and emotionally. I hope I can maintain this, because it is a great place to be.