It has been nearly a month since I left for my adventure.  During that month, there have been a few challenges, but mostly I have come to realize I am never too old to learn new things.

I have learned how to clean house again.  I admit, I have been quite spoiled over the past two and a half decades.  When I was pregnant with my youngest son, Ryan, I decided to get help with the housework, even if I had to eat oatmeal twice a week for dinner to pay for it.  So until I moved here, I had house cleaners take care of the weekly or bi-weekly chores.  The only reason I even owned a vacuum was because once, many years ago, our friends from England, Lynne and Steve, were staying with us and Lynne casually asked what kind of ‘hoover’ I owned (the British word for vacuum, like we say Kleenex for tissue) and I was embarrassed that I didn’t even own one.  Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and my friend Judy pulled it out to help out, and it took both of us to figure out how to turn the thing on!  I’ve also learned that you can’t clean bathroom mirrors with the same product you clean toilets.  

I’ve learned that I really like living in a small space.  While I still have this sense that I am staying in a nice hotel suite, it has been so nice to be able to get out of bed, go to the bathroom, then to the living room sofa all in about ten steps.  The bedroom in Roswell was–as my two and a half year old friend, Ellaree, says–humongous!  It took about thirty steps just to get from my side of the bed to the toilet.  Then the trek downstairs.  Yep, loving this smaller space for sure!

I’ve learned how to walk two dogs.  Easier said than done.  In Roswell, since I had the doggy door for their bathroom needs, I would walk them on a split leash, with me holding just one leash with two short ones splitting at the bottom, so they walked closely side by side.  Now, I put them on two separate, 16 foot, retractable leashes so they can have their privacy from each other when needed.  If they walked in the same general direction, it would be easier.  But I am constantly having to switch hands, swing one leash around my back, or the best, around the back, under the left leg, switch hands, under the right leg, then a full circle.  I’m getting quite adept at it.  On that note,  I have also learned it’s best to just stay put and watch while Krystal does number two before picking up. As I said before in an earlier post, she is a walking pooper.  If I run and start picking up as soon as she starts, it becomes like an Easter egg hunt trying to find the rest of it.

I have learned that, in spite of having many brushes with death in my life (more on that in another post) and having four major heartbreaks in my life, I am a happy person.  I’ve always been an optimist to a very real fault, and I’m not saying I haven’t had some down times in my life.  But I am happy and feel very, very blessed.

I’ve also learned that I really, REALLY like doggy doors.