Exciting news

Well, if there was an occasion to get me blogging again, it happened today. Andy got a letter from the president of the university where he works recommending him for tenure. That’s all but one hurdle jumped. The Board of Trustees still need to approve him in April, but man, I am excited. We are going to celebrate tonight with Thai food. We’ve been waiting 6 years for this milestone to happen. Well, I’ve been waiting while he’s been working hard to get here. I’m so proud of him and happy for us both. Hooray for tenure!

I would love to tell you that I have been too busy having fun and doing Marvelous Things to write here, but that would not be true. What have I been doing?

I finished a weaving project.

My first set of handwoven dishtowels

Dishtowels, folded and flat for comparison

I started taking a class that totally rocks. I went to my awesome dentist. I got my eyes checked in Pittsburgh (no new glasses needed, hooray!), drove home in some really nasty weather and fortunately did not crash into the salt truck that stopped suddenly in front of me in the middle of nowhere, swerving at the last minute into a parking lot when the Prius’ brakes just didn’t respond to my desperate slamming. It was like threading a needle, that’s how narrowly I missed smashing into that truck. New policy: no eye doctor appointments in Pittsburgh in February!

Speaking of Pittsburgh, though, I did get to have a wonderful visit with the parents of my dear friend whose nephew died, and I’m so relieved to tell you that Devin did not die from a hit-and-run but just a tragically accidental fall, which is a little comfort but in a situation like that, a little goes a long way. My friend also gave me permission to link to her blog, so y’all who were praying can know more about what a sweet kid Devin was. Between the time change, her being sad and me being a person whose body thinks it makes sense to fall asleep almost as soon as it gets dark, it’s taken us until this weekend to connect on the phone, and I just didn’t feel right linking before (you know, in a somewhat timely manner). If anyone feels moved to keep on keeping her family in their thoughts, please do. I know I am.

And I’ve been studying empathy speak. Andy and I have a new deal: 15 minutes of reading or practice every day. So far it’s been mostly reading, and I’ve only missed a couple days but have doubled up later to make up for it. Slowly we’re learning. I’d love for it to become integrated into our lives more quickly, but again, I’ll take what I can get.

Oh, and this morning I finished reading a really wonderful book, but I’m going to write about that tomorrow so I can do it justice. And that means I am going to write tomorrow, so hooray for that, too.

Now it’s time to suit up and go shovel some snow so Andy can get his car into the driveway tonight. His car will contain delicious Thai takeout, so that’s some good incentive to get digging. See you tomorrow, my friends!