It's easy to overlook the value of relationships, and the foundation they lay for personal peace.
We had a typically glorious bi-annual week long vacation with Dena's side of the family. Surf City was a new North Carolina destination for us, and the steady hum of energy and laughter throughout the resort-sized house reminds me of how rare it is for such a large family to get along so unconditionally. Steady 80 degree temps, daily morning runs, shuffleboard tournaments, grilled burgers, keep-away games in the pool, endless puzzles. Plus we got to cruise the round trip in a comfy tricked-out Impala. It was about as good as a road trip gets.
Dinner last night with our neighbors Scott and Lisa was a fun double-date. Double-dates are my favorite type of group outing, perfect sized for everyone to contribute in a few hours. We talked neighborhood news, exercise, a little philosophy. Dined Italian to kick it off, downed a DQ Blizzard by an outdoor fireplace (yes, outdoor) to close it out.
The hoops coaches and varsity players hopped on a bus to Purdue University for a 4-game tournament. Not only did we win decisively, averaging 14 points margin of victory en route to the championship, but it was another small-group bonding experience with the other coaches.
The last couple of weeks have been filled with firsts on the tutoring business front. I joined the Chamber of Commerce and volunteered to serve as facilitator for Leadership McLean County (acceptance still pending). Updated my resume and applied for a master tutoring job at Heartland Community College. I was contacted by someone interested in using me as an accounting tutor, which will be a new experience, and have been contacted by a handful of students for some summer hours.
I've said multiple times that this is the truest spring that I can recall. Plentiful rain but not storms, plentiful sun with temps consistently between 60 and 80. We enjoyed the summer solstice, and have three months of my favorite season to enjoy.
Our condos continue to sell, the pool's open, the grass is rich, neighbors are increasingly decorating their units. We're just a year away from a significant upgrade to our driveway, fence and carports that should give an attractive facelift to the property.
Summer reading is well underway, as I've navigated a handful of books (as Hidden Bloggers have been reading my reflections).
I spend most days pondering and preparing for the future - and not quite enough time yet giving thanks for the incredible freedom and opportunity ahead.
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