Yep, we had snow for Easter. Really pretty but very confusing...even for Santa Feans!
So, as I waited for the temp agency to get me some work and wondered about getting it all together so I can pay bills...I got a call from a new friend who asked if I wanted to take over her house-sitting job for a bi-coastal couple. Sure, that sounded good to me. And as I talked to the homeowners, I started thinking about what else I could offer them. They were receptive and happy that I offered extra services. Then in talking to the friend who set this all up, I realized that there are a lot of bi-coastal people here who are very willing to pay for specialized services to make the constant transitions easier. Then almost immediately I got another call asking me to hedgehog-sit. I'm not making this up! And I love saying that I'm hedgehog-sitting!! This is all ties into the idea: personal concierge service. Taking care of homes, plants, pets, groceries, errands, waiting for service people so the homeowners can go to work, etc. Plus, I recently got a connection that might even let me provide services to the film industry (lots of movies are shot here). How cool is that? I'll do lots of interesting (OK, and some not so interesting) work for different people with a flexible schedule and so on. Still have to come up with a business name and all but I think this is something I can do and not have to deal with age discrimination. Oh sure, "they" all say that they don't, but I know that they do. Maybe concierge service with hotels may still happen, but this sure works for me at the moment. It feels kinda crazy that I am constantly coming up with all kinds of ideas and sometimes I don't feel like there is enough time to get them all off the ground...but then again, maybe one of them will be the glue that holds them all together to take flight. Time will tell.In the meantime, Buttercup and I carry on carrying on. Keep on truckin'. One day at a time. One foot in front of the other...don't know exactly know where we are going from one moment to the next, but what the heck. it doesn't stay boring in our lives for very long.Hope you all didn't eat too many Easter bunny ears (the chocolate kind!!!!) Now I gotta go work on my business plans...CIAO baby!
If you are at all enamoured with weather, you should really check out Santa Fe!! We had a forecast of light rain for today but it was anything but!8 am: I'm out walking the dog and notice that there had been some light rain during the night (not that I would have noticed cuz the wind was blowing so hard, it felt like someone was pounding on my window, trying to get in). So, I thought, hmmmm, maybe that was it. But the air still smelled of rain and there were a few clouds so I knew we could get a bit more...8:30 am: it gets so dark outside that I have to turn on all the lights in my little room. I look out my window and actually say, out loud: wait! When did it snow on the mountains?!9 am: The wild winds start to really blow again and then suddenly, the rain begins to dump! (so much for going to the dog park for a mellow Saturday morning)9:30 am: sitting down to a late breakfast and I glance out the window at...snow?!?! The wind really picks up and there is a wall of white! (isn't this supposed to be April? You know, SPRING?)10 am: full stop. Ummm, did any of this really happen? OK, as the clouds recede, I see the mountains are even whiter, so I guess it did...3 pm: it seems the weather has done it's business for the day, so I go off to run an errand. But as I pull into my parking lot, it begins to...hail! Hard! And a bit of thunder to finish it off. So Buttercup and I stick it out in the car till it subsides enough to get across the lot and up the stairs.(and last month I was freaking out about dealing with the heat we were already having).OK, for some of you this could very well be a perfectly normal spring experience...but for an ex-California girl, this is pretty crazy. Of course, I love it. The earth is so alive when weather happens. A great day to snuggle down with your guy, watch old movies and just marvel at the show outside. All I need now is the guy...
I am happy to report that I do have more to say today!I had a very full week...not that I actually "did" all that much, but having a few epiphanies seems pretty rewarding to me. So here are some of the bits and pieces...First, I am amazed at the sense of community I have come to know here in less than 3 months! I already am on a very friendly basis with over 20 people just here in the complex I live in. I give a lot of credit to Buttercup for being such a friendly dog, but I am the one actually doing the talking. People in stores, etc. are just as friendly and it is easy to fall into a natural rhythm here. And the more I allow myself to feel a part of the community, the easier things start to fall into place. Which leads to ...Secondly, I have decided that I want to have my reverendship expanded to New Mexico. (you do know that I am a reverend, right?) I feel driven to perform weddings and house blessings and the like here. And with that decision, I already had someone ask if I could do their wedding when the time comes. And establishing myself with that will help segue into doing the workshop for women and perhaps even help lead into life coaching down the road. (or Dream Coaching, as I recently heard someone describe their version of the job.) Which leads to...Thirdly, I have decided to actually go back into the hotel industry! (don't fall off of your seats, I won't go back into the insane department of catering again). The position of concierge in a nice hotel would be perfect. I will get to know the town faster, meet lots of interesting people, and do what I love doing ~ helping others. Plus, if someone decides that they want to get married here, I can offer my services as officiant! How convenient is that?! Which leads to...Fourthly, [is that a word?] yes, I believe I will be staying here. Just seems like I should be here... For a while...until the wind changes direction...I guess I could say Fifthly, but that just sounds dirty (get it? fifthly, filthy? Oh, never mind...) Mom loaned me this book "God on a Harley". OMG, what a book! I read it in just a couple of hours, but I was struck by the lessons in it. I mean, it's a fun book too, but there are messages. It was a little eerie though... the author's writing style is almost identical to mine (when I write that kind of story) and the messages seemed tailor-made for me. I even wondered if the book was writing itself as I was reading it...and it just helped me really listen to that little voice that was telling me to take care of me, do what brings me joy and stop trying to accommodate everyone else, at my own expense. So, go me! (but really, a good read).This all tied into some work I did about a past life in which I had taken the blame for the suffering of a lot of people when, in fact, I had nothing to do with what happened to them. I had been their guide and teacher and therefore, felt responsible for them. And once I realized that I had carried that over into this life and could forgive myself, I felt things start to shift, as in: all the stuff I just posted. yeah, I'm sure some of you are scratching your heads, saying "past life??"...but you always knew I was a little "out there", so just roll with it.Also, Buttercup made it clear that she needs work, too. She loves people so much and just thrives on making someone smile. So I will be setting up visits to nursing homes, senior citizen centers and the like and take Buttercup to do her work. There is even a little pug neighbor named Fig who wants to go with us. That should be fun.So that, my friends, was my wild ride. This week I have interviews and will be working on making connections for the hotel biz. I am truly excited to see what developes. Stay tuned!
