Hey friend, it’s been a crazy week. We’ve spent a good chunk of this week keeping up with friends and family who live in the LA area, and although the people we know were braced for evacuation, they never had to do it, thank goodness. So yeah, crazy times.
I don’t know if I ever talked about it here, but a few years back the police came banging on our door and told us we had 30 minutes to grab our things and leave because there was a growing fire on the hill behind our house. The fire department was able to put it out quickly, thank goodness, but a part of me will never forget frantically running around the house looking for Rosie (she did NOT want to go into her cat carrier) and stuffing Connor’s uniforms into a bag just in case she needed them for school the next day. I also vividly remember calling my neighbors, who weren’t home at the time, and asking them if they wanted us to get their pets out of the house.
The events this week reminded me that when you can move throughout your daily existence in a relatively normal fashion, it’s truly a gift. I’m counting my blessings, including the roof over my head, my little family and my health.
It’s also been a good reminder that there’s no time like the present; I’ve been meaning to post these pictures that I took in Hawaii recently, and today’s a good day as any.
When Connor and I were on Oahu last month, we took a day trip to the eastern side with my in-laws to the town they used to live in, Kaneohe. Right up the street from their old house is a cemetery nestled up against the mountains where they have a lot of relatives buried, and in the cemetery there’s a Buddhist temple called Byodo-In. It open to the public and if you get the chance to visit, please do. It’s beautiful and peaceful. Whenever I see these pictures, my heart feels at ease.
Anyway.This week I marked my one-year anniversary working at the college. Time really does fly! One thing that I’ve been thinking about lately is how, in many ways, I miss working from home, but I also enjoy being able to go to a different space where the boundaries between work and home are very clear.
It’s also been very cool to interact with students on their learning journey. Yesterday I helped an older lady from Russia. She wanted information on taking an ESL class, so I talked to her for a bit and then gave her some resources. It feels really good to help people, especially in person. I think that just might be the key to keepin’ on with a smile on your face; having the ability to make a difference in someone’s life, even in a small way, feels good.
One last thing. On a beauty-related note, yesterday I sat down to put on makeup in the morning, and I was absolutely shocked to find I had no more brow pencil left. I think someone needs to invent a twist-up brow pencil with clear packaging or something that lets you know exactly how much you have left. Anywho, I gotta stop by Ulta today. I’d been using the one from Rare Beauty, but I think I’m going to go back to the good old Anastasia Brow pencil just for funsies.
Thinking of you and hoping that you’re okay. Happy Saturday!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Making note of this temple for whenever I get to Oahu- it’s beautiful. The fires are just devastating- my heart just hurts for everyone. Even if your home is spared, the area will never be the same. Also, I can’t imagine having to cram a cat in a carrier in a panic to evacuate. It’s stressful enough trying to get mine to the vet.
I think I know why the brow pencils aren’t clear – they don’t want you to realize how little you’re getting in the first place.😮
Glad to hear you and your family are okay. I knew the fires weren’t in your area but didn’t know if you had relatives in Southern California or anyone else you might be concerned about in that area.
I used to work with someone who made good money, and he could have worked at home almost all the time, but he refused to for the same reason you gave- he preferred a sharp demarcation between work and home life. In my case if I weren’t allowed to work a lot of the time at home, I’d retire because I just can’t stand commuting 20+ days a month in an area where most people have little to no regard for traffic laws. Speed limits are meaningless in Texas, unless a cop is right behind you.
My area is thawing out from the first winter storm of the season. Got about 2 inches of mixed sleet, snow, and freezing rain.