the long goodbye...

I'm currently in the middle of a long, slow, painful goodbye. It turns out, I'm more a fan of ripping the band-aid off quickly, and not so much a fan of the slow removal, pulling out every hair on the way...

Perhaps backing up a bit will help.

We've been on Bainbridge Island for a bit over two years, and it has been wonderful. It's extra dark in the winter, and there are many inconveniences (dragging garbage cans down the road, slow internet, longer commute) but overall the move has been really great for the family. Weekends are easy and relaxing (especially when the sun is shining), seeing the beach/ocean life everyday is always magical and the environment for the kids has been pretty super. Just as we're getting to know pretty much everyone on the island, we're tossing the cards up in the air again and looking forward to another big change.
Europe.

We are moving to Luxembourg July 10th.

Rich has been there, getting work started and things sorted since the middle of May, so he has already gotten to say goodbye to Seattle/Island life and move right into European life. He's been to France and Germany already, and will be meeting friends (who are on a European vacation now) for lunch in Paris this week. His band-aid was ripped off quite quickly.

The kids and I are living life completely differently. We're living in a house that is mostly empty and stuffed with boxes at the same time. I'm not working anymore and the kids are officially finished with school, but still... we're here. We had all of this coordinated on paper so nicely. Rich comes back next weekend and our last shipment starts for Luxembourg, we'll get to have a party and get the rest of our things shipped off into storage and then be ready to fly to our new home.

But it's still weeks away. And we've really said our goodbyes, at least to most folks. To them we're already gone. But we're not. 

The three of us have had some really nice time together. Definitely the three musketeers, and it's fun just doing whatever we're in the mood for at the time. It's not always unanimous, but it's generally been fair. (2 against 1, Mora's vs frozen yogurt = Roxie had to settle for Mora's ice cream. fair :) We've gotten to Skype with Rich to get to chat with him and see our apartment (with rental furniture as our furniture is currently in the middle of the Atlantic, headed to Belgium after a stop in London). He also shows us photos of things he's seen, especially all the parks in Luxembourg he's sure the kids will love... once we're there.

This is the first time I've been unemployed and NOT looking for a job since I was attending Walnut Hills High School, a VERY LONG time ago. It's weird. I'm really looking forward to being a stay-home Mom. At least, I think so :). We'll see if I change my tune in three months when they're still on summer vacation and they're sick of me yelling at them to work in their workbooks and listen to French podcasts. 

I'm also hoping I'll be able to take this opportunity to really decide "what I want to be when I grow up", do something about it, and figure out how to make money at it before we come back from Europe. It's going to take an amount of focus and motivation that I may or may not have.
Hopefully I can write it all down and perhaps get help from readers (if I get any) when I need it.

For now, I'm hoping to be able to really focus on getting things sorted and packed up so that when Rich gets back next week, we can focus on some of the bigger "to-do"s like the cars and phones and pets and most of all - catching up.

So far this goodbye has been a bit lonely, too long and quite scattered. Writing things down has really helped in the past - so here's to some greater focus, and maybe even some fun in the sun while we're still on this sweet little island. 

until next time...

And so it begins...

I think I've started more than one blog with that headline, but today it is as fitting as ever.
Today is the first day of summer.
Today is the first day of real warmth and sunshine here in Seattle so far this year.
Today I add my first entry into this blog, using a name I've wanted to use ever since I saw the name of a shop in Seattle SO many years ago - "Herban Pottery". The wordplay of herban and urban is one of my favorites. I really feel like it hits close to home... especially now.
I've lived in a city my whole life. My (now) husband and I tried "country" living once, in Missoula MT. What an amazing and beautiful place to live. But it didn't take. We're city kids and country/small town living did not suit us one bit.
That was then...
Now we live on an island, a 30minute ferry ride away from Seattle. And it is magical. We found the most amazing home, in a beautiful setting and it happens to be a two-block walk to a beach with a view back into the city and includes Mt. Baker & Mt. Rainier on clear days.
We are so lucky. And so far, we are really appreciating every moment.

We have a nice yard now, and I've already carved out a bit of garden space. I still want to plant more this year, and I have a little time left I think. So far there are raspberries, beans, peas, a purple pepper ("Islander" variety), chives, fennel and parsley. I don't think the watermelons made it. I also have 3 tomato plants, some lettuce and a strawberry plant up on the deck (deer safe). Since last year I've been canning and jamming, thanks to three folks in particular. I don't know two of them - only through their blogs and books. The third, I had the great privilege to take a class from in person and learned SO much (and got the best apron ever!).
I'm hoping to keep growing tons of food that we eat, can and/or make jam out of. A little self-preservation seems like a grand idea.

I keep dreaming of opening a store.
A store that has good coffee, jam and baked goods - breads, cookies, cakes, pies.
Everybody likes a store like that right?
Especially if it was a super-cute airstream trailer that could go just about anywhere?
I just like making things that make people happy.

We'll just have to see how all that goes....