Sunday, July 19, 2009

team building

My trip to Seattle this past week was spectacular.

What a beautiful, beautiful city. Although I was only there for a few days - I could definitely see living in the Pacific Northwest. Infact, when I returned home, I spent some time researching real estate in the area ... so don't be surprised if there's an announcement soon.

Or not.

You know how I love to dream.


During the time that I was away, I received a call from my husband. Apparently, because his office has lost several of their large contracts - due to the economy - the decision has been made that his office will be closed. There is some discussion about Charlie continuing to work from home, part-time. But the man who works with Charlie will quite possibly, be facing a lay-off, which has been very difficult for my husband to consider.

He's not sure what to do.


Meanwhile, my father has been in an assisted living facility for the past few months. And although he has been doing very well - considerably better than he was earlier this year - I can't help but feel badly that I'm not closer to help. Much like I feel badly that I'm not closer to help my mother with Jim, who was recently discharged to her care.

I'm not sure what to do.


The thought has crossed both of our minds, several times within the past few days, that maybe now is the prime time to pull up stakes and move. To a different part of the country. To a different house, different neighborhood, different community. Where there is more nature and less concrete. Where there is more of a gentleness towards life and less chaos and hostility.

During my time away this week, I was reflecting on a number of different scenarios. On Wednesday afternoon, we worked a half day and spent the afternoon on one of our team-building events. When I scheduled the meeting in January, I took our team hot air ballooning. When my co-worker scheduled this meeting, she took us out to the picturesque Bainbridge Island, and we spent an afternoon kayaking around Puget Sound.



I felt like I had died and gone to heaven.


This is where I am meant to be.



In this house, right here on the water.

But seeing as neither Charlie nor I would be employed if we just pulled up stakes and moved to Washington, this houseboat might be more in line with our financial capabilities.

The way I see it, between the two story houseboat - and the sailboat - and the dingy - we'd have room for me and Charlie, all four kids, my mother and Jim and my father. We could just tether everything together and our quasi-flotilla would move from port to port.

We would experience nature. We would live off whatever we could catch, from the sea. We would be immune from the rat race that it seems our lives have morphed in to. We would cleanse our bodies and spirits of negativity. We would teach our children about the world around them. We would support our parents in their golden years.

We would unite multiple generations as we live, together.

In perfect harmony. Aboard our boats.

At least until the mutiny where I'm thrown overboard for thinking up such a half-baked idea.

17 comments:

  1. We are looking at real estate right now in Illinois. Three thousand square foot ranch, with full basement, for $73 grand.

    I would never have to work again. I could afford to send the kids to private school.

    Dream, Dream, dream.....dream dream dream dream.

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  2. That looks so beautiful. I have never been to Seattle and I would love to go. However, it is not the time to think of taking care of your parents---you have Your family to take care of and that is a big job. I enjoy reading about your adventures. You get paid for these adventures? What a great company.
    MOM

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  3. I totally think you guys should look for other jobs if you really feel drawn to move. Maybe that's God telling you something? Good luck figuring it out.

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  4. What a beuatiful place. Kayaking is one of things on my bucket list, but I just have not gotten to yet.

    From what I have read of your blog, your personality is such that it is totally understandable that you would want to take care of your parents. That is amazing of you, just know that it is fery hard to take care of sick/aging parents and then add your four children.

    Good luck to your husband and his company. If you ever want to live in the midwest, I work for an environmental company that is always accepting resumes.

    Side note; we play in landfills though, no glamor there.

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  5. I LOVE the Pacific coastal area. We live on Vancouver Island just a few hours north of Seattle so our climate and landscape are the same. I've lived in several other cities east of here (Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary & Kelowna) and wouldn't like to go back to any of them. The air is clean, the water abundant and the weather is temperate. Tis truly a little chunk of heaven!

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  6. Sharon in Seattle7/19/09, 10:57 AM

    I've lived in Seattle all my life and it's true that there is no more beautiful place when the weather is great. But there are many, many cloudy rainy days when you think you may never see the sun again. Some years it rains all through June and you think summer is never going to come. Just sayin'.

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  7. We'll bring our boat up to you and we can be neighbors! Hey, check out Gig Harbor! That's where we're thinking about moving!

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  8. One thing to remember is that one of the main reasons our beautifl northwest is so lovely is the rain!!

    But for those of us who are natives, we put up with it gladly, for we love the greenery!!

    Before you make your decision for Seattle, you must visit Portland, located on the Willamette River and bounded on the North, but the mighty Columbia! Also one hour from the mountains for skiing and two hours from the beach.

    Just a little sales pitch!

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  9. I'm with Sharon - you were here at the most beautiful time of the year. We usually get about 2 or 3 months of it, if we're lucky. You missed this winter, where the city virtually stopped cold in it's tracks for days and days and DAYS because we have a doofus for a mayor who won't plow city streets when it snows (which meant many, many extra days of the kids at home during winter break going stir crazy because there was no where to go). And the winter before last, when we had a windstorm so fierce it knocked out power to 1 MILLION people, with power outtages lasting upward of 10 days in some places. Our house prices (while falling) are still astronomical....oh - and our state bird is a SLUG (imagine your little ones coming home with fistfuls of goo....). I'm just sayin'! We are protective of our space up here, and it's gotten a bit overcrowded lately so most natives like to down sell the area - despite the negatives, I sill love it.

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  10. Oh, that would be a great place to live, it looks just beautiful. Love the fact that you do so much when you do travel. Walter and Mother together again......I woul have to come up and sink one boat.

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  11. I love Seattle too. And it looks like you had really nice weather while you were there.

    I was secretly hoping to see my brother in the background of one of your shots...but I guess you didn't see him. ;)

    Wow...praying for you as you make decisions.

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  12. One of many cuzzins!7/19/09, 10:56 PM

    Hardy, har, har....all the family tethered together? Girl, what you smokin'?

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  13. Good luck to your husband. BOTH my husband and myself have been in the same situation for almost 6 months now. Luckily, we have been conservative with our spending and did not have a complete nervous breakdown. My advice: PRAY. It really worked! We bought a business this week. That must have been God's plan for us all along.

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  14. Love Seattle and I've been to Puget Sound as well. It's beautiful! BUT THE RAIN! And all of you under one roof...because you can't go out...because of the rain...ugh.

    Best of luck to all with your decisions. Ya know - hate to keep harping on this but the house up the street is still for sale. And it's BIG! (perhaps I can give you a tour when your here) ;-) Marg.

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  15. You would love it here! The rain is not so bad. Statistically it rains more in LA and NY. (I read somewhere........too lazy to back it up right now!)
    It's beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

    Elizabeth---Washingtonian!

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  16. Those pictures look beautiful. Beautiful blue skies against that water! Thanks for sharing. I really think that experiencing new places is a great thing to do. http://www.coloradowildernessridesandguides.com/team-building/

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