Adaptability

I've always prided myself on the dose

of adaptability I consider myself to have.

I've moved enough times.

I've seen orders changed enough times.

I've experienced homecoming dates shift.

Things get canceled, transfer or pop-up.

I take almost everything the military brings

with a nice bowl of salt.

But I am still amazed at how far I have to go.

Hubby got a call early yesterday morning,

explaining the changes in his schedule... for that day...

in the next few hours.

I was still rubbing sleepiness from my foggy eyes,

when he was repacking for the day

and happily trotting off to work.

His day took a 180 turn.

My day unfolded just as I planned it.

That's not to say that it always does,

but it does far, far more often.

He gets a flight schedule at what I would consider the last minute,

but he considers it normal behavior.

It's no wonder he has no problem

scheduling last minute trips,

while I prefer to plan and plan and plan...

I guess he has the right idea though

because you never know when things are going to change.

~

Are you a planner?

How well do you adapt?

~

Here's to taking a deep breath

and seeing what today brings.

200!

This is my 200th post

and my blog is a year old this month.

It's been such a fun ride so far.

I've learned so much, met some amazing people

and had the best time venting and expressing.

I am working on a offshoot of this blog

so look for that coming soon!

For now, I thought it might be fun to do

a feature post about myself,

for those who are new or just want to know more about me.

~

Job Title:

I used to call myself a Freelance Writer,

but I recently heard the term Independent Writer.

I fell in love with that title.

Independence describes a lot about me.

I now call myself an

Independent Writer.

Your three ring circus includes?

I write... a lot.

Grants, press releases, marketing copy,

blogs, inquiry letters, magazine articles

and online articles.

The interesting thing I've learned about being a writer,

though, is how much is not just writing. Networking,

emailing, brainstorming, researching and invoicing

are just as important in my day.

How did I decide to be a writer?

Well... kind of a long story.

I've always adored writing.

It's always been my chosen art,

but I never really thought about it as a career until

I got married and moved to the tiniest Texas town.

I scored an amazing job

as the lead reporter at the newspaper there.

I will probably never have such a great job again,

but I learned there that writing is what I love and

what I can do with some amount of ease and struggle.

Moving around so much and not being able to slip

into a traditional position is what brought me home.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Honestly, most of my writing

is non-fiction and doesn't require a muse,

but I love new ideas.

I'm an idea junkie

so it's fun to listen to what excites others

and then write about it to share the fun!

My Top Tip for Balancing life?

Priorities and being in the moment.

Sometimes all that matters is

family time and the laundry can wait.

Other times, all my attention goes into work.

I don't think I'll ever be able to balance everything

simultaneously... I'm too passionate.

But somehow giving everything to every part

at some point in the week

always seems to work out.

What does Balance mean to me?

Giving enough attention to my top priorities.

Biggest Hurdle?

My own fear of failure.

Not starting something for fear it won't work.

How has military life affected your goals?

Well, in someways, it has hampered it.

Moving and living in these Navy towns

has kept me from major publishing houses

in New York or San Francisco... but

it's forced me to start my own business,

which I may not have done otherwise.

(And I have fewer migraines than I would

have at a big office, probably.)

Favorite Indulgence?

Sewing projects are so relaxing,

but my most indulgent moment

is sitting in front of the fireplace with

last night's sitcoms, a pile of magazines

and a rich, spicy red wine.

(*sigh*)

What's my favorite article of clothing?

In general, I love a good coat and scarf.

If I have to dress up, then Ann Taylor Loft,

pants are SO soft.

And as far as trends go...

Leggings and tights have been my recent fave.

I hope you enjoyed listening to me ramble.

I have so enjoyed getting to know everyone

and I'm excited to share my newest idea

with you all!

Cheers!

Yours, Mine and Ours

{Cute movie. Both of them.}

~

The last few weeks have been full

of Navy life... all kinds of events.

And I've found myself saying

"When we joined the squadron,"

"When we leave the squadron,"

or "Our tour."

You see the problem there, right?

I'm not IN the Navy.

I wasn't assigned to that squadron.

Or was I?

I mean I vowed to stay with him through better or worse.

(ie. Awesome or Sucky duty stations /

Shore duty or Sea duty)

And in doing so, I follow him wherever he goes

and join the Spouse Club of his squadron

and feed the single guys

and befriend the wives.

I celebrate their accomplishes and

mourn their losses.

I am as proud of them as I could possibly be.

And I think they are the absolute best!

Talented, brave, hilarious.

So where are we left then?

Well...

He wears the uniform.

He has the patches.

He goes into the office.

He flies the plane.

But frankly,

I can't help but feel

like that squadron,

our family,

is just as much mine as it is his.

YooHoo!

Thanks to those who have been wondering where I've been.

I've been right here, on the other side of this screen,

but I've been busy with work.

I've been writing for DemandStudios (highly recommend),

working on a new article project (about sign language),

trying to stay up with my grant clients (whom I DO love)

and working out a new blog idea.

(Do you know a milspouse with her own business...)

~

Anyway... I've had a couple people ask me with pity

how I'm doing as I've been so busy with work,

but the truth is I adore it!

I would rather spend 12 hours in my office,

than trudging off to a work place everyday.

And the best part...

when I have a sniffle (*cough*),

I can slither down the stairs

and into my favorite chair,

with a cup of tea

as soon as I clock out!

~

But I do want to get back here a little more often.

I have a post I'm working on for tomorrow.

And Friday Faves are taking on a more structured format.

Thanks for following me!