It has been just over 2 yearS since I last wrote anything for this blog.
I started writing as a therapeutic outlet after being forced out of my job. I find myself again at the beginning of a new road, and it only seems fitting that I continue my musings again.
So here is a recap of what I have been up to in the last two years.
The saga of our house remodel continued, we lost our primary contractor due to his ill health and poor management on his part . Luckily, we reacquainted ourselves with a prior contractor , and he completed our home splendidly! Everything was complete before we left except for the demolition of the 1900 square-foot old house. Like every renovation in modern history (and possibly ancient history) we were over budget and over schedule.
We planned a great adventure To Southeast Asia, Thailand in particular. Managing to save enough money and enough time off work, we took our three youngest children and left for six months. You can read about our adventure at
http://www.sevenmonthsinsiam.com
Arriving back in the United States was a little bit of a culture shock especially since the COVID-19 virus had appeared in the world. I had visions of sitting in a coffee shop sipping a latte, eating a scone , and waiting for the children to get out from school. Not so fast Arlene, we are shutting the schools.
Back to the agony of homeschooling, whining , captive children, evening drinking and Netflix binging days ahead. I couldn’t help but wish that I had stayed in Thailand if only our visa had allowed for such an option.
Thailand, it turns out, is my happiest place on earth. I didn’t believe when I left that I would become so attached to the country ,food , culture and people, and seeing my father most days. My level of stress was 1/10. We spent happy days on the beach, wandering around the markets, playing in the pool, picking up trash with a local organization and generally being a happy family. Now don’t get me wrong, homeschooling was one of the worst experiences of my life with the three children who did not want to participate despite my beautiful organization and classroom.
I also became quite unwell whilst in Thailand after contracting a virus called Chikungunya from a mosquito. This happened after only being in Thailand for about six weeks and although I had my challenges, I still managed to enjoy my time there. My family were incredibly supportive and assisted me when my pains were great, let me rest when I had to, and always cheered me up.
I had to rethink my position as a registered nurse back in the United States as now I have been left with arthritic type joint pain. Making the decision not to return was inevitable , and I handed in my resignation before our return.
My decision to start my own small business stemmed from my love of crafting, design and general creation. As soon as we returned in early March I acquired all of the licenses and accreditations required to open a legally owned small business, created a Facebook page and as of April 11 I was live!
Please check out my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Arlycrafts
I am hoping to continue writing this blog, sharing silly stories, easy recipes, a laugh or two , and my creations from Arlycrafts.
Thank you, to whomever reads this , and may you keep safe in your home.
laundry and lemon curd 