2008-02-23 - 6:58 a.m.

I am very pleased with the four organizers that I ordered for a grand total of $70 after the shipping.

They are smaller than I envisioned, but are bright and cheerful and functional and most importantly have motivated the girls to help organize all their toys and clean up the storage space in the basement. The basement has been off limits since the littlest one dumped boxes as I used the internet one day. I still need to install a few shelves and set up an office space there since the internet access point is in the basement. Since I do not own my home, I am not playing around with running the cable upstairs but am getting by using the internet either downstairs or by stealing neighbor's bandwidth for brief moments when I know I will be on for only a few moments.

But the most important factor in cleaning up the basement is the wonderful discovery of FREECYCLE! Its just fantastic to post a listing and then have someone come and pick up STUFF that has to be gotten rid of. Half my moving boxes were picked up by a wonderful lady who also happens to be a govt contractor that gave me some great contacts for job hunting. Networking happens at the oddest moments such as in my basement as I assist a freecyler, and in the grocery store produce aisle where I got a tip on another job. That one was very interesting as there just HAPPENS to be an influx of govt hiring- SO MUCH SO that they can not keep up with the demand for security clearances to be completed. The result is outsourcing that task to a subcontractor. I basically got a tip that the particular company is hiring and THEY DON't have time for security clearances so they are hiring ONLY BY REFERRAL AND WORD OF MOUTH to applicants who go to their web site as directed by a current employee!!! I thought that was hilarious!

s I basically was running late that day and got to the store almost two hours LATER than I planned. It is funny how at such odd moments opportunities arise! I have the contact info of this wonderful MOM of four little girls who loves her job as an investigator for security clearances and works from home a few days a week. I am interested in contacting her to see if the girls can play as they hit it off.

Networking... Networking... Networking

Most heartwarming recently I had a wonderful experience of chatting with the Mom of one of Alexy's friends from Preschool. She introduced me to a few folks in the area and told me to send my resume and she will help me network. That was nice- but then the most gracious, generous act of good will was offered by her. She literally told me that she would PAY FOR ALEXY's PRESCHOOL to keep her in the program until the end of the year! Westley has always refused to pay for all preschool programs (consistently. I always worked to pay for those as he thinks it a waste of money.) I thought her offer was just remarkably generous and kind. I know she and her husband are well off and its a drop in the bucket to them-- and had I not had other means at this time I would not be too proud to take up her offer in the short term knowing that it would be only that- SHORT TERM.

I am pleased however that I didn't have to accept as I have other arrangements. The program ALSO has a scholarship available which I held off in applying for knowing I would get a job at SOME point.

I am just feeling blessed that every month I was able to come up with that tuition and grateful that Alexy has benefited from the program with friends and early childhood formative education. I am also grateful to have benefited from the program as I have made friends and met some marvelous people such as that Mom who cares so much for even an acquaintance to offer what help she can.

And as far as networking, it also helped that the one night I went out to a Middleburg restaurant to meet my wonderful boyfriend she JUST HAPPENED to be walking out with some friends of hers, who included an attorney and business owner that she introduced me to on the spot and I chatted with. It was a rainy night and once again I swear there was divine intervention. That blustery night I REALLY WANTED to meet in Leesburg and go the the First Friday event as there was an opening at the art gallery I have been working at. I thought it would be fun for my boyfriend to meet the folks at the gallery and socialize there. Even if the job I have there is a piddly paying modeling one, I am ALWAYS proud of my work and enter into whatever I do with joy and enthusiasm. I feel BLESSED to have had that job which ends next week (as the classes are over!) Its been alot of fun!
On that rainy night, my boyfriend was getting off work at 7pm, and I was getting off work in Middleburg where I was caring for a 91 year old Italian man (who is hilariously so much like Westley! But he has no voice so can't yell at me!) My cell phone just WOULD NOT WORK. So I couldn't reach my beloved man to say where I WANTED to meet him! He knew I was working in Middleburg, and he lives out near there, so he prudently decided to meet there and left me messages to say where. He was SO CUTE leaving me a few trucated messages as to where he was knowing my cell connects for seconds and then cuts off. I would get a connection for an outgoing call but not be able to pick up a signal strong enough to hear messages or pick up a call- It could have been frustrating, but I instead had fun leaving him an improvised blues tune bellowed in the car when I could get a connection lamenting my poor cell service. So we had fun in our lack of connection, and I finally heard him long enough to discover where to meet!

Lo and behold I ran into that wonderful friendly mom and neighbor that night. This was some weeks ago, but it was just yesterday when on the phone with her that she made that incredibly loving offer of paying for the PRE K program!

What I find most inspiring is that on that rainy night without a cell phone connection, I COULD have been downhearted, frustrated, disapppointed that my plans didn't work out- but instead I was blessed with opportunity for connection I had not sought, inspired and creative and happy and joyful as I belted out a song in the whipping rain on a dark Middleburg road.

I think of that as a wonderful metaphor for life. We often don't see the hidden gems of opportunity and love that are there admist the storms of life which take us in directions that are unknown, unplanned and could be scary. Yet even the worst storms somehow have bright spots which make me, and can make anyone who is open to them, joyful and full of wonder. I can't help but think if we resist the storms and hide out, that we also miss out on some wonderous things that could be in store for us.

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