Just Kickin' Down the Cobblestones...Lookin' for Fun and Feeling Groovy

First things first:
Our Ginger baby came through surgery beautifully. They only had to remove one toe and the tumor on her back; a preliminary look at her lymph nodes was very positive. The tissue is being sent to the University of Michigan (sorry ND readers) for testing. When we have the margins back, and the stage of the tumors, we will know whether any further action need be taken. Thank you again for your concern and support. I will be sure to write updates during the week ahead.

As the sun rose this morning, I realized that I was - for the first time in 10 years - unemployed. On Monday I will - for the first time in 7 years - no longer work in major gift fundraising for Rutgers University.
I started to think about what all of that means, about the implications this will have on my daily live, both pratically and psychologically, and realized that my life is going to be almost recognizable. And while that is, on some small level, terrifying - it is also incredibly inspiring and just the "fresh start" that I need. I will spend this week in a kind of personalized detox program, preparing for my role as Assistant Dean on June 11.

We hope that this weekend will be a lazy one filled with movies and puttering around the house. Right now I'm sitting on my couch, watching the summer breeze massage our plum tree, listening to my husband refill the sugar canister, listening to Tugger snore.

Now this is living...