New Beginnings

First, since you're all so supportive and wonderful and emailing me to find out- YES! I got the promotion.

On a more philosophical note... Well, I've always felt that the Jewish New Year fell at a good time of year for me. My parents have always taught and/or worked in schools, so September always felt like a better time to start fresh that sloppy, cold January at our house. I started holding my own personal Rosh Hashanah in college.

So basically, I eat an apple with honey, put away my summer clothes, pull out the sweaters, give old things to charity, replace and file all the folders in the filing cabinet, and set new goals. I also get a full wellness checkup, visit the dentist and go to the eye doctor. Bella and Fred get their booster shots.

The spiritual path I've been following since I came into my own as an adult does celebrate the harvest and mark a new year on October 31st, but I'm not really bad-ass enough to really claim that as my own. I also don't feel comfortable going to a synagogue on Yom Kippur (and I kid you not, around here they sell tickets to gain admission and they cost $$$). I do try to make amends and have the heart-to-heart conversations I know need to happen. I try to put on my big girl panties and deal, set things right, untangle misunderstandings, restart and reboot, speak the truth and offer olive branches.

So... I talked to Stephen tonight for two hours. And it was great. I didn't call him a fucker the entire time! Most of our conversations, and there haven't been many, have ended with me in tears these past ten months. But I wanted to tell him something, because I didn't want him to read it on the Internet first, and now we've spoken, though most of you know anyway, so here it is... I am seeing a wonderful guy. (He's previously been described here as my Casual New Friend.) His name is Joel. We've been dating for two months now. He's a teacher, working on his masters degree, loves landscape photography, has nice teeth, loathes Bush, walks my dog in the rain, calls when he says he will, takes me to the airport AND picks me up, the whole she-bang.

Perhaps the most telling thing I can tell you about his personality is that my dog- an excellent judge of character- adores him. I mean, like, "Damn we're lucky Bella doesn't have opposable thumbs because she loves him so much she might try to assassinate a world leader to get his attention like that crazy guy who stalked Jodi Foster" adores him. Bella loves my new boyfriend like Fred loves the neighbor's bicycle. :)

“To everything there is a season. A time for every purpose under Heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to break down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh. A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. A time to gain, a time to lose. A time to keep, a time to throw away. A time to tare, a time to sow. A time to keep silent and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time of war, and a time of peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 )