Look Who's Minding the Store

Ahhh, summer.  My favorite season.  Time to relish the sunshine, long hours of daylight, and relaxed schedule.  What with the Republican and Democratic Conventions here in the U.S.; the season finale of the Bachelorette (I admit, I watched this season); the follow-up season of Bachelor in Paradise (I admit, I am watching that too -- it's comforting watching other people's 'crazy'); and the Summer Olympics in Rio, I have spent most summer weeknights on the couch watching TV -- time I might otherwise have spent blogging.  As in past summers, I took a break from blogging.  This is healthy for me.  As I prepare my youngest for her sophomore year away at college, the time I spend cuddling with her on the couch, watching TV shows like the Bachelorette, sustains me when she is gone.  And that's the time I can go back to blogging.

On the subject of being an empty-nester (at least for the school year), I've done something to fill the void left by not having a child at home and a schedule revolving around the school-day.  I've gone to work one day a week and every other Saturday at a home-furnishings boutique in a neighboring town.  In summer, when design is not a priority for most clients, the office is quiet and I start to go a little stir crazy.  Rather than welcome the respite, I start having paranoid thoughts like "Why aren't I busier?" and "Why isn't the phone ringing?"  It's an occupational hazard of being self-employed.  So when I saw a "Help Wanted" sign in this boutique that I pass nearly every day, I decided to inquire.  This little job gets me out of the office and spares my brain from unwelcome thoughts.  As summer transitions to fall, clients resume their home decorating projects, and my sophomore-in-college leaves once again, I'll take comfort in being around pretty things, helping customers with design decisions and sharing the latest episode of the Bachelor with my co-workers. There's something to say about sharing time around the water cooler in the workplace.