Letting Go, Looking Forward

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I haven't had a chance to re-envision what Feel The Joy will be in Nevada.    California has approved my dissolution of the nonprofit entity.  Despite not being clear no the future of Feel The Joy, I am excited that I have been invited to join the Reno Women for Good's leadership team on Grape Vine  And, this year I am able to participate in the California Freedom Challenge with the Sierra Sisters in Mammoth.

These are the personal realities that have made it challenging for me to carve out the time to reestablish Feel The Joy in Nevada.

Last year, we learned we had to sell our place in Santa Cruz and completely let go of our life there.  We realized this after we stumbled upon the fact that our insurance company had changed the terms of our insurance such that we were not longer covered if our property wasn't our primary home.   Selling a country home like ours was no small feat.  However roughly four months later, we'd completely moved out.  We moved everything we'd owned in that house into a storage unit in Reno.    We did our best to squeeze our lives into the home we owned in Reno but realized that if we wanted to keep my piano and have room to have friends over - we'd need a bigger place and bought one before the end of the year.

Sadly, before we had a chance to move into the new home we lost my dear mother-in-law.  This involved helping my husband sort out her belongings in the midst of our own life transition.

The dust is just finally starting to settle from all of these life changes. 



As I let go and look forward,  I've looked for sources of produce here in Reno.  I miss the vibrant farmers markets in Santa Cruz as well as my fruit and flower garden.   Happily, a few weeks ago, I found a farmers market selling organic cherries in Sparks and was able to can some cherries the way my Aunt Gloria used to do so that I could share them with my family in Susanville.   

As I write this post, we are heading in to July 4th weekend.  I will be returning back to Santa Cruz to visit friends and hang out at Flipjack Ranch for the holiday weekend. Today, I made cherry pie from these canned cherries to share with my friends there.  In some small way it is comforting to continue carrying on these traditions despite having moved away.

Sadly, I am also returning to attend the celebration of life for a dear friend in my Bonny Stitchers quilt group.  I will host the Higher Grounds volunteer coffee house Saturday morning before returning to Reno.

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