New Hair

 

Yesterday I discovered a new hair salon and indulged in a new cut and color. I must admit, I feel so much better! Apparently having 4 inch grey roots peeking out was contributing to my feeling old and ugly. (Not that there is anything old or ugly about grey. I was trying to grow it out to be all grey only to discover that my color is not yet pretty enough to shine on its own.) 

I feel like finding a salon is another step towards establishing this as our home. While I will probably not stay with the salon long term, it is nice to know where I can go if I need a reliable cut and color. Slowly, things are starting to feel more familiar. But I have to admit, it is still really hard!

Today Scott and I are heading to try to register our cars. Wish us luck. I hate the DMV and I abhor dealing with the government. Should be a fun afternoon!

 

Settling

I feel quasi limited in what I can unpack at this point because I have already tackled all of the boxes that were safe to move. I tried to move some heavier boxes up the basement stairs and became stuck in a rather unsafe predicament. Thankfully Timmy was home and was able to come to my rescue, but I vowed to never again try something so dangerous.

Unpacking is still feels overwhelming although I do feel like we've been making progress.  Yesterday I transitioned from straight unpacking to settling in. I took the time to reorganize things and I even hung a few photos on the wall. We have a long way to go, but slowly we are starting (or at least I'm trying) to make this new house feel like our home.

Today I'll be busy unpacking and settling in while Timmy is at school. This afternoon we promised to complete another few assembly steps for his new rocket. Exciting times!

Outings

 I had a wonderful few days just relaxing, unwinding and staying away from the news and all social media.  I suppose a benefit of being temporarily without employment is my ability to travel on a whim. I was able to spend a few days with my Mom simply because I wanted to get away. Talk about a luxury!

I came home (although this area still does not feel like home) in time to participate in the local Cocoa Crawl over the weekend. Armed with the names of stores and the promise of free hot chocolate, we spent a few hours on Saturday and Sunday traversing the area and getting to know some local stores. We discovered a fantastic hobby shop filled with model rockets, a fabulous new (and wildly inexpensive) hibachi restaurant, and a few cute gift shops. We were also steered towards a park that is model rocket launching friendly, which delighted Hamlet.

As luck would have it, Sunday the Cocoa Crawl led us to Shepherdstown. We were able to grab Robby for a quick lunch and hug. Timmy delighted in seeing the university through his brother's eyes and was eager to soak up every experience offered to him. Between a quick tour of the campus to going through the shops in town, he absorbed every moment.  

We didn't complete the Cocoa Crawl, but we had a great time participating. We needed a push to get out into our new community, and this was the perfect first opportunity. Hopefully, with a few more outings, this new area will start to feel more like home.