Life in New York City, Denver, and everywhere else!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

LIfe in Alexandria 2011




I don't know what I expected when I googled my name this morning, but I was thinking more along the lines of all my genealogical stuff. I was pleased to find my new developing website, Quintessential Art. Here is an update.

In August of 2010, I began my new school year at Newlon Elementary, one of the best and most wonderful elementary schools in Denver, CO. Sadly, just a couple of weeks into the school year, Chris found out that we were being unexpectedly transferred back to the DC area. We were NOT happy. We put the house on the market the next week with our favorite realtor and close friend, Pauline Goetz, and it sold to the first family that looked at it!! We ended up moving at the end of November and Chris started his new Job on Nov. 30th.

There have been many challenges here.....there have been some very good things, too. I started taking a watercolor class last January and quickly became very discouraged and upset, thinking that perhaps I did have a little bit of painting skill. Watercolor is such a different technique from acrylic!!! Anyway, I nearly gave up, but then in April, Chris' mom encouraged me to do something in acrylic just to see what I could do. That was it for me!! I started painting in earnest!! I sold two paintings in July!!! That was really exciting!! I also entered the LDS church's 9th International Art Competition at the end of September. The results of that juried competition will be coming forth in December.

Chris is in the process of retiring. And it is quite the process!! In Sept. he came home one day and started discussing with me the possibility of getting the help of a professional resume writer to help us make the transition from gov't. work to the corporate world. I was all for it. So, he contacted Daniel Draz, who has been absolutely fantastic. In addition to helping him re-write and revise his resume in a most stellar fashion, he has been of great moral support throughout this process. This was money well spent!!

So, right now we are in a holding pattern with several irons in the fire. Everyday we say to ourselves that we will probably hear something today on a job. It is a face-paced, every changing industry (bank look-back work, financial crimes, anti-money laundering, etc.) and we have certainly had an education as we have approached those industries. Anyway, as those industries stay in flux, so do we to some extent.

I think one of the most likely scenarios is that Chris will get an upcoming look-back job in Manhattan that starts in a couple of weeks. I will move to Texas until Chris is able to get a long-term contract somewhere. If it is in Manhattan, I will definitely go with him and try to teach at the Child School again.

This is where we are.

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