It has been a looooong year. Well, closer to 18 months. But either way, I am not who I was. And I thought I’ve transformed before. Friends, let me tell you, I am not the me I once was.

So, welcome back!! To me, and to you!

Ok, I know it’s been a long time coming, and I was absent for a long time, but there are reasons for that. One reason is because Nordy’s Garage was HACKED!! I have spent too much money and too much time trying to get it back. And no, it wasn’t being held for ransom. At one point, after $$$$$$$, it was restored only to have it lost again in the transfer. It would have cost another $$$$ to find it all again, but I figured someone was letting me know it was time to let it go and really, truly put the past away. So here we are — the NEW Nordy’s Garage.

Maybe Nordy’s Garage 2.0? Nah…if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

I want to give a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who have continued to support me along the way and those who were wondering where I went. Well, here I am!!

And with that being said…what’s good today, friends??

I received a request that my first post on the new site be about change. Lord knows I’ve been through a lot of it the past 18 months. We all go through things that change us. Sometimes it’s for the better, and sometimes we feel that it’s not. But I firmly believe that if you look hard enough, you can find something useful in any bad. Often it’s a mindset that we have to train our brains to see. And sometimes, even if we look hard, it takes time to see the good that came from what we once thought was all bad.

So, let me tell you some of the things change and time has taught me.

I have found that grief is a tricky devil and very, very unpredictable. Regarding the loss a little over a year ago of those I loved, there are no answers, and I’m still looking for the silver lining, but I know God works for the good for all of those who love Him. So, I’m learning patience.

I have found you CAN run away to save your sanity. But you still have to deal with your stuff.

I have found when people really, truly love you, you will know it, and they will ALWAYS be there. But, if they didn’t love you, well, you will know that too.

I have found that no matter how new, how modern or how simple and small, a home is what you make it and it’s more about who is there than what is there and sometimes your dog is all you need.

Moving to Texas was one of the most significant changes I have made in my life. I packed up everything I owned and left the town I had lived in for over 20 years in hopes of improving my life. It was scary and exciting at the same time. Things fell into place pretty quickly once I got there, and I was able to secure a job and a home with ease. I was excited about the chance to start over and learn some new things in my career so I could continue to grow and make a better life for myself (and Nordy). I was hired on with a large company, and I was ready to show what I was made of.  I certainly got the opportunity to do that. Soon into my new life, reality hit me hard. There was no work-life balance, and when I wasn’t working, I was thinking about or stressed about work. My job owned me. The company was growing and going through changes of its own, and the employees were caught in the middle. Although I learned a lot, even with promise after promise that things would get better, it eventually caught up with me, and the stress became too great for many of us, and several decided to move on.

That got me to where I am now.

Another change.

Me, the workaholic, decided to take an even greater risk and become unemployed…by choice. I’ve referred to this time as my sabbatical. And anyone who knows me understands that it hasn’t been very restful as I’m not sure how to just exist. But I have enjoyed my time. I’ve taken time to do things that I enjoy like painting the interior of a house! To a lot of people that sounds like work but for me, painting (houses or pictures), ironing, and doing yardwork, relax me. They allow me to disconnect from everything else and simply focus at the task at hand. I also love seeing the progress and transformation of those activities. It makes me feel oddly productive.

It’s been about a month and my sabbatical is about to come to an end. I have decided to accept a position with a company in the greater Kansas City area. With the research I have done on the company, it appears to be a great place to work. I will be incredibly busy, but according to what I have read and been told, the company and management put their money where their mouths are to show their appreciation to their employees. I also understand that my new team is more like family and that is one thing I have missed in my work life. I met some great people where I worked in San Antonio. Some will be lifelong friends but the “family” aspect of the job was sorely absent and it is something that made the hard times bearable in my previous job in North Dakota, so I’m looking forward to getting back to that atmosphere. Plus, I will be closer to my family so that is a bonus you can’t put any amount of money on.

But here I am again. I am facing yet another change.

I guess my point is that change is going to happen. You cannot avoid it no matter how much you try. Some change we cause ourselves and some of it happens without our permission, but the one place we have control is in how you react to it. If you feel like your life is changing too much, too fast and things feel out of control, take care of yourself. Only you will know what that means. It might mean finding someone to talk to. It could be surrounding yourself with people who love you. Maybe it means taking a leave of absence and focusing on health and healing. It could be as simple as getting a massage or as big as moving 1000 miles away. But do what it takes to make you ok. And remember, you don’t need to apologize to anyone for doing what you need to make yourself whole. You are worth it. No other reason is required.

Friends, here’s to new beginnings and becoming who we are meant to be.  *CHEERS*