Those on my social media have already seen the news, but I’m going to share it here as well. Sir Joshimus received his acceptance letter into the apprenticeship program! And he got it on Friday, before my birthday on Saturday, and I’ll take it as an amazing birthday present for both of us. Josh took off for my birthday since they’re currently doing 7-11s at the steam plant (7 days a week, 11 hours a day) and we spent the day looking at each other and just grinning.
So I’ve been trying to get out of my waiting mindset that I had fallen into over the last few years. And though the blog hasn’t much reflected that, I have been doing better. Some, anyway. I’m still really excited about the things that are coming in our near future, but I’ve been working to enjoy the time we’ve got now and the crazy adventure we’re having already. So where are we?
On Thursday night, one of our neighbors back into our car, denting the fender and scratching it all to hell. We weren’t in the car when it happened, so we’re both fine, and Eddie Mae was still able to be driven. Ish. But I’ll get to that. We contacted our insurance and gave them the neighbor’s insurance information and waited through the weekend (we had a weekend!!) to hear back from them as to what our next steps needed to be.
Hello, my beautiful goobers. I’ve been quiet so far this year on this blog. I occasionally rarely post pictures over on Instagram and slightly more often over on Tumblr, but there’s been too much to say, and not enough words to say it. Now, I feel like I can speak again. Our little family has some big news, but first, let me recap a little so you know where we were coming into 2018.
Early last year, before we bought Eddie Mae, our Nissan Rogue, we were having bike problems. It happens in the cold, so it’s not unexpected. But what was unexpected was a brief, 24-48 hour period where Sir Joshimus had been fired from Walmart and then reinstated. We didn’t talk about it at the time, but it made what was already a difficult situation (because Walmart is a toxic work environment) nearly impossible. But Sir Joshimus did what he needed to do to take care of us…of me. And then last September, I finally took a step I never thought I’d take, and started seeing a wonderful therapist. Tara has been amazing at helping me work through issues that needed addressing and giving me the tools to work through and overcome much of my depression. This fall/winter was the easiest I’ve had since we lost the baby. And this September is also when our Salem Jean joined our family.
So there were some major positives that came out of 2017. And there was some major tension at his work that only became worse as the year wore on. So going into this year, we made a decision. After doing a lot of research (me) and some soul searching (himself), the decision was made that Sir Joshimus would apply for an apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 136. We had read that it could take up to 2 years to get into the program and that once you were accepted, you had to sign on for five years (to earn up to a Journeyman). It was a huge commitment for us, to agree to stay in Alabama for another 5-7 years. We’ve lived longer in Alabama than we did in Hattiesburg (together) and Chicago combined. But the chance to learn a skill and work with his hands again – and get away from Walmart – was too good to let that stop us. So he put in his application and we prepared to wait. He has an aptitude test on April 11 to see if he qualifies for the apprenticeship program, since he has no experience.
So now we wait, right?
Well, not so much! Sir Joshimus Rex no longer works for Walmart!! Thanks to the 136, he has a full time job working in the field. Until he qualifies for the apprenticeship program, he’s working through what some of the guys he now works with as the “pre-apprenticeship” program. When he starts the program, he’ll have class in Birmingham, likely on Wednesday nights they told him.
Y’all, this has completely changed our lives. Even though we talked about it, almost constantly, and I understand what working somewhere you hate can do to you, I don’t think I had realized just how much of a toll his job at Walmart had on him. Not until I saw the change in him the day he knew it was over. He’s standing taller. He’s more relaxed. I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about how I let him get to this point. Why I didn’t push him harder to look for something else. But I’m doing my best to set those concerns aside so I can focus on the positive that is happening in our life right now and the positive things that the future is going to bring our way. We’re no longer talking about “well, after we move, he’ll find something new and better”. New and better is here. And maybe instead of moving to one place, we’ll play nomads for a little while, like some of the guys Sir Joshimus is now working with. I think it would do both our spirits some good to roam.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for y’all for now. I can’t promise I’ll get better about posting, but I’ll do my best. Always love and…
I know I’ve been mostly quiet over the last few months, and I apologize to those of you so awesome as to stop by and read this blog. As always, you goobers are amazing. I’ve been struggling with my mental health, as I always tend to do this time of year, but this year, with the help of my amazing support system, I’m finally taking a big step. And now that the first really scary (for me) obstacle is over, I’m ready to talk about it. Continue reading
This Memorial Day, I honor the one soldier that I knew and loved the best, my Granddaddy, James Luther. He didn’t die at war. He didn’t give the ultimate sacrifice. And he’s been gone nearly 15 years. But he is who I remember and today he is who I honor.
“Some Gave All” by Billy Ray Cyrus
Welcome to May’s Gaelic Roundtable! If this is your first visit to my blog, then please make yourself at home. And if you’re returning – I’m glad as ever to have you. This month’s topic is – devotion.
Does your Worship include Devotional acts? If not, why not? If so, why? Who is the common object of these Devotionals- or who do you find yourself performing them for the most often? Do they have a structure, or is it whatever feels right? Do you record these devotionals? What acts do they usually include? How often do you practice them? Is it daily? Weekly? Whenever the fancy strikes?
Devotion tends to fall into that category with “worship” for me. I practice acts of devotion but because it doesn’t look like what I was raised with, I sometimes have trouble recognizing it as such. When I first read the prompt for this month, much like last month, my initial reaction was, “well, I don’t really do that.” Continue reading
Welcome back everyone for this month’s Roundtable! This month’s topic is one that is actually a little hard for me, for a variety of reasons – worship.
Which Gaelic Gods do you Worship? Do you worship your Ancestors or otherwise participate in Ancestor Veneration and related practices? What about the Gaelic Heroes? The Fae? How long have you Worshiped them? Who came first? Last? Second? How did you establish your relationships with them, and how important is that relationship to you? How integral is that relationship to your spirituality? Your religion? Your every day life?
This post has taken me all month to write. In fact, the first version of this was written on April 6th. Of all the things that I can talk about – at length – when it comes to my faith and my Gods, worship is one of the hardest for me. Worship was defined for me originally by the southern Baptist church and then by the eclectic, Wiccanite community I was part of in my late teens; and what I have now, the shape of my faith and my practice, looks nothing like those forms of worship. Continue reading
This blog celebrated its 7th birthday on Wednesday! That’s insane. What it is has changed many times over the years and has lain fallow for more than a little of that time. But it’s still here and I still intend for it to be in the future. To those who have been with me through this trip, thank you for sticking around. And to our newest readers, welcome and welcome! As always, my darling goobers, I’m so very glad you’re here.
I would like to welcome The Gaelic Roundtable and those who have found their way here! To those who put in the time and energy to get this together, thank you for including me.
This month’s topic is one that I love to talk about here, in many ways: journeys. The husband and I love to travel – to just get on the road and ride – and it fulfills us in very spiritual ways. I’ve traveled further with him than with anyone else in my life – and I literally flew across an ocean with my best friend. And I’m a traveler of a spiral path as an Irish polytheist, and it’s the spiritual journey that is the focus of our topic this month. Continue reading
