They may take my wicked awesome 45% off discount, but they'll never take my FREEDOM!

It looks more and more like I’ll be transforming into a lady of leisure in the near future. I’ve decided to leave my second job. My last day will be next Tuesday. There are several reasons for my departure; all of which I’ll share with you in a moment. Anyway, this will be the first time in several years that I have not held down more than one job. I’ve worked 60+ hours a week for what seems like forever. I’m happy to be able to spend my evenings at home doing the things I love to do which have been neglected for some time now. I can cook every day if I want. I can read and write and knit and crochet and bake and watch really crappy television and study and reconnect with old friends and make plans and take up a new hobby….OOOOOOOO, the possibilities are limitless. YES! I feel free…like William Wallace free. Like O.J. Simpson free (well O.J. of old, at least). Like Freedom Fries and Freedom Toast free. Knitting…I’ll knit for hours if I want. You know why? I won’t have anything else to do. That’s why (I almost added a “suckas” at the end there, but I think my Grandma reads this).
Needless to say, I’m more than excited. There are a couple reasons behind my decision to leave. First and foremost is because, I wasn’t happy. I was always tired, stressed, disappointed, etc. My attitude for the day revolved around whether or not I had to work in the evening. Most of my unhappiness stemmed from a very unfortunate incident in which somebody assumed my beliefs and took off with it. Imagining up fantasies of me being some awful, gay-bashing bigot, which of course, for those of you who know me or share my beliefs, know that the absolute opposite is true. What I’ve learned from this is when you know what’s right, when you know the truth and when you’ve been trusted with these things, you have to be ready, willing and able to look opposition right in the eye and say, “I love you.” That’s why I can sleep at night. Anyway, the other reason was because, although for a very long time, I felt like Heavenly Father had plopped me in the middle of a bunch of tree-hugging, fairy-worshiping, aura-reading, tarot card-believing, nut jobs (I mean that in the nicest possible way) for a reason, my time is done. I’ve done what I was supposed to do – whatever that was. Oh yeah, and there was the whole, I was going to have to start working Sundays. And selling face cream on Sundays in no way constitutes the Lord’s work. So, here I am standing for what I believe in and I’m almost a little proud of myself…I don’t know that I’ve ever really done that before, at least since I’ve stood for what I know is right and not just what I thought was right (there’s a definite difference).
So, here’s to FREEDOM (pretend I just yelled that in my best Scottish accent a la William Wallace, because I totally did in my head as I typed it).

Five things I’m grateful for –
1. FREEDOM
2. 42 year old knitting needles
3. Knowing what’s right
4. Sylvia & Alexia
5. Peace of mind (not the Origins product, but the state of being)

Top five memories of Origins –
1. Sylvia refusing my hugfest…a pretty amazing chase ensued
2. Alexia and I rapping it up old school style. Whatever happened to Salt ‘N’ Peppa?
3. Learning Southern hymns. “Ain’t it a Shame to Kiss the Boys on Sunday?” Never heard it? I suggest you look it up.
4. Meeting the Escoe family. What an amazing group of people. They have truly changed my life.
5. Seeing in Alexia what I always wanted to see in myself.