And so the last vestiges of parental responsibility are now gone. After 20+ years, both my children have grown up into responsible adults, or something that.  Like many families this time of year, ours is going through some interesting times.

Jesse has become an accomplished (and somewhat organized!) human being having acquired two degrees while working two jobs and playing rugby.  The impish tot who did whatever she wanted (consequences be damned!) can now outplan her list making mother.  She has spent four years in t

he slightly crunchy environs of Vermont and the theater community in California and has traded that in for the most corporate job one can imagine for a theater/engineering major: Walt Disney! No more tattoos and piercings (or flannel but that’s a practical issue rather than a dress code requirement!) and she’ll be in a notoriously conservative state but I know she has developed the backbone and thick skin she’ll need to be successful.

Duncan is also ready to make changes.  I think the comfort of being paid to do the work he did for credit as an undergrad has worn off as has some of the charm of Charlottesville – or what charm there is for someone with meager resources.  It is painful for me to not be able to help make things easier for him since I don’t understand anything about biochemistry or the job market for people who do something that involves proteins… some things Mom just can’t fix.

Even Frank and I are facing changes to our recently changed life.  First, we now have Buddy the Beagle mix, our rescue dog that pretty much runs our lives.

We’d like to think he’s the reason that we don’t just pick up and run away for the weekend but we have to admit that we didn’t do that before we rescued him so it’s not really his fault.  He has changed some things, including our approach to winery picnics.  We want to take him with us but he’s basically a jerk to other dogs so those opportunities are limited.  We actually drove 90+ miles to visit a winery yesterday because a) we like their wine; but mostly b) they have a great picnic table on a hillside where we know that there won’t be any other dogs.

Add to that the pain of renovations.  We have been rebuilding our garage since March, a process so unpleasant and involved that it will get its own post if it is ever completed.  In addition, there is unrest in the workplace and for the first time, there is a non-zero probability that San will not retire from her current position.  Nothing drastic (yet) but enough uncertainty to increase the discomfort that comes with feeling unsettled.  We still don’t know what we are waiting for and our time is running wild…. (apologies to the late great David Bowie).