From Fairy Land to the Emerald City

The big news in my life is that we are moving from Richmond to Seattle "The Emerald City". Skip has landed a job with Amazon, which really we should have worked for years ago since we give monthly to their bottom line. Now they will give to us, with some hard work from Skip.

When Circuit City decided to close it's doors the Big Wigs called all the employees in to a meeting and told them they would get 60 days of pay under the "Warn Act", Essentially this means they are still employed by CC for the next 60 days and will be paid their regular salaries, but if need be they are also responsible to work that sixty days or any number of days the company requires and there is no pay after the sixty days even if you work the whole time. You cannot refuse to work or you will lose all your compensation. A hand full of employees fell into this category of working the whole two months, Skip was one.

We were pretty upset. Obviously when you are working full time and your peers are not, you have the disadvantage in finding the jobs and getting the interviews. His peers were getting the same pay, yet could look full time for a job. Although this was frustrating Skip is extremely ethical and has a high standard of integrity. He worked and did it with a smile.

We have been looking for a job for almost three months now. Resumes have been sent out without response, interviews, which came few and far between, have been met with rejection and not all we don't like you. Weird things like, "We aren't really hiring right now. We just want to know what talent is out there. We are just trying to keep a list of people to call when we do decide to hire." He also had interview where he was way over qualified, which was weird because they contacted him and then didn't really read his resume till into the meat of the interview and then came to the realization that this was not a good fit. Talk about building you up just to let you fall.

As time progressed towards the end of the sixty days we were left wondering what we should do. Then there came the possibility that Skip could work longer for CC with continued pay, but no benefits. What a blessing. A pay check at least. We are aware of so many others struggling to get by and here was a blessing from Heaven.....

The not knowing is always my undoing. I freak out on the inside, can't concentrate, and eat to much. So many people have been praying for us; our family and our ward and countless friends. The power of prayer has permeated my soul. I have felt the comforting power of the Holy Ghost. On my knees I have felt the love of a Father for his child. I felt it would all work out, some way, some how.

It is so fascinating to see how Our Father in Heaven is so aware of each one of his children, their needs, desires and their potential....

I love Richmond. It is the best place I have lived my whole married life. I have made friends in other places, of which I am so grateful, but here for some reason I have been able to really get out with friends on a regular basis and uncover the old me from before I was married. I have been able to enjoy so many interest that I love regularly, where for some reason I had not before. Richmond is a lush beautiful city, everything is so close, really no traffic, and so much history. I was devastated when I realized I would have to move from a place that had opened its arms to me, woke me from a slumber, and dazzled me with it's many delights. I would have to leave dear friends behind. I had done this two years ago and I realized it leaves a hole, so I was not looking forward to do it again.

As the spring progressed and no job came, it just seem to rain here and rain, rain, rain.... It was a cold spring. The flowering trees that I looked so forward to, put on an awful show....so disappointing. The daffodils on our property, of which there are hundreds only let out a third of their blooms and those were nothing to jump up and down about. Every time I thought on the next sunny warm spring day I will take the kids out to for a historical field trip,... well it rained. My vision of spring in Virginia was becoming diluted.

I am not sure why this particular spring was this way, maybe it is how I saw it through sad eyes, or I anticipated it to much knowing it could well be my last .... I think perhaps I needed this time to be slowly released from the grip Richmond had on me. Kind of like breaking a seal in the vacuum of space, in slow motion, like in the movies. It all happens so subtly and suddenly it's done and over. I think it was a time of preparation at least for me. To be ripped from this place so fast would maybe to hard for me to handle...

I put this on my Face Book Page yesterday. "Laurene is listening to Virgina in spring time...birds singing, wood peckers pecking, bees buzzing, Squirrels scattering through the leaves and every once in a while a deep croak from the pond, as the warm breeze wafts through the newly sprung spring green leaves of the forest it is so peaceful and serene.It makes my spirit soar...I will desperately miss the Virgina Country side."

When you sit at my breakfast table, in the kitchen and if you sit in my chair, you will be forced to look out into the forest. Right now the leaves are popping out and the Dogwood is in full bloom. I sometimes see a fox, a herd of deer, A flock of turkeys, and loads of squirrel and birds. It is pretty intoxicating to see the trees bending with the wind. There are no houses or cars. It is all country for as far as the eye can see. We need no window coverings at all.

I asked my kids in a melancholy voice as I gazed out over the forest," How would you guys like it if there were the back of a house there,{ I pointed to the back.} and the side of a house there and there.{ I pointed to the sides}" They responded, much to my chagrin and with great enthusiasm,... I half expected it," We would love it! We would have a sidewalk to ride our bikes. We could play basket-ball out side. It would be awesome!" I don't think they are as entranced by this incredible scene as I.

Now, as I said it has been three months. We indeed have a job. We have been blessed immensely with a continued pay check....And are preparing to move from Fairy Land...lol!!!

Seriously, I believe that through the prayers of others and my own pleading the Lord has answered, yes with a job, but something else, something entirely unexpected. He knows me and my needs and I believe he has been preparing me for this move in his gentle way. He took me forlorn and gave me strength. He took me so wrapped up in this place and slowly disengaged me. He gave me eyes that I might see all the possiblities. He showed me a door where I saw a wall. He knew what I needed and made it happen for me.