Fam time in ENC

I love being between jobs. I am in the lucky (I say this seriously) 50% of Americans who don't live paycheck to paycheck, so I could afford taking three full weeks off between my last day at Morehead-Cain and my first day at CCPS. As you know (if you read this blog), I spent the first week in the PNW. I spent the second week moving in Carrboro, and I spent the third week with family in Eastern North Carolina.

QT with the rents at Lake Gaston

Dad and I watched a dragonfly emerge from its nymph form into a fully winged adult!!!! Then I got online and read ALL about the dragonfly life cycle. Most of their lives (up to five years!!!) are spent as nymphs in the water! Then they spend only a few months as winged adults.

I'm publishing this blog post on a very special day: the 24th birthday of my middle sister, Janie. Serendipitously, we were between jobs at the same time, and we got to spend a lot of that free time together. I loved getting to hang with her so much before she left for her year in Kenya! Among other things, we walked Caesar:

QT with dog-sitter Janie in Tarboro

June promised her a pedicure in exchange for walking Caesar while June was driving Davis to his summer internship in St. Louis. Janie was a very good dog mom.

We accompanied Dad to the graduation party for his medical residents at ECU:

At one of dad's work parties in Greenville. Janie Wanie loooooves rainbow birthday cake.

We cuddled with Caesar:

early-morning cuddles with Caesar, precious angel

And together, we did an oral history interview with our nearly-91-year-old maternal grandmother, Mimi:

Janie and I did a three-hour oral history interview with Mimi. In preparation, she cut up angel food cake and instructed us to spread strawberry cream cheese on it. There was also fruit salad and a marshmallowy coffee cake.

The other small dog of our family: Mimi's companion, Maggi (no "e")

Before establishing my CCPS start date, I worried about being bored with three weeks off. In fact, it went by really fast. I treasured being able to spend relaxed time with my family in Tarboro, in Greenville, and at Lake Gaston. I'm so lucky to have them and to live near them!