Author Archives: gmayeaux

It happens more often than I care to believe. I woke up to about two inches of snow on the ground this morning. Not enough to shovel but enough to make it feel like it’s December and not April. Just this past weekend, I was thinking that it was time to start mowing. Now, thanksContinue reading “April snow and a right-sized family”

These days, life could easily be better. My closest friend is driving “home” today for 12 hours because she’s losing her father. After months or renovation and more money than we anticipated, we are left with more projects on our “to do” list than before and a friend is coming to stay in approximately sixContinue reading “Finding joy in a stressed out life…”

I’ve said it before: we live our lives around here much like our grandparents lived. Our activities and focus are largely dictated by the seasons. In summer, there’s a focus on the gardens and weeding and watering. In fall, it’s about the harvest which can be incredibly fast and furious. Along with firewood and winterizingContinue reading “New starts and a homesteading life”

So, I am about to start working even less and I was feeling guilty. My husband has been working a little more than full-time in his new role. It helps that he loves it and he still has considerable flexibility, but I still felt guilty about going more part-time. Then, we dug deep into ourContinue reading “Guilt, get thee behind me”

So, I’ve had a mini-epiphany. Mind you, I have these a lot. But this one is big as far as mini-epiphanies go. In the past year, my anxiety has taken over my life. For all that I write about living a slower pace of life – which is true – it is not without stress.Continue reading “I choose joy…”

In the analogy of my work life, I talk about taking the nearest exit ramp off the highway and navigating back to a quieter place. In the 1980’s, Sammy Hagar explained to us how he couldn’t drive 55 miles per hour when federal policy reduced aid to states that did not enact a 55 MPHContinue reading “I can drive… 55”

So, I’m back from a four-day stint on the road. As I turned into my driveway on Friday night, I had just under 29 hours of billable time that I needed to get by the end of the year. Most of that came this week with the remainder the following week. Then, I largely shutContinue reading “Little left to do”

It’s the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Correction: it’s the Sunday after the last consecutive Thanksgiving that I’m hosting. The house is still relatively clean, the leftovers have been frozen and the china, “good” napkins and accoutrement have all been put away. In the meantime, kitties have been mentored and are slowly getting to be less work.Continue reading “The secret life of being a homemaker”

When I started this blog, I wanted to celebrate my new life and what was different. It was so important to me that I didn’t lose perspective of where I had been and where I was now going. It was nearly four years ago today that I left my executive career. I cried all theContinue reading “Life, changes and the pursuit of peace”

Well, not completely. There are four heads of celery that need to be harvested and a few more carrots in the ground. But, neither are a big deal in terms of work. The celery will take longer to clean than it will to chop the stalks and dry the leaves. The carrots will be pickedContinue reading “And the garden goes fallow…”