So, What Do I Do Now?

I always knew they’d grow up fast. My two sweet boys, Ethan and Will. Everyone told me to enjoy it, and I did. I really did. But it didn’t stop them from growing up. Ethan is newly married now, and Will will graduate high school next spring.

My greatest accomplishment is and will always be raising two wonderful men.

I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for so long. There was always so much to do that I sometimes dreamed of having a day with absolutely nothing to do. A day full of relaxation. Now I have more of those days—a lot more—and I find myself missing the “good ol’ days.” Days when life was busy, when I was accomplishing things, even if that accomplishment was getting my picky kids to try a new food.

Every now and then I turn on the movie Cars and let it play in the background while I cook and clean. For a little while, I imagine my boys in the living room, young again, playing with their trucks and trains and watching Lightning McQueen. It seems silly to me, but I do it anyway. I miss those days.

Don’t get me wrong—I still see my boys. Will still lives at home, and Ethan lives in town. But being their mom looks different now.

I think this all started when Ethan got his driver’s license and could drive himself and Will around. That was one less thing to do. It felt amazing at the time, having the freedom of not being a constant chauffeur. But little by little, there was less my kids needed me to do. I’m so proud of them and the direction their lives are going, but I miss doing things for them—and with them. I liked being part of their everyday plans.

Being a stay-at-home mom was my job, and it came with plenty of duties. More than some people gave it credit for. When the boys were younger, it bothered me to think that some people might have imagined that I spent my days lying on the couch, watching TV. The funny thing now is, I have plenty of time to do just that. Some days I’ll find a new series and binge an entire season. But honestly, I’m bored with my day-to-day now.

I’m only 43. There’s plenty I want to do, and I’ve always loved being creative. Over the years I’ve made wedding cakes and wooden signs, built Adirondack chairs, worked as an online fitness and health coach, and written a novella. I’ve never had much trouble finding something new to try.

What I want now is something that enriches my life as well as someone else’s, whether it makes money or not. I never used to have the time to do something full-time. Now I do.

There’s so much I want to do… I want to travel, to cook, to get together with family and friends more often, and I want to write. I miss the satisfaction of having something to work on that matters to me. So that’s why I created this blog.

I have recipes I’ve depended on for years and plenty of new ones I want an excuse to try. My mom was, and still is, an extraordinary hostess. I’ve learned so much from her that I’d love to pass along. And creating a blog gives me another reason to throw more parties.

When I try something new, I want to write about it—partly so I can remember it someday, and partly because you might enjoy it, too.

Sometimes, I’ll write about things like this. Thoughts about life and how it keeps changing. No matter what I end up writing, it will be authentic to me, who I am and how I think. I want you to get to know the real Anne. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and hang out with me awhile.

Yours truly,
Anne