Whew. I have had one of the most stressful months of my entire life. It has, however, also been one of the most blessed months of my life so I cannot complain. It was just one thing after another after another ’til you could hardly catch your breath. Luckily, they were not all BAD things, but they were mostly all life-changing things though so that sure made it interesting!
Here’s the deal. We went on vacation while we had some renovations done on our place. In the midst of our vacation we found out that we had to move. In less than a week, or we would be homeless (we did not suffer a foreclosure, and that’s all the details I really want to give out). So we spent countless stressful hours searching for a place and found a marvelous one that is going to work out long-term for our family much better than our old place did. We did this in about three days. Then we packed up as quickly as possible– which meant stuffing things in boxes and taping them up, then moving to the next drawer or cabinet or bookcase. (I do NOT recommend this method. It was a hell of a thing finding everything at the new house!)
Some wonderful friends from church helped us move and we literally could not have done it without them. We really couldn’t have because we have Sawyer and he needs to be watched and when moving boxes, that is pretty hard to do. So we went on vacation on Sunday, found out we had to move on Monday, got the keys to our new place on Thursday, started packing on Friday and moved on Saturday….Helluva week.
It took about a week to unpack, and that was with me unpacking and putting things away pretty much all day long. Now we are all moved in and we LOVE it here. It’s such a blessing. The neighbors are wonderful, there are lots of kids around for my kids to play with, we are close to schools and shopping…. it’s so much better than our last place that it’s not even funny. I feel like God took a situation where someone was trying to harm us and turned it into one of the biggest blessing we have ever received. He can turn all situations to good and this was a real testament to that.
Our autistic son has had a hard transition though. He spent the first week and a half begging to go home everytime he woke up. He tantrummed so many times when we wouldn’t take him back to the old place. He finally seems to have accepted that this is home, though I know he’d go back there and happily forget about this place in a heartbeat if that were an option.
The reason I’ve been off for so long is because we bundled our services (cable, internet and phone) and the first installation appt. we could get was May 11th. I figured I’d be back that night, but alas, no such luck. There was a small problem with the wiring at our new house, and they couldn’t install our stuff until it was fixed. So we fixed it and then had to wait until Friday the 15th for a second appt. They got things hooked up. Then it was a free-for-all as my poor internet starved darlings fought to the death over the computer. So I figured I’d update my cartoons and blog on Saturday (yesterday). And THEN we woke up and everything was out. There was an outtage in our area and this lasted almost all day. (It made me uneasy about the bundling, but heck, it’s so CHEAP I couldn’t turn it down!) I am beginning to wonder if God is trying to tell me something. Seriously. Because we have had SO many problem with our internet over the last six months. Problems we never used to have, and every problem has had a different cause. It’s not like it’s the same thing cropping up time and time again. Maybe we’ve become too dependant on it? I don’t know. Hopefully, everything will be find now, but I’m not sure if I believe it or not.
Oh, and to top it all off, the transmission went out in our van on Thursday. If this was the 12 days of Christmas, the transmission problems would be the Partridge in a pear tree. Just a PERFECT ending to one of the most stressful times I’ve ever lived through.
I just keep thinking … FODDER. It’s all fodder. Perhaps the Torres’ will be about to face some trials. … Hmmmm…. Evil grin…
I do hope my readers come back. I know things have been flaky ’round here and if no one reads my stuff anymore, well, I can’t really blame them. But I will continue to put it out because I love to do it. Maybe if I draw it and write it they will come? Or maybe not.
But for now, I’m back, I’m grateful and I feel really blessed. All of the stress of the last month was completely worth it.
JOY. I feel tremendous peace and joy right now. I’m so glad to be back! Oh, and I’ve posted two new cartoons to boot!
Enjoy!
22 comments
Comments feed for this article
May 17, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Dee Dee
S-O-O-O glad you are back. I am happy that things have worked out so well.
May 17, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Larry
Glad you’re back, the withdrawal pains have been horrific. Like you mentioned now you’ll have some more life experiences to fall back on for the Torres. 😉
May 17, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Kate
If you draw it, they will come!!!
So glad you’re back online & cartooning again.
I think you & I both deserve a week far away from all stressors ~ you up for it? LOL
Your new place is beautiful & though I said it once, I’ll say it again… I want your kitchen!!! 🙂
I liked today’s cartoons. Manny totally missed the point, which cracks me up!
May 17, 2009 at 8:00 pm
The Bug
We’ve had a similar month around here, so I totally understand your emotional rollercoaster. We found out my husband finally got a full time tenure track job about three weeks ago (he’s been looking for 3 years), then the next day we found out his mother had been in a serious car accident (she’s in a long term care facility for physical therapy now). We dropped everything & headed to NC. On the way back the next week we got a speeding ticket. Then a few days later our car died (it’s going to cost around $1000 to be repaired). While we were waiting on the car to be repaired we decided that it was time to get the air conditioning fixed on the jeep – $400. And now we’re in the process of house hunting for the move for the new job. Thank goodness we haven’t had any internet issues – I don’t think I could have handled that!
May 17, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Erika
Your week reminds me of one I had in 2001. I fell down the stairs at my job and broke my elbow, which meant that I could not drive because the doctor put me on medically ordered short-term disability and if I had had an accident during that time my insurance company would not have paid any claim. My father was in the hospital, on a respirator and I could not visit him much because my husband (at the time) refused to take me. Yeah, that’s only one of the reasons he is my ex. A few days after the fall, I was sleeping on the couch (my marriage was pretty much toast by then) and my stbx shook me awake and handed me the phone. It was my father’s doctor telling me he had just died. I had to make funeral arrangements, etc. while depending on my stbx. Not fun.
I ended that month by getting laid off and I was the sole breadwinner for the family.
But life is now infinitely better and I am sure that it will be for you and your family too.
So glad you are back!
May 17, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Kent
Still here Karen. Every one goes through trials, you just have to keep your faith in god and continue on your path.
May 17, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Laurel
Welcome back! I so enjoy your strip and the trials of the Torres!
I wish you and your family blessings!
May 18, 2009 at 12:24 am
Cynthia
Glad you are back!
May 18, 2009 at 12:37 am
Ken
No worries about THIS reader coming back. I kept checking. I was just worried about y’all.
May 18, 2009 at 2:18 am
Rowan
Welcome back. You were missed.
I hope things settle down and your kids settle in.
May 18, 2009 at 2:50 am
Colleen Sheehy
Everyone goes through a month like that at one time or another. You are blessed to see the hand of God behind everything that’s happened to you and yours. Hang in there, kiddo – your loyal fans are still with you!
May 18, 2009 at 5:04 am
Gwen
Happy to see you back. Glad you and your family are safe.This is my first time leaving you a comment but I have been a fan of your strip for a long time and it is worth waiting for.
May 18, 2009 at 9:00 am
Sara
This reader never even left! 🙂
Welcome back!
I’m glad things seem to be settling down for you.
My time lately has been stressful in a different way.
I’m being tested for RA.
On the good side of things, my younger son (the one with autism) ate a hot dog…on a bun…with ketchup! 🙂 It’s the small victories.
May 18, 2009 at 10:22 am
Amy
I’ll always keep coming back for more!
May 18, 2009 at 10:35 am
Laura
Dont worry we wont leave you. Take care of yourself and your family, all of your readers will be right here waiting for you 🙂
May 18, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Ted Seeber
I’m still here- and something that *might* work with Sawyer, anyway, it’s worked to stop the nightmares for me every time I’ve moved, but it might be dependent on if he’s a claustrophile like I am. Try building a tent with blankets over his bed. It doesn’t have to be anyplace close to permanent- but just enough to give him the sense that he’s kind of camping for the next few weeks, at least for those critical first few scary minutes of waking up.
Like I said though- may be dependent on if one of his autism symptoms is claustrophilia- the love of nice dark enclosed spaces.
May 18, 2009 at 2:36 pm
BJMallory
Count me in as one of the readers who never left. I was so happy to find CBW again after Yahoo comics ditched it! The blog is a big bonus. I understand you very often have a full plate (or a cup that overfloweth, if you will) so no worries about the times that you can’t post new material. I can wait. 🙂
When you wrote about your son tantrumming because you wouldn’t take him “home”, it reminded me of my youngest son. He’s not austic and didn’t throw a tantrum but he was highly upset the first night when we moved from the apartment he’d known as home for most of his life into our new house. He was 5 at the time. He cheerfully helped as much as he could all day with the moving and was pretty good all day. When bedtime came, he started crying and when we asked him what was wrong, he said “I want to go HOME!” Took a good hour of comforting and explaining that he WAS home, in our new home. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for your son to understand.
May 18, 2009 at 2:42 pm
BJMallory
I meant “autistic” not “austic”. Oy. Stoopid Monday fingers.
May 19, 2009 at 6:00 am
Shari
Welcome back!! We’ve been waiting for you 🙂
May 19, 2009 at 12:21 pm
mammatus
Karen…hee…hee…she’s my wife…she’s pretty cool. Hee, hee! I’m really her husband, not some creepy stalker. I love your cartoon, honey…can I get a motorcycle?
May 19, 2009 at 2:30 pm
jp
What is that thing where god’s not supposed to give us anything we can’t handle, and that’s why we were the chosen ones to be blessed with extra challenges. Definitely fodder for the mulling. 🙂
Hope S. doesn’t take too long to acclimate. We had a year or two that even the couch couldn’t be moved an inch, so I can’t imagine what moving everything would be like. My favorite therapist advice, “Let’s write him a social story.” hehe. yeah, just to rile him up again and again.
May 20, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Keri
Welcome back?
Never left is more like it!